(Breakfast and dinner included) After breakfast, we depart for St. Sophia (Ayasofya), a 13th century church and study its extraordinary collection of Byzantine frescoes, depart for Gulbahar Hatun Mosque, Castle and Ataturk's Mansion (a picturesque hillside retreat), visit Ortahisar Mosque (a Comneni cathedral in the old town). Lunch at a seaside restaurant in Akcaabat. Afternoon, we explore the cobbled stone streets of Trabzon. Drive to Boztepe; enjoy our tea from samovar with the panoramic view of the city. Dinner and overnight in Trabzon.

(Breakfast and dinner included) Depart for Sumela Monastery upon breakfast, visiting the 4th century Sumela Monastery which clings to a sheer cliff face in a deep forest, relax beside a fast flowing stream at Altindere Valley National Park, lunch, traveling along the Silk Road through the Zigana Mountains (Pontic Alps) will take us to Karaca Cave, considered to be the most beautiful in Turkey for its colors and formations. Drive to Erzurum via Bayburt. Dinner and overnight in Erzurum.

(Breakfast and dinner included) An early morning departure after breakfast in Erzurum, will take us on a beautiful drive to Kars passing on the way Sarikamis, the coldest spot in Turkey. We will arrive in Kars and visit Ani at the Turkish-Armenian border. We will take a 45-minute drive to the medieval Armenian City of Ani, which lies mostly in ruins. Impressive fortified walls still encircle the ruins of numerous churches, mosques and caravansaries. Enjoy a walk around the ruins and see the beautiful view to the Armenian border imagining it as a city with one million people rivaling Bagdad in its time! This city has experienced the cultures of Urartians, Armenians, Georgians, Mongols, Russians and finally the Turks. Dinner and overnight in Kars.

(Breakfast and dinner included) This morning, after breakfast, we will drive for 3 1/2 hours along the "Silk Road" to Dogubeyazit. At the Iranian border we will see a site known as the Crater Hole. This is a beautiful, yet rugged area. We will have the opportunity to see Mount Ararat from all sides. It is believed by some to be the resting-place of Noah's Ark but to date no one has found anything that has been verified as the Ark - yet the search is still on. In the afternoon, we will stop and see the Ishak Pasa Palace. This complex is a combination of a mosque, a fortress, and a palace which originally had a room for every day of the year! Below, you can also see the remains of Eski Bayazit, and Urartian City which flourished in 1000 BC. Dinner and overnight in Kars.

(Breakfast and dinner included) After visiting the Iranian border, we will depart for Van in the early morning, a drive of approximately three hours. This city has been established 13th century BC, when the Hurrites arrived. Then the Hittites, Urartians, Persian, Armenians, Macedonians, Romans and finally in 11th century the Turks came here. From here, we will visit the finest Armenian architectural wonder of the Church of the Holy Cross on Akdamar Island. We'll also visit the wonderful Kurdish castle of Hosap very close to the Iranian border as well as the Urartian citadel. Dinner and overnight in Van.

(Breakfast and dinner included) After breakfast and after visiting the eerie 12th century Selcuk cemetery in Ahlat in the morning, we will head to Bitlis for lunch and a good walk around, Batis otherwise known as Alexander's town. Its a unique medieval town! Dinner and overnight in Diyarbakir.

(Breakfast included) Today your tour is over. Please make your own arrangements for departure remembering that your hotel will need you to check out before midday.