Eastern Turkey

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23
Home
İstanbul
Tour Quota : 20
Age Quota : 80
Details

22 days tour, covering Istanbul, Central, and Eastern Turkey; aiming to give a comprehensive look into the rich history, culture and folklore of various ethnic groups as well as an interactive social relation with natives ethnicities of Anatolia

Included Services

  • Domestic Flights
  • Accommodation in local tourist class hotels
  • Local through-lecturer guide
  • Pirvate coach
  • all entrance fees to museums and sites
  • daily breakfast and dinner

Excluded Costs

  • meals other than mentioned in the iitnerary
  • international glights
  • Gratuities to the local guide and the driver
  • Personal expenditures

Suggestions

  • Casual dressing
  • Walking sport shoes
  • Warm clothes for evenings
  • No human pictures without permission
Tour Program

1. Day Arrival Istanbul

Arrival Istanbul airport. Meet your guide and transfer to Hotel Arcadia or similar

2. Day Istanbul

Full day sightseeing on foot, visiting The Roman Hippodrome, The Blue Mosque, Haghia Sophia, The Topkapi Palace. Welcome Dinner at Kumkapı Fish Restaurants. ( B.D)

3. Day Istanbul

Full day sightseeing The Spice Market, Bosphorus Cruise and The Asian Side of Istanbul. (B)

4. Day Istanbul-Ankara-Cappadocia

Morning flight to Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. Upon arrival visit to the Anatolian Civilizations Museum where a rich collection of different civilizations is on display. Continue visiting the old castle and Samnapazarı, the archaic bazaar of the city. Lunch at Zenger Pasha Konağı situated in the castle. After a short orientation in the modern city continue driving to Cappadocia. En route stop by the Salt Lake and The Ağzıkarahan Caravanserai. Dinner & overnight at Cappadocia Lodge Hotel. ( B,L,D)

5. Day Cappadocia

Full day sightseeing at Cappadocia, visiting Uchisar Hilltop, Göreme rock-hewn churches, trekking at Zelve & Guvercinlik Valleys. Lunch will be served in a local cave restaurant. Afternoon enjoy a brief lecture on world-wide famous Turkish Rugs and also visit Avanos famous for pottery workshops.Dinner & overnight in the hotel. ( B,L,D)

6. Day Cappadocia

Morning visit Ihlara Valley and Kaymaklı the underground city. Return to the hotel for lunch. Afternoon free at leisure. Dinner & Whirling Dervishes Show is available upon request. (B,L)

7. Day Cappadocia-Sivas

Drive to Sivas via Kayseri. Both of these central Anatolian cities are famous for well-preserved Seljuk-Turkish Monuments like mıosques, medrese ( the old theological schools) and hospitals dating back to the 12th and 13th.centuries. Dinner & overnight in Sivas ( B,D)

8. Day Sivas-Malatya

Today enjoy a scenic drive to Malatya. En route stop by Kangal which is famous for shepherd dogs named after this town. Malatya is considered to be the gateway to eastern Turkey. En-route enjoy a picnic lunch at Gürün. Upon arrival enjoy free time in the city center for shopping and viewing the local daily life. Malatya is the biggest apricot producing city in Turkey. Overnight in Malatya. (B,L)

9. Day Malatya-Kahta

Morning visit to Aslantepe, a late Hittite settlement. Then drive to Adıyaman viewing the spectacular Nemrut Mountain. Arrive Kahta at noontime, check-in hotel and have lunch. After a short rest in the hotel start sightseeing of the Kommagene Kingdom dating back to the 1st. century B.C. Late afternoon return to the hotel for dinner. After dinner free time for rest. (B,L,D)

10. Day Kahta-Urfa

Early morning leave hotel for Nemrut Mountain. After about two hours 4x4 drive, a hard walk is required for 20 minutes. Ones who cannot walk, can take a donkey ride upto the hilltop. Enjıoy thrilling sunrise in front Tombs of the Kommagene Kingdom and Colossal Statues of Gods and Goddess of Greek & Persian Deities. Return to the hotel for breakfast and then drive to Urfa along The GAP Dam which is the biggest dam of Turkey on Euphrates River. Upon arrival Urfa, check-in hotel and have lunch. Late in the afternoon start exploring North Mesopotamia by visiting Harran Plain where the oldest university in Anatolia was once located. Harran is also famous for traditional Bee Hive-style conic Houses. Dinner at a local restaurant where local kebaps will be served and traditional entertainment will be performed by local singers and dancers. (B,L,D)

11. Day Kahta-Diyarbakır

Morning drive to Diyarbakır with a stop at Mardin, one of the most charming cities of Turkey both from the architectural and ethnical point of views. Mardin is included in the list of world heritage by UNESCO. The population of the city consists of Orthodox Christian Assyrians, Moslem & Christian Arabs, Yezidis the Devil Worshippers and just a few Turks. Lunch-basket will be delivered en route. Afternoon, arrive in Diyarbakır which is the biggest Metropole of Eastern Turkey situated by the Tigris River. Visit The Grand Mosque and City Fortifications dating back to the 16th.century. Dinner & overnight in the hotel.(B,L,D)

12. Day Diyarbakır-Van

Morning departure for Van via Bitlis, Tatvan and Ahlat where will be stopped to visit the Conic Tombs of Seljuk-Turkish period. Picnic - lunch will be served en route. After Ahlat, enjoy a scenic drive along the southern shores of Lake Van which is the biggest lake in Turkey. The city of Van, the former Tusba was the capital city of Urtatus who had lived in 15th. Century B.C. and the local Armenian Kingdoms in the until 11th. Century A.D. Evening check in hotel, dinner & overnight in the hotel. ( B,L,D)

13. Day Van

Full day excursion at the vicinity of Van. Visit the Tusba Castle and Akhtamar Island on which an 11th. century Armenian Monastery is situated. Picnic Lunch will be served on the island. Those who wish can enjoy bathing the soda waters of the lake. Late afternoon, enjoy strolling through the traditional market place of the city. Dinner & overnight in the hotel. (B,L,D)

14. Day Van - Doğubeyazıt

Day of real adventure. Drive to Doğubeyazıt via Çaldıran plain and Tendurek Mountain which is more than 3500 meters, situated by the Iranian border. While driving along the mountain, a thrilling landscape will offer a spectacular view. Lunch-baskets will be delivered en route. As descending down the mountain, the view of the Sacred Mount Ararat will catch your eyes. Doğubeyazıt is a border town to Iran and famous for The Ararat Mountain. Late afternoon visit the Ishak Pasha Castle which was the residence of the Ottoman Governor of the East Territories. Dinner & overnight in the hotel. (B,L,D)

15. Day Doğubeyazıt-Kars

Morning free time exploring the local market of Doğubeyazıt. Then drive to Kars along the Western slopes of Mount Ararat. Pass through the Igdır Plain which has a Mediterranean Climate at an altitude of 2000 meters, producing sub-tropical fruits. Afternoon, arrive at Kars, the North-Easternmost city of Turkey bordering Armenia by the Aras River. Visit the Kars Castle remaining from the Ottomans and afterward from Russians. Enjoy free time in the market place of Kars before checking in the hotel. Dinner in the hotel. Evening optional Folk-dance program is worth watching. (B,L,D)

16. Day Kars-Erzurum

Morning visit the ruins of Ani which was an Armenian settlement until the beginning of 20th. Century, situated by the Aras River overlooking the territories of the Republic Armenia. Afternoon drive to Erzurum. En route stop by an obsidian query. Obsidian is a volcanic rock out of which various hunting and fighting tools had been made at pre-historic times. Erzurum, situated at the foot of Mount Palandoken which is a very popular skiing resort of Turkey, is famous for Turkish-Islamic monuments as well as legendary patriots who resisted against the Russian invasion during the First World War. Sites to visit in Erzurum include the Castle, Çifte Minareli Medrese and the old Ottoman Houses under protection. Dinner & Overnight in the hotel. (B,D)

17. Day Erzurum-Artvin

Morning departure for Artvin. En-route visit the ruins of old Georgian Orthodox Churches. Enjoy driving along Çoruh River which runs through a real wilderness. Çoruh is also an unbeatable rafting paradise for adventurers. Picnic lunch will be served by the river. Late afternoon, arrive at Artvin, which is amazingly situated, on a steep hilltop. Dinner and overnight in the hotel. (B,L,D)

18. Day Artvin-Rize

Time to explore the Black Sea Region. Drive to Rize via Hopa, the bordering Georgia, Çamlıhemşin and Fırtına Deresi which is a natural park reserving various birds and indigenous plants. As driving along the Black Sea, enjoy viewing the local girls in their colorful costumes working at the tea plantations. Rize is famous for the Laz, people who are living in this part of the country compose the major ethnic group from Caucasia and they are subject to many jokes in Turkey. Before check-in in the hotel, enjoy free time in the local market, observing the Laz and their daily life. Overnight in Rize. (B)

19. Day Rize-Trabzon

Morning departure for Trabzon en-route drive up to Ayder and Uzungöl plateaus for trekking in a heavenly landscape. Late afternoon,  arrive at Trabzon. (B)

20. Day Trabzon

Being once settled by the Greco-Pontic community, Trabzon has many remains from the Greek Orthodox Church. Morning drive to Maçka to climb up to Sumela Monastery, which is a 4th.century rock-hewn monastery, situated on a steep hilltop over 500 meters. Enjoy lunch in a local restaurant with homemade local dishes. Afternoon, continue sightseeing in Trabzon, visiting the Haghia Sophia Church and the Russian Market. Rest of the day free at leisure. (B,L)

21. Day Trabzon-Istanbul

Morning flight to ISTANBUL. Upon arrival transfer to hotel, rest of the day free at leisure. Farewell Dinner, at the terrace of Arcadia Hotel.(B,D)

22. Day Departure for home

Transfer to airport.(B)

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