As someone slightly obsessed with borderlands and the Caucasus, I’d been wanting to cross the Turkey-Nakhchivan border for a very long time.
The Dilucu-Sadarak crossing is the only land border connecting Turkey with Azerbaijan, via the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. It sits at the crossroads of four countries: Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iran and Armenia.
This border is at Turkey’s easternmost point and on the far northwestern edge of Nakhchivan. It also comes with one hell of a backdrop: Mount Ararat rising dramatically above the surrounding plains.
In this guide, I’ll explain how I crossed the border from Nakhchivan to Turkey, how much I paid, and what you need to know before attempting it yourself.
I did the trip in July 2026, travelling from Nakhchivan into Turkey and continuing towards Iğdır and Doğubeyazıt.
Dilucu-Sadarak border crossing at a glance
| Azerbaijani side | Sadarak (Sədərək) |
| Turkish side | Dilucu |
| Nearest Azerbaijani town | Sadarak |
| Nearest Turkish town | Iğdır |
| Can you cross on foot? | Yes |
| My route | Nakhchivan city → Sadarak → Dilucu → Iğdır |
| Possible in 2026? | One way only: Nakhchivan to Turkey |
The Dilucu-Sadarak border: Nakhchivan’s gateway to Turkey
The Dilucu-Sadarak crossing is the only land border between Turkey and Azerbaijan via Nakhchivan. The Azerbaijani exclave is separated from the rest of
Azerbaijan by Armenia’s Syunik Province.
For Nakhchivan, this crossing is particularly significant because it provides Azerbaijan’s only direct land connection to Turkey. The border sits along the Aras River, with Turkey’s Iğdır Province on one side and Nakhchivan’s Sadarak District on the other.
Can you cross the Turkey-Nakhchivan border in 2026?
Yes, but only in one direction for foreign travellers: from Nakhchivan into Turkey.
Since 2020 third-country nationals who are not Azerbaijani citizens cannot enter Azerbaijan overland from Turkey, as most of Azerbaijan’s land borders remain closed to entry. The same restriction applies to the Nakhchivan land border and Turkish citizens cannot enter either.
According to the Azerbaijani authorities, the country’s land borders are currently expected to remain closed to entry until at least October 2026.
How to get to the Sadarak border from Nakhchivan City
In 2026, there are no buses running from Nakhchivan City to the Dilucu-Sadarak border or continuing onwards to Turkey. The buses that used to operate this international route were from Turkish bus companies, not Azerbaijani ones, so they are no longer permitted to cross back and forth into Nakhchivan.
My source: the lovely little lady at Nakhchivan bus station & the knowlegeable taxi driver who took me to the border.
As there are no more buses to the border, I arranged a shared taxi the day before crossing.
The taxis – ordinary cars with large trunks, rather than anything resembling a proper taxi stand – are stationed right outside Nakhchivan bus station. You can find the exact location here.
The drive from Nakhchivan City to the Sadarak border takes about one hour, covering roughly 80 km. I left at 6 am and arrived at the border around 7 am. It’s 30 AZN per passenger.
If you’re planning to do the same, I’d recommend arranging your transport the day before rather than simply turning up at the bus station in the morning. People tend to leave early in summer, partly because of the heat, and partly because some passengers are travelling a long way into Turkey.
My driver actually offered to take me all the way to Iğdır. He quoted 120 AZN for two passengers, but told me I shouldn’t have any trouble finding onward transport on the Turkish side. I decided to cross the border on my own and he was right.
How to get from the Dilucu border to Iğdır
Once you’ve completed the Turkish border formalities, getting to Iğdır is relatively easy.
I was told by one of the border officers that a bus to Iğdır would be coming at 8 am ; it was around 7 am Turkish time at that point. While I was waiting, I changed some money with the Azerbaijani man outside the customs area (more details below), and he also confirmed that a large bus was expected.
Instead, at around 8:20 am, a dolmuş minibus arrived. He told me to get in, sorted things out with the driver for me, and off I went. The journey itself was completely straightforward. I paid 300 TL and arrived in Iğdır around 9:30 am Turkish time.
There weren’t any taxis waiting on the Turkish side when I crossed. There were some private cars and minibuses taking people towards the Sadarak checkpoint, but they seemed to be dropping people off and turning back. At one point, a huge military vehicle was repeatedly honking at everyone to get out of the way, with limited success, judging by how long it kept honking. The Turkish side is messy and shows exactly what comes next to this part of the country.
I ended up squeezed into the back of the dolmuş next to the only passenger who spoke Russian, an old Azerbaijani man. He didn’t seem particularly friendly at first, but we ended up talking for the entire journey to Iğdır.
In fact, everyone was incredibly helpful. The driver asked me where I wanted to get off and, when I explained that I was continuing towards Doğubeyazıt, he dropped me right in front of the dolmuş station for Doğubeyazıt.
Honestly, the whole thing was surprisingly easy, thanks entirely to people helping me figure out where to go.
Changing money at the border
Just after Turkish customs, on the right-hand side, you’ll find a small makeshift money-changing setup: a table and umbrella rather than an actual exchange office (they also buy/sell cigarettes).
The Azerbaijani man who helped me for the bus is working there. He wore a khaki sleeveless jacket, was very tanned, and spoke Russian. He looked a little intimidating at first, but was very kind in helping me figure out the bus to Iğdır. He mainly had Azerbaijani manats and only a limited amount of Turkish lira available this early in the morning but in my case, he had enough to exchange my money.
There is an ATM inside the customs building where you can withdraw Turkish lira, but watch out for the fees/commissions charged for foreign cards.
How long does it take to travel from Nakhchivan City to Iğdır?
I left Nakhchivan City at 6 am and arrived in Iğdır at 9:30 am Turkish time.
The border itself is only about an hour (80 km) from Nakhchivan City. We arrived at 7 am, and the Azerbaijani side took roughly 30 minutes. After immigration, I walked across the no-man’s-land towards the Turkish checkpoint, which took about 15 minutes on foot.
You don’t have to walk if you don’t want to, there were cars taking passengers across (or you can hitch a ride outside a truck it seems … see photo bellow), but I highly recommend walking. You get a full view of Mount Ararat, and seeing it in the early morning light was absolutely stunning!
The Turkish side was extremely quick. I then waited about one hour for a bus towards Iğdır. I arrived in Iğdır at 9:30 am Turkish time, one hour behind Nakhchivan.
Overall from Nakhchivan City to Iğdır, it took me in total 4½ hours.
I share the behind the scenes of my travels (real-time stories, messy bits etc) on Telegram
How much does it cost to travel from Nakhchivan City to Iğdır
| Route | Transport | Price |
| Nakhchivan City to Sadarak border | Shared taxi | 30 AZN (~15€) |
| Dilucu border to Iğdır | Dolmuş | 300 TL (~5€) |
Continuing from Iğdır to Doğubeyazıt
From Iğdır, I continued south towards Doğubeyazıt, where I spent some time exploring the town and the spectacular Ishak Pasha Palace.
If you’re doing the same, simply ask your driver to drop you at the right dolmuş station for Doğubeyazıt, it’s near Rus Bazar (200 TL from Iğdır to Doğubeyazıt).
I recommend using the dolmuş rather than a larger intercity bus whenever possible. They’re essentially the Turkish equivalent of a marshrutka and leave from central locations rather than the bus station, which can be several kilometres outside town.
Conclusion
The walk across the border with a full view of Mount Ararat was one of the main reasons I wanted to cross this particular land border, and it absolutely delivered. The landscape was stunning, and honestly, this is one of the most beautiful land borders I’ve crossed in the Caucasus, alongside Verkhny Lars-Kazbegi.
If, like me, you’re fascinated by borders and you’re travelling Nakhchivan, I’d absolutely recommend crossing Dilucu-Sadarak. The views alone make it worth it.
Happy travels, and iyi yolculuklar!
📌 More Azerbaijan guides coming soon
I’m currently working on new travel guides to Baku and Nakhchivan, based on my 2026 travels. Want to know when they’re published? Subscribe to my newsletter and I’ll let you know when they’re live.
