Itinerary

Day 1

Arriva Day Trabzon / Overnight Trabzon
Welcome to Trabzon. Today is your arrival day. Airport transfers are available fro Airport and Bus Station during the hours of 8am till 20:00pm. Transfers will be made to your Hotel. Over Night in Trabzon

Day 2

TRABZON,
Depart for St. Sophia ( Ayasofya ), a 13th century church and study its extraordinary collection of Byzantine frescoes, depart for Gulbahar Hatun Mosque, Castle and Ataturk's Mansion (a picturesque hillside retreat), visit Ortahisar Mosque (a Comneni cathedral in the old town). Lunch at a seaside restaurant in Akçaabat. Afternoon we explore the cobbled stone streets of Trabzon. Drive to Boztepe; enjoy our tea from samovar with the panoramic view of the city. Dinner & overnight stay in Trabzon.

Day 3

SUMELA MONASTERY, ZIGANA, KARACA CAVE, ERZURUM
Depart for Sumela Monastery, visit the 4th century Sumela Monastery which clings to a sheer cliff face in a deep forest, relax beside a fast flowing stream at Altindere Valley National Park, lunch, traveling along the Silk Road through the Zigana Mountains (Pontic Alps) will take us to Karaca Cave, considered to be the most beautiful in Turkey for its colors and formations. Drive to Erzurum via Bayburt. Dinner & overnight stay in Erzurum.

Day 4

ERZURUM, KARS
An early morning departure from Erzurum will take us on a beautiful drive to Kars passing on the way Sarikamis, the coldest spot in Turkey!. We will arrive in Kars and visit Ani at the Turkish-Armenian border. We will take a 45-minute drive to the medieval Armenian City of Ani, which lies mostly in ruins. Impressive fortified walls still encircle the ruins of numerous churches, mosques and caravansaries. Enjoy a walk around the ruins and see the beautiful view to the Armenian border imagining it as a city with one million people rivaling Bagdad in its time! This city has experienced the cultures of Urartians, Armenians, Georgians, Mongols, Russians and finally the Turks.

Day 5

DOGUBAYAZIT (Mt. Ararat):
This morning we will drive for 3 1/2 hours along the "Silk Road" to Dogubayazit. At the Iranian border we will see a site known as the Crater Hole. This is a beautiful, yet rugged area. We will have the opportunity to see Mt. Ararat from all sides. It is believed by some to be the resting-place of Noah's Ark; but to date no one has found anything that has been verified as the Ark - yet the search is still on. In the afternoon we will stop and see the Ishak Pasa Palace. This complex is a combination of a mosque, a fortress, and a palace which originally had a room for every day of the year! Below you can also see the remains of Eski Bayazit, and Urartian City which flourished in 1000 BC. Over Night in Dogubeyazýt

Day 6

DOGUBEYAZIT VAN
After visiting the Iranian border, we will depart for Van in the early morning, a drive of approximately three hours. This city has been established 13th century BC, when the Hurrites arrived. Then the Hittites, Urartians, Persian, Armenians, Macedonians, Romans and finally in 11th century the Turks came here. From here, we will visit the finest Armenian architectural wonder of the Church of the Holy Cross on Akdamar Island. We'll also visit the wonderful Kurdish castle of Hosap very close to the Iranian border as well as the Urartian citadel. Over Night in Van

Day 7

Van : Ahlat - Batis - Diyarbakir
After visiting the eerie 12th century Selcuk cemetery in Ahlat in the morning we will head to Bitlis for lunch and a good walk around, Batis otherwise known as Alexander's town. Its a unique medieval town! then we will drive to Diyarbkir for the night.

Day 8

Diyarbakir : End of Tour
Breakfast Included
Today your tour is over. Please make your own arrangements for departure remembering that your hotel will need you to check out before midday. We hope you had a memorable tour and we look forward to seeing you in the future on another TravelShop Turkey Tour. Have a safe trip back home and thanks for choosing TravelShop Turkey.

Extra Information

Inclusions -

TOUR INCLUDING: 3, 4 star and Butique Hotels in each area 2 Nights accommodation in Trabzon with Breakfast and Dinner 1 Nights accommodation in Erzurum with Breakfast and Dinner 1 Nights accommodation in Kars with Breakfast and Dinner 1 Nights accommodation in Dogu Bayazit with Breakfast and Dinner 1 Nights accommodation in Van with Breakfast and Dinner 1 Nights accommodation in Diyabakir with Breakfast and Dinner Guided Tour to Trabzon Guided Tour to Erzurum Guided Tour to Kars Guided Tour to Dogubayazit Guided Tour to Van Guided Tour to Diyarbakir Private Air-conditioned busses Private Professional English speaking tour guide All entrance fees mentioned in the Itinerary Private Return airport transfers

Exclusions -

Tour Excludes : International Flights Personal expenses: Lunches, Extras at hotel or meals Tipping: Tips for guide and drivers Insurance: All types

Extras -

TOUR FAQ:

WHY A 28 DAY TOUR ?
This one of the best ways to visit Turkey. Turkey is such a large country and there are so many fantastic things to see that the 28 Day Tour allows you to do this comfortably without having to rush. On this tour you get to visit the many different regions in Turkey This tour allows you to join as an when you would like with 4 main departure times.

HOW CAN I JOIN THIS TOUR ?
To join this tour is very easy. Just go to the booking form at the bottom of the page and select your date of arrival at the top of the screen and then fill in all the additional information.

WHAT HAPPENS ONCE I HAVE FILLED IN THE BOOKING FORM ?
Once we have recieved your booking we will process the payment and send you a copy of your invoice which you need to retain as proof of payment. We will also send you a voucher for the tour which will include your customer number and details of the tour. You will also recieve a confirmation email from TravelShop Turkey.

DO I HAVE TO DO THE FULL TOUR ?
No you dont !! For example you can join us in Trabzon and finish in Kusadasi as long as you are there on the dates that we arrive.. Also if you want to join us for only a few days this is possible. We would need to know exactly where you would like to join and leave us so that we can cost the tour accordingly.
HOTEL - All accommodation will be 3 and 4 star hotels and also Boutique hotels throughout the tour.
GUIDE - You will be assisted by a fluent English speaking professional tour guide who is deeply knowledgeable of Turkey.
ENTRANCE FEES - Entrance fees make up to approx 30% of the tour cost. All entrance fees mentioned in the itinerary are included in the tour price and will be paid for by TravelShop Turkey.
TIPPING IN TURKEY - Tipping is not included in your tour cost. There is no set amount for tipping if you receive good service then it is up to you how much you would like to tip.
TRANSPORTATION - Air-conditioned coach transportation throughout your tour, with a TV. All drivers are professionally licensed. All coaches on our tours stop around every 2 hours so that you are able to stretch your legs, use washroom facilities and buy snacks for the journey. Our buses have a maximum of 40 people so that the bus will not be over crowded.
FOOD - A wide selection of tasty traditional Turkish food for you to experience while in our country. All breakfasts and dinners are included except in Istanbul, Lunches are not included but you will be able to find a wide variety of good tasty food availble.
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT TRAVELLERS - We have many customers who travel alone. If you don't mind sharing with another traveler then we can arrange a twin share, we will not charge you for single supplement. However if there is no one to pair you up with we will have to charge a single supplement fee.
SHOPPING - You will have plenty of time throughout your tour to visit the local shops. Istanbul isn't always the best place to shop! It is the best place to bargain however. If there is something in particular you are looking for, please ask your tour guide and they will advise you on the best place to go. Carpet, leather and jewellery shopping is best done in Kusadasi/Ephesus and Cappadocia where you will visit the factories, also learn a lot more about the product from the factory guides. During the tour you visit many local villages and please ask your tour guide for cheap local shopping places.
EARLY ARRIVALS - If you are arriving in Turkey a few days prior to tour start date, we are more than happy to arrange transfers and accommodation for you. This will not be included in the itinerary cost. Additional costs will be advised once further information is given by the customer. Please see below for extra accommodation costs.

Istanbul 4 Star Hotel

Double -Twin -Triple P.P


Euro 35.00


Single Room


Euro 55.00












Istanbul 3 Star Hotel

Double -Twin -Triple P.P


Euro 30.00


Single Room


Euro 45.00

VISAS - Depending on your nationality or passport, you will be able to purchase a visa when you arrive at the airport in Turkey. Please however confirm this with your national embassy, as some nationalities require this to be done in advance
MONEY- We use New Turkish Lira. Although in a lot of places they will accept US, EURO or GBP money. We recommend that exchanging to lira will save you money and confusion. There are many change offices throughout Turkey, along with ATM machines for you to withdraw also. Most shops will accept your credit cards.
OUR STAFF -Our tour staff are very friendly, from Turkey, New Zealand, Australia and the UK who have traveled extensively through Turkey and the rest of the world. They are on hand at all times to make your trip easy going.