Black Sea and Eastern Splendours Tour

Day 1 - Sat: Istanbul

Merhaba and welcome to captivating Istanbul! You’ll be met at the airport and transferred to your accommodation. After you’ve checked in, the day is free for you to begin exploring at your leisure.

Day 2 - Sun: Discover the magic of Istanbul Old City

Once you have finished breakfast, you’ll join a guided group tour of Istanbul, the world’s only transcontinental city. You’ll be treated to its most famous sites, including the magnificent Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome, St Sophia Museum and the picturesque Topkapi Palace.
In the afternoon, you’ll have the option of joining a cruise down the Bosphorous Channel, the narrow strip of sea that separates Asia and Europe.
You will enjoy overnight stay in Istanbul
Breakfast included

Day 3 - Mon: Akcakoca, Safranbolu

Our morning takes us to the beautiful town of Akçakoca, where we’ll tour the quaint traditional old town in its picturesque setting on top of a hill. We’ll then continue on to Safranbolu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site village, which is home to Turkey’s best examples of its beautiful traditional architecture.
You will enjoy overnight stay in Safranbolu
Breakfast included

Day 4 - Tues: Safranbolu, Amasra

Once you have finished breakfast at the hotel, we travel to the hill of Hidirlik to take in the stunning panoramas of the city below. We then tour Safranbolu’s cobblestone streets, where we’ll see the well-preserved old wooden houses, the clock tower, old official buildings, the Cinci Inn and Bath, as well as the town’s Arasta Bazaar and its traditional crafts. Later in the afternoon, we’ll travel on to Amasra, where you can see the Roman castle, wood-carving bazaar and the city’s inner and outer piers.
You will enjoy overnight stay in Safranbolu
Breakfast included

Day 5 - Wed: Kastamonu

After enjoying breakfast, we travel to Kastamonu, where you’ll see some of Turkey’s best-preserved traditional residences.
You will enjoy overnight stay in Kastamonu
Breakfast included

Day 6 - Thurs: Inebolu, Sinop

We drive to Inebolu, where you’ll see stunning examples of Ottoman-Greek and Byzantine architecture, and marvel at the towns natural lush surroundings and pristine coastline. 

You will enjoy overnight stay in Sinop
Breakfast included

Day 7 - Fri: Akliman, Hamsilos, Erfelek Waterfall

We leave the hotel Once you have finished breakfast and travel to Akliman Cove in Hamsilos Bay, where you’ll be in awe of its rich natural beauty. Take in the lush forests, sprays of bright flowers and see the hidden inland bays that gave the military a strategic advantage during WWI. Later, we’ll visit the stunning Erfelek Waterfall, where you can enjoy trekking to the many smaller waterfalls or relax and enjoy your beautiful surroundings in the park.
You will enjoy overnight stay in Sinop
Breakfast included

Day 8 - Sat: Ordu, Trabzon

We leave the hotel and head onwards to enjoy the Black Sea coast. We’ll stop en route at Yason Church, with its magnificent surroundings on the Black Sea coastline. We’ll then travel to Boztepe Hill, where you can enjoy the spectacular views of the city below and the azure ocean beyond. Lastly, we’ll continue to Trabzon, where we’ll spend the night.
You will enjoy overnight stay in Trabzon 
Breakfast included

Day 9 - Sun: Trabzon

We begin our day with a tour of the beautiful city of Trabzon and its surroundings, including a trip to the historical museum of Trabzon’s Hagia Sophia Church. Our tour then continues to breath-taking Uzungol, a vast lake nestled in a lush, forested valley, before we return to your accommodation.
You will enjoy overnight stay in Trabzon
Breakfast included

Day 10 - Mon: Rize, Erzurum

Our tour takes us along the coast of the Black Sea towards Artvin, before we enjoy a trip through Çoruh Valley’s beautiful, wild landscapes. Later, we’ll visit the picturesque village of Ishan and continue on to scenic Erzurum.
You will enjoy overnight stay in Erzurum
Breakfast included

Day 11 - Tues: Ani, Dogubayazit

We start our morning with a visit to Erzurum’s impressive Seljuk monuments, before we continue to Ani, near the Turkish-Armenian border. The tour then takes you to the breath-taking city of Dogubeyazit, nestled at the foot of Anatolia’s highest mountain, Mount Ararat, which is the mountain where Noah’s Ark is believed to have landed.
You will enjoy overnight stay in Dogubeyazit
Breakfast included

Day 12 - Wed: Dogubeyazit, Van

After enjoying breakfast, we’ll take a tour of the crown of Dogubeyazit, the Ishak Pasha Palace. We’ll then drive through the desolate volcanic landscape to arrive at the oasis of Muradiye Waterfalls. Our last stop for the day is Van, where you’ll see Turkey’s largest lake, the vast, sparkling Lake Van.
You will enjoy overnight stay in Van at the four-star Grand Hotel Van
Breakfast included

Day 13 - Thurs: Van, Hosap, Akdamar

We’ll take a morning drive to Çavustepe, where you can explore the fascinating ancient citadel of Urartian, before we continue on to Hosap village. In the early afternoon, we’ll take a boat trip from the town of Geva? to the historic Akdamar Island, home to the Holy Cross Church which dates back to the 10th century.
You will enjoy overnight stay in Van
Breakfast included

Day 14 - Fri: Ahlat, Tatvan, Bitlis

We’ll start our day with a drive along Lake Van’s northern shore to visit Ahlat and Tatvan, as well as the quaint town of Bitlis. In the late afternoon, we’ll continue to Diyarbakir, where we’ll spend the night.
You will enjoy overnight stay in Diyarbakir
Breakfast included

Day 15 - Sat: Hasankeyf, Midyat

You’ll enjoy a picturesque morning drive to Hasankeyf, where we’ll have the chance to visit the cliff-top ruins of the ancient Roman Cephe. We’ll then visit the old town of Midyat, one of Turkey’s national architectural treasures.
You will enjoy overnight stay in Mardin
Breakfast included

Day 16 - Sun: Harran, Urfa

We’ll head for Sanliurfa, with a few fantastic stops on the way. Firstly, we’ll visit the archaeological site of Göbekli Tepe, where you can see the fascinating excavations that are currently underway. Our next stop is Harran village, where you’ll see the famous ‘beehive’ mud houses before we continue to Urfa, the ancient city which was home to Abraham. We’ll explore this ‘City of Prophets’, visiting the vibrant bazaar, Abraham’s Cave and the Pool of the Sacred Carp.
You will enjoy overnight stay in Sanliurfa (Urfa)
Breakfast included

Day 17 - Mon: Adiyaman

We have an interesting day on the road, passing the picturesque city of Bozova with its massive dam in the background, before we continue to Adiyaman where we’ll spend the night.
You will enjoy overnight stay in Adiyaman at the four-star Grand Isias Hotel
Breakfast included

Day 18, Tues: Mt Nemrut

Our day starts out early, as we depart before dawn for Mt. Nemrut. A 15 minute ascent rewards your early start with a magnificent view of the sunrise across the plateau. We’ll also visit the massive statues that lie scattered at the summit. Next, we’ll visit Zeugma, an ancient Roman city, before we continue to Gaziantep to visit the Mosaic Museum, which is home to the superb collection of mosaics discovered at Zeugma.
You will enjoy overnight stay in Gaziantep
Breakfast included

Day 19 - Wed: Kahramanmaras, Cappadocia

Once you have finished breakfast at the hotel, we’ll depart for Cappadocia, with a stop at kahramanmaras, where you can sample Turkey’s best ice-cream on the way.
You will enjoy overnight stay in Cappadocia
Breakfast included

Day 20 - Thurs: Cappadocia

We’ll tour the open air museum of Goreme Valley, taking in the stunning lunar landscapes of Cappadocia, seeing the ‘fairy chimneys’ and exploring the hidden world of a vast underground city.
You will enjoy overnight stay in Cappadocia at a four-star Hotel
Breakfast included

Day 21 - Fri: Yazilikaya, Hattusa, Alacahoyuk

We depart Once you have finished breakfast and stop at Kozakli on our way to the city of Hattusa, the ancient capital of the Hittite empire in the Bronze Age. Our first visit is the open air temple of Yazilikaya, with its rock carvings depicting the Hittite gods. We then continue to the ruins of Hattusa, where you’ll see the Lions’ Gate, the Summer Palace and the Royal Gate. We then drive to Alacahoyuk to see the Royal Tombs and the Sphinx Gate.
You will enjoy overnight stay in Ankara
Breakfast included

Day 22 – Sat: Ankara, Istanbul

We start the day with a fascinating trip to the award-winning Museum of Anatolian Civilizations near Ankara’s ancient citadel, before we continue on to Istanbul.
You will enjoy overnight stay in Istanbul
Breakfast included

Day 23 - Sun: Istanbul

After enjoying breakfast and saying goodbye to your fellow travellers, you’ll be transferred to your accommodation for your return journey.
Breakfast included

• Inbound Airport Transfer - Istanbul - Airport
• Outbound Airport Transfer - Istanbul Airport
• Professional English-speaking tour guide for the duration of the tour
• Transportation in a fully air-conditioned, non-smoking vehicle
• Tips except driver and guide
• Entrance fees
• 22 nights - accommodation.
• 22 Breakfasts

Services not mentioned in the itinerary

• International and domestic flights not mentioned
• Laundry, phone calls, tips and any expenditure of a personal nature
• Travel insurance

Accommodation will be provided at the hotels stated in the programme. In the event of the hotels becoming unavailable, alternative accommodation will be sourced for clients in hotels of an equal or higher standard.

Please Note:Sumela Monastery is being renovated until further notice. We have replaced it with Trabzon Hagia Sophia Church Museum and a visit to Uzungol lake.