9-Day Cappadocia and Mesopotamia Private Tour from Istanbul

• Fly from Istanbul to Cappadocia at your desired hour.
• Meet your driver at the airport in Kayseri or Nevşehir.
• Transfer to your hotel.

Overnight in a Cave Hotel in Cappadocia.

• Optional hot air balloon flight at sunrise (reservation required).
• Return to the hotel around 08:00 am. Your professional guide and driver will pick you up at 10:00 am.
• First stop: Esentepe, a panoramic viewpoint overlooking Göreme, where your guide will provide historical information.
• Visit the beginning of Rose Valley for an easy one-hour hike through fairy chimneys, orchards, and vineyards.
• Continue to the Göreme Open Air Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where you will learn about the frescoes in cave churches dating back to the 10th century.
• Visit Monk's Valley, known for its mushroom-shaped fairy chimneys and St. Simeon's monk cell carved into the rock.
• Explore Devrent and its animal-shaped rock formations, showcasing a unique Cappadocian phenomenon.
• The day concludes in Avanos, a town known for its pottery tradition. Enjoy a kick-wheel demonstration by a local potter and the opportunity to try pottery yourself.
• Arrive back at the hotel around 5:00 pm.

Overnight in a Cave Hotel.

• Your professional guide and driver will pick you up from the hotel at 9:30 am.
• First stop: Kaymakli Underground City, the first and most popular underground city in Cappadocia. Locals used it for centuries to hide from Romans, Persians, and Arabs.
• Depart from Kaymakli for the magnificent verdant Ihlara Valley further south.
• Walk alongside the Melendiz River for about 1 hour through the Ihlara Gorge.
• Stop for lunch at a restaurant on the river in the village of Belisirma. After lunch, continue to Selime Monastery, the largest rock-cut monastery in Cappadocia, featuring a large cave cathedral and breathtaking views.
• On the way back to Göreme, stop at a spectacular vista point overlooking Pigeon Valley.
• Make a final stop at a local onyx factory to witness a demonstration of carving and shaping onyx.
• Drive back to your hotel, arriving around 6:00 pm.

Overnight in a Cave Hotel.

• Depart from your hotel after breakfast at 08:00.
• Stop along the way for lunch.
• Arrive in Gaziantep around 14:00.
• Visit the world-famous Gaziantep Mosaic Museum, which exhibits superb mosaics discovered at the Roman site of Belkis-Zeugma.
• Visit the old city castle located in the centre of the city.
• Explore the Copper Bazaar, one of Turkey's oldest and most special bazaars, featuring various copper handicrafts.
• Taste the famous baklava, a sweet pastry originally from Gaziantep, made of layers of filo filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey.
• Drive to the hotel and check in.
• Your guide will recommend or escort you to dinner, if you wish, so you can taste some of Gaziantep's world-famous cuisine.

Overnight in Gaziantep.

• After breakfast, check out from your hotel.
• Explore the ancient settlements along the Euphrates River:
  • Visit the twin settlements that formed Zeugma.
  • Explore Halfeti, the partially submerged town.
  • Visit Rumkale, the strategically important river fortress.
• Have lunch on the river, then continue to Sanlıurfa, a city once occupied by the Babylonians, followed by the Hurrites, Hittites, Assyrians, and Greeks.
• Visit the Urfa Archaeological Museum, which showcases a vast collection from the Harran and Göbeklitepe area.
• Explore the holy sites at Ainzelha, a lake with millions of domesticated fish.
• Visit the cave where the prophet Abraham was born.
• Walk through the local covered bazaar of Sanlıurfa.
• Explore the town and discover its hidden treasures.

Overnight in Sanlıurfa.

• After breakfast at the hotel, visit nearby Harran to see the incredible beehive houses. According to the Bible, Harran was where the prophet Abraham spent a few years with his family before moving on to Israel, the Promised Land. Exceptional photo opportunities abound in this area.
• In the afternoon, drive to Kahta city, stopping at Göbekli Tepe, a hilltop sanctuary erected around 10,000 BC and one of the oldest known religious structures.
• Visit Arsameia on the Nymphaios, an ancient city near Kâhtaçay, known in ancient times as Nymphaios and a royal seat of the kingdom of Commagene. Explore the Hierothesion of King Mithridates I Kallinikos, built for him by his son and heir Antiochos I.
• Cross the still-functioning Cendere Bridge (Septimius Severus Bridge), dating back to the 3rd century.
• See the Karakuş Tumulus, a funerary monument for Queen Isias and Princesses Antiochis and Aka I of Commagene, built by Mithridates II of Commagene around 30-20 BCE.
• Hike to the summit of Mount Nemrut, one of the most popular UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites. Watch the sunset and be amazed by the colossal heads and statues of ancient deities steeped in mythology.
• After visiting Nemrut, drive to the hotel.

Overnight in Adıyaman.

• Depart for Mardin after breakfast.
• Arrive in Mardin around 11:00 and visit the old historical city, known for its unique old Arabic-style houses adorned with intricate carvings.
• Explore Mardin, a lively trading centre where people from surrounding villages gather to buy and sell goods.
• Enjoy a fantastic view of the Plain of Mesopotamia.
• Visit Forty Martyrs Church (Kırklar Kilisesi), dating back to the 4th century and renamed in the 15th century to commemorate Cappadocian martyrs, with fine carvings above the entrance.
• Explore Zinciriye Madrasah (Zinciriye Medresesi), a theological school built by Melik Necmeddin Isa in 1385.
• Spend the afternoon walking through the busy streets and Mardin bazaars, admiring the town's stonework.

Overnight in Mardin.

• After breakfast, visit the Monastery of Deyr-az-Zaferan, just outside town. Founded in 762 A.D., it served as the seat of the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch for nearly 800 years.
• Continue to the ancient city of Dara, known as the Ephesus of Mesopotamia and an important settlement on the Silk Road.
• Explore the extensive remains of the ancient city of Dara, spread over an area of 9 km and mostly carved into rocks. See cave houses, a church, a palace, a bazaar, storage facilities, a dungeon, a cannon foundry, and the aqueduct.
• Return to Mardin in the early afternoon for last shopping and to soak in the atmosphere of ancient Mesopotamia.

Overnight in Mardin.

• Transfer to Mardin Airport for your flight to Istanbul.
• Thank you for being valued guests.
• Wishing you safe travels and hoping to welcome you again in the future.
• Farewell.