3-Day Tarsus, Hatay and Samandağ Tour with Sacred Sites

The journey

Trip highlights

• 01 See Cleopatra's Gate, a monumental remnant of ancient Tarsus
• 02 Witness the historic houses near St. Paul's Well
• 03 Visit Vakıflı Village, the only Armenian village in Turkey
• 04 Admire the world-famous mosaics at the Antakya Archaeology Museum
• 05 Offer your prayers at Saint Pierre Church, one of Christianity's oldest churches
• 06 Stroll through the ruins of St. Simeon Monastery
• 07 Explore Adana's landmarks, including the Stone Bridge and historic clocks
• 08 Relax along the wide beaches of Samandağ

Explore the historical and religious highlights of Tarsus, Adana, Hatay, and Samandağ on this 3-day tour through southern Turkey. Visit significant sites such as Bebekli Church in Adana, Saint Pierre Church in Antakya, and Baytimur Camii in Tarsus, while also discovering museums, bazaars, and local village life. Admire the world-famous mosaics at the Antakya Archaeology Museum, stroll through Kazancılar Bazaar, observe life in Vakıflı Village, and relax by the beaches of Samandağ.

Visit the Antakya Archaeology Museum, where some of the world's most important mosaics are exhibited.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 3 Days

Tour type Shared

Activity level Easy

Accommodation Included · Standard

Transport Included

Wheelchair access No

Cities Adana, Antakya, Tarsus

Languages English

Day by day

The itinerary

1

Day 01

Explore Tarsus Heritage and Adana Landmarks

• Meet your tour guide at Adana Airport and begin the Tarsus tour. Tarsus, the birthplace of St. Paul, is now a modern industrial and commercial city on Turkey's eastern Mediterranean coast, just west of Adana. The historic city centre holds several buildings of interest:
  • The 12th-century St. Paul's Church, which today serves as a museum in Tarsus, is associated with one of the 12 apostles of Jesus, who states twice in the Bible that he is from Tarsus. Some sources say that in 1198, the Pope's envoy, Leon I, was crowned Armenian king in this church. Built with thick, high walls in Roman style, the church was repaired by Ramazanoğlu Ahmet Bey in 1415 and converted into a mosque. In the centre of the ceiling are frescoes of Jesus, Yohannes, and Mattaios in the east, and Marcos and Lucas in the west.
  • In the city centre, the Church Mosque (Kilise Cami, or Baytimur Camii) was built as a church around 300 AD. Mysteriously, it is dedicated to St. Paul. After a thousand years as a church, it was converted into a mosque in 1415, when the city was conquered from the Byzantines by the Turkish Ramazanoğlu.
  • The Roman-era Cleopatra's Gate may have nothing to do with Cleopatra, but it is a monumental remnant of the ancient city's defensive walls. You will also have the chance to see the historic Tarsus Houses, Tarsus Waterfall, Ulu Mosque, and Seven Sleepers Inn.
  • St. Paul's Well, an old stone well, may also have nothing to do with St. Paul, but it is interesting to see and is perhaps the main reason many travellers stop in Tarsus. The nearby streets of historic houses are fascinating to walk through and offer a glimpse of what the town looked like for much of its history over the last millennium.
  • The Tarsus Museum is housed in a 16th-century madrasah (theological seminary).
  • Proceed to Kırk Kaşık Bedesten. After that, visit the Şahmeran Hamam (bath).
• Continue to Adana, where you will visit the Stone Bridge, Old Clock, Small Clock, Museum, Sabancı Mosque, Kazancılar Bazaar, Bebekli Church, and Seyhan Dam Lake.
• Take a break to taste Adana kebab (extra).
• Return to your hotel for an overnight stay in Adana.

2

Day 02

Discover Antakya's Sacred Sites and Museum Treasures

• Have breakfast at the hotel and proceed to Hatay.
• Visit the Antakya Archaeology Museum, where some of the world's most important mosaics are exhibited.
• Drive to Saint Pierre Church, known as one of the oldest churches in Christian history. Then enjoy lunch at a restaurant where you can find local examples of Antakya cuisine.
• Stop at Habib-i Neccar Mosque, known as the first mosque built in Anatolia, as well as the Catholic Church and Sarimiye Mosque, which stand almost back to back with one another.
• Head to the Orthodox Church and the Protestant Church. Then enjoy free time for shopping in the long historical bazaar.
• Return to the hotel for an overnight stay in Hatay.

3

Day 03

Visit Samandağ, Vakıflı Village and Ancient Monastic Sites

• Have breakfast and leave the hotel in the morning.
• Travel to Samandağ, the place where St. Moses and St. Hızır met. Your first stops are St. Musa Tree and Vakıflı Village, the only Armenian village in Turkey.
• Visit a church and enjoy free time in the village bazaar.
• Continue to the beaches of Samandağ, stretching as far as the eye can see. Then complete your visits to the Titus Tunnels and Beşik Rock Tombs before leaving Samandağ.
• Head to St. Simeon Monastery at the entrance to Antakya, which sits on a high column and listens to people's problems.
• Reach Daphne, a completely different face of Antakya, used as a summer resort from mythological times to the present day, and visit Harbiye Waterfalls, the subject of the story of Apollo.
• Enjoy free time for shopping for silk, laurel soap, laurel products, and more, then depart for the airport and end the tour.

The route

Where you'll travel

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

• Two nights' accommodation at the hotel
• Guide services
• All transfers mentioned in the program
• Museum and historical site entrances
• 2 lunch services

What's Not Included

• Personal expenses
• Dinner
• Any meal service not mentioned in the inclusions
• Other services not specified as included

What to bring

• Comfortable shoes
• Season-appropriate clothes

Know before you go

• Please advise us before the trip if you have a pacemaker, high blood pressure, breathing problems, or any other illnesses.
• Guides in languages other than English are rare, so there may be a price difference. Please get in touch with us before booking the tour.
• About:
  • Tarsus was the capital of the Roman Province of Cilicia, situated between the Taurus Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea.
  • Antioch, Turkish Antakya, the populous city of ancient Syria, is now a major town in south-central Turkey. It lies near the mouth of the Orontes River, about 12 miles (19 km) northwest of the Syrian border. Antioch was founded in 300 BCE by Seleucus I Nicator, a former general of Alexander the Great. The new city soon became the western terminus of the caravan routes over which goods were brought from Persia and elsewhere in Asia to the Mediterranean. Antioch's strategic command of north-south and east-west roads across northwestern Syria greatly contributed to its growth and prosperity in Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine times.

Logistics

Meeting & route

Meeting point

Adana Sakirpasa Airport, Turkey

Tour start

Tarsus, Mersin, Turkey

Tour ends at the same location as the start point.