13 NIGHTS \ 14 DAYS EXPLORE EASTERN TURKEY AND BLACK SEA

DAY 1 – PRIVATE TRANSFER TO AIRPORT FOR YOUR GAZİANTEP FLIGHT.
At desired time, your driver will pick you up at your hotel where your own booked in Istanbul and will
transfer you to the airport.
Turkish Airlines, Istanbul (IST) to Gaziantep (GZT): 17:40 – 19:10
Welcome at airport and private transfer to your hotel.
Overnight in Gaziantep at: http://anadoluevleri.com/ or similar for 2 nights on bed and breakfast
basis.

DAY 2 – PRIVATE GAZIANTEP TOUR
Gaziantep city of gastronomy also with famous baklava
shops besides its history. We
will be visiting new Zeugma
Mosaic Museum – 2nd
biggest in the world after
Hatay Archeology Museum.
Our exploring the city will
continue with old city and
copper makers bazaars and
Gaziantep War Museum.

DAY 3 – DRIVE TO ŞANLIURFA ON THE WAY VISITING RUMKALE AND HALFETI
After breakfast we
will head to Şanlıurfa
with visit Rumkale
hopefully we will also
see Bald Ibis’, then
an amazing stop on
the way at Halfeti at
the banks of river
Euphrates , a boat
trip on the village
sunken under the dam waters and arrive to Şanlıurfa.
Overnight in Şanlıurfa at https://www.elcikonagi.com/ for 2 nights on bed and breakfast basis.

DAY 4 – PRIVATE URFA, GÖBEKLİ TEPE AND HARRAN TOUR
We will visit Urfa Museum, city tour with Abraham’s pool,
Harran plateau and finally Gobekli Tepe the oldest temple of
the world a game changer in archeology world.
What a researcher would find in
the books and articles about
Neolithic Age until 15-20 years
ago as the most popular idea until
a German archaeologist, Klaus
Schmidt discovered Gobekli Tepe
within 18 km. distance of Urfa,
one of the renowned mystic cities
of human history. The world was dazzled with this surprising discovery
because Gobekli Tepe was not only the earliest sanctuary on Earth, it was
the oldest architectural monument too. It was dated to 10.000 B.C. to
Pre-pottery Neolithic age miraculously predating the earliest settlements
in Mesopotamia by 5000 years, Stonehenge in England 7000 years, Egyptian pyramids 7.500 years
and Ggantija Temples in Malta 6.500 years. This fact indicates
that humans had
already achieved an
unexpected level of
imagination and
complex thinking at a
time they were
thought to be simple
hunter-gatherers
without any sign of agriculture yet. Back to Urfa (Şanlıurfa)
for overnight. We will experience the Sira Night (Sıra Gecesi) in Urfa.

DAY 5 – DRIVE TO DİYARBAKIR ON THE WAY VISITING Mnt. NEMRUT
We will check out and head up to Mt. Nemrut
passing through still functioning Cendere Bridge
built by Septemus Severus on the 2nd Century,
Tumulus Tomb of Karakus, and Arsemeia and
continue driving to the peak to get to the top of
Nemrut for the stunning Sunset
visiting East & West galleries. Drive to Diyarbakır. Diyarbakir and another ancient
settlement; at 5000 years old is one of the oldest cities in
the world. An overwhelmingly Kurdish city Diyarbakir is
famed for its ancient city walls; constructed by the Romans,
the current walls, built of massive black basalt blocks is,
after the Great Wall of China, the longest continuous
defensive wall in the world.
Overnight at: http://www.anemonhotels.com/oteldiyarbakir/
anemon-diyarbakir.aspxor similar for 1 night on
bed and breakfast basis.

DAY 6 – DRIVE TO MARDIN & PRIVATE MİDYAT TOUR
After leisure and relaxing breakfast; we start with Midyat,
a district of Mardin city. The ancient city is the epicenter
of a centuries-old Christian Assyrian/Syriacs enclave in
Southeast-Turkey, widely familiar under its Aramaic name
Tur Abdin. Several Assyrian citizens of the city are living in
Western countries today but their legacy is preserved
although they are not in use. Deyrulumur Monastery also
known as Mor Gabriel Monastery still has Assyrian
residents. Thes e Christians only avoid visitations when
they are worshipping.
Overnight at: https://www.zinciriye.com/or similar for 1 night on bed and breakfast basis

DAY 7 – MORNING DRIVE TO HASANKEYF & TATVAN
After breakfast we will drive to
Hasankeyf now submerged under the
flood waters of a new dam on the
Tigris. From here we will continue to
Batman and then up the Bitlis River
Gorge to Tatvan on the western shore
of Lake Van.
Overnight at: http://tasarhotel.com/or
similar for 1 night on bed and breakfast
basis.

DAY 8 – MORNING DRIVE TO VAN & PRIVATE AKDAMAR ISLAND TOUR
After breakfast drive to Van via Akdamar Island
where we visit the beautifully restored 10th Century
Armenian Church
of the Holy Cross,
or Sourp Khach,
before continuing
to the eastern city
of Van. In the
afternoon we will
visit Van’s
museum of Urartu
and the 9th Century Urartian fortress in Van.
Overnight at: https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/vandidi-doubletree-van/ or similar for 1 night on
bed and breakfast basis.

DAY 9 – MORNING DRIVE TO DOGUBEYAZIT & MNT. ARARAT & KARS
We leave Van for Doğubayazıt via Muradiye and the
pretty Bendimaahi Falls. In Doğubayazıt , we visit the
spectacular Ishak Pasha Palace before continuing our
journey north skirting around the western edge of Mt
Ararat. Mt. Ararat is one of the great natural spectacles of
the world, known in Turkish as ‘the Mountain of Pain’ and
in Kurdish as the ‘Mountain of Fire’. Armenians know it at
as Masis. The name Ararat derives from the Bible
(Jeremiah 51:27) and is a transliteration of ‘Urartu’ the
name foreigners gave to this region and its inhabitants in
Biblical times. We will spend the night in Kars.
Overnight at: https://www.katerinasarayi.com.tr/or similar for 1 night at luxury single room on bed
& breakfast basis.

DAY 10 – DRIVE TO ANİ RUINS & ERZURUM
We will continue to Ani ruins to spend
the morning at the former capital of
the great medieval Armenian
Kingdom. The remains of the ruined
city include several churches as well as
the shell of the Cathedral of Ani, the
citadel and a mosque along with an
extensive and well preserved
defensive wall.
After here follow the Aras river west
through the First World War
battlefield site of Sarikamis along the
gorge of the river Aras via magical
scenery of fields of gorse and fern, pristine river beds and deep ravines by the beautiful six-arched
Cobandede bridge and into Erzurum.
Overnight at: http://www.snowdora.com/tr/or similar for 1 night at on bed and breakfast basis.

DAY 11 – DRIVE TO TRABZON & PRIVATE BLACK SEA TOUR
Drive to Trabzon. We drive north through the Pontic
Alps, in the steps of Xenophon’s Ten Thousand with
spectacular views, along the Karasu, the northernmost
branch of the Euphrates, to Askale, with its ruined
Byzantine fortress. We continue over the 2390m
Kopdagi Pass, the Black Sea watershed, into the Coruh
valley, passing the huge fortress of Bayburt. We
continue down to the spectacular cliff hanging
monastery of Sumela; dedicated to the Virgin Ma ry, this
has been a monastic site since the 4th century AD.
Perched high in a gorge of the Altindere Vadisi National
Park, the present buildings date from 12th century on.
Overnight at https://www.anemonhotels.com/otel-trabzon/anemon-trabzon.aspx for 1 night on
bed and breakfast basis.

DAY 12 – PRIVATE TOUR OF SURMENE – UZUNGOL
We will then head to Rize stopping to visit the famous historical district Surmene where the first
chamber of commerce of Anatolian was founded. Drive to Uzungol to enjoy the great view and for
lunch at a waterside restaurant to taste the famous Akcaabat Meatballs.
Overnight at https://www.ayderoom.com/ for 2 nights on bed and breakfast basis.

DAY 13 – PRIVATE TOUR OF RIZE
Enjoy Rize today where you will enjoy the panoramic view of the city from a botany garden, where
the famous Turkish Tea and kiwi grown. Ayder Plateau with no settled population, but hosts visitors
during summers. Although well known locally, the first mention of Ayder in official papers dates back
to 1871 with thermal springs. You can either enjoy these thermal springs or we can drive up to two
more pleatues laid on the slopes of Kackar Mountains and enjoy some local chat with the locals.
Namely, today will be kept pretty leisure and flexible to shape a customized planning depending on
your mood and energy.

DAY 14 – PRIVATE TRANSFER TO AIRPORT FOR YOUR ISTANBUL FLIGHT.
Pegasus Airlines, Trabzon (TZX) to Istanbul (SAW): 10:15 – 11:55 am
End of the services.