This eleven-day private journey across Turkey's deep south-east and far east is a grand tour of civilisations, from the world's oldest temple at Gobeklitepe to the Armenian churches of Lake Van and the Seljuk tombstones of Ahlat. Travelling with a professional English-speaking guide in a comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle and staying in good hotels along the way, you cross the plains of Mesopotamia and the highlands of eastern Anatolia, where prophets, kings and empires have left their mark across thousands of years.
The tour begins in Adana with its clock tower, Ulu Mosque, Stone Bridge over the Seyhan and the six-minaret Sabanci Mosque, then travels to Hatay to see the rock-cut St Pierre Church where believers were first called Christians, and on to Gaziantep, whose Zeugma Mosaic Museum holds the famous Gypsy Girl mosaic. You cruise the "sunken city" of Halfeti, reach the conical houses of Harran, and explore the city of the prophets, Sanliurfa, with Balikligol, the fish lake of Abraham. Nearby lie the astonishing Neolithic sanctuaries of Gobeklitepe and Karahantepe, over twelve thousand years old. The route continues over Mount Nemrut, with its colossal statues of Zeus, Apollo, Heracles and King Antiochos, past Arsemia, the Karakus Tumulus and the Roman Cendere Bridge to Adiyaman.
From there you reach Diyarbakir with its UNESCO-listed basalt walls, the Grand Mosque and the Four-Legged Minaret, then the Roman garrison and Temple of Mithras at Zerzevan Castle and the Dara ruins on the way to Mardin, a terraced city of Mesopotamian stonework crowned by the Kasimiye Madrasa. You visit the Deyrul-Zafaran Monastery and the silver workshops of Midyat, the submerged town of Hasankeyf, and the Seljuk mausoleums of Ahlat beside Lake Van, before crossing to Akdamar Island and its carved Armenian church and climbing to the Urartian castle of Tuspa in Van. The final leg takes you past the Muradiye Waterfall to the Ishak Pasha Palace above Dogubeyazit in the shadow of Mount Ararat, into the Russian-flavoured city of Kars, out to the medieval ruins of Ani — the "city of a thousand churches" — and finally to Erzurum with its Seljuk madrasas, before your flight home.
Your full program, day by day — click a day to see every stop.
On arrival at Adana airport your assistant guide meets you and transfers you to your hotel. If you arrive early, the main sights of Adana include the Clock Tower built by Ziya Pasha, the Kazancilar Bazaar, the Adana Ulu Mosque, the Stone Bridge (Tas Kopru) over the Seyhan River and the six-minaret Sabanci Mosque. Dinner and overnight in Adana.
After breakfast you drive to Hatay to visit the St Pierre Church, one of the oldest churches in Christianity, carved into the rock of Mount Starius in Antakya, where the first followers of the new faith were called Christians. (The Hatay Archaeological Museum remains closed following the February 2024 earthquake.) You then continue to Gaziantep. Dinner and overnight in Gaziantep.
Today you visit Gaziantep, an industrial and agricultural centre of Mesopotamia, and the Zeugma Mosaic Museum — the second largest in the world and home to the celebrated Gypsy Girl mosaic. After free time in the Bakircilar Bazaar, the Almaci Bazaar and the Zincirli Bedesten, with a taste of Gaziantep's famous baklava and pistachios, you drive to Halfeti, the "hidden paradise" of the south-east with its historic stone houses and black roses. A boat tour of the partly submerged Savasan Village reveals the Sunken Mosque and the Greek Castle. Continuing to Harran, you see its conical domed houses, the Harran Mound and the El Firdevs (Cennet) Mosque before a traditional Sira night of local music. Overnight in Sanliurfa.
Today you discover the heritage of the world's oldest civilisation. You stroll through ancient Sanliurfa, the city of the prophets, visiting the Halil-ur Rahman and Rizvaniye Mosques, Balikligol — the fish lake formed, by legend, where the Prophet Abraham was cast into the fire — and Ayn-el Zeliha Lake, with shopping at the Bedesten and Gumruk Inn and a lunch of Urfa's famous kebab. You then visit the Urfa Archaeology Museum, the Haleplibahce Mosaic Museum, and Gobeklitepe, the oldest open-air temple in the world, built twelve thousand years ago, as well as Karahantepe, a thirteen-thousand-year-old Neolithic site whose 2024 human statue has astonished archaeologists. Overnight in Sanliurfa.
After breakfast you travel towards Mount Nemrut, where the tumulus and giant statues of King Antiochos of Commagene crown the summit. On the way, via Kahta, you visit Arsemia, the summer capital of the Commagene kings, the Karakus Tumulus and the Roman Cendere Bridge, then ascend by minibus to the terraces where the sculptures of Zeus, Apollo, Heracles, Antiochos, the eagle and the lion stand against an endless horizon. Afterwards you descend to your hotel. Dinner and overnight in Adiyaman or Kahta.
After breakfast you drive to Diyarbakir, a cradle of civilisations in northern Mesopotamia, to visit the Grand Mosque, one of the first in Anatolia, the UNESCO-listed city walls, the historic Hasan Pasha Inn, the Four-Legged Minaret of the Sheikh Muhattar Mosque, the Prophet Suleiman Mosque and the Mar Petyun Chaldean Church. After a kebab lunch you continue to Zerzevan Castle, a Roman military settlement with its secret Temple of Mithras, and the ancient Dara ruins, before reaching Mardin — a city of door knockers, carved stone doorways, the Latifiye Mosque, the Great Mosque and the Kasimiye Madrasa. Dinner and overnight in Mardin.
After breakfast you visit the fifth-century Deyrul-Zafaran Monastery, long the seat of the Syriac Orthodox patriarch, then Midyat, famous for its stone architecture and Telkari silver filigree. At Hasankeyf you see the monuments rescued from the rising waters of the Ilisu dam. After a lunch break in Batman you journey through the mountains and plateaus of eastern Anatolia to Ahlat, beside Lake Van, with its vast Turkish-Islamic cemetery, the Seljuk mausoleums and the Emir Bayindir Mosque. Overnight in Tatvan.
Today you cross to Akdamar Island on Lake Van to visit the tenth-century Armenian church built by King Gagik I, famous for its biblical stone reliefs and restored in 2020. After a lunch break in Van you explore Tuspa Castle, built by the Urartian king Sarduri 2,800 years ago, with its royal rock tombs, and the Van Archaeology and Ethnography Museum. Dinner and overnight in Van.
After breakfast you visit the Muradiye Waterfall, then cross Mount Tendurek to Dogubeyazit and the magnificent Ishak Pasha Palace, a 116-room palace said to have taken 99 years to build, overlooking Mount Ararat. You then continue to Kars, a city of Ottoman and Russian architecture famous for its gruyere cheese and goose dishes, where you can stroll the streets and taste local flavours. Overnight in Kars.
Today you visit the UNESCO-listed Ani Ruins, the "city of a thousand churches," with the Manucehr Mosque, the Ani Cathedral, the Virgins Monastery and the Church of the Apostles. You then travel to Erzurum, pausing for a lunch of its famous Cag kebab and stuffed kadayif, to see the twin-minaret Cifte Minareli Madrasa, the Yakutiye Madrasa and the Great Mosque, with the Aziziye Bastions and Erzurum Castle reflecting the city's long history. Dinner and overnight in Erzurum.
After breakfast you transfer to Erzurum airport for your flight to Istanbul and your onward international connection. End of our services.
Adana → Adana, Hatay, Gaziantep → Gaziantep, Halfeti, Sanliurfa → Sanliurfa, Gobeklitepe, Karahantepe, Harran → Nemrut, Arsemia, Adiyaman → Diyarbakir, Zerzevan Castle, Mardin → Midyat, Hasankeyf, Ahlat, Tatvan → Akdamar, Van → Muradiye, Dogubeyazit, Ishak Pasha, Kars → Ani Ruins, Erzurum → Erzurum
Modern, comfortable and fully-equipped vehicles — the same fleet we use on your tour.
👥 54 Seats
👥 37 Seats (2+1 VIP)
👥 55 Seats
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👥 50 Seats
👥 50 Seats
👥 46 Seats
👥 37+2 Seats
👥 37 Seats
👥 35 Seats
👥 16+1 Seats
👥 16+1 Seats
👥 12+1 Seats
👥 6+1 Seats
Extra day tours you can add along your route — Adana, Adana, Hatay, Gaziantep, Gaziantep, Halfeti, Sanliurfa, Sanliurfa, Gobeklitepe, Karahantepe, Harran, Nemrut, Arsemia, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Zerzevan Castle, Mardin, Midyat, Hasankeyf, Ahlat, Tatvan, Akdamar, Van, Muradiye, Dogubeyazit, Ishak Pasha, Kars, Ani Ruins, Erzurum, Erzurum.
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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!