Kilis is a compact frontier town south of Gaziantep, close to the Syrian border, and this five-day programme gives it the unhurried attention it rarely receives. You fly into Gaziantep International Airport, transfer by road to Kilis and stay four nights in the same hotel, so there is no daily packing and every excursion starts from your door. The pace is relaxed and the whole stay is fully guided in English, which makes the trip suitable for travellers of any age who want to see a lesser-known corner of southeastern Turkey in depth.
Your first full day is devoted to the old quarter. On Salih Efendi Street, where the historic urban fabric survives, your guide introduces the stone mansions and pavilions that once belonged to the leading families of Kilis, among them the Neset Efendi Pavilion and the Zubeyda Ulgen Neci Pavilion, and explains how domestic life was organised inside them. From there you continue to Ravanda Castle, the fortress overlooking the town, and to the Ulu Mosque, counted among the oldest mosques in Kilis. The day ends with free time for shopping: Kilis has a long-standing reputation for handicrafts and for traditional wedding purchases, and many brides from the region still come here to prepare their trousseau.
Food takes centre stage on day three, when the chef of a local restaurant leads a cooking class with your guide translating every step. Kilis cooking draws on Turkish, Syrian and Lebanese traditions, and the menu covers local dishes along with salads and desserts, which you then sit down to eat as your lunch. Day four is set aside for a visit to a Turkish bath, a bathing culture inherited from Roman times and carried on by the Seljuks and Ottomans, which is still part of everyday life in Turkey. On the last morning you return to Gaziantep International Airport. Breakfast is included every day, together with two lunches, entrance fees for the sites in the programme and all transfers in an air-conditioned vehicle.
| Tour type | Private · multi-day tour |
|---|---|
| Duration | 5 Days 4 Nights |
| Price | From €954 per person |
| Departures | Every day |
| Guide | Licensed guide in your language |
| Stops | 5 |
| 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 Gaziantep International Airport, where you are met and taken by air-conditioned vehicle to Kilis, a short drive to the south near the Syrian border. After checking in at your hotel, the rest of the day is yours to rest after the flight and get a first feel for this quiet provincial town. You will spend all four nights of the trip at the same hotel in Kilis, which keeps the programme comfortable and free of repeated packing.
After breakfast you head into the centre of Kilis for a guided walk along Salih Efendi Street, a lane that keeps much of its historic character. The old family houses and pavilions here, including those known by the names Neset Efendi, Ahmet Bey, Azize Uygur and Hayrettin Mimaroglu, show how people lived in the town in past generations. Next comes Ravanda Castle on its hill above Kilis, followed by the Ulu Mosque, one of the oldest places of worship in the city. Lunch is included, and before returning to the hotel you have a break to browse the shops that have made Kilis a destination for wedding shopping and handicrafts.
Today is about the flavours of Kilis. After breakfast you are taken to a local restaurant, where the chef runs a hands-on cooking class and your guide translates the techniques and stories behind each recipe. The cuisine of Kilis is shaped by its neighbours, mixing Turkish, Syrian and Lebanese influences, and the menu includes regional dishes as well as salads and desserts. Once everything is ready, you enjoy the meal you have helped to prepare as your lunch in the restaurant. Afterwards you return to the hotel and have the rest of the day free.
Following breakfast you visit a Turkish bath for a relaxing morning. The hammam tradition reaches back to the Roman baths and was continued and refined under the Seljuks and the Ottomans; today it is still a regular habit for many people in Turkey and a ritual that visitors from all over the world are curious to try. After the bath you return to your hotel, where the remainder of the day is free for rest or a final wander through Kilis.
Enjoy a last breakfast in Kilis, then check out of the hotel. Your driver takes you back to Gaziantep International Airport in time for your flight home, bringing to a close five days spent exploring the historic lanes, monuments, kitchen and bathing culture of this small border town.
Gaziantep Airport – Kilis → Kilis old town, Ravanda Castle, Ulu Mosque → Kilis cooking class → Kilis Turkish bath → Kilis – Gaziantep Airport
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Extra day tours you can add along your route — Gaziantep Airport – Kilis, Kilis old town, Ravanda Castle, Ulu Mosque, Kilis cooking class, Kilis Turkish bath, Kilis – Gaziantep Airport.
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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!