Follow Turkey's wild northern coastline on an eleven-day private journey that pairs the great monuments of Istanbul with the half-timbered towns, castle-crowned harbours and cloud-wrapped monasteries of the Black Sea. Planned in-house by Inca Tour, a TURSAB-licensed operator, and led throughout by an English-speaking guide, this tour reaches corners of Anatolia that most visitors never see.
From your hotels along the way you travel west to east through Safranbolu, where saffron-coloured Ottoman houses line cobbled lanes and the Cinci Han Caravanserai, the Clock Tower on Hidirlik Hill and a centuries-old hamam recall the town's days as a trading hub. The road continues to the harbour of Amasra with its Sormagir Castle, Rabbit Island and the Kuskayasi monument, then climbs inland to Kastamonu, where the castle, the twelfth-century Mahmut Bey Mosque and the pine woods of Ilgaz National Park frame a quieter Anatolia.
Along the coast you reach Sinop, birthplace of the philosopher Diogenes, to see the Pasha Bastions, the Alaeddin Mosque, Sinop Castle and the brooding Sinop Prison; then Samsun, where the Gazi Museum, the Archaeology and Ethnography Museums and Republic Square tell the story of the modern republic's founding. The grand finale is Trabzon: the fourth-century Sumela Monastery clinging to a sheer cliff above the Altindere Valley National Park, the frescoed Byzantine Ayasofya (Hagia Sophia), the Gulbahar Hatun Mosque, Ataturk's hillside mansion and the panoramas of Boztepe, before a day among the tea gardens and the shimmering highland lake of Uzungol. Prices are per person.
Your full program, day by day — click a day to see every stop.
Welcome to Türkiye. On arrival at Istanbul Airport you are met and transferred to your hotel in the city. After check-in and a welcome dinner, the evening is free to settle in and begin discovering the only city in the world that straddles two continents. Overnight in Istanbul.
A full guided day in the historic peninsula. You begin at the Hippodrome, the ancient chariot-racing arena, with its Obelisk of Theodosius, Serpentine Column and Column of Constantine, then step inside the Sultanahmet Imperial Mosque (Blue Mosque) with its cascade of domes and blue İznik tiles. Across the square stands Hagia Sophia, for a thousand years the greatest church in Christendom and later an imperial mosque. After lunch you tour Topkapi Palace, the seat of the Ottoman sultans, and descend into the atmospheric Basilica Cistern. Dinner and overnight in Istanbul.
This morning you take a traditional boat cruise along the Bosphorus, the strait that divides Europe from Asia, gliding past the Dolmabahce Palace, the Ciragan and Beylerbeyi palaces, the waterside village of Ortakoy, the Rumeli Fortress and under the Bosphorus Bridge. Back on shore there is time for the markets, where you can watch carpet weaving and browse Turkish handicrafts. Dinner and overnight in Istanbul.
You leave Istanbul and drive into the Western Black Sea region to Safranbolu, a UNESCO World Heritage town famous for its saffron and its beautifully preserved Ottoman timber houses. A half-day walking tour takes in Hidirlik Hill, the Kaymakamlar Museum House, the Clock Tower, the old Ottoman prison, the Grand Mosque, the craftsmen's bazaars, the Cinci Han Caravanserai and the historic Cinci Turkish Bath. Dinner and overnight in Safranbolu.
Today you reach the coast at Amasra, a pretty harbour town set on a rocky peninsula with two bays. You see the Kuskayasi monument carved into the rock, climb Bakacak Hill for the view, and stroll from the Kucuk Liman harbour to Boztepe Island, passing the Direkli Kaya rock, the Kemere Bridge, the walls of Sormagir Castle, the Fatih Mosque and the famous Rabbit Island. Dinner and overnight in Amasra.
A scenic drive inland brings you to Kastamonu, a historic city guarded by its hilltop castle. You visit Kastamonu Castle, the Clock Tower and the twelfth-century Mahmut Bey Mosque, celebrated for its painted wooden interior, before a walk among the pine forests of Ilgaz National Park. Dinner and overnight in Kastamonu.
You continue to Sinop, the northernmost point of Türkiye and the birthplace of the philosopher Diogenes. Your guide shows you the Pasha Bastions, the Ethnographical and Archaeological Museums, the Suleyman Pervane Madrasah, the Alaeddin Mosque, the walls of Sinop Castle and the old Sinop Prison, long known as the "Turkish Alcatraz". Dinner and overnight in Sinop.
The road follows the coast to Samsun, the port where Atatürk launched the War of Independence in 1919. You visit the Archaeology and Ethnography Museums, the Gazi Museum, the Mater Dolorosa Church and Republic Square with its monument to the republic's founding. Dinner and overnight in Samsun.
A long and beautiful drive east brings you to Trabzon. You visit the spectacular Sumela Monastery, carved into a sheer cliff face high above the forested Altindere Valley National Park, then the frescoed Byzantine Ayasofya (Hagia Sophia), the Gulbahar Hatun Mosque, Ataturk's Mansion on its hillside, the Ortahisar Mosque and the viewpoint of Boztepe over the city and the sea. Dinner and overnight in Trabzon.
You drive along the coast through the village of Surmene to see the historic Memisaga Mansion and a tea factory, then climb into the highlands to Uzungol, the "Long Lake", a mirror of water ringed by green mountains and wooden chalets. There is time for pastoral walks and photographs before returning to Trabzon. Dinner and overnight in Trabzon.
After breakfast and check-out you are transferred to the airport for your onward journey, carrying memories of a coast of castles, monasteries and misty mountains. End of the tour.
Handpicked 3-, 4- and 5-star hotels along your route. Choose your category — the price adapts.
Exact hotels are confirmed on booking based on availability and your chosen category; equivalent alternatives may be offered.
Istanbul → Safranbolu → Amasra → Kastamonu → Sinop → Samsun → Trabzon → Uzungol, Surmene → Istanbul
Modern, comfortable and fully-equipped vehicles — the same fleet we use on your tour.
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👥 37 Seats (2+1 VIP)
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Extra day tours you can add along your route — Istanbul, Safranbolu, Amasra, Kastamonu, Sinop, Samsun, Trabzon, Uzungol, Surmene.
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Real, verified reviews from travellers who explored Turkey with us.
My husband and I chose Inca Tour for our honeymoon and we are so glad we did. The boutique hotel selection was beautiful and the Bosphorus dinner cruise was so romantic. Thank you for making our trip special!
It was important for us to have a guide who spoke Russian, and Ender was wonderful. He explained every detail at Dolmabahce Palace. The Princes Islands day trip was a beautiful break from the busy city.
Our guide Ender was incredibly knowledgeable about Turkish history. The hot-air balloon ride at sunrise in Cappadocia was the highlight of our trip. Everything was perfectly organized — from airport pick-up to the last d...
Ender was our Italian-speaking guide and we felt like family. He took us to local spots tourists never see. The hotel choice in Sultanahmet was perfect for walking everywhere.
10+ years later we still talk about our Cappadocia balloon ride and the Bosphorus sunset cruise. Some memories are timeless. Thank you Inca Tour!