Sirnak, in the mountains of south-eastern Turkey, is a province where ancient traditions, faith and food are closely intertwined. This four-day private programme bases you in one hotel for three nights and focuses on two guided days: one exploring the medieval monuments of Sirnak and Cizre, the other spent cooking, tasting and shopping. Transfers from and to Sirnak Airport, three breakfasts, one lunch, an English-speaking guide, the entrance fees on the itinerary and hotel room taxes are included, making it a straightforward way to discover a little-travelled corner of the country.
The heritage tour introduces two 15th-century madrasahs: the Red Madrasah, built in the time of the Cizre Principality and known for the red brick of its courtyard, and the Abdaliye Madrasah, an Arab-influenced school mentioned in the famous love story Mem and Zin. You stop at Mount Cudi, revered as the place where Noah's Ark is believed to have come to rest, and then visit Cizre, where the museum dedicated to the polymath Ismail Ebul-Iz El Cezeri, the Great Mosque, originally a church converted in the age of Caliph Omar, and the Tomb of Noah await. A restaurant stop gives you a first taste of the regional table of kebabs, biryan kebab, meatballs, salads and desserts.
On the cooking day an orientation drive around Sirnak is followed by a Turkish cooking lesson. Because the province lies where Turkish, Syrian and Iranian culinary traditions meet, the menu is unusually varied, and the dishes you make are served as lunch. The afternoon takes you to vineyards to learn how local wine makers produce fruit wine, with a cheerful test in the evening, and to a respected leather production centre, where you can buy at factory prices with your guide beside you.
| Tour type | Private · multi-day tour |
|---|---|
| Duration | 4 Days 3 Nights |
| Price | From €822 per person |
| Departures | Every day |
| Guide | Licensed guide in your language |
| Stops | 8 |
| Entrance fees | Included |
| Booking | Instant request online, confirmation within 24 hours · TÜRSAB-licensed operator (A-5751) |
Your full program, day by day — click a day to see every stop.
Your journey begins at Sirnak Airport, where a member of our team is waiting to welcome you and drive you to your hotel. After check-in the rest of the day is free, giving you time to rest after the flight and take in your first impressions of this mountainous province in the far south-east of Turkey. The guided programme starts tomorrow morning with an early pick-up, so a quiet evening at the hotel is a good idea.
At 08:30 your guide picks you up for a day devoted to the historic monuments of the region. The Red Madrasah, built in the 15th century under the Cizre Principality, is admired for its courtyard of red brick, while the 15th-century Abdaliye Madrasah, which shows features of Arab architecture, is mentioned in the classic love story Mem and Zin. On the road towards Cizre you stop at Mount Cudi, where local belief holds that Noah's Ark came to rest. In Cizre you visit the museum dedicated to the medieval scholar and engineer Ismail Ebul-Iz El Cezeri, the Great Mosque, which began life as a church and was converted into a mosque in the time of Caliph Omar, and the Tomb of Noah, a place of deep veneration. A lunch stop at a restaurant lets you try the rich local kitchen, from kebabs and biryan kebab to meatballs, salads and desserts, before the tour continues and you return to your hotel.
You are collected at 08:30 for a short orientation and sightseeing drive around Sirnak, followed by your first Turkish cooking lesson. The class introduces flavours from different parts of Turkey, and because Sirnak lies in the south-east, where several cultures meet, its kitchen also blends Turkish, Syrian and Iranian influences, so you can try many dishes at once. The food you prepare becomes your lunch. In the afternoon you visit vineyards and learn how fruit wine is made from local wine makers, with a light-hearted test of your new knowledge in the evening. On the way you stop at one of the region's well-known leather production centres, where prices are close to factory rates and you can shop without market-stall pressure while learning about the craft. You then return to your hotel.
After breakfast you check out of the hotel and are transferred to Sirnak Airport for your flight home. We hope these days among the madrasahs of Cizre, the slopes of Mount Cudi and the kitchens of south-eastern Turkey leave you with lasting memories, and we would be delighted to welcome you again on another journey through the country. Have a safe trip home.
Sirnak → Sirnak, Mount Cudi, Cizre → Sirnak
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Extra day tours you can add along your route — Sirnak, Sirnak, Mount Cudi, Cizre.
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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!