7 Days Beyond the Pontic Alps to Kars7 Days - 6 Nights
Tour Highlights : Hagia Sophia Museum, Byzantine Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar
DAY 1 TRABZON & SUMELA MONASTERY
Meet at Trabzon Int’l Airport, depart for Sumela Monastery visit the 4 th century Sumela Monastery, clings to a sheer cliff face in a deep forest, relax beside a fast flowing stream at Altındere Valley National Park, return to city centre and visit Ayasofya, a 13 th century church and study extraordinary collection of byzantine frescoes, depart for Gulbahar Hatun Mosque, Ataturk’s Mansion(a picturesque hilside retreat) visit Ortahisar Mosque (a Comneni cathedral in the old town) drive to Boztepe, enjoy your tea with the panoramic view of the city. Check-in to hotel, dinner and overnight at Hotel Usta Park 4 Star
DAY 2 TRABZON, UZUNGOL, DEMIRKAPI
Depart for Uzungol (long lake), one of the most photogenic locations in the region, lunch at a fish restaurant, a full day excursion to Demirkapi on the foothills of Soganli Mountains, sightseeing around Balikli & Aygır glacier lakes, enjoy the panorama with beautifull landscapes, return to Uzungol, it’s a hidden paradise in the Pontic Alps. We hike around the lake and village surrounded by emerald green forests and check-in to our boutique hotel, dinner and overnight at Inan Kardesler Hotel (S)
DAY 3 UZUNGOL, RIZE, AYDER
Sightseeing at Uzungol. And depart for Ayder, visit to a tea factory, short break at Rize for panoramic view of the city from the Botany Garden we visit kiwi and tea plantations here, then we arrive to Firtina Valley which takes us to Ayder Plateau, gentle trekking to Goksu Fall which is the highest and most beautiful in the region. We arrive in Ayder before sundown, check-in our wooden hotel, dinner and overnight at Kuşpuni Mountain House (S)
DAY 4 AYDER, CAGLAYAN VALLEY, BORCKA-KARAGOL, MACAHEL
Sightseeing at Ayder, enjoy the panorama with many of waterfalls, traditionally dressed village ladies, thermal baths and lush green forests on the foothills of the magnificient Kachkar Mountains. We drive to Ortan villiage and have great view of Hemsins’ mountain villiages on the side of Firtina river and leaving for Caglayan Valley in Findikli town to see typical laz houses and panoramic tea plantations then we drive to Borçka sightseeing around Karagol (Black Lake) and pass Mt. Karchal to get to Macahel, famous for its untouched nature, local life and Caucasus bee honey, dinner and overnight at Tema Guest House (S)
DAY 5 MACAHEL ( CAMILI )
Discover Macahel, the area is renowned throughout Turkey for its intensive practices of beekeeping and the high quality of honey it produces, a short brief about beekeeping and visit nicely decorated wooden mosques of Macahel and Maral villiages, hiking to Maral fall and sightseeings in Efeler Valley and Kayalar villiage, dinner and overnight at Tema Guest House (S)
DAY 6 MACAHEL & ARTVIN & KARS
Drive to Kars, following the fastest flowing River Coruh valley reach Artvin, visit Hell’s Gorge at Ardanuc and have a scenic drive to Kars via Savsat Sahara National Park, arrival in Kars, dinner & overnight at Grand Ani Otel 4 Star
DAY 7 KARS
Drive to Ani, visit medievel armenian capital from 10’th C, Ani Ruins at the Turkish-Armenian border and return Kars, the city is very well planned especially during Russian invasion before World War I. And have a great castle with many chuches before 12.th centry, visit Kars Castle and The Holly Apostles Church, transfer to Kars or Erzurum airport and say farewell….
- Drinks
- Tips to guide and driver
- Personal expenses
- Refer to itinerary, (B) means breakfast, (L) Lunch, (D) Dinner is included if printed next to day’s itinerary on small group tours. Lunch excluded on private tours.
- On daily city tours; flights, hotels, airport transfers are not included.
- Please ask for discounted rates for family and for large groups.
- Rates in EURO per person sharing a Double Room.
- Flights tickets are e-tickets. Calculation is based on promotional class and rates are subject to change until ticketed. You will receive references to flight tickets after booking.
- This itinerary is subject to change and may be reversed without prior notice according to weather, museum closing days, daily events or other unforeseen circumstances outside the control of Istanbul Travel Group Tours.
- Small Group tours are with English speaking guide. On Private Tours, you may ask to have Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, German, Russian or Japanese Speaking guides which will depend on availibility.
- You may join this tour in Istanbul or Cappadocia, we can reverse the itinerary.
- For groups over 10 people, contact us for special rates.
We can custom design your itinerary to create a touring program that most ideally suits your personal, educational, cultural, and budgetary requirements. Please contact us for details and we will design your dream tour…
