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Duration
12 days
Max Group Size
40
Departure Type
Scheduled
Guiding Method
Fully guided
Physical level
easy
Operated In
English
Age Requirement
11 - 99 Ages
Tour Overview
Embark on an unforgettable 12-day coastal odyssey that begins with a
magical Bosphorus dinner cruise in Istanbul and winds northward along Turkey’s
storied Black Sea coast before crossing into Georgia’s Batumi. You’ll delve
into Istanbul’s imperial heart, savor island serenity on the Princes’ Islands,
and wander Safranbolu’s UNESCO-listed Ottoman streets. From Turkey’s modern
capital Ankara to the ancient cliffside Sumela Monastery near Trabzon, every
day reveals new landscapes and cultures. Experience misty lakes at Uzungöl,
fragrant tea gardens in Rize, the high-mountain pastures of Ayder Plateau, and
the vibrant seaside boulevard of Batumi. Conclude in Erzurum, uncovering Seljuk‐era marvels before your
departure. This is the ultimate blend of history, nature, and cross-border
discovery
Tour Roude : Istanbul - Safranbolu - Ankara - Trabzon - Uzungol - Rize - Artvin - Erzurum
Highlights
Itinerary
Welcome
to Turkey! Arrive into Istanbul. Transfer from airport & check in to your
hotel.
In
the evening between 19:30 – 20:00 you will be picked up from your hotel and
transfer to the boat for Dinner Cruise on the Bosphorus and drop of back to
hotel at the end of tour. During the tour you will be able to see historical
places like Dolmabahce Palace, Ortakoy Mosque, Maiden’s Tower, Rumeli Fortress,
Bosporus Bridge, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, Beylerbeyi Palace etc. After the
dinner you can dance the night away to entertaining music provided by
professional DJ and traditional show programs or simply relax with a drink and
enjoy the view. We combine a delicious meal with unparalleled views of Istanbul
and live entertainment to create Istanbul's leading Bosporus Dinner Cruise. End
of the entertainment at about midnight 12:00pm, transfer to your hotel.
Overnight in Istanbul.
(Breakfast and Lunch included)
After
breakfast, we have Istanbul City Tour. Our first visit will be HIPPODROME. Ancient Hippodrome was the
scene of chariot races, with the three monuments; the Obelisk of Theodosius,
the bronze Serpentine Column and the Column of Constantine. Than we will visit SULTANAHMET IMPERIAL MOSQUE. Across
from Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, it was built in the 16th century by the
architect Mehmet, is known as the BLUE MOSQUE because of its magnificent
interior decoration of blue Iznik tiles. Our next see will be HAGIA SOPHIA GRAND MOSQUE. The Hagia
Sophia Grand Mosque, previously known as the Church of Divine Wisdom, is simply
the best of its kind! Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque is the greatest surviving
example of Byzantine Architecture. For 1000 years, it was once the largest
church in the world, decorated with stunning 6th century golden mosaics. Today
it is a mosque. You can see it from
outside. After
that see TOPKAPI PALACE, the great
palace of the Ottoman sultans from the 15th to the 19th centuries housing an
exquisite collection of crystal, silver, and Chinese porcelain, robes worn by
the sultans and their families, the famous jewels of the Imperial Treasury,
miniatures, the Holy Mantle; enshrining relics of the Prophet Mohammed. You can
see it from outside. The
Basilica Cistern Museum is one
of the most important cultural assets where we can trace the traces of glorious
Istanbul history. With its 80,000-ton water storage capacity, Yerebatan
Cistern is the largest covered cistern in the city and stands out with more
reclaimed supporting elements compared to other covered cisterns. Covering an
area of approximately 10,000 square meters, this colossal structure has a
rectangular shape with a length of 140 meters and a width of 70 meters. You
can see it from outside. After the tour, transfer back to your hotel. Dinner at
restaurant and Overnight in Istanbul.
If you would like to
visit with entrance below sites;
Topkapi Palace Museum Entrance Fee. You pay the
door price.
The Basilica Cistern Museum Entrance You pay the door price.
Please Note: Please do not forget to carry Scarf with you because of visiting to Blue Mosque & Haghia Sophia Mosque
(Breakfast and Lunch included)
Escape from the bustle of Istanbul for a day with a trip to the Princes’
Islands. You will join us aboard a ferry bound for the idyllic Princes’ Island,
enjoying cool breezes and charming sights along the way. Our destination is
Buyukada, the largest of the islands; formerly a site of exiled palace members,
particularly in the Byzantine era, later a popular summer resort with pinewoods
and vintage wooden mansions.
You will have your lunch at a charming fish restaurant on the island.
You can enjoy a ride in a horse-drawn carriage called a phaeton, among the pine
trees after relaxing on the beaches in the numerous coves of the coast. Evening
return to Istanbul and transfer to your hotel. Overnight in Istanbul.
(breakfast
and lunch included)
After
having an early breakfast, we will start driving to Safranbolu for about 4
hours and have our lunch after the arrival. We will then begin touring in Old
Safranbolu Town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994. The Old Town
preserves many old buildings, with 1008 registered historical artifacts. These
are: 1 private museum, 25 mosques, 5 tombs, 8 historical fountains, 5 Turkish
baths, 3 caravanserais, 1 historical clock tower, 1 sundial and hundreds of
houses and mansions. Also there are mounds of ancient settlements, rock tombs
and historical bridges.
The
Old Town is situated in a deep ravine in a fairly dry area in the rain shadow
of the mountains. The name of the town derives from ‘saffron’ and the Greek
word ‘polis’ (city), since Safranbolu was a trading place and a center for
growing saffron. After a few hours of walking in the city, we will check-in to
our hotel. Overnight accommodation in Safranbolu
(
breakfast and lunch included)
Today,
we will drive to Ankara, the capital city of Turkey, to visit Ankara Anatolian
Civilizations Museum and Ataturk’s Mausoleum. The museum is housed in a
15th-century bedesten (covered market). The central room houses reliefs and
statues, while the surrounding hall displays exhibits from Paleolithic,
Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Bronze Age, Assyrian, Hittite, Phrygian, Urartians and
Lydian periods.
The eternal resting place of the founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the Mausoleum is at the same time a museum harboring many towers. It is possible to see and understand the entire process of founding the republic with the artifacts and written documents in the museum section. Then, we will drive you to your hotel. Overnight accommodation in Ankara
(Breakfast
Included)
After breakfast, you will be picked up from your hotel to Ankara Airport for your Trabzon flight. After flight, transfer from Trabzon airport to your city center hotel Overnight in Trabzon
(Breakfast and Lunch included)
We
will start our Trabzon tour after breakfast in the early morning hours.
When
the Roman Empire was divided into two at the end of the 4th century, Trabzon
remained under the rule of the Eastern Roman Empire, known as the Byzantine
Empire.
Today,
we will first visit the Hagia Sophia Church in Trabzon, which was built between
1238 and 1265 during the Komnenos Kingdom and is known for its frescoes
depicting scenes from the Bible and the Torah. Then, we will visit the Atatürk
Mansion.
You
can learn about the valuable handmade Kazaziye and Silver Filigree artefacts
unique to Trabzon and the shop.
Passing
through Coşandere and Maçka, known for their stony roads, we will reach
Altındere Valley.
Sumela Monastery, a Greek Orthodox monastery and church complex carved into the rocks on a mountain slope at an altitude of 1150 m above sea level in 360-395 AD. The complex has priest rooms decorated with frescoes, a kitchen, chapels, and aqueducts. Then, we complete our tour by visiting Hamsiköy, famous for its rice pudding.
Dinner and accommodation in Trabzon
(Breakfast and Lunch included)
Breakfast at your hotel then we start the day by visiting Hagia Sophia which
previously was a museum and was converted into a mosque. Then we visit
Ataturk’s Villa where he used to stay on his visits to Trabzon. Later, we go up
to the hillside to Boztepe to see the panoramic view of the city. Lunch will be
at Lake Sera. In the afternoon we depart for Lake Uzungol. On the way, we will
see the local workshops like local textile crafts and visit a tea factory. Then
we arrive in Uzungol. Overnight stay in Uzungol.
(Breakfast and Lunch included)
After having breakfast,
we will leave Trabzon and head to Uzungöl. Sürmene to visit a famous knife
workshop. Later, we will proceed towards Uzungöl to witness the breathtaking
view of Çaykara and town districts. Enjoy your time at the beautiful Uzungöl Lake
district. Our next stop will be Rize, where we will visit a tea factory to
learn about tea making and shopping. We will also see the Rize fabric
(Feretiko) workshop, which is one of the most important traditional handicrafts
in Rize. We will take a break for lunch and some shopping at the center of
Rize. In the Çayeli district, we will enjoy the scenic tea gardens while
visiting Fırtına Stream, Zilkale, and Senyuva Village (formerly known as
Çinçiva Village). Finally, we arrive at the famous Ayder Plateau. Dinner and accommodation
Ayder Plateau or Rize.
(Breakfast and Lunch included)
After having breakfast in our hotel at Rize, we travel from Ayder Plateau to
Hopa. Once we took a break for tea, we finished our entrance procedures at the
Sarp Border Gate and crossed into the Georgia/Adjara region. One of the twelve
apostles of Jesus, St. Mathias’ tomb is located in Gonio-Apsaros Castle, the
most prominent place to visit in Batumi, and it dates back to the Roman period.
It was last used during the Ottoman period. As we continued on the road, we
could see the training grounds of Russian soldiers in Batumi's city center
during the Soviet Russia period. We also saw the Coruh River, which forms sharp
lines from Bayburt to the borders of Batumi and the old Gonio Bridge over it.
The administrative center of Adjara Autonomous Region, one of the two
Autonomous regions of Georgia, is located in Batumi. We will visit Europe
Square, Clock Tower, Batumi Boulevard by the sea, Poseidon Statue, Medea
Statue, Virgin Mary Church, Orthodox Church, Armenian Church, Batumi Piazza,
and Batumi Sea Port, and get to know the city with our guide. After that, you
can enjoy the cafes, shops, and night and day casinos popular with local and
foreign tourists. You will have free time to try local dishes and regional
Georgian wines.Departure to Artvin Dinner and overnight in Artvin
(Breakfast and Lunch included)
From Ayder, we drive to the city of Erzurum and explore it for a taste of
Seljuk architecture at the Cifte Minare and Yakutiye Medrese buildings. Visit
the Rustem Pasha Palace and, in your free time, explore the local Bedesten
(Ottoman market hall) that is devoted to the manufacture and sale of Oltutas
Jewelry. Overnight in Erzurum
(Breakfast Included)
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your outbound flight. The tour
concludes upon departure.
Trip includes
Included
3
nights hotel in Istanbul
1 nights hotel in Safranbolu
1 night hotel in Ankara
2 night hotel in Trabzon
1 night hotel in Uzungol
1 night hotel in Rize
1 night hotel in Artvin
1 night hotel in Erzurum
Professional English speaking tour guide during the tour
Guiding Method
Fully guided
Meal plan as mentioned in the itinerary




All Tour Transportation
Transportation in a fully air-conditioned,
non-smoking coach
All entrance fees mentioned in the itinerary
Dinner
Bosphorus Cruise
Guided Istanbul City Tour
Guided Princes’ Islands Tour
Guided Safranbolu Tour
Guided Ankara Tour
Guided Sumela Monastery – Hamsikoy Tour
Guided Uzungol Tour
Guided Sürmene - Rize - Cayeli - Zilkale - Ayder Plateau Tour
Guided Hopa, Georgia Batumi, Artvin Tour
Guided Erzurum Tour
All entrance fees mentioned in the itinerary
Hotel
Room Taxes
·
Group Size & Transport: Max 16 guests; private
A/C coach & two domestic flights (Ankara→Trabzon, Trabzon→Istanbul).
·
Accommodation: 3–4★
hotels (Istanbul × 3, Safranbolu, Ankara, Trabzon × 2, Uzungöl, Rize, Artvin,
Erzurum; mountain lodge in Ayder).
·
Meals: Daily breakfasts; 9 lunches; 1 dinner
cruise; restaurant dinners on touring days.
·
Fitness & Footwear: Moderate walking on
uneven historic sites and light hikes; sturdy shoes recommended.
·
Entry Fees & Extras: All itinerary entrance
fees included; optional fees (Topkapı, Basilica Cistern) paid on-site.
·
Visas & Border: Turkish & Georgian
e-visa required; passport valid ≥ 6 months.
·
Climate & Packing: Coastal temps 15–25
°C; mountain nights drop to 5–15 °C—pack layers and rain gear.
·
Currency & Connectivity: Turkish ₺ &
Georgian ₾; ATMs in major towns. Local SIM or roaming for data.
·
Optional Add-Ons: Hamam experience in
Istanbul; Uzungöl paragliding; Rize tea-plucking session.
·
Travel Insurance: Strongly recommended
to cover activities and cross-border travel.
Excluded
International and Domestic flight tickets
Travel insurance (highly recommended)
All airport transfers and domestic flight (Ankara → Trabzon, Trabzon → Istanbul)
Personal expenses (souvenirs, drinks, etc.)
Dinner meals (unless mentioned)
Optional entrance tickets (Topkapi Palace, Basilica Cistern)
Tips for guide and driver
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