A comprehensive 14-day journey across Eastern Anatolia’s dramatic landscapes — Kars, Ani, Lake Van and Mount Ararat — before continuing into Mesopotamia and the UNESCO sites of Göbeklitepe and Mount Nemrut.
Day 1 — Istanbul
Arrival; overnight stay.
Day 2 — Kars
Baltic-style Russian-era old town; Kars Castle; Church of the Apostles; Kars Archaeology Museum.
Day 3 — Kars & Ani
Caucasus Front Military History Museum; UNESCO-listed ruins of Ani, once a medieval Armenian capital.
Day 4 — Doğubayazıt & Van
Village visit near Kars; views of Mount Ararat; İshak Paşa Palace; onward to Van.
Day 5 — Van
Traditional Van breakfast; Van Cats Villa; Van Archaeology Museum; Van Castle; Savat silverwork & Van carpet workshops.
Day 6 — Akdamar & Nemrut Volcano (Tatvan)
Boat trip to Akdamar Island and its Armenian church; crater lake atop Nemrut Volcano. Overnight in Tatvan.
Day 7 — Diyarbakır
Historic city walls, the longest surviving after the Great Wall of China; Surp Giragos Armenian Church; the Great Mosque; Tigris riverbanks; Hevsel Gardens (UNESCO).
Day 8 — Midyat & Mardin
Silver filigree ateliers; Mor Gabriel Monastery; Roman ruins of Dara Ancient City; onward to Mardin.
Day 9 — Mardin
Deyrulzafaran Monastery; Kasımiye Madrasah; Mardin's stone-carved old streets.
Day 10 — Mardin
Free day at leisure.
Day 11 — Göbeklitepe & Şanlıurfa
Neolithic site of Göbeklitepe (UNESCO); Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum; Balıklıgöl; Cave of Abraham.
Day 12 — Mount Nemrut (Adıyaman)
UNESCO-listed summit (2,150m) with colossal god statues on the eastern & western terraces; Karakuş Tumulus; Roman Cendere Bridge.
Day 13 — Gaziantep
Zeugma Mosaic Museum; old town cuisine; castle; copper bazaar; katmer & baklava tasting.
Day 14 — Departure
Flight home via Istanbul.