DAY 1

The tour starts in the city of Kars which is located on a high plateau. You arrive in Kars in the morning and travel directly to the ancient city of Ani which is located right by the border with Armenia. This was the historical capital of the Armenian Bagratid kingdom in the period between 961 and 1040. After visiting Ani, we go to Kars center. Kars was a part of the Russian Empire for a short period, something you can see in the architecture in the cityscape. Many ethnic groups live in the area; Turks, Armenians, Kurds, Azerbaijanis. The area is among the poorest in Turkey and  many have moved from the area to Istanbul and other big cities. In Kars center we visit the traditional city streets, Kars castle and other historical monuments. We have dinner at a local restaurant and stay overnight at a nice hotel.

DAY 2

After an early breakfast we first travel to Digor where we visit a small village to give you insight into daily life in this part of Turkey. Here we have lunch with a family and visit the village school. From the village you have a beautiful view over the plains, Ararat mountain and Armenia. After visiting the village, we continue through deserted, wild mountain areas. We drive past the Ararat mountain which is Turkey’s highest mountain (5137 meters above sea level). In the city of Dogubeyazit we first visit the beautiful Ishakpasa Sarayi - one of the most beautiful palaces from Ottoman time. This is located high up in the mountains with a great view over the city and the plain below. The city of Dogubeyazit is very close to the Iranian border and because of this it is an important trading city. Behind the beautiful palace there are also ruins from the Urartian kingdom. We will stay overnight at a nice little hotel in this city.

DAY 3

After breakfast we continue through beautiful mountain areas until we reach the beautiful Muradiye waterfalls. Here we stop for a tea break. Then we continue to the city of Van. Van is one of the largest cities in eastern Turkey. We start with a visit to Van University where they have a cat center for protection of the famous Van cats (white cats with one blue and one brown eye). We also have lunch at the university. Then we go down to the harbor and enjoy the view over Van lake which is Turkey’s largest lake (it is so large that locals call it ‘The Sea’) before climbing up to Van Castle. In 900-600 BC, the area was the capital of the Urartu kingdom and this castle was built between 840 and 830 BC. In this period, the city was called Tuspa. The castle is 1800 meters long and 120 meters wide and is located on a hill overlooking Van Lake. This is one of the best places in the area to experience the beautiful sunset over the lake. After sunset we check in to our hotel before we go to a restaurant where you will be able to try local dishes.

DAY 4

We start the day by going to one of the city's most famous breakfast restaurants. The Van Breakfast is famous throughout Turkey. After breakfast we spend time in Van center’s traditional shopping streets. Here you also get some time on your own for shopping. Then we travel to Aktamar Island. After a nice boat trip we will arrive at the island where there is an old Armenian church. In the summer season there are opportunities for swimming on the island. After visiting this beautiful island we have lunch in the cozy town of Edremit before we go to the airport and take a flight back to Antalya or Istanbul.

PRICE:  Ask us for price

NOTE: This tour can be combined with a visit to the eastern part of the Black Sea Coast and Georgia.