12 Days Eastern Anatolia Tour Details

(Lunch and Dinner included)
Arrive Trabzon. Visit to the 14th century Byzantine church of Hagia Sofia overlooking the Black Sea before proceeding to the cliff side monastery of the Virgin Mary at Sumela in the Altindere national park. From Sumela, we drive along the coast of the Black Sea to Hopa on the Georgian border where we will spend the night. Dinner and overnight Artvin.

(Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included)
We depart Hopa for Erzurum via Artvin after the breakfast, Ishan and the spectacular Georgian Valleys. Dinner and overnight in Erzurum.

(Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included)
First the breakfast and then the sightseeing in Erzurum before departing for Kars via the Aras River valley and the First World War battlefield site of Sarakimis. After arriving at Kars, we will continue to visit the ancient Armenian city of Ani on the Arpacay River. Dinner and overnight in Kars.

(Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included)
On to Dogubeyazit after the breakfast and passed the Biblical mountain of Ararat to visit the Ishak Pasha Palace and then on to the city of Van where we will spend the night. Overnight Van.

(Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included)
Sightseeing in the Van region upon breakfast including a visit to the 17th century fortress of Hosap, sitting astride the ancient Silk Road into Persia and the Orient. In the afternoon, we will visit the island of Akdamar in Lake Van to visit the 10th century Church of the Holy Cross. Dinner and overnight in Van.

(Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included)
After the breakfast, we depart Van along the southern shore of Lake Van for Tatvan and then to visit the great Volcano Crater of Nemrut and the Seljuk monuments of Ahlat. Dinner and overnight in Tatvan.

(Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included)
After the breakfast, we continue down the Bitlis Gorge, via the city of Batman, to the town Hasankeyf for lunch. In Hasankeyf (soon to be submerged under the lake of a new dam on the Tigris) we will visit some of the many caves and the ruins of the medieval Byzantine City. On our way west to Mardin, we will stop in Midyat to see the Silver Bazaar. Arrive to Mardin visit Kasimiye Madrasa. Dinner and overnight in Mardin.

(Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included)
After breakfast, we visit Deir-Al-Zafaran (Saffron Monastery). The Saffron Monastery was once the ancient center of the Syriac Christian Patriarchy. This site has been the center of religious worship for many centuries, the monastery itself is built over an ancient temple, built in 1000 BC and dedicated to the worship of the sun and which now provides the foundations to the main part of the monastery buildings – it is a fascinating structure as the roof of the temple to the sun is, essentially, a flat arch! From Mardin, we will travel northwest to Diyarbakir to see the 10 Arches Bridge on the Tigris River. Dinner and overnight Diyarbakir.

(Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included)
Sightseeing in Diyarbakir after breakfast: the Ulu Cami (Mar Thoma)(Mosque and Church), then visit the Great wall. Leave for Nemrut via the ferry over the Euiphratesry arriving in Narlice Village in Nemrut National Park. We will travel to the top of Mount Nemrut, Tombs of Commagene Kingdom and the Colossal Statues of Gods. Climbing up to Tumulus of Antiochos, the capital of Kommagene, we will watch the sun set from the summit of Nemrut. This ancient funerary monument at the peak of Mt Nemrut was forgotten and lost to memory for nearly 2000 years. Dinner and Overnight near Nemrut in Adiyaman.

(Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included)
After breakfast, you will see Karakus Tumulus, a burial sanctuary and the Cendere Bridge, erected by the XVI Legion in the honour of Roman Emperor Septimus Severus, before proceeding to for Urfa. Via Urfa, we will visit Ataturk dam a part of the giant South East Anatolia Project. Arriving in Urfa, we will visit the Holy Pools of Abraham and the cave where, tradition tells us, the Prophet Abraham was born. Visit the Bazaar. Overnight Sanliurfa.

(Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included)
After breakfast, we will visit the on-going archaeological dig at GobekliTepe. The most important archaeological dig currently being undertaken anywhere in the world – this site represents a major shift in our understanding of man’s early history. Here lie the remains of the earliest religious structures built by man yet to be discovered. At about 11000-13000 years old and pre-dating pottery, writing, Stonehenge and the Pyramids! We, then, depart for Gaziantep where we will visit the stunning mosaic museum which houses a priceless collection of mosaics from the now sunken city of Zeugma. We will visit the citadel and the Old Town of Gaziantep. Dinner and overnight in Gaziantep.

(Breakfast included)
Today, we depart for Gaziantep airport for our domestic flight to Istanbul and then back to home after breakfast. We hope your tour was a memorable one and we would like to see you in the future in one of our tours again. Have a nice trip back home and thanks for choosing TravelShop Booking.