ARCHEOLOGY AND NATURE – CENTRAL ANATOLIA & BLACK SEA

ISTANBUL – ANKARA – CAPPADOCIA – AMASYA – TRABZON – ISTANBUL

DAY 1 – ARRIVAL IN ISTANBUL
MEET AND ASSIST AT ISTANBUL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (IST), TRANSFER TO THE HOTEL. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN ISTANBUL.

DAY 2 – ISTANBUL
FULL DAY SIGHTSEEING INCLUDING HIPPODROME WHERE CHARIOT RACES TOOK PLACE DURING THE ROMAN TIMES, BLUE MOSQUE FAMOUS FOR ITS BEAUTIFUL BLUE TILES AND ST. SOPHIA MUSEUM. VISIT ISTANBUL ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM TO SEE THE VERY RICH COLLECTION OF ANTIQUITIES IN THE RECENTLY RENOVATED MUSEUM BUILDING. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN ISTANBUL.

DAY 3 – ISTANBUL  
HALF DAY CITY TOUR INCLUDING THE MOSQUE OF SULEYMAN THE MAGNIFICENT BUILT BY THE FAMOUS OTTOMAN ARCHITECT SINAN AND TOPKAPI PALACE, THE PALACE OF THE OTTOMAN SULTANS FAMOUS FOR ITS TREASURE. AFTERNOON IS FREE. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN ISTANBUL.

DAY 4 – ISTANBUL – ANKARA  
EARLY BREAKFAST AND DRIVE TO ANKARA, THE CAPITAL OF TURKEY. VISIT THE MUSEUM OF ANATOLIAN CIVILIZATIONS, WHICH IS THE THIRD IMPORTANT ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM AFTER PARIS-LOUVRES AND LONDON-BRITISH MUSEUM. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN ANKARA.

DAY 5 – ANKARA (HATUSAS / YAZILIKAYA) 
BREAKFAST AND DEPARTURE FOR THE CAPITAL CITY OF HITTITE EMPIRE, HATTUSAS, WHICH IS KNOWN AS THE CITY OF TEMPLES. SEE THE LIONS GATE, THE TUNNEL, KINGS GATE, GREAT CITADEL, GRAND TEMPLE AND MUSEUM. 2 KMS FROM HATTUSAS (TODAY IS BOGAZKALE) IS THE ANCIENT SITE OF YAZILIKAYA WHICH MEANS “INSCRIBED ROCK”, THE MOST FAMOUS OF THE HITTITE ROCK MONUMENTS. SEE THE FINE RELIEVES OF THE HITTITE GODS AND GODDESSES ADORING THE WALLS, CARVED INTO THE NATIVE ROCK, DATING BACK TO THE 13TH CENTURY BC AT THE OPEN-AIR PANTHEON. RETURN TO ANKARA FOR DINNER AND OVERNIGHT.

DAY 6 – ANKARA – CAPPADOCIA  
EARLY DEPARTURE FOR ONE OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR LANDSCAPES IN THE WORLD, CAPPADOCIA. VISIT THE UNDERGROUND CITY OF KAYMAKLI AND AVANOS. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN CAPPADOCIA.

DAY 7 – CAPPADOCIA 
FULL DAY TOUR OF THE AREA INCLUDING THE VALLEY OF GOREME AND ZELVE, VILLAGES OF CAVUSIN AND AVCILAR, NATURAL CITADEL OF UCHISAR. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN CAPPADOCIA.

DAY 8 – CAPPADOCIA – AMASYA  
BREAKFAST AND EARLY DEPARTURE FOR AMASYA. VISIT ROCK CARVED GRAVES OF PONTUS KINGS, PALACE OF THE AMAZONS, HAZERANLAR PAVILION AND THE LOCAL MUSEUM FAMOUS WITH THE MUMMIES OF THE PONTUS KING ‘S FAMILIES. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN AMASYA.

DAY 9 – AMASYA – TRABZON  
EARLY BREAKFAST AND DEPARTURE FOR TRABZON ALONG THE BLACK SEA COAST. VISIT TRABZON UPON ARRIVAL INCLUDING ST. SOPHIA, ZAGNOS BRIDGE AND THE CITY WALLS. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN TRABZON.

DAY 10 – TRABZON  
DEPARTURE FOR MACKA TO VISIT THE FAMOUS SUMELA MONASTERY WHICH IS BUILT ON A STEEP MOUNTAIN AND ADORNED WITH FRESCOES TAKEN FROM THE SCENES OF THE OLD AND THE NEW TESTAMENT. CONTINUE TO UZUNGOL (LONGLAKE MEADOW) TO TASTE FISH AND VISIT UZUNGOL’S HIGH PLAINS WITH LARGE GRASSLANDS, PLENTY OF WATER RESOURCES, LAKE, NATURAL BEAUTIES AND THE BLACK SEA VILLAGE THERE WITH ITS TYPICAL WOODEN HOUSES AND LOCAL PEOPLE. RETURN TO TRABZON FOR DINNER AND OVERNIGHT.

DAY 11 – DEPARTURE TO ISTANBUL  
BREAKFAST AND TRANSFER TO TRABZON AIRPORT. AND FLY TO ISTANBUL. LUNCH. DINNER.

DAY 12 – DEPARTURE TO HOME  

DEPARTURE TO HOME.