Historical Eastern Turkey

After breakfast, we begin our day with a sightseeing tour of Istanbul, visiting Topkapi Palace, the Hippodrome area, the Aya (Hagia) Sophia museum, the Blue Mosque, and The Grand Bazaar. We will then transfer you back to your hotel for an overnight stay.

We begin with a scenic drive to the Egyptian (Spice) Bazaar, followed by a private ferry ride on the Bosphorus, and a visit to Dolmabahce Palace, the imperial residence of the last 6 Sultans. Finally, we transfer you back to your hotel for an overnight stay in Istanbul.

After checking out from our hotel, we'll head to Istanbul's airport for a 2-hour flight to Van. Upon arrival, we'll transfer to our hotel and enjoy half a day of leisure, visiting the Archaeological Museum and the Van Citadel, a massive stone fortification built by the ancient kingdom of Urartu.

We'll drive to Cavustepe, an Urartian fortress, then visit Hosap Castle, a large medieval castle built in 1643. On our return to Van, we'll see local artisans creating traditional rugs and kilims. We'll travel by ferryboat across Lake Van, stopping on Akdamar Island, home to the 10th-century Armenian Cathedral Church of the Holy Cross.

We continue our tour to Mardin city, stopping in Tatvan for refreshments and a picnic lunch at Nemrut Crater Lake. We visit Ahlat's Seljuk Cemetery, then continue to Hasankeyf, an ancient town along the Tigris River, and Midyat town to see the Mor Gabrial Monastery, the oldest surviving Syriac Orthodox monastery in the world.

We explore Mardin's fascinating stonework architecture and visit Deyr ul-Zafaran Monastery, the 'Saffron Monastery' with 365 rooms. We then head to Diyarbakir, famous for having the 2nd largest city walls in the world. Overnight in Diyarbakir.

We drive to the ancient city of Harran, famous for its traditional 'beehive' adobe houses, exploring the ruins of the city walls and fortifications. We end the day with a drive to Sanliurfa, where we visit Abraham's Pool and covered bazaar.

We are transferred to Göbeklitepe, an ancient site dating back to the 10th millennium BCE, with its intricately carved stone pillars and significant historical impact. After the tour, return to the hotel for an overnight in Sanliurfa.

We drive to Kahta, crossing the Ataturk Dam and seeing the Karakus monumental tomb. We then head to Mount Nemrut, famous for its summit statues, including lions, eagles, and various Greek, Armenian, and Iranian gods. After watching the sunset, overnight in Nemrut.

We are transferred to Adiyaman Airport for the flight to Istanbul. Upon arrival, we are transferred to the hotel for a free day of leisure. We stay overnight in Istanbul.

After hotel check-out, a transfer is available to Istanbul Airport for the homebound flight.