Eastern Turkey Tour

Arrive at Istanbul Airport. Transfer to your hotel in the historic Old City. Welcome dinner.

Fly to Gaziantep. Visit the Zeugma Mosaic Museum — the largest mosaic museum in the world — and admire the iconic 'Gypsy Girl' mosaic. Explore Gaziantep Castle and stroll through historic bazaars where copper artisans, spice merchants, and sweet-makers keep centuries-old traditions alive.

Visit the monumental statues and tumulus of Mount Nemrut (UNESCO). Explore the Roman bridge of Cendere and the ancient city of Arsemia, royal seat of the Commagene Kingdom. Continue to Şanlıurfa, known as the birthplace of the Prophet Abraham.

Visit Göbekli Tepe, the oldest known temple complex (over 11,000 years old), and Karahan Tepe, its sister site. Continue to Harran with its beehive-shaped houses. Visit the Haleplibahçe Mosaic Museum, Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum, and Balıklıgöl (Pool of Sacred Fish).

Explore Mardin's honey-coloured hilltop old town. Visit the 5th-century Dayrul Zafran (Saffron) Monastery, Kasimiye Madrasa, the historical bazaar, Great Mosque of Mardin, and the beautifully preserved historic post office.

Explore the well-preserved Zerzavan Castle, a former Roman legion fortress marking the eastern edge of the Roman world. Visit the underground Temple of Mithras and see the remains of the ancient church, watchtowers, and garrison structures. Continue to Van.

Ferry across Lake Van to Akdamar Island. Explore the 10th-century Church of the Holy Cross with its extraordinary Biblical stone reliefs. Continue to Cavustepe, an 8th-century BCE Urartian fortress built by King Sarduri II.

Visit Van Castle, an impressive 9th-century BCE Urartian fortress with panoramic lake views. Continue to the Van Museum with its Urartian artifacts and cuneiform inscriptions. Explore Ayanis Castle overlooking the lake, and visit a traditional kilim workshop.

Visit the spectacular Ishak Pasha Palace near Doğubayazıt — a unique 18th-century complex blending Seljuk, Persian, and Armenian architecture. Enjoy panoramic views of Mt. Ararat (5,165m), the legendary resting place of Noah's Ark. Drive to Kars.

Visit the ruins of Ani, the once-magnificent medieval Armenian capital — a haunting ghost city on the Turkish-Armenian border (UNESCO). Continue to Erzurum to visit the Çifte Minareli Medrese, Ulu Cami, Üç Kümbetler, and the Yakutiye Madrasa.

Drive along the scenic Pontic Mountains to the Black Sea region. Visit the spectacular Sumela Monastery, dramatically built into a cliff. Continue to Trabzon to see the Byzantine Church of St. Sophia and the remains of the Byzantine citadel.

Explore the charming old city of Amasya along the Yeşilırmak River. Visit the Pontic rock tombs carved into the cliffs, the Bimarhane Medrese, and admire the beautifully preserved Ottoman houses reflected in the river below.

Explore Hattusha, the ancient Hittite capital (UNESCO) — its massive six-kilometre walls, Lion Gate, Sphinx Gate, King's Gate, the Great Temple, and the sacred rock sanctuary of Yazılıkaya with its reliefs of Hittite gods. Continue to Ankara.

Visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations with artifacts from Neolithic, Hittite, Phrygian, and Urartian periods. Then visit Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Atatürk. Drive to Istanbul in the afternoon.

Explore Istanbul's historic peninsula — Topkapı Palace, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, and the Grand Bazaar.

After breakfast, transfer to Istanbul International Airport for your onward journey.