Eastern Turkey Uncovered - 13 Days

Istanbul – Trabzon. Once you have arrived in Istanbul, you will take a later flight to Trabzon on the Black Sea coast. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure to relax after your journey or begin exploring this historic Black Sea city at your own pace.

Trabzon – Altindere National Park – Artvin / Arhavi. Today, we visit the 14th-century Hagia Sophia of Trabzon, a striking Byzantine church overlooking the Black Sea known for its impressive frescoes. We then continue to the spectacular Sumela Monastery, dramatically set into a cliff face within Altındere National Park and one of the most iconic landmarks in the region.

After our visit, we travel along the scenic Black Sea coast, passing lush green landscapes and traditional villages as we make our way towards Artvin / Arhavi near the Georgian border, where we will spend the night.

Arhavi – Hopa – Artvin – Erzurum. We depart Arhavi and travel east through Hopa, before heading inland through the dramatic Georgian Valleys near the Georgian border. This scenic route passes through the historic settlements of Ishan and Artvin as we travel across rugged mountain landscapes and deep river valleys.

By evening, we arrive in Erzurum, one of Turkey’s oldest cities and an important historic stop along the Silk Road.

Erzurum – Sarikamish – Kars. After breakfast, we explore Erzurum, a historic city that has long served as a gateway between Anatolia and the Caucasus and is known for its impressive Seljuk monuments.

We then drive east through the scenic Aras River Valley toward Sarikamıs, the site of a tragic World War I campaign during the harsh winter of 1914-1915.

Continuing further east, we visit the remarkable ruins of Ani, once the capital of the medieval Armenian kingdom. Set dramatically above the Arpacay River on the modern Turkish-Armenian border, this vast archaeological site contains the remains of churches, city walls and palaces that earned Ani the nickname "City of a Thousand Churches". After exploring the site we continue to nearby Kars.

Kars – Dogubayazit – Van. This morning, we make our way to Dogubayazit, passing views of the legendary Mount Ararat, Turkey’s highest peak and traditionally associated with the story of Noah’s Ark.

Here, we visit the magnificent Ishak Pasha Palace, an 18th-century complex dramatically set against the mountainside overlooking the plains below. Combining Ottoman, Persian and Armenian architectural influences, it is one of the most impressive historic palaces in eastern Turkey.

After our visit, we continue south to the lakeside city of Van on the shores of Turkey’s largest lake.

Van – Akdamar Island – Van. We explore the Van region today, beginning with a visit to the impressive Hosap Castle. Dating back to the 17th century, this fortress rises above a rocky hill and once guarded important regional trade routes.

In the afternoon, we take a boat across Lake Van to Akdamar Island. Here we visit the 10th-century Church of the Holy Cross, built by the Armenian King Gagik I and renowned for its intricate stone carvings depicting biblical scenes.

After returning to the mainland we travel back to Van for the evening.

Van – Tatvan – Ahlat – Tatvan. Today, we depart Van and drive along the southern shores of Lake Van toward Tatvan, enjoying views across the vast lake framed by rugged volcanic landscapes.

We visit the dramatic Nemrut Volcano Crater, one of the largest volcanic craters in the world, with lakes and striking volcanic formations inside the caldera.

Continuing to the historic town of Ahlat, we see its remarkable Seljuk monuments, including intricately carved medieval tombstones that form one of the region’s most impressive historic cemeteries. Later, we arrive in Tatvan, where we will spend the night.

Tatvan – Bitlis – Hasankeyf – Midyat – Mardin. After breakfast, we travel through the dramatic Bitlis Gorge and Batman before continuing to the ancient settlement of Hasankeyf on the banks of the Tigris River. This historic site has been inhabited for thousands of years and is known for its caves and medieval ruins.

We continue west to Midyat, a town known for its traditional stone houses and long history of silver craftsmanship. Here we visit the Silver Bazaar.

Later we arrive in Mardin, a beautiful hillside city overlooking the Mesopotamian plains. We visit the elegant Kasimiye Medrese, a 15th-century theological school with sweeping views across the surrounding landscape.

Mardin – Diyarbakir. This morning, we visit the historic Deyrulzafaran Monastery, also known as the Saffron Monastery. Founded in the 5th century, it served for centuries as the seat of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch.

We then continue to Diyarbakir, located on the banks of the Tigris River. Here we visit the historic Ten Arches Bridge, an impressive stone bridge spanning the river, before making our way to our hotel.

Diyarbakir – Mount Nemrut. We begin the day exploring Diyarbakir, including the Ulu Cami, also known as the Great Mosque, one of the oldest mosques in Anatolia. We also see the city’s impressive basalt walls, among the longest and best-preserved defensive walls in the world.

We then travel toward Mount Nemrut National Park, crossing the Euphrates River by ferry before continuing into the surrounding mountains.

At the summit of Mount Nemrut we see the colossal statues built by King Antiochos I of the ancient Kingdom of Commagene. We remain here to enjoy sunset beside the monumental Tumulus of Antiochos, before making our way to our hotel.

Mount Nemrut – Sanliurfa. Today, we drive to Sanliurfa, often simply called Urfa, a city deeply connected with ancient history and religious tradition.

Nearby we visit Gobekli Tepe, the world’s oldest known temple complex, dating back more than 11,000 years. We also visit Karahan Tepe, another important prehistoric archaeological site in the region.

Back in Urfa we explore the Holy Pools of Abraham - where tradition says the prophet Abraham was miraculously saved from fire - and Abraham’s Cave, believed to be his birthplace.

Sanliurfa – Gaziantep. This morning, we visit the Urfa Archaeology Museum, which houses important discoveries from the surrounding region, including finds from Gobekli Tepe.

We then explore the Ottoman Bazaar before continuing to Gaziantep.

Here we visit the world-famous Zeugma Mosaic Museum, home to an extraordinary collection of Roman mosaics discovered at the ancient city of Zeugma along the Euphrates.

Gaziantep – Istanbul. After our final breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Istanbul, where you will connect with your onward departure flight. Safe travels!