Eastern Turkey from Kars to Van

Itinerary

• Day 1: Arrive in Kars

  Focused on the eastern of Turkey, this tour is more recommended to the ones who are interested in Armenian history and it's easy to add a classic tour to some other popular destinations, such as Izmir and Cappadocia, either before or after it.

  Depart from Istanbul and fly to the northeast city Kars on your own. After arrival, meet your driver and take the private transfer to your hotel.

  • Kars

• Day 2: Kars

  Located on the border between Europe and Asia, the ruins of Ani were a beautiful Armenian city in the Middle Age as well as an important hub on the ancient Silk Road with many religious architectures, palaces, and fortifications in the city. At its height, it was as famous as Constantinople and Cairo, but today only the broken churches and worn murals tell its past glory.

  This morning, we will drive out of the city to have a walk around the ruins and enjoy the stunning views of the Armenian border. Afterward, get back to the city to see the impressive Kars Castle and the Cathedral of Kars. Also being called the Holy Apostles Church, the cathedral was once converted into a mosque, later a Russian Orthodox, later a cathedral again, and then a mosque again.

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  • Kars

• Day 3: Kars, Sarikamis Ski Centre & Traditional Hammam

  Depart for the Sarikamis Ski Centre after breakfast and around 45 minutes later you will be at the ski center where you will have a two hours' course with a professional trainer. And then, you will have two hours' free time for skiing. There are 7 trails here and you can choose what is suit for you. The total runway length is 25km.

  After the ski tour and break, we will depart to enjoy an authentic Hammam, a kind of traditional Turkish bath, and refresh your body, mind, and soul.

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  • Kars

• Day 4: Kars - Dogubeyazit - Van, Mt. Ararat & Ishak Pasa Palace

  Depart from Kars after breakfast and drive about 2.5 hours on the ancient Silk Road to Dogubeyazit and then another 2.5 hours to Van. On the way, 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. If weather permits, you may also like to do a short hike around the mount.

  Later on, stop to see the Ishak Pasa Palace, a combination of a mosque, a fortress, and a palace that originally had a room for every day of the year. After it, we will also see the remains of Eski Bayezid Cami and Urartian City that was flourished in 1000 BC.

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  • Van

• Day 5: Van - Istanbul, Van Castle & Church of the Holy Cross

  Today we will first visit the time-honored Van Castle built by the ancient Kingdom of Urartu between 9 BC and 7 BC, admire the exquisite reliefs and murals in it as well as the beautiful view on the Lake Van. Rom here, a ferry boat will take us across the lake to the Akdamar Island that houses the medieval Armenian architectural wonder - the Church of the Holy Cross.

  After the tour, take the private transfer to Van airport and fly to Istanbul. On arrival, be picked up and transferred to your hotel.

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  • Istanbul

• Day 6: Istanbul, Leisure Day

  It is a leisure day for you to do self-exploration in the city. You can either enjoy its historical monuments or the bustling Bazaar or book a Turkish cooking class or coffee master class.

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  • Istanbul

• Day 7: Istanbul - Departure

  Time for the departure. At the appointed time, your driver will pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to the airport.

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