The longest of our Hakkari programmes adds a full day in neighbouring Van to a stay that already blends monuments, cooking and Turkish bathing culture. You spend five nights in a hotel in Yuksekova, the gateway town served by Hakkari Yuksekova Selahaddin Eyyubi Airport, in a province of soaring peaks and deep valleys on the borders of Iraq and Iran. Guided days are led by a professional English-speaking guide with transport in an air-conditioned, non-smoking vehicle, while free time in the town centre leaves room for shopping and simply soaking up local life.
In Hakkari you visit the single-span Semdinli Stone Bridge, set on rock in a mountain gorge on the Derecik-Iraq road, and Kayme Palace, built in 1909-1911 and attributed to Seyit Muhammed Siddik, before a panoramic tour of central Yuksekova. A cooking lesson in a local restaurant teaches Gulul, a yogurt soup enriched with lentils and dough pieces, spicy aubergine Finger Kebab and Jajik with cucumber and garlic, and introduces Chevirmeli Pilav and Cukurca tahini dessert, with your own dishes served as lunch. The following day is reserved for a traditional hamam visit arranged around its opening hours, followed by free time and shopping.
The Van excursion explores the Meher Gate, a rock-cut Urartian niche from the time of King Ispuini whose inscription names the gods of Urartu and their offerings, and Varagavank, the medieval Seven Churches monastery. In the city you walk Cumhuriyet Street, meet the odd-eyed Van cats at the Cat House, and see Van Castle Mound, the Ottoman Kaya Celebi Mosque and the rock of Van Castle. Five nights of hotel accommodation, five breakfasts and one lunch, airport transfers, the guided tours, the cooking lesson, the Turkish bath, entrance fees and hotel room taxes are included.
| Tour type | Private · multi-day tour |
|---|---|
| Duration | 6 Days 5 Nights |
| Price | From €1,484 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.
Upon arrival at Hakkari Yuksekova Selahaddin Eyyubi Airport you are met and taken to your hotel in Yuksekova, where you will stay for five nights. Receive your room key, settle in and spend the remainder of the day as you wish. This six-day itinerary gives you time to see the landmarks of Hakkari, cook its local dishes, relax in a hamam and cross into neighbouring Van province for a day of Urartian, medieval and Ottoman history, so a quiet first evening is a welcome start. Overnight in Yuksekova, Hakkari.
After breakfast you set out with your guide to discover the monuments of Hakkari. First is the Semdinli Stone Bridge, an elegant one-arch crossing oriented north to south, its feet resting on rock in a steep valley ringed by mountains, still serving the Derecik-Iraq road. The visit continues at Kayme Palace, built in 1909-1911 according to its inscriptions; although no builder is named, it is attributed to Seyit Muhammed Siddik, son of Seyit Ubeydullah. Along the way your guide explains the many cultures that held this frontier region. A panoramic tour of the Yuksekova town centre completes the day. Overnight in Yuksekova.
Following breakfast you are picked up and taken to a restaurant in town for a cooking lesson led by a professional. Together you prepare Gulul soup with yogurt, green lentils and cut dough, the spiced aubergine dish known as Finger Kebab that Yuksekova is proud of, and garlicky Jajik with yogurt and cucumber. The lesson also introduces other tastes of the province, including Chevirmeli Pilav, cabbage pickle and a dessert based on tahini from the sesame fields of Cukurca. You enjoy your dishes as lunch, then spend some free time shopping in the centre before going back to the hotel. Overnight in Yuksekova.
Today brings a slower pace. Following breakfast, a vehicle takes you from the hotel to a traditional hamam, where you can try one of the best-known rituals of Turkish daily life, still enjoyed in towns and cities throughout the country. The visit is scheduled to suit your wishes and the bath's available hours. Once you feel refreshed, you continue to the town centre for some free time and shopping, then head back to the hotel and spend the remainder of the day at leisure. Overnight in Yuksekova.
After breakfast you travel by road to the city of Van. The first visit is the Meher Gate, also called the Stone Gate, a rock-cut niche from the reign of the Urartian king Ispuini. Its inscription lists the gods and goddesses of Urartu, the offerings made to them and the sacred mountains, rivers and cities of the kingdom, and a rectangular altar is carved into the rock in front of it. You continue to Varagavank, the medieval monastery complex known as the Seven Churches, then stroll along Cumhuriyet Street, followed by a lunch break at your own expense. In the afternoon you meet the famous Van cats, many with eyes of different colours, at the Cat House, then visit Van Castle Mound with its Bronze Age and Urartian layers, the Ottoman Kaya Celebi Mosque begun in 1660 and the viewpoint over Van Castle. Return to Yuksekova in the evening. Overnight in Yuksekova.
Your last morning in Yuksekova starts with breakfast, after which you check out and transfer to Hakkari Yuksekova Selahaddin Eyyubi Airport for the domestic flight to Istanbul and onward travel. Thank you for spending six days with us in Hakkari and Van; we hope to welcome you again on another tour.
Arrival in Yuksekova → Semdinli Stone Bridge, Kayme Palace & Yuksekova → Hakkari cooking lesson & shopping → Turkish bath & free time → Van day trip → Yuksekova to Istanbul
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Extra day tours you can add along your route — Arrival in Yuksekova, Semdinli Stone Bridge, Kayme Palace & Yuksekova, Hakkari cooking lesson & shopping, Turkish bath & free time, Van day trip, Yuksekova to Istanbul.
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