Few cities in Turkey combine Bronze Age trade, Byzantine walls and Seljuk architecture as naturally as Kayseri, the old Caesarea standing in the shadow of Mount Erciyes. This five-day programme gives you time to discover it slowly, with one day of guided history, one day in the kitchen and one day devoted to the ancient ritual of the hamam. Built in dark volcanic stone and full of busy bazaars, the city rewards travellers who stay longer than the usual night before Cappadocia, and a central hotel keeps every excursion short and comfortable.
Your guided day begins at Kultepe, 20 kilometres north-east of the centre, where the mound of Kanesh and its Assyrian merchant quarter have yielded thousands of clay tablets, the earliest written documents of Anatolia. In town you follow the walls of Kayseri Castle, built in the 3rd century and strengthened in the 6th, then travel to Soganli Valley with about fifty rock churches and cave dwellings. Back in the old quarter the Ulu Mosque, Gulluk Inn, the Hacikilic, Kursunlu and Kale mosques, conical Seljuk tombs such as Cifte, Sircali and Sah Kutlu Hatun, and the mausoleums of Melik Mehmet Gazi and Seyyit Burhanettin complete the picture of a medieval capital.
Day three takes you into a restaurant kitchen, where the chef teaches you dishes of Kayseri cuisine together with salads and desserts, which you then enjoy for lunch. On day four you are taken to a traditional Turkish bath, whose cold, warm and hot rooms follow the plan of the Roman baths, and where a natir or tellak performs the classic scrub before you relax. Four nights in a Kayseri hotel, daily breakfast, the cooking lunch, guiding, transfers as described and the listed entrance fees are included.
| Tour type | Private Β· multi-day tour |
|---|---|
| Duration | 5 Days 4 Nights |
| Price | From β¬772 per person |
| Departures | Every day |
| Guide | Licensed guide in your language |
| Stops | 7 |
| 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.
On arrival at Kayseri Airport you are met and transferred to your hotel in the city. Check in and spend the remainder of the day at leisure, perhaps strolling to the nearby squares or watching the light change on Mount Erciyes. There is no programme this evening, giving you time to rest before the touring days. Overnight in Kayseri.
Breakfast is followed by an 08:30 pick-up for Kultepe, the hill of ashes north-east of Kayseri. Inhabited from about 4000 BC and later the centre of an influential Anatolian kingdom, ancient Kanesh still shows the outline of homes, lanes and shops of its Assyrian karum beside a tumulus some 500 metres across. Tablets in the Assyrian language found here are the oldest written texts of the region. You then see Kayseri Castle and its ring of outer ramparts and towers before a drive to Soganli Valley and its roughly fifty rock-carved churches. The afternoon ends in the historic centre with the Ulu Mosque, Gulluk Inn, the Hacikilic, Kursunlu and Kale mosques, Seljuk kumbet tombs including Avgunlu, Cifte and Sircali, and the mausoleums of Melik Mehmet Gazi and Seyyit Burhanettin. Overnight in Kayseri.
After breakfast you are welcomed in the kitchen of a local restaurant. The chef walks you through recipes from the Kayseri table, with your guide on hand to explain ingredients and traditions, and together you prepare main dishes, fresh salads and a dessert. Once everything is ready you sit down to your own creation as lunch. You are then brought back to the hotel and the afternoon is free, ideal for a look around the bazaars. Overnight in Kayseri.
After breakfast you are collected for a visit to a hamam, a bathing culture that goes back to Roman times. Like its ancient predecessors, the Turkish bath is divided into cold, warm and hot sections, and trained attendants, called natir for women and tellak for men, carry out the traditional peeling and washing ritual. Unwind in the warmth before returning to the hotel for a relaxed evening. Overnight in Kayseri.
Enjoy a last breakfast, check out and transfer to the airport for your flight, ending five unhurried days in the heart of Central Anatolia.
Arrival in Kayseri β Kultepe, castle, Soganli Valley & Seljuk centre β Kayseri cooking lesson β Turkish bath experience β Departure from Kayseri
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
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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 Kayseri, Kultepe, castle, Soganli Valley & Seljuk centre, Kayseri cooking lesson, Turkish bath experience, Departure from Kayseri.
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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!