Day 1 – Arrival Istanbul
Arrival in Istanbul and Meet&Greet at the airport, transfer to the hotel, check- in. Leisure afternoon. Overnight Istanbul.
Day 2 – Sultanahmet – Old Istanbul
Meeting at the hotel reception
Visit to Topkapi Palace, which was used by the Ottoman Sultans from the 15th to 19th centuries. We will also see the impressive collection of priceless jewels, crystal, silver and porcelain, robes worn by the sultans and relics of the prophet Mohammed (Entrance to Harem is included). We will see the Blue Mosque, built for Sultan Ahmet I, which is a unique piece of architecture with its six minarets and features 20,000 beautiful Iznik tiles. After lunch break visit the ancient Hippodrome with Obelisk of Theodosius, Snake Pillar and German Fountain of Wilhelm II. Walk through the back streets of Old Istanbul and visit the Yerebatan underground Cistern. At the end of the tour, at request, free time to see the Grand Covered Bazaar (except Sundays). Overnight Istanbul.
*May be done as a walking tour if your hotel is located in Old City area. *Order of visits may be reversed..
Day 3 – Bosphorus Cruise with Beylerbeyi
Meeting at the hotel reception
Visit The St. (Haghia) Sophia, which was built by the Emperor Justinian. It was the largest building in the world for over 1000 years. See its intricate mosaics and huge central dome. Visit the exotic Egyptian Spice Market on the Golden Horn. Board your cruise* of the Bosphorus, the waterway, which separates the continents of Europe and Asia. Pass Rumeli fortress, built by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1452 to prepare for his conquest of Istanbul. Time for lunch in a restaurant. Cross over the Bosphorus Bridge to Asia and visit Beylerbeyi Palace, which was the summer residence of the Ottoman Sultans, then on to Camlica Hill for a magnificent view of Istanbul.
*Order of visits may be reversed..
*Cruise is done by public boat unless other arrangements are made. For private boat alternative please ask.
Day 4 – Istanbul – Cappadocia
Pick-up from hotel 3 hours before flight departure.
Transfer to the airport to take the afternoon/evening flight from Istanbul to Cappadocia. Arrival at the airport and meeting just outside the arrival’s gate with a sign bearing your name with your driver. Transfer to the hotel in Cappadocia.
Day 5 – Cappadocia
*Optional Hot air ballooning: Pick up from hotel around 04:00-05:00 (according to the season) and drive to balloon take off place. Take the balloon flight and after the flight you will have your certificate and return to hotel around 07:00-08:00 (according to the season). Refresh and relax a little and ready for your day tour.
Meeting at the hotel reception
First meeting with the lunar landscape of Cappadocia: rock formations beyond belief in Devrent valley; a journey in the past with its troglodyte houses, Lunch and visit centre of terra cotta work of art since 3000 BC. and a demonstration in a traditional pottery workshop. Afternoon, walking in Pasabag near Zelve ; "fairy chimneys" where the voice of wind mixes with the "songs of fairies".After visit the famous Zelve Open Air Museum and see the best examples of Byzantine art in Cappadocia in rock-cut churches with frescoes and paintings (10th to 13th century). Continue to Uchisar Rock-Castle to have a panoramic view of the valleys of Cappadocia. Overnight Cappadocia
Day 6- Cappadocia
Hot air balloon flight with sunrise
Pick-up from your hotel
Visit the widest and enchanting underground city, Kaymakli features a maze of tunnels and rooms carved eight levels deep on earth.
Next, we will drive to the magnificent Ihlara Valley, where we will walk alongside the Melendiz River for about 1 hour which winds its way through the unique home to rock carved churches and underground dwellings. With nearly 100 in total, they line both sides of the gorge.
After lunch, we continue to Selime Monastery which is an astonishing rock-cut construction and the largest religious structure in the Cappadocia region with a cathedral sized church cut directly into the volcanic tuff. On the way back, take pictures of Pigeon Valley and the unique rock formations.
Our final stop will be at the local onyx factory to see a demonstration on carving and shaping. Over night Cappadocia
Day 7 – Cappadocia – Kahramanmaras (300 km, 4,5 hours) – Gaziantep (90 km, 1 hour)
Meeting at the hotel reception
Drive to Karatay Kervansaray and visit the Kervansaray. Stop at Kahramanmaras for lunch and a taste of its famous ice cream. Continue onto visit the world famous Gaziantep Mosaic Museum. This museum becomes after the discoveries from Zeugma. We will also visit the old city castle, copper bazaar and the famous baklava shop (Baklava is originally from Gaziantep). Overnight in Gaziantep.
Day 8 – Gaziantep – Sanliurfa (150 km, 2 hours)
Meeting at the hotel reception
After breakfast at hotel, we will drive to visit Gobeklitepe, a hilltop sanctuary erected on the highest point of an elongated mountain ridge some 15 km northeast of the town of Urfa. What makes Gobeklitepe unique in its class is the date it was built, which is roughly twelve thousand years ago, circa 10,500 BC.
In the afternoon, we will visit Urfa Archaeological Museum. This museum exhibit a huge collection, founded from Harran and Gobeklitepe Area. We will also visit the holy sites at Balıklıgöl, a lake with millions of domesticated fish. While in Urfa we will visit the cave where the prophet Abraham was born. Then, walk through the local covered bazaar of Sanliurfa. Overnight Sanliurfa.
Day 9 – Sanliurfa – Mt Nemrut (200 km, 3,5 hours)
Meeting at the hotel reception
We will visit nearby Harran and see the incredible beehive houses. Harran- according to the Bible- was the site where prophet Abraham spent a few years with his family before moving on to Israel, the Promised Land. There are exceptional photo opportunities in this area.
In the afternoon we will drive to see Tumulus Tomb of Karakus, ceoss over the still functioning Cendere Bridge (Septimus Severus bridge) and the old castle, Arsemeia.
According to the season you can visit Mt Nemrut during sunset or overnight and visit during sunrise. For sunrise tour, you should get up around 2:30am
Then we hike to the summit of the mount Nemrut (one of the most popular UNESCO world cultural heritage sites), watching the sunset, be amazed by the colossal heads and statues of ancient deities, as you step into mythology. This extraordinary landmark rests at an elevation of 7000 ft. The mountain top complex is composed of two flattened areas strewn with statues and separated by a false peak of crushed rock. Antiochus built the entire complex approximately 2000 years ago as a monument to his divine ancestry. Overnight near the mountain.
Day 10 – Mt Nemrut – Mardin (300 km, 5 hours)
Meeting at the hotel reception
Driver to Mardin: located on a high hill overlooking the plains of southern Turkiye and Syria. After breakfast, we will visit Deir-Al-Zafaran (the Saffron Monastery), center of the Syrian Orthodox Patriarchy and still an active monastery. After lunch drive to Hasankeyf, situated by the Tigris river. Soon to be submerged under the flood waters of a new dam on the Tigris, Hasankeyf has hundreds of caves, hidden waterways, tombs, a larger and smaller Palace, as well as ruins of the Great Mosque. Overnight Mardin.
Day 11 – Mardin – Tatvan – Van (500 km, 6,5 hours)
Departure from your hotel
Beautiful drive around the lake to reach Van city, established 13th century BC. From here, we will take a ferry across the lake to visit the finest Armenian architectural wonder of the Church of the Holy Cross on Akdamar Island. Step over to the huge Van Castle from the days of Urartu and see the hieroglyphs as you sense the spirit of the once Urartu capital Tushpa, feel the salty waters of the great Lake Van called as ‘the Sea’ by the locals. Overnight stay in Van.
Day 12 – Van – Dogubeyazit (180 km, 2,5 hours) – Kars (200 km, 2,5 hours)
Departure from your hotel
Drive on the “Silk Road” to Dogubeyazit. At the Iranian border we will see a site known as the Crater Hole. This is a beautiful, yet rugged area. We will have the opportunity to see Mt. Ararat from all sides. It is believed by some to be the resting-place of Noah’s Ark; but to date no one has found anything that has been verified as the Ark – yet the search is still on. We will stop and see the Ishak Pasa Palace. This complex is a combination of a mosque, a fortress, and a palace which originally had a room for every day of the year! Below you can also see the remains of Eski Beyazit, and Urartian City which flourished in 1000 BC. Overnight Kars.
Day 13 – Kars – Ani
Departure from your hotel
An early morning departure for a 45-minute drive to the medieval Armenian City of Ani, which lies mostly in ruins. Impressive fortified walls still encircle the ruins of numerous churches, mosques and caravansaries. Enjoy a walk around the ruins and see the beautiful view to the Armenian border imagining it as a city with one million people rivaling Bagdad in its time! This city has experienced the cultures of Urartians, Armenians, Georgians, Mongols, Russians and finally the Turks. Also visit the impressive Kars Castle and historical sites surrounding the city. Overnight Kars.
Day 14 – Kars – Erzurum (200 km, 3 hours)
Departure from your hotel
Depart from Kars after breakfast and drive southwest to Erzurum. Of great interest will be the villages of stone houses and black sheep on green meadows. VisitCifte Minare and Yakutiye Medrese. Free time in Rustem Pasha Bedesten, devoted manufacture and sale of Oltutas jewelry. Overnight Erzurum.
Day 15 – Erzurum – Trabzon (280 km, 4 hours)
Departure from your hotel
Drive to Trabzon, winding along the rivers with many photo stops and Karaca Cave along the way. Visit the Sumela Monastery, also known as the Monastery of the Virgin Mary. It has been said that it is neither on earth nor in heaven. Carved on the slope of a mountain, it looks like a nine story high building hanging down from the clouds and sitting on the top of the forest. A short hike through the rain forest will leave no question in your mind about where you are in Turkiye. Overnight Trabzon.
Day 16 – Trabzon – Istanbul
Departure from your hotel
Visit the city of Trabzon in the morning. After the crusaders invaded Constantinople in 1204, Trabzon became the capital of the Byzantine Empire for a short time. Longing for the grandeur of Constantinople, in Trabzon, they imitated the Churches of their beloved city in a smaller scale. St. Sophia of Trabzon though much smaller will leave with you the same sense of religious devotion as the original one in Istanbul.
The tour will finish at noon time and transfer to Trabzon Airport and fly back to Istanbul
