EASTERN TURKEY: CAPPADOCIA, NEMRUD, URFA, HARRAN TOUR

5 Days & 6 Nights

Affordable bus tours of Eastern Turkey and Nemrut departing from Istanbul

ATTENTION: 
This tour package is only being operated by plane at the moment.
Please click here to book plane version

Day 1 : Istanbul - Cappadocia Overnight Bus

This tour package will start with an overnight bus ride to Cappadocia by new model, air-conditioned coach. Bus ride is especially recommended for people who also want to see the great land panorama of Turkey on the way. Besides this will save you from the cost of 1 night hotel accommodation. The buses are non-smoking air-conditioned and have Pullman seats suitable for sleeping. There will be several stop-over points at some highway cafe-restaurants during the journey for toilet needs or for those who would like to eat or drink a cup of coffee
Overnight bus to Cappadocia. Departure at around 19.00 o'clock from a point near our office in Sultanahmet. PS: The departure time may change slightly depending on season but you will be informed of exact departure time after you your reservation is completed.

Day 2 : Arrival & Cappadocia Tour (B/L)

Your bus will arrive to Cappadocia next day early in the morning. Get ready for a day full of surprises. The program will be:
Full day Northern Cappadocia tour including transfers, guide and entrance fee. This tour will cover the most famous parts of the region such as Goreme Open Air Museum, Avanos, Urgup,  Dervent Valley and other sites.
Lunch will be served during the tour in a nice Turkish Restaurant.
Transfer back & overnight in your hotel
Hotel accommodation in Cappadocia, breakfast included.
.

Day 3 : Drive to Kahta / Adiyaman by Bus (B/L/D)

Meet the guide and driver in the hotel at 08:00am, and depart from Cappadocia. After passing Kayseri, we visit the Seljuk Karatayhan Caravanserai on the famous Silk Road. We then drive for lunch through the Taurus Mountains, affording us the opportunity to observe the countryside and everyday life of rural Turkey. After lunch we drive to Kahramanmaras for a different experience-tasting best ice-cream in Turkey. We then drive to Kahta and check-in our hotel.
Half board hotel accommodation in Kahta or Adiyaman. .

Day 4 :  Nemrud - Commagene - Urfa - Harran - Gobeklitepe (B/L)

Breakfast at your hotel included
Nemrud Mountain Sunrise & Urfa Tours:
We depart from hotel very early in the morning up to the Mount Nemrut. At the end of the road, we get off the van and walk twenty-five minutes until the summit. Here we watch the memorable sun rise between the colossal size statues and heads of the kings and Gods. We then visit Arsemia which was once the capital of the Commagene Kingdom before continues to the ancient Septimus Severus Bridge bridge over the Cendere stream, and the Karakus tumulus where members of the royal family were buried. We keep driving to Sanliurfa and Harran. We visit the Ataturk Dam which is the biggest dam in the Middle East, en route. We check-in the hotel in Sanliurfa and have lunch there. After lunch we visit Abraham's Cave and the Pools of Holy Carp surrounding it. We than walk around oriental covered bazaar and Gümrükhan. We drive to Harran a village of Mud-Brick "beehive" houses mentioned in the book of genesis where Abraham spent the last years of his life. We also visit Gobekli Tepe which is one of the earliest temples of the world. Dinner and overnight in Sanliurfa.
Lunch during the tour and dinner in your hotel included.
Hotel accommodation in Urfa.

Day 5 :  Return to Cappadocia by bus via Brecik (B/L)

Breakfast in your hotel (included)
You will return to Cappadocia via Adana province, shortly visiting Brecik town on the way. Birecik is the well-known with its Kelaynak (bald-ibis) birds. These birds are endemic to this region, living only in Birecik in the whole world, There is a breeding farm of these birds which are in danger of extinction. After lunch, drive up to the Taurus Mountain. Tea break and drive back to Cappadocia, expectedly arriving by 5-6 pm.
Lunch included.
Hotel accommodation in Cappadocia, breakfast included.

Day 6 : Cappadocia Tour - Overnight Bus to Istanbul (B)

Optional Inclusion: Hot air balloon tour at sunrise. (Not included in tour price. We will offer discounted rate if booked as a part of this package)
Breakfast in your hotel included
Full day Southern Cappadocia Tour including transfers, entrance fees and lunch.
One day is never enough to see the wonders of the vast Cappadocia region, which partially covers 3 provinces of the country. Minimum 2 day tour is a must after coming all the way. You have so many things more to see on your second day, your eyes wide open in amazement. The second day's itinerary will be like this. This tour will cover Pigeon (Guvercinlik) Valley, Uchisar Castle, Kaymakli Valley and other minor sites. Lunch in a typical Turkish restaurant during the day tour is included.
Overnight bus to Istanbul with non-smoking new model long distance coaches with air-condition and Pullman seats suitable for taking a nap.

Day 7 : Morning Arrival in Istanbul

End of our service with your arrival to the main bus station in Istanbul, next day at around 7:30-08:00 am.

PS: The order of Cappadocia tours can be interchanged, and minor changes are likely in tour programs.

Please click here to see possible hotels used in our package tours.
Please click here for a 5 days plane version of this package tour.
Please click here for our other tour packages by bus.


ATTENTION: 
This tour package is only being operated by plane at the moment.
Please click here to book plane version

Tour Pricing:

ATTENTION: 
This tour package is only being operated by plane at the moment.
Please click here to book plane version


Above tour prices include:
All taxes. (Various surcharges apply in case of credit card payments about which you will be informed in advance)
4 nights accommodation in private rooms
Mentioned day-tours guided in English. Entrance fees for museums
All mentioned meals above in the itinerary. (B= Breakfast, L= Lunch, D= Dinner)
All connecting transportations and hotel/tour transfers in between the tour period.

Payment and reservation:
We will request 15-20 % of the total tour price in advance to complete your tour reservation. You can make the advance payment from our secure online payment link or by mail order. The remaining payment can be made when you arrive to Istanbul. We accept all major credit cards and cash payments can also be also made in Euros Turkish Liras, US Dollars, British Pounds or other international currencies from local cross rates valid on the payment date.

Please click here to see possible hotels used in our package tours.
Please click here for a 5 days plane version of this package tour.
Please click here for our other tour packages by bus..
 

What is a package tour ?
A package tour is the combination of variety of local tours in different cities in the most practical and economic way, which can be done by professional travel agencies only. Please kindly note that these are package tours rather than typical group tours and you will actually be independent in hotels and during the transportation (bus or plane) except join other people during the daily excursion tours included in the itineraries. The itineraries are organized considering best transportation options. Our agency's basic function here is that, everything will be organized by us and will be ready for you (bus or plane tickets, hotels vouchers, tours as well as most connecting transfers) in advance, and you will not have to deal with each separately, and besides pay much less than you would book them by yourself.

You can customize these tours
Tour prices are advertised for standard 2 / 3 star hotel accommodation. Each of these tours can be upgraded or customized for your personal requirement. Hotels can be upgraded and additional days can be added to each tour packages at any destinations you prefer. Istanbul departure and arrivals can easily be replaced by other cities of Turkey in some cases.

Important Notice:
Except peak summer season, Istanbul Airports are where almost all international flights lands when you come to Turkey. Istanbul leg is not included in any of these packages. To be able to join them comfortably, you need to add minimum 1 night stay in Istanbul to the end & beginning of these package tours - unless your international flights are matching perfectly and you do not want to risk consequences of any possible delays. We can additionally book your hotels and tours in Istanbul if requested. Some tours can also be arranged starting from / ending in other major cities as well.

Please click here to see possible hotels used in our package tours.
Please click here for a 5 days plane version of this package tour.
Please click here for our other tour packages by bus.
 

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INFORMATION

Cappadocia
Cappadocia is Turkey’s most visited area on account of its history because of its singularity and the strangeness of its lunar landscape. It is considered to be one of the wonders of the world and for centuries it has sheltered churches, frescoes, mosaics and paintings of Byzantine art. The history of Cappadocia begins with the eruption of two volcanoes Lava covered the entire region changing the landscape. In the course of millennia rain and wind eroded the tufa creating unusual valleys, fissures, canyons and bizarrely shaped cones. Dwellings were excavated inside the rocks and after the first Christians arrived churches and monasteries were also built. Numerous hermits and ascetics lived in the forgotten valleys. Under the rule of the Byzantines, Cappadocia became a bulwark against attacks by the Arabs, and entire underground cities were built.
Click here for for information about Cappadocia

Nemrud Mountain
At the junction of the East and West civilizations, Nemrut Dagi (Mount Nemrud) is one of the most astounding sites in Turkey: A collection of colossal statues on a remote mountain 2150m high on top of the mountain, adorning the temple and tomb of King Antiochus. The western terrace contains a large slab with a lion, showing the arrangement of stars and the planets Jupiter, Mercury and Mars on July 7 62 BC, the possible time when construction began on this monument. Nemrud is a significant attraction, with thousands coming at sunrise and sunset to see the stones in the best possible light. In addition to the statues, the entire site includes art from the Commagene (Komagene) civilization, the Eskikale (Old Castle), Yenikale (New Castle), Karakus Hill and Cendere Bridge. Most people use the nearby towns of Malatya, Kahta or Adiyaman as a base, and the road to the summit is only open from mid-April to mid-October because of heavy snow the rest of the year.

Urfa
The history of Şanlıurfa is recorded from the 4th century BC, but may date back at least to 9000 BC, when there is ample evidence for the surrounding sites at Duru, Harran and Nevali Cori.[4] Within the further area of the city are three neolithic sites known: Göbekli Tepe, Gürcütepe and the city itself, where the life-sized limestone "Urfa statue" was found during an excavation in Balıklıgöl. The city was one of several in the upper Euphrates-Tigris basin, the fertile crescent where agriculture began. According to Jewish and Muslim tradition, Urfa is Ur Kasdim, the hometown of Abraham. This identification was disputed by Leonard Woolley, the excavator of the Sumerian city of Ur in 1927 and scholars remain divided on the issue. Urfa is also one of several cities that have traditions associated with Job. For the Armenians, Urfa is considered a holy place since it is believed that the Armenian alphabet was invented there. Urfa was conquered repeatedly throughout history, and has been dominated by many civilizations,

Harran
Harran  was a major ancient city in Upper Mesopotamia located 44 kilometers southeast of Şanlıurfa. A few kilometers from the village of Altınbasak are the archaeological remains of ancient Harran, a major commercial, cultural, and religious center first inhabited in the Early Bronze Age III (3rd millennium BCE) period. Harran is famous for its traditional "beehive" adobe houses, constructed entirely without wood. The design of these makes them cool inside, suiting the climatic needs of the region, and is thought to have been unchanged for at least 3,000 years. Some were still in use as dwellings until the 1980s. At the historical site, the ruins of the city walls and fortifications are still in place, with one city gate standing, along with some other structures. The demographics of the village today are made up mostly of ethnic Arabs. It is believed that the ancestors of the villagers were settled here during the 18th century by the Ottoman Empire. The women of the village often have tattoos and are dressed in traditional Bedouin clothes. There are also some Assyrian villages in the general area.

Gobeklitepe
Göbekli Tepe is an incredible archaeological site at the top of a mountain ridge in the Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey, approximately 12 km (7 mi) northeast of the city of Şanlıurfa. It is the oldest known structure buillt for the purpose of religious rituals. The tell has a height of 15 m (49 ft) and is about 300 m (984 ft) in diameter. The tell includes two phases of ritual use dating back to the 10th – 8th millennium BCE. During the first phase, pre-pottery Neolithic times, circles of massive T-shaped stone pillars were erected. More than 200 pillars in about 20 circles are currently known through geophysical surveys. Each pillar has a height of up to 6 m (20 ft) and a weight of up to 20 tons. They are fitted into sockets that were hewn out of the bedrock. In the second phase, the erected pillars are smaller and stood in rectangular rooms with floors of polished lime. The purpose of the structures are believed to be early neolithic sanctuaries.
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