GRAND TOUR EAST of TURKIYE  

ISTANBUL – ADIYAMAN – URFA – DIYARBAKIR – AHLAT – VAN – DOGUBEYAZIT – KARS – ERZURUM – TRABZON – ISTANBUL

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

DAY 2 – ISTANBUL – ADIYAMAN  
BREAKFAST AND TRANSFER TO THE AIRPORT FOR A FLIGHT TO MALATYA. DRIVE TO ADIYAMAN FOR DINNER AND OVERNIGHT.

DAY 3 – ADIYAMAN – NEMRUT MOUNTAIN – URFA
BREAKFAST AND DEPARTURE FOR NEMRUT MOUNTAIN TO SEE THE COLOSSAL STATUES OF THE OLYMPIAN GODS AND A TEMPLE BUILT BY ANTIOCHUS I COMMAGENES, SURROUNDING A GIANT TUMULUS AT THE VERY TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN. CONTINUE TO URFA, DINNER AND OVERNIGHT.

DAY 4 – URFA – DIYARBAKIR  
EARLY DEPARTURE FOR GOBEKLI TEPE – AN ONGOING EXCAVATION AND KNOWN TO BE THE EARLIEST TEMPLE OF HUMAN BEING (DATED BACK 13000 YEARS AGO), A HILLTOP SANCTUARY ERECTED ON THE HIGHEST POINT OF AN ELONGATED MOUNTAIN RIDGE SOME 15 KM NORTHEAST OF THE TOWN OF URFA. AFTER THE VISIT, DRIVE TO URFA CENTER TO SEE ABRAHAM’S CAVE AND THE HOLY POOL. LUNCH AT A NICE LOCAL RESTAURANT; DRIVE TO HARRAN TO SEE THE INCREDIBLE BEEHIVE HOUSES. HARRAN- ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE- WAS THE SITE WHERE PROPHET ABRAHAM SPENT A FEW YEARS WITH HIS FAMILY. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN DIYARBAKIR.

DAY 5 – DIYARBAKIR – AHLAT
SIGHTSEEING OF DIYARBAKIR INCLUDING GRAND MOSQUE AND THE THREE-MILE-LONG ROMAN LAND WALLS OF BLACK BASALT STILL ENCIRCLE THE TOWN. DRIVE TO AHLAT AND VISIT THE TOMBS OF SELJUK KINGS AND SELJUK CEMETERY WITH ITS TYPICAL TOMBSTONES. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN AHLAT.

DAY 6 – AHLAT – AKDAMAR – VAN  
FULL DAY TOUR TO AKDAMAR ISLAND, CAPITAL OF THE ANCIENT KINGDOM OF VASPURAKAN. VISIT THE BASILICA ON THE ISLAND BUILT IN 915. CONTINUE TO AN URARTIAN CITY, CAVUSTEPE AND A VERY IMPRESSIVE CASTLE, HOSAB CASTLE AND THE BRIDGE THERE DATING FROM THE TIMES OF URARTU KINGDOM WHICH IS STILL IN USE. DRIVE TO VAN FOR DINNER AND OVERNIGHT.

DAY 7 – VAN  
VISIT TUSBA, THE CITADEL OF URARTU KINGDOM, AND THE ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM HOUSING MAINLY URARTIAN REMAINS. CONTINUE TO TOPRAKKALE A FEW MILES NORTH OF VAN AND ERCIS (ANCIENT ARJESH). RETURN TO VAN FOR DINNER AND OVERNIGHT.

DAY 8 – VAN – MURADIYE – DOGUBEYAZIT  
DRIVE TO MURADIYE AND VISIT THE WATERFALL THERE. CONTINUE TO ISHAK PASA PALACE IN DOGUBEYAZIT. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN DOGUBEYAZIT.

DAY 9 – DOGUBEYAZIT – ANI – KARS  
DEPARTURE FOR A FULL DAY TOUR TO THE RUINS OF ANI VIA KARS. ANI IS LOCATED ON THE RIVER THAT CONSTITUTES THE TURKISH-RUSSIAN BORDER. IT WAS FOUNDED IN THE 9TH CENTURY AND HAS MANY INTERESTING REMAINS SUCH AS THE CATHEDRAL, CITY HALLS AND GATES, CHURCHES. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN KARS.

DAY 10 – KARS – ERZURUM  
DEPARTURE FOR ERZURUM. ONE OF THE BIGGEST CITIES OF EASTERN TURKEY. VISIT THERE THE CASTLE, GRAND MOSQUE AND YAKUTIYE MEDRESE (OLD RELIGIOUS SCHOOL). DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN ERZURUM.

DAY 11 – ERZURUM – TRABZON  
DRIVE TO TRABZON AND VISIT THE CITY INCLUDING ST. SOPHIA, ZAGNOS BRIDGE, LAND WALLS AND ATATURK’S RESIDENCE. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN TRABZON.

DAY 12 – TRABZON  
EXCURSION TO SUMELA MONASTERY. THIS MONASTERY, BUILT IN THE 14TH CENTURY, IS THE MOST IMPORTANT BYZANTINE MONUMENT OF THE REGION AND SITUATED ON A CLIFF 1000 FEET ABOVE THE VALLEY FLOOR, AT AN ALTITUDE OF 3900 FEET. SUMELA IS DEDICATED TO VIRGIN MARY. RETURN TO TRABZON TROUGH LANDSCAPE OF WOODED MOUNTAINS. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN TRABZON.

DAY 13 – TRABZON – ISTANBUL  
BREAKFAST AND TRANSFER TO TRABZON AIRPORT. FLY TO ISTANBUL AND TRANSFER TO THE HOTEL. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN ISTANBUL.

DAY 14 – ISTANBUL
BREAKFAST AND FULL DAY CITY TOUR IN ISTANBUL INCLUDING ST. SOPHIA, BLUE MOSQUE, TOPKAPI PALACE, HIPPODROME AND THE GRAND BAZAAR. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN ISTANBUL.

DAY 15 – DEPARTURE  
BREAKFAST AND TRANSFER TO THE AIRPORT.