Cankiri, one of the best-loved towns of the Central Anatolia Region, traces its history back to the Hittites. It hosted many migrations and kingdoms over time, and its hilltop castle was used in turn by Romans, Byzantines, Danishmends, Seljuks and Ottomans. Today it is a developing town that has kept its traditions alive. Over five days and four nights this private programme pairs the town's sights and bathing tradition with a guided excursion to the Turkish capital, all from the same hotel base.
The highlight of the guided city day is the historic salt cave, the largest in Turkey and in use since the Hittite era. Walking its dry galleries, you see rock salt crystals up close together with the salt cart of about a hundred years ago, old lanterns, tools and wagons. Above the town, the castle on Karatekin Hill reveals Roman-period tunnels, the tomb of Emir Karatekin, a commander of the Danishmend dynasty, and a glass viewing terrace looking over Cankiri from Hidirliktepe.
The afternoon is spent in the old centre: Tas Mescit, the Wheat Market Madrasa, the Cankiri House Museum, the Clock Tower and the traditional street texture, with the Great Mosque and the Civitcioglu Madrasa seen from outside during restoration. The day ends at Alpsari Lake, a quiet pond whose villagers worked as boatmen in Istanbul for almost three centuries, from the 1700s until 1990. Along the way there is a lunch stop to try dishes unique to the local Cankiri kitchen.
A separate guided day is devoted to a traditional Turkish bath. Dressed in a waistcloth and traditional clogs, you relax under a central dome where the temperature climbs to around 50°C, followed by a scrub, a gentle soap massage by the attendant and a glass of tea in the resting room.
One full day is a guided excursion to Ankara: Anitkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, where the second President Ismet Inonu is also buried; Ankara Castle, a fortress held by Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks and Crusaders and repaired in 1832 under Ibrahim Pasha; and the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, housed in the Ottoman Mahmut Pasha bazaar warehouse and the Kursunlu Han beside the castle. Lunch on this day is at your own expense.
Practicalities are simple: you fly from Istanbul to Cankiri (Kastamonu) airport, are met on arrival and stay 4 nights in a hotel in Cankiri with breakfast every morning. Touring is by fully air-conditioned, non-smoking coach. A professional English-speaking guide leads every touring day, and all entrance fees for the sites in the itinerary are covered. International and domestic flights, insurance, city tax, visa and tips are not included.
| Tour type | Private · multi-day tour |
|---|---|
| Duration | 5 Days 4 Nights |
| Price | From €857 per person |
| Departures | Every day |
| Guide | Licensed guide in your language |
| Stops | 11 |
| 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.
Welcome to Turkey. After landing at Istanbul International Airport, head straight to the domestic departures hall for your onward flight to Cankiri. On arrival at Cankiri (Kastamonu) airport you are met and driven to your hotel. Once you have your room key, the rest of the day is free to discover Cankiri on your own. Overnight in Cankiri.
After breakfast you are picked up at the hotel and the guided day begins underground, in the historic salt cave of Cankiri, the largest of its kind in Turkey and worked since Hittite times. On foot you follow its wide galleries past rock salt crystal samples and see the salt cart used roughly a century ago, along with lanterns, digging tools, shovels and the old wagons that hauled it. The air inside is almost completely dry. Back in town, the tour climbs to the castle (Kale) and Hidirliktepe on Karatekin Hill, on the northern edge of the city, for a view over Cankiri. Used in turn by Romans, Byzantines, Danishmends, Seljuks and Ottomans and known for its sturdy build, the castle holds Roman-period tunnels, the tomb of the Danishmend commander Emir Karatekin and a glass viewing terrace. A lunch break follows, with the chance to taste dishes unique to Cankiri cuisine. In the afternoon you see the Wheat Market Madrasa, Tas Mescit, the Clock Tower, the Cankiri House Museum and the old street fabric of the town; the Great Mosque and the Civitcioglu Madrasa are viewed from outside while restoration continues. In the evening the route leads to Alpsari Lake, whose village supplied boatmen to Istanbul from the 1700s until 1990. After a short break by the water you return to the hotel. Overnight in Cankiri.
After breakfast, meet your guide in the hotel lobby at the agreed time for a traditional Turkish bath, a centuries-old place of physical and spiritual cleansing. Natural light and coloured tiles give the interior a calm atmosphere. Leaving the pace of daily life at the door, you swap your clothes for a waistcloth and traditional clogs. Under the central dome the temperature rises to around 50°C; the heat and humidity open the pores and prepare the body for the attendant's scrub and massage. Once the soap massage is over you wrap up in towels and move to the resting room, where tea is served, and then return to your hotel for the night in Cankiri.
After breakfast, a guided day trip takes you from Cankiri to Ankara, the Turkish capital. The first visit is Anitkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, leader of the War of Independence and founder and first President of the Republic. Ismet Inonu, the second President, has also rested here since 1973, his tomb facing Ataturk's mausoleum across the Ceremonial Ground. Next comes Ankara Castle, whose exact construction date is unknown: held by Romans and Byzantines, it was taken by the Seljuks in 1073, by Crusaders in 1101 and again by the Seljuks in 1227, and was extensively repaired by order of Ibrahim Pasha in 1832. A lunch break is given around the castle (lunch at your own expense). In the afternoon you visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations on the south side of the castle in the Atpazari quarter, set in the Ottoman Mahmut Pasha bazaar warehouse and the Kursunlu Han; born of Ataturk's wish for a Hittite museum, it opened to the public after restoration works carried out between 1938 and 1968. At the end of the visits you are driven back to your hotel. Overnight in Cankiri.
After breakfast you are transferred to Kastamonu airport for your domestic flight to Istanbul, where you connect to your journey home. Thank you for travelling with us; we hope to welcome you again on another tour in Turkey.
Arrival in Cankiri → Cankiri City Tour → Turkish Bath in Cankiri → Ankara City Tour → Cankiri to Istanbul
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Extra day tours you can add along your route — Arrival in Cankiri, Cankiri City Tour, Turkish Bath in Cankiri, Ankara City Tour, Cankiri to Istanbul.
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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.
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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.
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