This four-day road journey links the volcanic valleys of Cappadocia with the stone giants of Mount Nemrut and the ancient plains of Upper Mesopotamia around Sanliurfa and Harran. After an arrival day in Cappadocia, you set off eastward along a route once travelled by Silk Road caravans, stopping at the 13th-century Seljuk caravanserai of Karatay Han near Kayseri, where merchants, animals and goods once found shelter for the night. A tea stop in Pinarbasi and lunch in the green Tekir Valley break up the drive before you reach Kahramanmaras, home of the stretchy, slow-melting ice cream that is eaten with a knife and fork and often paired with baklava.
The heart of the trip is a pre-dawn ascent of Mount Nemrut, the UNESCO-listed mountaintop sanctuary of King Antiochus I of Commagene. A short walk of about 25 minutes from the end of the road brings you to the summit terraces, where the sun rises over the colossal stone heads of kings and gods while your guide explains the story of the Commagene Kingdom. On the way down you see the Roman bridge at Cendere, the hillside site of Arsameia and the Karakus Tumulus, then continue past the vast Ataturk Dam on the Euphrates, one of the largest earth-and-rock fill dams in the world, towards Sanliurfa.
In Sanliurfa you visit the cave revered as the birthplace of the Prophet Abraham and the sacred pools filled with holy carp, then wander through the old covered bazaar. Harran follows: a village of beehive-shaped mud-brick houses linked to Abraham in the Book of Genesis, with its city walls, the remains of one of the earliest Islamic universities and its castle. On the last day you stop in Birecik, one of the few places in the world where the endangered northern bald ibis still breeds, and visit its breeding station before crossing the Taurus Mountains back to Goreme. The tour includes three nights of hotel accommodation in Cappadocia, Kahta and Sanliurfa, three breakfasts, three lunches and three dinners, an English-speaking guide, air-conditioned road transport and the entrance fees for the sites in the programme.
| Tour type | Private Β· multi-day tour |
|---|---|
| Duration | 4 Days 3 Nights |
| Price | From β¬1,074 per person |
| Departures | Every day |
| Guide | Licensed guide in your language |
| Stops | 14 |
| Entrance fees | Included |
| Booking | Instant request online, confirmation within 24 hours Β· TΓRSAB-licensed operator (A-5751) |
Your full program, day by day β click a day to see every stop.
Your guide or driver meets you at Kayseri or Nevsehir airport, or at the Goreme bus station, and takes you to your hotel in Avanos, Goreme or Urgup. Once you have checked in, the rest of the day is free, so you can take your first walk among the rock formations, valleys and villages of Cappadocia at your own pace. Dinner is included this evening, and you spend the night in Cappadocia before the long drive east the next morning.
After breakfast you are collected from your hotel and drive past Kayseri to Karatay Han, a 13th-century Seljuk caravanserai built on the Silk Road to shelter traders, their goods and their animals. A short tea break in Pinarbasi follows, then the road climbs to Tekir Valley, where you stop for lunch and photos of the landscape. In Kahramanmaras you taste the famous local ice cream, dense and elastic enough to be cut with a knife and fork and usually served with baklava. After a final tea stop in Kahta you reach your hotel near Mount Nemrut for dinner and the night.
An early start takes you up the mountain road; from the end of the road a walk of around 25 minutes leads to the summit, where you watch the sunrise among the giant statues and heads of kings and gods while learning about the Commagene Kingdom. You return to the hotel for breakfast, then visit the Roman bridge at Cendere, Arsameia and the Karakus Tumulus on the way through Kahta. Passing the huge Ataturk Dam, completed in 1990, you drive to Sanliurfa, check in and have lunch. The afternoon covers the Cave of Abraham, the Pools of the Holy Carp and the covered bazaar, followed by Harran with its beehive mud-brick houses, city walls, ancient Islamic university and castle. You then return to your hotel in Sanliurfa for dinner and overnight.
After breakfast you drive to Birecik on the Euphrates, known for the northern bald ibis (kelaynak), an endangered bird found in very few places in the world. Here you visit the breeding station where the species is protected. After lunch the journey continues west across the Taurus Mountains, with a tea break along the way, before you are brought back to Goreme in Cappadocia, where the tour ends with fond memories of south-eastern Turkey.
Arrival in Cappadocia β Cappadocia, Karatay Han, Tekir Valley, Kahramanmaras & Kahta β Mount Nemrut Sunrise, Ataturk Dam, Sanliurfa & Harran β Birecik, Taurus Mountains & Return to Goreme
Modern, comfortable and fully-equipped vehicles β the same fleet we use on your tour.
π₯ 54 Seats
π₯ 37 Seats (2+1 VIP)
π₯ 55 Seats
π₯ 54 Seats
π₯ 50 Seats
π₯ 50 Seats
π₯ 50 Seats
π₯ 46 Seats
π₯ 37+2 Seats
π₯ 37 Seats
π₯ 35 Seats
π₯ 16+1 Seats
π₯ 16+1 Seats
π₯ 12+1 Seats
π₯ 6+1 Seats
Extra day tours you can add along your route β Arrival in Cappadocia, Cappadocia, Karatay Han, Tekir Valley, Kahramanmaras & Kahta, Mount Nemrut Sunrise, Ataturk Dam, Sanliurfa & Harran, Birecik, Taurus Mountains & Return to Goreme.
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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 β 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!