Discover Mystical Turkey on a Exciting 16 Days Tour

Discover Mystical Turkey on a Exciting 16 Days Tour

Go on a mystical adventure on this fantastic 16-day tour from Istanbul visiting some incredible places including Mt. Nemrut, and Mardin with unique old-Arab style houses.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival Day

Pass By: Istanbul Airport, Tayakadın, Terminal Caddesi No:1, 34283 Arnavutköy/İstanbul, Turkey
Arrival to Istanbul Airport where our driver/guide will meet you and transfer you to your hotel for check-in before having the rest of the day at your leisure.

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Hotel in Istanbul

Day 2: Sultanahmet – Old Istanbul

Stop At: Topkapi Palace, Cankurtaran Mahallesi Gulhane Park, Near Sultanahmet Square, Istanbul 34122 Turkey
Go to the Topkapi Palace, which was once used by the Ottoman Sultans from the 15th to 19th centuries and see the magnificent collection of priceless jewels, silver, crystal, and porcelain, robes that were worn by the sultans and the relics of the prophet Mohammed. (Entrance to the Harem is extra).
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Hagia Sophia Museum / Church (Ayasofya), Ayasofya Square, Sultanahmet, Istanbul 34122 Turkey
Visit the Hagia Sophia, which was built by Emperor Justinian and was the largest building in the world for over 1000 years and has intricate mosaics and a huge central dome.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Blue Mosque, Sultanahmet Mah At Meydani Cad No 7, Istanbul 34122 Turkey
After lunch, we will visit the stunning Blue Mosque that was built for Sultan Ahmet I, and is a unique piece of architecture with its six minarets and features 20,000 beautiful Iznik tiles.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Hippodrome, Binbirdirek, Sultan Ahmet ParkI No:2, Istanbul Turkey
Visit the ancient Hippodrome with Obelisk of Theodosius, Snake Pillar and German Fountain of Wilhelm II.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Basilica Cistern, Alemdar Mahallesi, Yerebatan Caddesi, No:1/3, Istanbul 34410 Turkey
Visit the hidden Underground Cistern.


Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Grand Bazaar, Grand Bazaar, Istanbul
See the Grand Covered Bazaar with its many shops perfect for your holiday souvenirs.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Hotel in Istanbul

Day 3: Bosphorus Cruise and Beylerbeyi

Stop At: Misir Carsisi (Spice Market), Rustem Pasa Mahallesi, Erzak Ambari Sok. No:92 Eminonu - Fatih, Istanbul 34116 Turkey
Visit the exotic Egyptian Spice Market located on the Golden Horn before boarding your cruise of the Bosphorus where the waterway separates the two continents Europe and Asia.
Duration: 2 hours

Pass By: Rumeli Fortress, Tarabya Yenikoy Cad., Istanbul Turkey
Pass by Rumeli fortress which was built by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1452, so he could prepare for his conquest of Istanbul.



Stop At: Beylerbeyi Palace, Abdullahaga Cad., Istanbul Turkey
Cross over the Bosphorus Bridge to Asia where you will visit Beylerbeyi Palace, which was once the summer address of the Ottoman Sultans, then on to Camlica Hill for a fantastic view of Istanbul.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Hotel in Istanbul

Day 4: Istanbul - Cappadocia

Stop At: Kaymakli Underground City, Derinkuyu Turkey
Fly from Istanbul to Cappadocia, and upon arrival, you will be met at the airport just outside the arrival’s gate and transfer to Cappadocia. 



Tour the Kaymaklı Underground City, one of the fascinating underground settlements in Cappadocia then drive to Sahinefendi (Sobesos) which is newly discovered (01 May 2002) mosaic houses and Archaeological excavation site.

Villages in the valleys are surrounded by the “tabletop” mountains which are spectacular.


Duration: 4 hours

Stop At: Keslik Monastery, Urgup Turkey
Continue to the Keslik Monastery close to Cemil, that hides its frescoes behind a thin smoke layer which you can only see by torchlight.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Mustafapasa Yeni Cami, Sht. Nadir Kurt Sk. Yukarı, Mustafapasa, Urgup 50400 Turkey
Visit Mustafapaşa (Sinasos), an old Greek town with its spectacular old Greek houses; outstanding examples of late Greek settlements and architecture.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Saruhan Exhibition and Culture Center, Yeni kayseri Yolu 6 km, Nevsehir 50500 Turkey
Visit Saruhan Caravanserai, a roadside inn where travellers would rest and recover from their day’s journey. Caravanserais supported the flow of information, commerce and people across a network of trade routes of North Africa, Asia, and South-Eastern Europe on the legendary Silk Road and the Spice Road.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Red Valley, Nevsehir Ortahisar, Nevsehir 50650 Turkey
Continue with the panorama of the Red Valley, with its fabulous volcanic rock formations and is in the heart of Cappadocia but still away from the tourist crowd.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Hotel in Cappadocia

Day 5: Cappadocia

Stop At: Devrent Valley, Devrent Mevkii No:1 Aktepe Koyu Turkey
Meet at the hotel reception after breakfast, then have your first meeting with the lunar landscape of Cappadocia with some rock formations beyond belief in Devrent valley, walk-in Pasabag near Zelve and wonder at the “fairy chimneys” where the sound of the wind mixes with the “songs of fairies”.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Avanos Oren Yeri, Kapadokya Cd., Avanos 50500 Turkey
Lunch in Avanos which has been the centre of terra cotta work of art since around 3000 BC and you will get a demonstration in a traditional pottery workshop.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Goreme National Park, Goreme 50180 Turkey
In the afternoon, visit the famous Goreme Open Air Museum and see the best examples of Byzantine art that are in Cappadocia in rock-cut churches with frescoes and paintings (10th to 13th century).
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Uchisar Castle, Uchisar Turkey
Continue to Uchisar Rock-Castle to have a panoramic view of the valleys of Cappadocia.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Hotel in Cappadocia

Day 6: Cappadocia – Gaziantep

Stop At: Zeugma Mosaic Museum, Mithatpasa Mahallesi Haci Sani Konukoglu Bulvari Sehitkamil, Gaziantep 27500 Turkey
After some breakfast at your hotel, you will depart from your hotel at approximately 08:00.

Your first stop will be at Kahramanmaras for lunch and a taste of its famous ice cream before continuing onto visit the world-famous Gaziantep Mosaic Museum. This museum exhibits superb mosaics discovered on the Roman site of Belkıs-Zeugma before the Birecik Dam flooded and damaged most of the site.
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Gaziantep Castle, City Center, Gaziantep Turkey
We will then visit the old city castle which is located in the centre of the city and copper bazaar which is one of the most special and oldest bazaars in Turkey, and you can find a variety of copper handicrafts. We will also have the chance to taste famous baklava; a sweet pastry made of layers of filo full of chopped nuts and sweetened and held together with syrup or honey (Baklava is originally from Gaziantep). After visiting the city, drive to hotel and check-in. Rest of the day at leisure. Overnight stay in Gaziantep.
Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Hotel in Cappadocia

Day 7: Gaziantep – Urfa

Stop At: Nizip, Gaziantep, Turkey
Today we drive to Sanliurfa, stopping at Nizip, a soap and olive oil district.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Zeugma Belkis Antik Kent, Nizip ,Belkiz, Gaziantep Turkey
Then see the remains of the old city of Belkis or (Zeugma) by the River Euphrates.

The importance of this settlement which demonstrates an uninterrupted inhabiting since prehistoric ages is that it is one of the two points allowing the easiest passage across the River Euphrates with a bridge first built by Alexander the Great.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Sanliurfa, Sanliurfa, Sanliurfa Province
Have lunch in Urfa and after a walk through the local, covered bazaar.

Spend the afternoon at the hotel or walk through the town to discover the many hidden treasures.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Hotel in Urfa

Day 8: Urfa – Kahta

Stop At: Sanliurfa Archeology and Mosaic Museum, Camlik Caddesi, Sanliurfa 63200 Turkey
Today we will visit Urfa Archaeological Museum that exhibits a vast collection, founded from Harran and Gobekli Tepe Area.
We will also see the holy sites at the Ainzelha, which is a lake that has millions of domesticated fish.


Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Sanliurfa, Sanliurfa, Sanliurfa Province
We will also visit the cave where the prophet Abraham was born then, walk through the local, covered bazaar of Sanliurfa.


Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Göbekli, 63340 Karaköprü/Şanlıurfa, Turkey
In the afternoon drive to Kahta city and on the way, you will see Gobekli Tepe (Garden of Eden), a hilltop sanctuary erected on the highest point of an elongated mountain ridge some 15 km northeast of the town of Urfa.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Atatuk Dam, Firat Lake, Sanliurfa Turkey
You will also see the Ataturk Dam, the third-largest in the world.
Duration: 30 minutes

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Hotel in Kahta

Day 9: Mt Nemrut – Mardin

Stop At: Mount Nemrut, Adiyaman 50100 Turkey
Hike to the summit of Mount Nemrut (one of the most popular UNESCO world cultural heritage sites) and watch the sunset, be in awe of the colossal heads and the statues of ancient deities, as you take a step into mythology. This magnificent landmark sits at an elevation of 8000 ft.

The mountain top complex is made up of two flat areas that are strewn with statues and are separated by a false peak of crushed rock. Antiochus constructed the entire complex around 2000 years ago as a dedication to his divine ancestry.


Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Mardin, Mardin, Mardin Province
Then drive back to your hotel for breakfast before we depart to Mardin with a lovely ferry ride across the dam and lunch in Siverek.

We will reach Mardin and check into the hotel and take the time to visit and walk in its busy streets and bazaars, and admire the stonework all around the town.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Hotel in Mardin

Day 10: Mardin - Tatvan

Stop At: Mardin, Mardin, Mardin Province
Visit the fascinating Monastery of Deyr-az-Zaferan just outside of Mardin and founded in 762 A.D.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Hasankeyf, Batman Turkey
We drive to Hasankeyf, with a stop at the charming little town of Midyat to see the Monastery and ancient houses on the way. Hasankeyf, with its history that spans nine civilisations, going back 10,000 years.

This is three times longer than the Giza pyramids, 10 times longer than Stonehenge, and makes the glorious civilisations of the Maya and Inca seem as if they were flourishing just yesterday.

Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Tigris River (Tigri), Diyarbakir Turkey
Some of the city’s historical treasures will be inundated if the construction of the Ilısu Dam is completed including ornate mosques, Islamic tombs and cave churches.

After lunch by the Tigris River, we depart to Tatvan, a small village on the edge of Lake Van and watch the sunset over the lake.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Hotel in tatvan

Day 11: Tatvan – Van

Stop At: Van, Van
Depart from Tatvan and have a beautiful drive around the lake to Van city that was established in the 13th century BC.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Akdamar Island, Lake Van Bitlis Van Yolu, Gevas, Van Turkey
We will then take a ferry across the lake to visit the most exceptional Armenian architecture, the Church of the Holy Cross that is on Akdamar Island.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Van Castle (Van Kalesi), 5 Km From The City Center, Van Turkey
Explore the huge Van Castle from the days of Urartu where you will see the hieroglyphs and sense the spirit of the once Urartu capital Tushpa and feel the salty waters of the great Lake Van called ‘the Sea’ by the locals.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Hotel in Van

Day 12: Van - Dogubeyazit – Kars

Stop At: Doğubayazıt/Ağrı, Turkey
Drive on the “Silk Road” to Dogubeyazit a beautiful, yet rugged area.


Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Mount Ararat, Eastern Turkey on the Armenian border, Agri Turkey
We will have the chance to see Mt. Ararat from all sides and is claimed to be the resting-place of Noah’s Ark, but so far no one has found any evidence – yet the search is still on.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Ishak Pasha Palace, Dogubeyazit Yolu 5., Dogubeyazit 04400 Turkey
We will then stop and see the Ishak Pasa Palace. This complex is made up of a mosque, a palace and a fortress, which initially had a different room for every day of the year and you can also see the remains of Eski Beyazit, and Urartian City which flourished in 1000 BC.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Hotel in Kars

Day 13: Kars

Stop At: Ani Antik Kenti, Kars Turkey
You will have an early morning departure and a 45-minute drive to the Armenian medieval City of Ani, that lies mostly in ruins.

Impressive fortified walls still surround the ruins of numerous churches, mosques and caravansaries and you can enjoy a stroll around the ruins and see the beautiful view to the Armenian border imagining it as a city with one million people rivalling Bagdad in its time.

This city has experienced the cultures of Urartians, Armenians, Georgians, Mongols, Russians and finally the Turks.

Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Castle of Kars, Kars Merkez Kaleici Mahallesi, Kars 36100 Turkey
Also, visit the impressive Kars Castle and historical sites surrounding the city.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Hotel in Kars

Day 14: Kars – Erzurum

Stop At: Erzurum, Erzurum
Depart from Kars after you have enjoyed breakfast and drive southwest to Erzurum.

The villages that are made up of stone houses and black sheep on green meadows will be of great interest.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Cifte Minareli Medrese, Erzurum Turkey
Visit the 12th-century Medrese (a Seljukian School) and talk with the imam at the 12th-century Mosque and explore the ethnographic museum.

See an old caravan stop where the local black stone is mounted in gold and silver by the local artists.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Hotel in Erzurum

Day 15: Erzurum – Trabzon

Stop At: Trabzon, Trabzon, Turkish Black Sea Coast
we begin a beautiful 5-hour drive to Trabzon, winding along the rivers with many photo stops and visit the Karaca Cave along the way.
Duration: 5 hours

Stop At: Sumela Monastery, Trabzon Turkey
Visit the Sumela Monastery which is also known as the Monastery of the Virgin Mary, and has been said that it is neither in heaven or on earth.

Carved on the mountain, it looks like a nine-story high building that hangs down from the clouds and sits on the top of the forest.

A short hike through the beautiful rain forest will leave no question in your mind about where you are in Turkey.
Duration: 2 minutes

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Hotel in Trabzon

Day 16: Trabzon – Istanbul

Stop At: Trabzon Hagia Sophia Museum, Fatih Mah.Ayasofya Sok. Merkez Karadeniz manzarali, sahil karşisi., Trabzon Turkey
In 1204, after the crusaders invaded Constantinople, Trabzon became the capital of the Byzantine Empire for a short amount of time.

Longing for the grandeur of Constantinople, in Trabzon, they imitated the Churches of their beloved city on a smaller scale.

St. Sophia of Trabzon, although much smaller will leave with you the same sense of religious devotion as the original one in Istanbul.

The tour will finish at noontime, and you will then transfer to Trabzon Airport and fly back to Istanbul.
Duration: 3 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.