Grand Eastern Turkey 14 Days

Upon arrival, we head to Göreme then visit the incredible underground city of Derinkuyu, with some dwellings containing rooms expanding seven levels beneath ground level! Cappadocia is an extraordinary region that has bewitched travellers’ for centuries. It was formed a millennium ago as volcanic ash first settled, then hardened into soft rock and finally eroded, forming the strange and fantastic spires, domes, pinnacles and gorges that we will discover during your journey. Afternoon we we take a walk through Love Valley, where its magnificently sculptured, phallic rock formations have created one of the most surreal valleys of Cappadocia. Small valleys, cones, peaks and fairy chimneys blend harmoniously with fascinating caves. The longest river of Kızılırmak (red river) passing through the Avanos Town where you can have your potter kebab! and take the opportunity to discover the local handcraft of pottery. Overnight in Cave Hotel in Cappadocia. (Driving time: 2 hours)

• Overnight at a Hotel in Cappadocia

• Guided Tour of Cappadocia

For early birds, there is the possibility of rising before dawn to take an awe-inspiring optional hot-air balloon ride over the 'other-worldly' Cappadocia landscape and witness an amazing sunrise in the process. This morning we visit the Göreme Open Air museum: The people of Göreme, at the heart of the Cappadocia Region, realised that the soft rocks of the area could be easily carved out to form houses, churches, monasteries. There are several fascinating Byzantine cave chapels to explore, most of them decorated with exquisite and colourful biblical frescoes. In the afternoon we drive to the unique Pasabaglar Valley, where multiple fairy chimneys hewn from the earth and shaped by centuries of erosion lend a moon-like landscape and atmosphere to the valley. A chapel dedicated to St. Simeon and a hermit’s shelter are built into one of the fairy chimneys, which appears to have three heads! Later afternoon we discover the local handcraft of the region and visit a carpet workshop were we will be fascinated by the beauty of the carpets, a tradition that reveals the nomadic origins of the Turkish people. Returning to hotel, we have a night at leisure. We may have an opportunity to attend a folk dance show or witness an original Whirling Dervish 'Sema' performance.

• Overnight at a Hotel in Cappadocia

• Guided Tour of Cappadocia

Today you drive to Antakya (Antioch). First we will visit The Roman/Byzantine mosaics in the Hatay (Antakya) Archeology Museum are the main attraction in this city at the far eastern end of Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, though the city’s long history has left much more behind. The mosaics, dating from the 1st to 5th centuries AD, are well displayed. According to history, early Christians held their worship services secretly in this 13-meter-deep (43-foot) cave, now called the Saint Peter Church. St Peter was selected as the leader and “first bishop” of the church. The term “Christian” was first used here to describe adherents to the new religion, who were proselytized from both the large Jewish community and the even larger number of Gentiles. St Barnabas and St Paul came to Antakya (Antioch) and stayed a year to spread their new faith. Within the cave…Today the church is a museum. visited by as many as 250,000 pilgrims each year.  The bazaar district (çarşı) in the city center starting at the Ulu Cami (Great Mosque) is good for wandering, browsing and buying. Lots of shops sell the local laurel soap, many others are loaded with foods particular to the region. Long skeins of shredded wheat are on display for purchase to make künefe. Local cheeses, flavored with herbs, are worth a try. (Driving time: 5 hours)

• Overnight at a Hotel in Antakya

• Guided Tour of Antioch

Today we will drive to Gaziantep to visit the world famous Gaziantep Mosaic Museum. This museum exhibit superb mosaic discovered at the Roman site of Belkis-Zeugma before the Birecik Dam flooded most of the site. Then we will visit the old city castle which is located in the center of the city and copper bazaar. This bazaar is one of the most special and oldest bazaars in Turkey. You can find variety of copper handcrafts. We will also have the chance to taste famous baklava; a sweet pastry made of layers of filo filled with chopped nuts and sweetened and held together with syrup or honey (Baklava is originally from Gaziantep). (Driving time: 3 hours)

• Overnight at a Hotel in Gaziantep

• Guided Tour of Gaziantep

Today you will visit the Bald Ibis Sanctuary. This sanctuary offers a wonderful home for these birds who numbers dwindled, the efforts of this shelter have managed to raise their numbers to over 100 breeding pairs allowing these ancient birds a chance to continue to grow their population. Then you will head to the town of Halfeti - The Sunken City of The Euphrates, this town offers an ancient air with part of the town partially submerged. You will enjoy the spectacular view of Rumkale. In the afternoon, hike to the summit of the mount Nemrut (one of the most popular UNESCO world cultural heritage sites), watching the sunset, be amazed by the colossal heads and statues of ancient deities, as you step into mythology. This extraordinary landmark rests at an elevation of 8000 ft. The mountain top complex is composed of two flattened areas strewn with statues and separated by a false peak of crushed rock. Antiochus built the entire complex approximately 2000 years ago as a monument to his divine ancestry. (Driving time: 4 hours)

• Overnight at a Hotel in Adıyaman

• Halfeti Boat Cruise
• Nemrud

Today we will drive to Şanlıurfa, we start first visiting Gobekli Tepe, considered "The Oldest Temple in the World, " has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. then visit one of the biggest and modern Archeology museum in Turkey. In the meantime you will learn about the history from Paleolithic and Neolithic age, Halaf Culture and Mesopotamian civilizations. After the Archeology museum we will visit The Pool of Prophet Abraham, This pool is believed to be the place where Prophet Abraham was thrown into the fire by Nimrod. Prophet Abraham is mentioned in three major religions, Christianity, Islam and Judaism. Then We will walk through Cave of Prophet Abraham, He is believed to have been born in a cave in Urfa where he spent about seven years of his life as protection against the cruel King Nimrod who then ordered all newborn children killed upon learning of Abraham's coming birth and learn more about it. We will drive to visit nearby Harran and see the incredible bee-hive houses. Harran- according to the Bible- was the site where prophet Abraham spent a few years with his family before moving on to Israel, the Promised Land. There are exceptional photo opportunities in this area. (Driving time: 3.5 hours)

• Overnight at a Hotel in Şanlıurfa

• Guided Tour of Şanlıurfa

Today we will drive to Mardin is very unique with lovely Old-Arabic style houses. The houses are often decorated with intricate carvings. This is a very lively trading center with people coming from surrounding villages to buy and sell. We will have a fantastic view of the Plain of Mesopotamia. It is a city that played an important role in the early development of Christianity. We will visit Forty Martyrs Church (Kirklar Kilisesi). This church dates back to the 4th century and was renamed in the 15th century to commemorate Cappadocian martyrs, now remembered in the fine carvings above the entrance. Then, we will visit Zinciriye Madrasah (Zinciriye Medresesi). This theological school was built by Melik Necmeddin Isa in 1385. We will also visit the Monastery of Deyr-az-Zaferan just outside of town, founded in 762 A.D. It was the seat of the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch for almost 800 years. Walk in its busy streets and bazaars and admire the stonework all around the town. (Driving time: 2.5 hours)

• Overnight at a Hotel in Mardin

• Guided Tour of Mardin

​We'll start our tour in the morning from the ancient Diyarbakır area visiting the Grand Mosque in Artuqid Period, Mesudiye Madrasah (1198-1223) was the most popular University of the period in which Islam and science education was taught. 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. From here we will continue to the Bitlis River Gorge to Tatvan on the western shore of Lake Van. One of the natural wonders of Turkey, the volcanic Mount Nemrud. Here is where the biggest Crater Lake was formed as a result of the eruption in the fourth geological era. The mountain was named after the Babylon King Nemrut, who lived in 2100 BC. There are hot and cold water crater lakes on top of the mountain. (Driving time: 4 hours)

• Overnight at a Hotel in Tatvan

• Guided Tour of Diyarbakır

Situated in a long, narrow valley, the center of Old Ahlat is known as a “city of ruins.” With remnants of Seljuk castles, mosques, bridges, towers, baths and dervish lodges, this place is like a giant open-air museum. The remains of structures carved into the rocks is the world’s largest Turkish-Islamic graveyard. A beautiful drive around the lake to reach Van city, established 13th century BC. From Gevaş, we will take a ferry across the lake to visit the finest Armenian architectural wonder of the Church of the Holy Cross on Akdamar Island. Step over to the huge Van Castle from the days of Urartu and see the hieroglyphs as you sense the spirit of the once Urartu capital Tushpa, feel the salty waters of the great Lake Van called as 'the Sea' by the locals. (Driving time: 3 hours)

• Overnight at a Hotel in Van

• Guided Tour of Van

After breakfast, we depart and drive on the "Silk Road" to Dogubeyazit. On the way, we will visit Muradiye Waterfalls. A quite large waterfall, usually getting frozen in winter. It is north of Muradiye, which is about 80 km north of Van, off the highway to Dogubeyazit. Enroute, we will also have the opportunity to see Mt. Ararat from all sides. It is believed by some to be the resting-place of Noah's Ark; but to date no one has found anything that has been verified as the Ark - yet the search is still on. We will stop and see the IshakPasa Palace. This complex is a combination of a mosque, a fortress, and a palace which originally had a room for every day of the year! Below you can also see the remains of EskiBeyazit and Urartian City which flourished in 1000 BC.

• Overnight at a Hotel in Kars

• Guided Tour of Doğubeyazıd

This morning, we will visit Holy Apostles Church (12 Havari Kilisesi), this church is a former Armenian church in Kars, eastern Turkey. Then a 45-minute drive to the medieval Armenian City of Ani which lies mostly in ruins. Impressive fortified walls still encircle the ruins of numerous churches, mosques and caravansaries. Enjoy a walk around the ruins and see the beautiful view to the Armenian border imagining it as a city with one million people rivaling Bagdad in its time! This city has experienced the cultures of Urartian's, Armenians, Georgians, Mongols, Russians and finally the Turks. Also visit the impressive Kars Castle and historical sites surrounding the city. Erzurum is a beautiful mountainous area with ruins from many different cultures. For those who enjoy architecture, the ruins here span different time and civilizations including the Seljuks, Saltuk, Mongol and Ottoman. The buildings that have survived the longest are the Mosques and Medreses - Teaching establishments.

• Overnight at a Hotel in Erzurum

• Guided Tour of Ani - Erzurum

From Erzurum 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 Mary, 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 a Hotel in Trabzon

• Guided Tour of Trabzon

Today we will visit Sophia (Ayasofya), a 13th century church and study its extraordinary collection of Byzantine frescoes, depart for Gulbahar Hatun Mosque, Castle and Ataturk's Mansion (a picturesque hillside retreat). Lunch at a seaside restaurant in Akcaabat. Afternoon, we explore Uzungöl; enjoy our tea from samovar in beautiful nature.

• Overnight at a Hotel in Trabzon

• Guided Tour of Trabzon

Transfer to airport.

• Airport Transfer