13 NIGHTS \ 14 DAYS EXPLORE EASTERN TURKEY AND BLACK SEA

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 Anadolu Evleri Hotel or similar for 2 nights on bed and breakfast basis.

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.

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 Elci Konagi Butik Otel for 2 nights on bed and breakfast basis.

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.

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 Anemon Hotels similar for 1 night on bed and breakfast basis.

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 Zinciriye Hotel or similar for 1 night on bed and breakfast basis

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 Tasar Royal Hotel or similar for 1 night on bed and breakfast basis.

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 DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton Van or similar for 1 night on bed and breakfast basis.

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 Katerina Sayari Hotel or similar for 1 night at luxury single room on bed & breakfast basis

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 Snow Dora Hotel or similar for 1 night at on bed and breakfast basis.

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 Anemon Hotels for 1 night on bed and breakfast basis.

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 Ayderoom Hotel for 2 nights on bed and breakfast basis

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.

- PRIVATE TRANSFER TO AIRPORT FOR YOUR ISTANBUL FLIGHT

Pegasus Airlines, Trabzon (TZX) to Istanbul (SAW): 10:15 – 11:55 am
End of the services.