Programme

Arrive Istambul. You will be transferred to your hotel and the remainder of the day is yours, free to explore. Night halt at Istambul.

After breakfast, you enjoy a fully guided tour of the only city to span two continents, visiting the Blue Mosque, the Aya Sofya, Topkapi Palace and the Hippodrome. Thereafter transfer to the Airport to board your flight to Cappadocia. Arrive Cappadocia. Transfer to the hotel. Night halt at Cappadocia.

After an early breakfast, departure for Gaziantepe, where you will see the superb roman mosaics of Zeugma in the archeological museum. Along the way visit to Gumusler Monastery and Yesemek. Arrive Gaziantep. Night halt at Gaziantep.

After breakfast, drive to the ancient city of Sanli Urfa, home of Abraham. On the way visit to remains of the ancient Roman city of Zeugma by the River Euphrates. Arrive Sanli Urfa. Check-in the hotel. Night halt at Sanli Urfa.

After breakfast, discover the ‘City of Prophets’ as you will visit Abrahams caves, the pool of sacred Carp and the busy colourful silk bazaar before visiting nearby Harran to see the incredible beehive houses. In the afternoon, drive to Kahta with a brief stop at Ataturk dam, third largest in the world. Arrive Kahta. Night halt at Kahta.

After breakfast, it will be an experience to remember as you visit Mt Nemrut and the mountain top sanctuary of Antiochus I at sunrise, before continuing to Mardin, overlooking the vast plains of Mesopotamia. Arrive mardin. Night halt at Mardin.

After breakfast, leave for a tour of Mardin and it’s Arabic style houses decorated with intricate carvings before continuing onto Hasankeyf, to visit the cliff top roman ruins of ancient Cephe and the old town of Midyat. After lunch by the Tigris River, depart to Tatvan, a small village on the edge of Lake Van and watch the sun set over the lake. Night halt at Tatvan.

After breakfast, depart from Tatvan and enjoy a beautiful lakeside drive to Van where you will take a ferry Akdamar Island and the 10th century holy cross church. Night halt at Tatvan.

After breakfast, drive the ancient ‘silk road’ Dogubeyazit located at the foothill of Mt Ararat, the highest mountain in Anatolia and Noah’s Ark is thought to have landed. Also visit- Ishak Pasa Palace and the remains of Eski Beyazit, an ancient Urartian City before continuing onto Kars. Reach Kars. Night halt at Kars.

After an early breakfast, departure to the medieval City of Ani, close to the Turkish-Armenian border. you also have a chance to visit the impressive Kars Castle, and surrounding ancient churches. Night halt at Kars.

After breakfast, drive southwest to the scenic heights of Erzurum . On the way visit to a 12th century Medrese, talk with the imam at the 12th century Mosque and enjoy the ethnographic museum. Arrive Erzurum. Night halt at Erzurum.

After breakfast, enjoy a scenic drive towards the historic city of Trabzon, via Karaca Cave before visiting the breathtaking Byzantine Monastery of Sumela. Arrive Trabzon. Night halt at Trabzon.

After breakfast, leave for visit the historic city of Trabzon, once the capital of the Byzantine empire, before your flight back to Istanbul. Arrive Istambul. Night halt at Istambul.

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the Istambul International Airport for your onward flight.