Itinerary
- Day 1
Istanbul
You'll arrive in Istanbul, the city where Europe and Asia meet across centuries of history. Get settled at your hotel and take time to orient yourself to this vibrant place that spans two continents.
- Start point
- Istanbul, Türkiye (Hotel or airport, 08:00 - 20:00)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Blue House Hotel)
- Day 2
Istanbul
Today you'll explore the Old City's major landmarks. Start with the Blue Mosque and its six minarets, then move through Hagia Sophia to see the mosaics and soaring domes. Topkapi Palace comes next, where Ottoman sultans once held court. By afternoon, you'll wander through the Grand Bazaar, one of the world's oldest covered markets with its colorful corridors and endless stalls.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Blue House Hotel)
Included Activities
- Blue Mosque visit
- Hagia Sophia visit
- Topkapi Palace visit
- Grand Bazaar visit
Landmarks/POIs Blue Mosque Hagia Sophia Topkapi Palace Grand Bazaar 
- Day 3
Ani
Fly to Kars in the morning, then head out to Ani, the ghost city of an ancient Armenian capital. This place sits on rolling plains and canyons with stone cathedrals, monasteries, and old city walls that show the layers of civilization that once thrived here on the Silk Road.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Grand Ani Hotel)
Included Activities
- Ani archaeological site visit
Landmarks/POIs Ani - Day 4
Kars to Dogubayazit
After breakfast you'll drive to Dogubayazit near Mount Ararat. The Ishak Pasha Palace is your main stop, an Ottoman-Persian structure built on a hillside with ornate gates and majestic domes. The views of the mountains and the remote landscape of Eastern Anatolia are part of what makes this place so striking.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Ertur Hotel)
Included Activities
- Ishak Pasha Palace visit
Landmarks/POIs Ishak Pasha Palace Mount Ararat - Day 5
Dogubayazit to Van
Drive toward Van with a stop at Muradiye Waterfalls along the way. Once you reach Van Lake, grab lunch, then take a cruise to Akdamar Island to visit the Holy Cross Armenian Monastery. You'll cruise back to shore and drive to your hotel by evening.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch on the shores of Van Lake)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (DoubleTree by Hilton Van)
Included Activities
- Muradiye Waterfalls visit
- Lake Van cruise to Akdamar Island
- Holy Cross Armenian Monastery visit
Landmarks/POIs Muradiye Waterfalls Akdamar Island Holy Cross Armenian Monastery - Day 6
Van
After breakfast, head to Hosap Castle, then return to Van to check out Cavustepe, a fortress from Urartian civilization. You'll have a late lunch trying the famous kebabs of the region. In the afternoon, visit Urartu Castle on Lake Van's shores and, if time allows, stop by the Van Archaeological Museum.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Late lunch tasting famed kebabs of East Anatolia)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (DoubleTree by Hilton Van)
Included Activities
- Hosap Castle visit
- Cavustepe fortress visit
- Urartu Castle of Tushba visit
- Van Archaeological Museum visit (time permitting)
Landmarks/POIs Hosap Castle Cavustepe Urartu Castle of Tushba Van Archaeological Museum - Day 7
Van to Diyarbakir
You're driving to Diyarbakir on the Tigris River. En route, stop at the Malabadi Bridge from the 12th century. Grab lunch in Silvan at the historic Grand Mosque. In the afternoon, walk through Diyarbakir's fortifications, some of the best preserved in the region, and visit the Dicle Bridge and the Grand Mosque, the first mosque built in Anatolia.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch break in Silvan)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Radisson Blu Diyarbakir)
Included Activities
- Malabadi Bridge visit
- Grand Mosque of Silvan visit
- Diyarbakir city fortifications visit
- Dicle Bridge visit
- Grand Mosque of Diyarbakir visit
Landmarks/POIs Malabadi Bridge Grand Mosque of Silvan Diyarbakir City Fortifications Dicle Bridge Grand Mosque of Diyarbakir - Day 8
Diyarbakir to Mount Nemrut to Sanliurfa
Drive through upper Mesopotamia along the Euphrates to reach Mount Nemrut. Stop in Kahta for lunch, then take small vans up the mountain to King Antiochus's tomb with its colossal statues and panoramic views from the peak. Come back down and continue to Sanliurfa by coach.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch break in Kahta town)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Hilton Garden Inn Sanliurfa)
Included Activities
- Mount Nemrut tomb and colossal statues visit
Landmarks/POIs Mount Nemrut Tomb of King Antiochus - Day 9
Sanliurfa
Start in the morning at Gobeklitepe, a UNESCO site that changed how we understand human history. Return to Sanliurfa for the Archaeological Museum. After lunch with local appetizers, grills, and Turkish coffee, head to Harran to see the beehive-shaped houses where Abraham stayed. Later, back in Sanliurfa's downtown, visit the historic pond of carps with its legend of transformation.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch at a local restaurant with stunning appetizers, grills, desserts, and Turkish coffee)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Hilton Garden Inn Sanliurfa)
Included Activities
- Gobeklitepe archaeological site visit
- Sanliurfa Archaeological Museum visit
- Harran historic town visit
Optional Activities
- Visit downtown historic area and fabled carp pond in Sanliurfa
Landmarks/POIs Gobeklitepe Sanliurfa Archaeological Museum Harran - Day 10
Sanliurfa to Ankara to Cappadocia
Fly to Ankara in the morning. Visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations after you arrive. Grab lunch in Ankara, then continue to Cappadocia. When you reach the region, check out Kaymakli Underground City before heading to your hotel for the night.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch in Ankara)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Tafoni Cave House)
Included Activities
- Museum of Anatolian Civilizations visit
- Kaymakli Underground City visit
Landmarks/POIs Museum of Anatolian Civilizations Kaymakli Underground City 
- Day 11
Cappadocia
Start your morning at Goreme Monastic Center seeing Byzantine cave churches with their frescoes. Visit a rug weaving association to watch women create woven carpets. After lunch, explore Pasha Bag Valley with its apartment-like rock formations and Zelve, the rock town used for film locations. If time permits, visit Avanos, known for pottery since Old Testament times, and tour a pottery artist's studio.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Tafoni Cave House)
Included Activities
- Goreme Monastic Center visit
- Cappadocia rug weaving association visit
- Pasha Bag Valley visit
- Zelve rock town visit
Optional Activities
- Avanos pottery town visit
- Chez Galip pottery studio visit
Landmarks/POIs Goreme Monastic Center Pasha Bag Valley Zelve Avanos - Day 12
Cappadocia to Konya
Leave for Konya, stopping at Gumusler monastery from the Byzantine period on the way. In Konya, visit the Tomb of Mevlana, founder of the Whirling Dervishes Order, then explore Karatay Medrese with its tiles and Ince Minareli Medrese with its stone work. Konya was the Seljuk capital and shows beautiful examples of their architecture.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Dundar Hotel)
Included Activities
- Gumusler monastery visit
- Tomb of Mevlana visit
- Karatay Medrese visit
- Ince Minareli Medrese visit
Landmarks/POIs Gumusler Monastery Tomb of Mevlana Karatay Medrese Ince Minareli Medrese - Day 13
Konya to Pamukkale
Travel to Pamukkale, known for its white travertine terraces and calcium springs that made it a thermal center during Roman times. Walk through the archaeological remains of Hierapolis and spend time relaxing in the natural pools.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Pam Thermal Hotel)
Included Activities
- Hierapolis archaeological site visit
- Pamukkale natural pools visit
Landmarks/POIs Hierapolis Pamukkale - Day 14
Pamukkale to Bodrum
Head toward Bodrum, stopping at Stratonikea, a well-preserved ancient site currently being excavated. Stop for lunch at a local tavern, then continue driving to Bodrum by afternoon.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch break at a local tavern)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Salmakis Hotel)
Included Activities
- Stratonikea ancient site visit
Landmarks/POIs Stratonikea 
- Day 15
Bodrum
Visit the site of the ancient Mausoleum, one of the Seven Wonders built in the 4th century BC. Continue to Bodrum Castle, built by the Knights of St. John in the 16th century. You'll be back at your hotel by 2 pm with the rest of the day free.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Salmakis Hotel)
Included Activities
- Ancient Mausoleum visit
- Bodrum Castle visit
Landmarks/POIs Mausoleum of Halicarnassus Bodrum Castle - Day 16
Bodrum to Kusadasi
Drive along the scenic Aegean coast and past Bafa Lake to reach Ephesus. Tour this well-preserved Roman site including the Terrace Villas. After lunch, visit the House of Virgin Mary, where she's believed to have spent her final days with St. John's care.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Charisma Hotel Kusadasi)
Included Activities
- Ephesus tour
- Ephesus Terrace Villas visit
- House of Virgin Mary visit
Landmarks/POIs Ephesus House of Virgin Mary - Day 17
Kusadasi to Canakkale
Head toward Canakkale on the Dardanelles, stopping at Pergamon, the Hellenistic Kingdom's capital, to see the Acropolis and Asclepion. Continue north to Troy, founded five thousand years ago. Tour Troy and its museum with finds from the excavations.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Tusan Hotel)
Included Activities
- Pergamon Acropolis visit
- Pergamon Asclepion visit
- Troy archaeological site tour
- Troy Museum visit
Landmarks/POIs Pergamon Pergamon Acropolis Asclepion Troy - Day 18
Canakkale to Istanbul
Drive back to Istanbul. After lunch when you arrive, visit the Spice Market then the Chora Mosque, which displays Byzantine frescoes and continues serving as a mosque during prayer times.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Spice Market visit
- Chora Mosque visit
Landmarks/POIs Spice Market Chora Mosque - Day 19
Istanbul
After breakfast, cross the Bosphorus to Beylerbeyi to see the sultans' 19th century summer palace. Visit Kuzguncuk, Istanbul's bohemian quarter with cafes and temples showing the city's multicultural heritage. Return to the Old City for afternoon shopping and bargain hunting. Tonight you'll take a sunset cruise on the Bosphorus ending at Angel Blue Seafood Restaurant for your farewell dinner.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Farewell dinner at Angel Blue Seafood Restaurant)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (MGallery Galata Hotel)
Included Activities
- Beylerbeyi summer palace visit
- Kuzguncuk neighborhood visit
- Old City souvenir shopping
- Bosphorus sunset cruise
- Farewell dinner at Angel Blue Seafood Restaurant
Landmarks/POIs Beylerbeyi Palace Kuzguncuk - Day 20
Istanbul
You have the full day to yourself. Explore Istanbul at your own pace, go shopping, or just relax.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (MGallery Galata Hotel)
- Day 21
Istanbul Departure
After breakfast you'll be transferred to Istanbul Airport for your flight home.
- Meals
- Breakfast
