Highlights: TRANSFER
Following the meeting of our esteemed guests with their culture guide at Diyarbakır Airport, we board our waiting vehicle and set off for Batman. After an enjoyable journey along the Tigris River, we arrive at our hotel in Batman and settle into our rooms.
Food & Beverage Information: Diyarbakır
Accommodation Information: Batman
Total Distance and Duration for the Day
Diyarbakır - Batman: 105 km (1 hour 16 minutes)
Total: 105 km (1 hour 16 minutes)
Highlights: BATMAN · MALABADİ BRIDGE · TOMB OF VEYSEL KARANİ · BİTLİS · AHLAT · SELJUK CEMETERY · TATVAN
After the open buffet breakfast at our hotel, our first stop is the Malabadi Bridge, located on the Diyarbakır-Batman border. Built by the Artuqids in 1147, it is one of the widest stone-arch bridges in the world; we listen to our guide's commentary and take a photo stop here.
From here we continue to the tomb of Veysel Karani, revered for his devotion to the Prophet Muhammad while tending his camels in Yemen. After offering our prayers at the Tomb of Veysel Karani in Siirt's Baykan district, we head towards Bitlis. Taking in a panoramic view of Bitlis, we reach Ahlat. We visit the Ahlat Seljuk Cemetery, one of the most important pieces of evidence of the Turkish entry into Anatolia and listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List. In this, the world's largest Turkish-Islamic cemetery, we examine tombstone monuments reaching heights of 3.5 metres and their intricate stonework.
After Ahlat, we arrive in Tatvan, accompanied by views of Nemrut Crater Lake. From Tatvan, we follow the blue waters of Lake Van and arrive at our hotel in Van in the evening.
Food & Beverage Information: Bitlis
Accommodation Information: Van
Total Distance and Duration for the Day
Batman - Malabadi Bridge: 27 km (20 minutes)
Malabadi Bridge - Hazrat Veysel Karani Tomb: 53 km (45 minutes)
Hazrat Veysel Karani Tomb - Bitlis: 58 km (1 hour 1 minute)
Bitlis - Ahlat Seljuk Graveyard: 56 km (43 minutes)
Ahlat Seljuk Graveyard - Tatvan: 38 km (30 minutes)
Tatvan - Van: 137 km (1 hour 45 minutes)
Total: 369 km (4 hours 37 minutes)
Highlights: VAN · PANORAMIC VAN CITY TOUR · EDREMİT · AKDAMAR ISLAND AND CHURCH · LAKE VAN · VAN CASTLE · VAN CAT HOUSE
After the open buffet breakfast at our hotel, we begin exploring Van. Our first stop is Edremit, home to Lake Van's most beautiful shoreline. After a tea break on the Edremit waterfront, we board our boat from Gevaş Pier and set off towards Akdamar Island.
Following our boat journey, we tour Akdamar Church, built by King Gagik in 915 and renowned for the Old and New Testament reliefs on its exterior. After listening to our guide's commentary against the island's magnificent backdrop of Lake Van, we return to central Van.
After lunch, we visit Van Castle, once home to Tushpa, the capital of the Urartian Kingdom. After photographing Lake Van from this 2,800-year-old fortress, we visit the Van Cat House, established to protect the world-famous Van cats known for their differently coloured eyes. After hearing the story behind Van breakfast and filigree silverwork, we head to our hotel.
Food & Beverage Information: Van
Accommodation Information: Van
Total Distance and Duration for the Day
Van - Edremit: 19 km (24 minutes)
Edremit - Van Castle: 18 km (21 minutes)
Van Castle - Van Cat House: 12 km (19 minutes)
Van Cat House - Hotel: 13 km (15 minutes)
Total: 62 km (1 hour 19 minutes)
Highlights: MURADİYE WATERFALL · AĞRI · DOĞUBEYAZIT İSHAK PAŞA PALACE · IĞDIR · IĞDIR KILINÇLAR MONUMENT · IĞDIR TUZLUCA CAVE
After the open buffet breakfast at our hotel, we depart from Van. Following the foothills of Mount Tendürek, our first stop is Muradiye Waterfall. After a photo stop at this roughly 50-metre waterfall on the Bendimahi Stream, we continue towards Doğubeyazıt.
In Doğubeyazıt, we reach İshak Paşa Palace, whose construction took 99 years and which combines Ottoman, Seljuk and Baroque architectural elements. We tour the harem, the reception quarters, the mosque and the tomb section with our guide, and take photos with Mount Ararat in the background.
We then continue to Iğdır. We see the Kılınçlar Monument, located in central Iğdır and symbolising the city's liberation from occupation. Our final stop is the Tuzluca Salt Caves, located 100 metres underground. Believed to benefit asthma sufferers and featuring salt stalactites and stalagmites, we take a short walk through this pure white cave. In the evening, we continue to our hotel in Kars.
Food & Beverage Information: Tuzluca
Accommodation Information: Kars
Total Distance and Duration for the Day
Hotel - Muradiye Waterfall: 89 km (1 hour 2 minutes)
Muradiye Waterfall - Ishak Pasha Palace: 91 km (1 hour 31 minutes)
Ishak Pasha Palace - Iğdır Kılıçlar Monument: 60 km (59 minutes)
Iğdır Kılıçlar Monument - Iğdır Tuzluca Cave: 39 km (35 minutes)
Iğdır Tuzluca Cave - Kars: 97 km (1 hour 13 minutes)
Total: 376 km (5 hours 20 minutes)
Highlights: KARS · ANİ RUINS · ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE · KANLI TABYA · FETHİYE MOSQUE · RUSSIAN HOUSES · CAUCASUS NIGHT
After the open buffet breakfast at our hotel, we head towards the Ani Ruins, located on the Armenian border. We arrive at the Ani Archaeological Site, once the capital of the Armenian Bagratuni Kingdom between 961-1045 and one of the most important stops on the Silk Road. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, we tour the Great Cathedral — known as "the 1001 Churches" — the Ebul Manuchihr Mosque, the Church of Tigran Honents and the city walls overlooking the Arpaçay River with our guide.
After our visit to Ani, we return to central Kars. We visit Kanlı Tabya, the site of significant acts of heroism during the Ottoman-Russian Wars of 1855 and 1877. We then see the Russian houses built in Baltic architectural style, the Governor's Mansion and Fethiye Mosque. After dinner, guests who wish may join the Caucasus Night, featuring traditional Kars-style minstrel performances (aşık atışması) and folk dances. We stay overnight at our hotel in Kars.
Food & Beverage Information: Kars
Accommodation Information: Kars
Total Distance and Duration for the Day
Hotel - Ani Ruins: 46 km (40 minutes)
Ani Ruins - Kanlı Tabya: 49 km (41 minutes)
Kanlı Tabya - Fethiye Mosque: 1 km (4 minutes)
Total: 96 km (1 hour 25 minutes)
Highlights: ERZURUM · SARIKAMIŞ MONUMENT · ÇOBANDEDE BRIDGE · ERZURUM CONGRESS BUILDING · ERZURUM CASTLE · THREE TOMBS · TWIN MINARET MADRASAH · GRAND MOSQUE · YAKUTİYE MADRASAH · TAŞHAN · ERZURUM HOUSES
After the open buffet breakfast at our hotel, we head to Sarıkamış. At the Sarıkamış Martyrs' Monument, we commemorate the 90,000 Turkish soldiers who froze to death during the 1914 Sarıkamış Offensive. Following this moving visit, we continue towards Erzurum, stopping for photos at Çobandede Bridge, built in 1298 and spanning the Aras River.
On arrival in Erzurum, we begin exploring "the land of the Dadaş." Our first stop is the Congress Building, where the Erzurum Congress convened under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's leadership on 23 July 1919. We then view Erzurum Castle and the city view from it. After touring the Three Tombs, the Twin Minaret Madrasah, the Grand Mosque and Yakutiye Madrasah — now used as a museum of Islamic art — with our guide, we head to Taşhan to shop for Oltu stone. After viewing Erzurum's historic houses panoramically, we settle into our hotel.
Food & Beverage Information: Erzurum
Accommodation Information: Erzurum
Total Distance and Duration for the Day
Kars - Sarıkamış Monument: 51 km (41 minutes)
Sarıkamış Monument - Çoban Dede Bridge: 97 km (1 hour 7 minutes)
Çoban Dede Bridge - Erzurum Congress Building: 61 km (49 minutes)
Erzurum - Hotel: 5 km (10 minutes)
Total: 225 km (2 hours 47 minutes)
Highlights: NENE HATUN HISTORICAL NATIONAL PARK · AZİZİYE FORTRESS
After the open buffet breakfast at our hotel, we visit the Aziziye Fortress and Nene Hatun Historical National Park, the site of the fiercest defence of the 1877-1878 Ottoman-Russian War (known as the "93 War"). We visit the grave of Nene Hatun, who carried ammunition to the front lines while carrying her baby, and tour the fortifications, hearing the story of her heroism from our guide.
Following this visit, we head towards Diyarbakır via Bingöl. After a journey along the Murat River valley, we arrive at our hotel in Diyarbakır in the evening.
Food & Beverage Information: Bingöl
Accommodation Information: Diyarbakır
Total Distance and Duration for the Day
Erzurum - Bingöl: 179 km (2 hours 17 minutes)
Bingöl - Diyarbakır: 143 km (1 hour 48 minutes)
Total: 322 km (4 hours 5 minutes)
Highlights: DİYARBAKIR
After the open buffet breakfast at our hotel, we transfer to Diyarbakır Airport. We say goodbye, hoping to see you again on another AlaTourqo tour
Total Distance and Duration for the Day
Hotel - Airport: 6 km (11 minutes)
Total: 6 km (11 minutes)
Total Distance and Duration for the Tour
1,561 km
21 hours
8 DAYS 7 NIGHTS ACCOMMODATION IN GOOD HOTELS
DAY 1: DİYARBAKIR OR BATMAN: Divan Hotel - Mövenpick - Ramada Hotel or similar
DAY 2: VAN: The Conforium Hotel - Van Hilton - Van Ramada or similar
DAY 3: VAN: The Conforium Hotel - Van Hilton - Van Ramada or similar
DAY 4: KARS: Kars Büyükkale or similar
DAY 5: KARS: Kars Büyükkale or similar
DAY 6: ERZURUM: Sway Hotel - Palandöken Dedeman or similar
DAY 7: DİYARBAKIR OR BATMAN: Divan Hotel - Mövenpick - Ramada Hotel or similar
This tour starts in Diyarbakır Airport and ends in Diyarbakır Airport.
Meeting time and the other welcoming details will be sent later...
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