5-Day Eastern Turkey Cultural Tour from Van with Ani and Ararat

• Our trip will start when you arrive at Van Airport. From there, drive to Gevas (about 40 km) to take a ferry trip to Akdamar Island.
• On the island, we will visit the Holy Cross Church, which was built by Armenians in the tenth century. Those who want can also swim in the lake.
• Return to Van for lunch and later visit the ancient Urartian Castle (Van Kalesi). From the castle, we will get a good view of Van Lake.
• Drive to Dogubayazit. On the way, we will stop to see Muradiye Waterfall, take a few photos, and drink tea.

Dinner and overnight at a hotel.

• In the morning, we will have a nutritious breakfast at the hotel.
• Visit Ishak Pasha Palace - one of the most important palaces in Ottoman history, built in the 17th century. We will walk about 200 metres from the palace to see an Urartian castle and a mosque from Ottoman times. We will also visit the Tomb of Ahmedi Han, the first Kurdish philosopher, poet, historian, and Sufi.
• Return to town for lunch and, in the afternoon, drive to the small town of Diyadin, where we can take a bath in natural hot springs.

Overnight in Dogubayazit.

• Drive to Noah's Ark National Park, located 10 km from Mount Ararat. We will have the opportunity to see Noah's Ark's 'footprint': the ship-shaped area on the hill between Telceker and Uzengili villages.
• Go to Meteor Crater. It is the second-largest meteor crater in the world, 60 metres deep and 35 metres across. On the way to the crater, we can also see the border crossing with Iran.
• Have lunch in Dogubayazit, and then drive to Kars. On the way, stop to visit Akori village.

Overnight in Kars.

• After breakfast, visit the city centre, then Kars Castle, a 12th-century Seljuk fortress, and Kumbet Camii, originally built as the Church of the Apostles in the 10th century.
• Drive about 50 km to visit the ruins of Ani, the ancient capital city of the Armenian Kingdom. We will see its impressive fortified walls still encircling the ruins of numerous churches, mosques, and caravanserais.

Overnight in Kars.

• Enjoy a good breakfast at the hotel. Depending on our departure time, we can spend some time in Kars city centre and buy famous Kars cheese and honey. Then we will pack our luggage and drive to the airport in Kars.

Notice: There is also an option to drop you at the airport in Van at the end of the tour. If you choose this option, on Day 4, we will head back to Dogubayazit for an overnight stay.