8 Days Eastern Turkey Tour 8 Days - 7 Nights
Tour Highlights : Hagia Sophia Museum, Byzantine Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar
Day 1. TRABZON
Arriving at Trabzon International Airport, transfers to hotel, dinner and brief information about the trip, and overnight stay in Trabzon.
Day 2. TRABZON,
Depart for St. 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), visit Ortahisar Mosque (a Comneni cathedral in the old town). Lunch at a seaside restaurant in Akçaabat. Afternoon we explore the cobbled stone streets of Trabzon. Drive to Boztepe; enjoy our tea from samovar with the panoramic view of the city. Dinner & overnight stay in Trabzon.
Day 3. SUMELA MONASTERY, ZIGANA, KARACA CAVE, ERZURUM
Depart for Sumela , visit the 4th century Sumela Monastery which clings to a sheer cliff face in a deep forest, relax beside a fast flowing stream at Altindere Valley National Park, lunch, traveling along the Silk Road through the Zigana Mountains (Pontic Alps) will take us to Karaca Cave, considered to be the most beautiful in Turkey for its colors and formations. Drive to Erzurum via Bayburt. Dinner & overnight stay in Erzurum.
Day 4. TORTUM, OSK-VANK, YUSUFELI, ISHAN, ERZURUM
Drive to Artvin, visit Georgian Church Osk-Vank and Tortum falls. RiverCoruh Valley will take us to Yusufeli and other Georgian Church Ishan. We will end the day in Erzurum . Dinner and overnight stay in Erzurum.
Day 5. ERZURUM, KARS
Morning visit to Seljuk monuments; Ulu Mosque, Cifte Minareli Medrese, Yakutiye. Drive to Kars, visit Havariler Churchand Kars Castle, dinner and O/N in Kars.
Day 6. ANI, DOGUBEYAZIT
Morning tour to medieval Armenian capital of Ani, impressive fortified walls still encircle the ruins of numerous churches, mosques and caravanserais. Lunch en route drive to Dogubeyazit, passing by the eternally snow-covered Biblical Mt.Ararat. After arrive at Dogubeyazit we visit 2nd largest meteor falls of World and Noah’s Ark at Mt. Ararat. Dinner and O/N in Dogubeyazit.
Day 7. VAN
Morning visit to Ishak Pasha Palace .Departure for Van via Muradiye Fall, visiting the citadel of Van; the site of Tushba, capital of Urartians. Enjoying the scenery on Lake Van, excursion to the island of Ahtamarto visit the Holly Cross Church, famous for Old Testament reliefs on the outer wall. Dinner and overnight in Van.
Day 8. CAVUSTEPE, VAN
Departure for Cavustepe and HosapCastle. Drive to Van, after visiting city fortress and Van Museum arrive at Van Airport for a homebound flight
- Tips to guide, driver and hotel personnel
- Tips to guide, driver and hotel personnel
- Tips to guide, driver and hotel personnel
- Refer to itinerary, (B) means breakfast, (L) Lunch, (D) Dinner is included if printed next to day’s itinerary on small group tours. Lunch excluded on private tours.
- On daily city tours; flights, hotels, airport transfers are not included.
- Please ask for discounted rates for family and for large groups.
- Rates in EURO per person sharing a Double Room.
- Flights tickets are e-tickets. Calculation is based on promotional class and rates are subject to change until ticketed. You will receive references to flight tickets after booking.
- This itinerary is subject to change and may be reversed without prior notice according to weather, museum closing days, daily events or other unforeseen circumstances outside the control of Istanbul Travel Group Tours.
- Small Group tours are with English speaking guide. On Private Tours, you may ask to have Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, German, Russian or Japanese Speaking guides which will depend on availibility.
- You may join this tour in Istanbul or Cappadocia, we can reverse the itinerary.
- For groups over 10 people, contact us for special rates.
We can custom design your itinerary to create a touring program that most ideally suits your personal, educational, cultural, and budgetary requirements. Please contact us for details and we will design your dream tour…
