Eastern Turkey small group tour
Description of Eastern Turkey small group tour
Discover a magical fusion of diverse cultures, mysterious monuments, wild landscapes and lost cities on this tour through Turkey’s wild east - an intriguing journey through breath-taking rugged scenery and sites from the ancient world.
We visit some of the region’s most important historical monuments, such as the tombs of Urartian kings at Van Castle, dating as far back as the 2nd century. See the lovingly-preserved Roman mosaics at Gaziantep and join local pilgrims at Abraham’s cave, birthplace of the prophet. We also explore the oldest temple in the world at Gobekli Tepe, and make a sunset visit to Mount Nemrut with its giant Commagene stone heads that guard the burial mound of Antiochus.
Take in spectacular scenery around the vast crystal lakes of Ataturk and Van and board a boat to see the frescoes at the beautiful Armenian church on Akdamar Island. The mountainous region of Artvin, close to the border with Georgia, brings the opportunity to spend time among nature, hiking through the stunning forests of Karagol and stopping at a picturesque waterfall for a picnic.
We explore Eastern Turkey’s tantalising flavours with street food in Urfa and in the elegant streets of Kars, famed for its cheese markets. In this eastern region, there is always opportunity to wander through hidden ancient quarters, bustling bazaars and artisan workshops.
A trip highlight is the eerie, abandoned ‘ghost city’ of Ani, the walled Armenian capital, concealing a mix of Medieval palaces, old ruins and churches - a vital stop on the Silk Road of old. We finally head to the contrasting coastal scenery of the Black Sea, seeing the precariously sited Sumela Monastery and enjoying delicious seafood in the city of Trabzon.
This tour encompasses everything that Eastern Turkey has to offer, in a perfect balance - rich cultural heritage, natural landscapes - from craggy mountain-tops and rolling flowered valleys, to tucked away untouched villages, and a fascinating history to enchant even the most experienced traveller. Away from the resorts of the Mediterranean, this is the real Turkey that most don’t get to see.
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Planet
Many of the towns and cities on this tour are quite fragile in terms of the historic monuments that exist here - we brief our travellers not to climb on these and resist the temptation to clamber over buildings to get that iconic photo, so that these will still be here for generations to come.We operate a strict no litter policy on our tours, and work to educate our drivers and other service providers so as to avoid contributing to this problem. We always make sure to take all litter with us, disposing of it responsibly in big cities and towns and mustn’t leave cigarette butts either. If purchasing any snacks, we encourage our travellers to avoid excess packaging. Likewise, if we see any rubbish, we pick it up when possible.
In conjunction with our local team we work with hotels and guesthouses to implement best practices when it comes to environmental matters – in some places this may be behind what we might be used to in other parts of the world. This includes basic things like not replacing towels each day, as well as saving electricity and turning lights off – small things but Turkey and the east in particular, may not be as accustomed to these ways in which we can protect the environment.
People
Using local guides ensures money stays within local economies and means we will be treated to such valuable, in-depth and honest knowledge which we perhaps wouldn’t get from a western guide. It also means we are keeping carbon emissions down.We use locally owned suppliers too and our partners here are deeply involved with the preservation of the culture and heritage of the country. Where possible we encourage our travellers to spend their money with local businesses; for this reason we do not include meals where it is feasible to eat outside of the hotels, in order that local restaurants are able to benefit from the presence of tourism, rather than the income being channelled just to the hotel.
We visit a number of sites and monuments on this tour that do not necessarily receive much funding from other sources; the entrance fees that we include help to maintain the heritage of this country for future generations – not just western travellers but more importantly to local people to whom they have far more cultural and historical significance.
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