LETS GO TO TURKEY - MUNDI TRAVELS EXCLUSIVE

1 Day Istanbul

Arrival in Istanbul and transfer to the hotel. Accommodation

2 Day Istanbul

Breakfast. Full day tour of the ancient city. In the morning we will visit La Santa Sofia, one of the most identifying places in Istanbul, a beautiful architectural marvel that we offer to the visitor; also contemplated as one of the largest and most imposing churches in the world and today it is a Mosque. Next we will visit Topkapi Palace, where the sultans lived between 1478 and 1856. Topkapi is not a single structure, but an organic monumental complex made up of various kiosks, gardens and distributed areas that are located in the neighborhood or historic center at the entrance from the Golden Horn.

We continue towards the Blue Mosque, admired for its six tall minarets, terraces and domes that rise in the center of the building; you will see that the architect achieved his goal without a doubt; perfection with this impressive work. Lunch.

In the afternoon, the Roman Hippodrome, (Septimus Severus) ... space where chariot races and circuses took place, which served as entertainment for the inhabitants of Constantinople for more than a thousand years.

We will end the day in the covered market: The Grand Bazaar, where you can enjoy free time. Hotel moving and lodging.

The Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays and religious holidays

Meals: Breakfast and lunch

3 Day Istanbul

Breakfast. Full day tour of the Bosphorus and Asia. In the morning we will make a previous visit to the Egyptian Bazaar or Spice Bazaar built in the 17th century and located in the old historic district of Eminönü in Istanbul.

We continue to take the boat for the tour of the Bosphorus (regular boat) taking place along the Sea of Marmara on both sides of the city: Asian and European.

During this tour you will be able to see monuments such as: Dolmabahce Palaces, Çırağan, Rumeli Hisarı Fortress, among others…

Disembarkation and we continue with the visit to the Beylerbeyi Palace, built in white marble by Sultan Abdulaziz in the 19th century; it served as a summer residence for subsequent sultans and a guest house for foreign dignitaries.

Lunch. Ascent to Çamlıca Hill, known as the Hill of Lovers, it offers a majestic panoramic view of the Bosphorus and Istanbul. Hotel moving and lodging.

Meals: Breakfast and lunch

4 Day Istanbul – Trabzon – Sumela Monastery

Breakfast. Transfer to the airport to take your flight to Trabzon.

Arrival in the city of Trabzon – on the flight in the morning; continuation to the Sumela Monastery. As we park our vehicle at the foot of the hill on which the monastery is built, we first have lunch at a restaurant and then take a 30-minute walk to the monastery through a narrow path covered with pine trees.

After our visit, we will return to Trabzon and have the rest of the day free. Dinner and accommodation

Meals included: Breakfast and dinner

5 Day Trabzon

Breakfast. Today we will visit the Hagia Sophia Church, before driving to the Ataturk Museum. Continuation to Rize along a spectacular road with tea plantations on the right and the Black Sea on our left.

We will visit a tea factory and drive back to Trabzon. Dinner and overnight stay in Trabzon.

Meals included: Breakfast and dinner

6 Day Trabzon - Erzurum

On the way to Erzurum, we leave the Black Sea coast and start driving inland. Erzurum is the city with the highest elevation in the country, built at 1853m.

More important are the best examples of Seljuk architecture that can be seen here. After visiting the Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque, Rüstem Bedesten Pasha, Ulu Mosque and the Çifte Minareli Medrese, we will return to Erzurum.

Dinner and overnight stay in Erzurum.

Meals included: Breakfast and dinner

7 Day Ani - Kars

After breakfast, we drive to Ani, via Kars. Ani dates back to the 5th century AD; and from 806 it served as the capital of Armenia.

After our visits here we head to the center of Kars and visit the Kars Castle. We will stay at the Kar Hotel, where Orhan Pamuk, a Nobel prize-winning Turkish writer, wrote his book called "Snow".

Dinner and overnight in Kars.

Meals included: Breakfast and dinner

8 Day Doğubayazıt - Van

Today we head south over Van via Doğubayazıt, where we will visit the legendary İshak Pasha Sarayı Palace built in the late 18th century by a powerful local family that was the de facto ruler of the area.

Then past Mount Ararat, where it's supposed to be that Noah's Ark would have stopped after the flood. Ararat has two peaks: Büyük Ağrı (5165m) and Küçük Ağrı (3925m).

We will visit the Muradiye Waterfalls and continue to Van.

Meals included: Breakfast and dinner

9 Day Van

After a relaxed breakfast, we will visit the Van Fortress and the museum. We will head to Hoşap Castle and then to Çavuştepe.

Meals included: Breakfast and dinner

10 Day Van – Akdamar – Hasankeyf – Midyat or Mardin

We leave early, first visiting Akdamar Church before driving further southwest to Midyat.

On the way, we stop at Hasankeyf, which was the capital of the Artuklu Seljuks in the period 1102–1232. It is well known for its structures belonging to different Islamic kingdoms. The remains on both banks of the Tigris (Dicle) River will be submerged upon completion of Ilısu Dam.

Although the original founders are not known, scholars claim that the nearby caves were inhabited since prehistoric times.

Dinner and overnight in Midyat.

Meals included: Breakfast and dinner

11 Day Mardin – Şanlıurfa

We leave Midyat and drive south to Mardin, through the Tigris Bridge.

We will visit the Mor Gabriel Monastery, stop for lunch in Mardin, and continue to Urfa where we will spend the night.

Meals included: Breakfast and dinner

12 Day Harran – Göbekli Tepe

Genesis refers to Harran as Terah, the place where Abraham took his wife and son Lot. It is hard to believe that this small settlement on the edge of the desert was once one of the main economic, religious, and cultural centers.

Harran means “crossroads” and has been occupied since at least 2000 BC. After our visit to Harran, we will return to Şanlıurfa to see Balıklıgöl and the birthplace of Abraham.

After lunch, we will visit Göbekli Tepe. Excavations since 1995 show that Göbekli Tepe was a cult center built approximately 12,000 years ago. It consists of about 20 round and oval structures reaching up to 30 meters in diameter.

Dinner and overnight in Şanlıurfa.

Meals included: Breakfast and dinner

13 Day Mount Nemrut – Kahta or Adıyaman

After breakfast, we leave Urfa and drive towards Kahta via Adıyaman, having lunch in Adıyaman.

We stop at the foothills of Mount Nemrut before our 500-meter hike to the sanctuary. This is the magnificent funerary monument of Commagene King Antiochus I.

We arrive at our hotel in the evening.

Dinner and overnight in Kahta.

Meals included: Breakfast and dinner

14 Day Adıyaman – Cappadocia

A long but pleasant trip to Cappadocia, the land of fairy chimneys. On the way, we will stop at Kahramanmaraş, the city famous for its ice cream.

We will walk through the streets of the city and visit the Archaeological Museum. We have lunch at a local restaurant and continue driving along the Silk Road route.

Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia.

Meals included: Breakfast and dinner

15 Day Cappadocia

OPTIONAL: Hot Air Balloon Ride

Our first encounter with the almost Martian landscape of Cappadocia is in Devrent Valley, where the rock formations are impressive.

We visit Zelve Open Air Museum, Paşabağ Valley (fairy chimneys), Avanos pottery center, and Göreme Open Air Museum, featuring Byzantine rock-cut churches from the 10th century.

We end the day at Uçhisar Castle with panoramic views of Cappadocia.

Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia.

Meals included: Breakfast and dinner

16 Day Cappadocia

We start the day with Soğanlı Valley, a less visited area with rock churches and a traditional village still inhabited today.

We continue to Mustafapaşa, passing through different Cappadocian towns, and visit Keslik Monastery.

After lunch, we visit Kaymaklı Underground City, one of the largest underground cities in the region.

Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia.

Meals included: Breakfast and dinner

17 Day Cappadocia – Ankara

We depart Cappadocia and drive towards Ankara via Salt Lake.

First, we visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. Lunch will be served in the modern city center.

We then visit Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Turkish Republic.

Farewell dinner in an old mansion in Ankara Citadel.

Accommodation in Ankara.

Meals included: Breakfast and dinner

18 Day Ankara – Istanbul

After breakfast, transfer to Istanbul via the Safranbolu Mountains.

Arrival in Istanbul and accommodation.

Meals included: Breakfast

19 Day Istanbul

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your return flight.

Meals included: Breakfast