Eastern Türkiye, from the Black Sea to Antioch

Your route

1. Day1
   Trabzon

   Arrival in Trabzon, on the Black Sea

   You land at Trabzon Airport, in the country's northeast, where you are met on arrival. Transfer to your hotel and a first evening on this lush Black Sea coast.

2. Day2
   Erzurum

   Trabzon, Hagia Sophia and Sumela Monastery

   The day begins in central Trabzon, ancient Trebizond, with Atatürk's house and the Hagia Sophia church, renowned for its Byzantine frescoes. You then discover Sumela Monastery, built into a cliff face above a wooded valley. Drive to Erzurum in the afternoon.

3. Day3
   Kars

   Seljuk Erzurum, then Kars and its citadel

   In Erzurum, you visit the Yakutiye Madrasa and the Ulu Cami, the city's oldest mosque, two witnesses to its Seljuk past. You then drive to Kars to explore its center, climb up to the citadel and see the Church of the Holy Apostles.

4. Day4
   Doğubeyazıt

   The ruins of Ani and the Ishak Pasha Palace

   The site of Ani, a former Armenian capital, reveals its cathedral, the Church of the Holy Savior and the Church of St Gregory of Tigran Honents, scattered across an isolated plateau. Then drive to Doğubeyazıt to visit the Ishak Pasha Palace, set opposite 5,250-meter Mount Ararat.

5. Day5
   Van

   Muradiye Waterfall and the citadel of Tushpa

   On the way, you stop at Muradiye Waterfall. Arrival in Van, once the capital of the Kingdom of Urartu: a stroll through the old town, then up to the citadel of Tushpa, which commands a sweeping view of the lake.

6. Day6
   Tatvan

   The Urartu Museum and Akdamar Island

   The Urartu Museum brings together Urartian, Seljuk and Ottoman pieces that shed light on the region's long history. You then cross by boat to Akdamar Island to discover the Church of the Holy Cross and its facades carved with biblical scenes.

7. Day7
   Diyarbakır

   Diyarbakır, its bazaars and city walls

   A walk through the historic center of Diyarbakır, among bazaars, caravanserais, mosques and old bridges. You then follow the Roman-era walls that overlook the Tigris valley and show the full scale of the fortified city.

8. Day8
   Midyat

   Hasankeyf and the Aramaic churches of Anıtlı

   Drive to the old site of Hasankeyf, a city that once controlled a bridge over the Tigris. You continue to the Aramaic village of Anıtlı to visit the Mar Sobo church and the Church of the Virgin, still kept alive by the local community.

9. Day9
   Mardin

   Mar Gabriel, Deir el-Zaafaran and old Mardin

   You visit the monasteries of Mar Gabriel and Deir el-Zaafaran, set on Tur Abdin, the "mountain of the servants of God." The day ends with the Kasımiye Madrasa and the old town of Mardin, whose stone houses look out over the Mesopotamian plain.

10. Day10
    Şanlıurfa

    Göbeklitepe and the historic city of Urfa

    Göbeklitepe, dated to the 10th millennium BC, is presented as the oldest known temple: its carved pillars upend what we thought we knew about the earliest societies. You then wander through Şanlıurfa, ancient Edessa, a major stop in the Fertile Crescent.

11. Day11
    Şanlıurfa

    The beehive houses of Harran and the mosaic museum

    In Harran, you discover the beehive houses of mud brick, topped with pointed domes that keep them cool. Back in Şanlıurfa to visit the archaeological museum and its mosaic collection.

12. Day12
    Adıyaman

    The Euphrates at Halfeti and the summit of Mount Nemrut

    A boat trip on the Euphrates takes you from Halfeti to Rumkale fortress and the mosque submerged by the waters of the dam. Late in the day, you climb Mount Nemrut (2,134 m) to watch the sunset over the funerary sanctuary of Antiochus of Commagene and its colossal heads.

13. Day13
    Gaziantep

    Gourmet Gaziantep and the Zeugma Museum

    A walk through Gaziantep to understand its history and its cuisine, famous for pistachios and baklava. You then visit the Zeugma Mosaic Museum, one of the largest of its kind in the world.

14. Day14
    Antakya

    Antioch, the Habib-i Neccar Mosque and the Church of St Peter

    Antioch is the city where, according to tradition, the word "Christian" was first used. Here you visit the Habib-i Neccar Mosque and the Church of St Peter, carved into the rock and considered one of the first churches in the world.

15. Day15
    Antakya

    Departure from Hatay Airport

    End of the tour. Transfer to Hatay Airport for your return flight.

This itinerary can be adjusted: pace, stops, extra nights or hotel category are tailored to your group.