Black Sea Highlands and Batumi Tour / 4 Nights Hotel Accommodation / Departing from Istanbul
Tour Program
Istanbul, Gebze, Izmit, Sakarya, Düzce, Bolu, Ankara
Black Sea and Batum Tour Vehicle Departure Points
14:00 In front of İncirli Doğtaş Furniture
14:30 Mecidiyeköy IETT Stops (In front of Mado)
15:00 In front of Kadıköy Marriage Office
15:15 Kartal Bridge Bus Stop (Ankara Direction)
15:20 Pendik Bridge
15:30 In front of Çayırova Mc Donalds
15:45 In front of Gebze Center Mall
16:15 In front of İzmit Bus Terminal (Bus Terminal-2 Stop)
17:15 Sakarya Bus Terminal
18:00 Düzce T7 Petrol Stop
18:45 Kaynaşlı Türsan Park Facility
We pick up our guests from the designated departure points and start our overnight journey for our Black Sea tour with itctur.com.
Accommodation: Overnight Journey
Amasya / Ferhat and Şirin Water Channels / Yeşilırmak / Yalı Boyu / Perşembe Plateau / Ordu
We arrive in Amasya in the early morning. After the breakfast break we will take on the route, we begin our tour in this special city that has hosted many princes throughout history. In Amasya, one of the cities where princes received their education during the Ottoman period, we start our sightseeing program by visiting the Sultan II. Bayezid Complex. After touring the mosque, the fountain, the architecturally striking gate entrances, and the courtyard within the complex, we head down to the banks of the Yeşilırmak.
After viewing and photographing the historic mansions known as the “Yalı Boyu Houses” along the Yeşilırmak in panoramic fashion, we complete our Amasya tour by panoramically viewing the legendary Ferhat and Şirin Water Channels and the Pontic Kings Rock Tombs carved into Harşena Mountain. After a short walking and photo break at Şehzadeler Park, we leave this beautiful city.
After Amasya, following the Erbaa and Niksar route, we begin to climb toward the plateaus of the Black Sea. After an enjoyable journey where we can see every shade of green amid natural landscapes, we arrive at Perşembe Plateau, one of the most beautiful plateaus in the region. In the free time we will spend on this plateau, famous for its cool air, wide plains, and lush nature, you can take plenty of photos and enjoy the plateau atmosphere.
After our pleasant break at Perşembe Plateau, we board our vehicle again and head to our hotel in the Fatsa or Ordu or Giresun region, where we will stay overnight. Upon arriving at the hotel, we check into our rooms and have dinner to unwind from the day’s tiredness.
Breakfast: Will be taken at a suitable facility along the tour route. (Extra)
Lunch: Will be taken at a restaurant appropriate to our program. (Extra)
Dinner: Will be taken at the hotel and is included in the tour price.
Accommodation: Fatsa Thermal Hotel – Anemon Ordu Hotel – Ayatoure Hotel – Aripsas Hotel etc.
Accommodation: Fatsa Thermal Hotel – Anemon Ordu Hotel – Ayatoure Hotel – Aripsas Hotel etc.
Breakfast: Will be taken at a suitable facility along the tour route. (Extra)
Lunch: Will be taken at a restaurant appropriate to our program. (Extra)
Dinner: Will be taken at the hotel and is included in the tour price.
Trabzon / Atatürk Pavilion / Hagia Sophia / Silver Workshop / Çaykara / Uzungöl / Karaster Plateau (Extra)
After breakfast at our hotel, we follow the Giresun route and arrive in Trabzon. We see Trabzon Castle panoramically and visit Atatürk Pavilion, located on Soğuksu Hill, built in the Art Nouveau style, and gifted to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the Great Leader, by the people of Trabzon.
After our visit to Atatürk Pavilion, we tour Trabzon Hagia Sophia, which was built during the Kingdom of the Komnenos inspired by Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. After our Hagia Sophia visit, we go to one of the region’s largest silver workshops to get to know the local handicrafts of Trabzon up close. Here, we learn the intricacies of silver craftsmanship, the art of filigree, the Trabzon woven bracelet, and the art of Kazaziye, which is practiced in our country only in Trabzon by three families and was brought to the region by the Kazaz Turks, and we have shopping opportunities for our guests who wish to do so.
After our workshop visit, we take a lunch break at the local restaurant with which we have an agreement (Extra). After the meal, we head toward Çaykara and arrive at Uzungöl, one of the most famous natural beauties of the Black Sea. During free time around Uzungöl, you can take a walk accompanied by the lake view and take plenty of photos.
After our Uzungöl tour, we offer our guests who wish to join the Karaster Plateau Tour, located at an altitude of approximately 2,300 meters, (Extra). During this enjoyable journey, we have the opportunity to rise above the clouds and see a new peak, and we get the chance to observe up close the highland life established on the slopes of Karaster (Garaster) Mountain.
At the end of the day, we return to our hotel and check into our rooms. Dinner and accommodation will be at our hotel.
Breakfast: Will be taken at the hotel and includes open buffet or set menu breakfast.
Lunch: Will be taken at the local restaurant with which we have an agreement. (Extra)
Dinner: Will be taken at the hotel and includes open buffet or set menu dinner.
Accommodation: Paluri Hotel – Terzioğlu Hotel – Minerva Hotel – Green Suada Hotel etc.
Accommodation: Paluri Hotel – Terzioğlu Hotel – Minerva Hotel – Green Suada Hotel etc.
Breakfast: Will be taken at the hotel and includes open buffet or set menu breakfast.
Lunch: Will be taken at the local restaurant with which we have an agreement. (Extra)
Dinner: Will be taken at the hotel and includes open buffet or set menu dinner.
Ayder Plateau – Bride's Veil Waterfall – Zilkale – Çinçiva Village – Palovit Waterfall – Batumi Night Tour (Extra)
After having breakfast at our hotel, we enter the Fırtına Valley, one of the most impressive nature routes of the Black Sea. Proceeding via Çamlıhemşin, we reach Ayder Plateau, known as the queen of the plateaus and famous for its natural hot springs. During the free time we will have at Ayder Plateau, our guests who wish may take short walks around the plateau; they can take photos by seeing the Gelin Tülü Waterfall, one of Ayder’s symbols, and enjoy the unique natural scenery.
After our free time in Ayder, we descend again to Çamlıhemşin and take a lunch break at a local restaurant in Fırtına Valley. After lunch, together with our guests who wish, we board the minibuses waiting for us for the Zilkale Tour and head toward Çat Valley (Extra).
On the way, we arrive at Şenyuva (Çinçiva) Village, known from the Sevdaluk series, and take a photo break on the historic Çinçiva Stone Bridge. After a short free time accompanied by the village’s unique view, with our guide’s explanations we visit Zilkale, which protected the trade routes of its era and draws attention with its eagle’s nest-like location. After our Zilkale visit, we move on to Palovit Waterfall, one of the Black Sea’s most magnificent waterfalls, and enjoy pleasant moments in touch with nature. After these unforgettable views, we return to our main vehicle with our minibuses and head to our hotel.
After arriving at the hotel, we settle into our rooms. Together with our guests who wish, we depart for the Sarp Border Gate to join the Batumi Night Tour (Extra). After completing our entry procedures at the border gate, we cross into Georgia / the Adjara region. We see Gonio (Apsaros) Castle panoramically and visit Poseidon Statue, the Theater Building, Medea (Golden Fleece) Statue, and Europe Square with its new face in the center of Batumi. After our walk along Batumi Boulevard, we give free time. After the free time, we return to the Sarp Border Gate, complete our entry procedures into Turkey, and head to our hotel.
Breakfast: Will be served at the hotel and is included in the tour price.
Lunch: Will be served at a local restaurant suitable for our program. (Extra)
Dinner: Not included in the tour price. (Extra)
Accommodation: Paluri Hotel – Arhavi Resort Hotel – Terzioğlu Hotel – Green Suada Hotel etc.
Accommodation: Paluri Hotel – Arhavi Resort Hotel – Terzioğlu Hotel – Green Suada Hotel etc.
Breakfast: Will be served at the hotel and is included in the tour price.
Lunch: Will be served at a local restaurant suitable for our program. (Extra)
Dinner: Not included in the tour price. (Extra)
Borçka / Karagöl / Rize Weaving Workshop / Çeçeva Village / Sürmene / Tea Factory / Sümela Monastery / Altındere National Park
After the breakfast we will have at our hotel in the morning, we set off for Karagöl, located within the borders of Borçka district of Artvin (Extra). We board the minibuses waiting for us in Borçka district and, after an enjoyable journey of about 45 minutes, we arrive at Karagöl. After the free time we will spend at this unique natural wonder, which has reached us in its pristine state, we return to our bus, complete our tour, and continue with our program.
We move on to the Rize Cloth Weaving Workshop, where we can find Black Sea shawls and headscarves. After a brief briefing and presentation on Rize cloth weaving, our guests who wish may shop.
With the minibuses, we set off with our guests who wish to join us to Çeçeva Village and the tea fields, famous for their postcard-like views at the foothills of the Kaçkar Mountains. After a pleasant walk and photo break amid nature in the tea gardens stretching out in terraces, we continue with our program. (Extra)
We arrive in Sürmene. We have the opportunity to learn about the production stages of Sürmene knives, whose thousands-of-years-old handicraft culture has reached the present day, and to shop.
We carry out our visit to the Tea Factory to see the production stages of tea, the first thing that comes to mind when the Black Sea is mentioned. Accompanied by the tea served, our guests who wish may purchase May Tea, which is difficult to find in markets.
After our visit to the tea factory, we enter Altındere National Park, where Sümela Monastery is located. Continuing along the Coşandere amid the unique views of nature, we see Sümela Monastery, built at the steepest point of Mount Karadağ. Accompanied by our guide’s explanations, we visit the Virgin Mary Church, the Guard Rooms, the Guesthouse, the Ayazma, the Aqueducts, and the Rock Frescoes. After completing our tour, we head to our hotel.
Upon our arrival at the hotel, we settle into our rooms.
Dinner and accommodation are at our hotel.
Breakfast: Buffet or set menu breakfast is included in our hotel accommodation.
Lunch: It will be taken optionally (extra) at a restaurant suitable for our program.
Dinner: It will be taken at the hotel and is included in the tour price.
Accommodation: Bayrak Grand Hotel – Sümela Holiday – Büyük Sümela Hotel etc.
Accommodation: Bayrak Grand Hotel – Sümela Holiday – Büyük Sümela Hotel etc.
Breakfast: Buffet or set menu breakfast is included in our hotel accommodation.
Lunch: It will be taken optionally (extra) at a restaurant suitable for our program.
Dinner: It will be taken at the hotel and is included in the tour price.
Kuzalan Waterfall / Blue Lake / Giresun Island & Castle (Panoramic) / Ordu Boztepe / Samsun / Bandırma Ferry / Onur Monument – Return to Istanbul
After breakfast at the hotel in the morning, we depart for Kuzalan Nature Park. After seeing Kuzalan Waterfall, which cascades like fringes down the mountain slopes, we arrive at Blue Lake, one of Turkey’s remarkable natural formations. Since the color of Blue Lake can vary seasonally and periodically, depending on the latest information our guide receives from the region during the tour, the Blue Lake visit may be replaced with a trip to Ordu Yason Cape.
After our Blue Lake or alternatively Yason Cape visit, we travel along the Black Sea coastal route and arrive in Giresun. In Giresun, we view panoramically and stop for photos at Giresun Island, the only island on the Black Sea, and Giresun Castle, which dominates the city.
After our panoramic Giresun tour, we head to Ordu. Upon arrival in Ordu, we take the cable car up to Ordu Boztepe with our guests who wish to join us. (The cable car tour is optional and subject to an additional fee.) During free time at Boztepe, where you can enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the Black Sea, you can take plenty of photos and enjoy the scenery.
After our Boztepe program, we take a lunch break at a local restaurant. (Extra) After lunch, we continue our journey toward Samsun, one of the emblematic cities of our War of Independence.
After arriving in Samsun, we first visit the Bandırma Ferry, which carried Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his 18 comrades-in-arms to Samsun on May 19, 1919 (if the museum is open). Then, we see the Monument of Honor in central Samsun, built while Atatürk was still alive, and stop for photos.
After the allotted time, we begin our return journey. In the late hours of the night, we arrive in Istanbul and come to the end of our tour, saying goodbye until we meet again on another tour program.
Breakfast: Buffet or set-menu breakfast is included in our hotel accommodation.
Lunch: Will be taken optionally (extra) at a restaurant suitable for our program.
Dinner: Will be taken optionally (extra) at a restaurant suitable for our program.
Accommodation: There is no hotel accommodation tonight.
Breakfast: Buffet or set-menu breakfast is included in our hotel accommodation.
Lunch: Will be taken optionally (extra) at a restaurant suitable for our program.
Dinner: Will be taken optionally (extra) at a restaurant suitable for our program.
Ankara, Istanbul
We drop off our valued guests who joined our Black Sea and Batumi Tour from Ankara, Bolu, İzmit, and finally from Istanbul in the morning at the points where we picked them up, and we say goodbye until we meet again on our next ITC TUR organization.
Note: We arrive in Ankara at around 23:30 at night.
Note: We arrive in Istanbul at around 06:00 in the morning.
The North Star Black Sea and Batumi Tour circular is valid as of the date it was published, 10.10.2023. A tour circular for the same tour published at a later date invalidates the previous one..
Accommodation: No accommodation will be provided
What's Included
4 nights accommodation in hotels
4 buffet or set menu breakfasts in hotels
3 buffet or set menu dinners in hotels
Transportation services with tour vehicles
Professional guiding services
Amasya, Samsun, Ordu, Trabzon, Atatürk Pavilion, Sümela Monastery tours
Ayder, Uzungöl, Fırtına Valley, Kuzalan Waterfall, Blue Lake, Boztepe tours
Tea Factory, Filigree Workshop, Sürmene Knife Workshop, Rize Cloth Workshop presentations
itctur.com assurance
Mandatory travel insurance according to Tourism Law No. 1618
Not Included
Breakfast on the first day specified in the tour program
Dinner on the last day specified in the tour program
All activities specified as optional (extra) in the tour program
Tours of Çeçeva Tea Gardens, Huser Plateau, Zilkale, Borçka Karagöl, Karester Plateau
Lunches
All personal expenses
Batumi Tour
Museum Card
All entrance fees paid by ticket, such as toll booth crossings, etc.
Overseas exit stamp fee
Overseas Travel Health Insurance
General Information
Batumi Transit Information (Important Notes)
• Under the agreement between the States of Turkey and Georgia, citizens of the Republic of Turkey can pass to Batumi only with the new type chip ID card bearing the Turkish Republic ID number.
• ID cards must not be worn out, damaged, and must not be older than 10 years. Passage to Batumi is not possible with old-type identity cards.
• In addition to the ID card, passage to Batumi cannot be made with a driver’s license, institutional ID, student card, etc.
• Guests under the age of 18 who are not traveling with both their mother and father are required to have a notarized consent letter.
• All of our guests who will pass to Batumi, including babies and children, are required to have a photo on their IDs.
• As of 01.09.2020, passage to Batumi with old-type identity cards is absolutely not possible.
• Our guests are required to carry their new type ID cards bearing the Turkish Republic ID number with them throughout the trip.
• The overseas departure fee must be paid by our guests before arriving at the border crossing.
• For entry into Georgia, every Turkish Republic citizen is required to have a valid overseas travel health insurance policy with a minimum coverage of 30,000 Euros. The insurance must be presented at the border crossing in physical or digital form. Travel health insurance will be arranged by the participant.
Additional Information
Museum Ruins Site National Park Entrances;
All museum and archaeological site entrance fees, ticket booth system, ticket-based entry, etc. entrance fees are paid by the guests. Since our guests are provided with free entry for 1 year from the date they are taken to museums and archaeological sites in Turkey where Müzekart is valid, it is recommended that they purchase a museum card before the tour, online, or during the tour from museum card sales points.