Iconic Eastern Anatolian Melody, Eastern Express by Plane, Departing from Istanbul

 “A Cultural Journey in the Footsteps of Civilizations, Along the Shores of Blue Waters”

On the first day of our tour, we are ready at Sabiha Gökçen Airport at 04:45 at night to complete our check-in procedures. After completing our procedures, we begin our journey toward the fascinating atmosphere of Eastern Anatolia with Ajet Airlines’ 06:55 Istanbul–Van flight. Following our approximately two-hour flight, we arrive in Van. At the airport exit, we meet our tour vehicle and guide waiting for us and go to our restaurant for an extra Local Van Breakfast. After a magnificent breakfast filled with local delicacies, we set off toward Gevaş. During our pleasant journey accompanied by the endless blue of Lake Van, we witness the breathtaking view of this unique natural wonder, which the local people call the “Van Sea.” With its alkaline waters and volcanic mountains surrounding it, Lake Van is one of the most important elements of the region’s geographical and cultural identity. Upon our arrival in Gevaş, we set off on the boats waiting for us for our extra tour toward Akdamar Island, rising like a pearl in the middle of the lake. During our boat journey, we experience unforgettable moments accompanied by the tranquility of the lake and the silhouettes of the surrounding mountains. When we arrive on the island, the Church of Akdamar, commissioned by King Gagik I of Vaspurakan in the 10th century, welcomes us. One of the most elegant examples of medieval Armenian architecture, this structure attracts attention with its reliefs adorning the exterior façades, stonework depicting scenes from the Bible, and architectural details. At the same time, the legend of Tamar, identified with the island, has enabled a tale of love and sorrow to be passed down from generation to generation for centuries. Accompanied by our guide’s explanations, we witness how art, faith, and emotion have been immortalized on this small island. Following our island tour, we return to Gevaş by boat. On our return, we take a pleasant extra lunch break accompanied by views of the lake. This break, which we enjoy in the cool breeze of Lake Van, becomes one of the most peaceful moments of the day. After our lunch break, we head toward Van city center. Along the way, we stop at a workshop where we will learn about savat craftsmanship, one of the region’s important handicrafts. This delicate art, created by working a black alloy onto silver, has been preserved for centuries as a combination of patience, skill, and aesthetic understanding. While learning about the intricacies of this special craft from its masters, shopping opportunities are also offered to guests who wish to do so. We then visit Van Cat House, one of Van’s symbols, known for its characteristics unique to the region. We have the opportunity to see and photograph the Van cats, famous for their one blue and one amber-colored eye, up close. Our next stop is Van Castle, the most important structure of Tuşpa, the capital of the Kingdom of Urartu. Built in the 9th century BC by Urartian King Sarduri I, this magnificent castle attracts attention with its commanding position over the Van Plain. Constructed on a rocky hill, this structure is one of the most important works carrying the Urartians’ advanced stonework and military architectural understanding into the present day. Through our guide’s explanations, we learn more closely about the traces and historical importance of the Urartian civilization in the region. Before heading to the city center, we visit Urartu Carpet, one of the region’s important representatives of carpet and rug weaving. Here, we have the opportunity to learn more about the meanings of traditional motifs and weaving techniques. After hearing about the cultural heritage behind each knot, we take a short break. We then go to our shop, where we can find many varieties of local products and learn more about Van’s regional delicacies. We take a shopping break by examining karakovan honey, rarely found elsewhere in Turkey, and varieties of cheese unique to the region. After completing our shopping, we proceed to our hotel. Following our day immersed in history, nature, and culture, we settle into our hotel. We enjoy dinner at our hotel, where local delicacies are served, and pleasantly conclude our day. Accommodation and dinner at our hotel.

Dining and Accommodation Information:

Breakfast: Local Van Breakfast will be served at a restaurant in Van (Extra/Optional)
Lunch: Will be served at a restaurant in Gevaş (Extra/Optional)
Dinner: Will be served at the hotel as an open buffet or set menu (Included in the Tour Price)
Accommodation: Van / Edens Hotel, Reform Otel, Van Life Otel, Karaca Otel, Roccia DownTown Otel Van, and similar hotels.

On the second day of our tour, after enjoying an open buffet breakfast at our hotel, we depart from Van and set our course for Muradiye Waterfall, one of nature’s most impressive destinations. Brought to life by the rushing waters of the Bendi Mahi River, this unique natural wonder captivates visitors with its frozen appearance, especially in winter, and its roaring waters in summer. We take a photo break accompanied by the waterfall’s cool breeze and enjoy this natural beauty. After our break, we continue our journey toward Doğubayazıt. Our first stop is Ishak Pasha Palace, one of the most magnificent structures in Eastern Anatolia. Begun in the 17th century and completed in approximately 99 years, this magnificent palace is one of the rare works that bears the traces of Ottoman, Seljuk, and Persian architecture together. While touring the palace, which stands out with its central heating system—considered advanced for its time—as well as its harem, selamlık, mosque, courtyards, and mausoleum sections, we feel the elegance and power of the Ottoman Empire in the east. From the palace terrace, we admire the Doğubayazıt Plain from above and immortalize this unique view. After our palace visit, we take a lunch break. We have our meal at a restaurant with an atmosphere reflecting the region’s Iranian and Eastern Anatolian culture. After lunch, we take a short shopping break at the carpet store located at the same site, giving us the opportunity to get to know the art of carpets and kilims, an important part of Iranian and Eastern culture, up close. After our shopping break, we have a short period of free time at Doğubayazıt Smugglers’ Bazaar, which bears vivid traces of border trade. Afterwards, with the participation of all our guests, we visit Tuzluca Salt Cave in Tuzluca. Standing out with its natural rock salt formations, this cave is one of the region’s noteworthy destinations, both for its visual richness and its clean air. During a short walk inside the cave, we observe salt layers in different shades. Continuing our tour, we set out for the Ruins of Ani, stretching along the deep valley of the Arpaçay River and once known as the “City of 1,001 Churches.” Located on the banks of the Arpaçay, which forms a natural border, this ancient city is a unique open-air museum containing traces of Armenian, Georgian, Byzantine, and Seljuk civilizations side by side. During our tour with our guide, we discover the traces of this multilayered civilization by viewing the Cathedral of Ani, the Church of Tigran Honents, the Menucehr Mosque, and other important structures panoramically. Carrying the traces of different beliefs and cultures in every stone, Ani impressively makes us feel how history has accumulated layer upon layer. After our visit to Ani, we depart for Kars and check in to our hotel. Accommodation and dinner at our hotel.

Food and Accommodation Information:
Breakfast: Open buffet or set-menu breakfast at the hotel (Included in the Tour Price)

Lunch: At a restaurant in Doğubayazıt (Extra/Optional)

Dinner: Will be served at the hotel as an open buffet or set menu (Included in the Tour Price)

Accommodation: Kars / Işıl Park Hotel, Büyük Kale Hotel, The Kars Park Hotel, Sapran Hotel, and similar hotels.

“From Fronts to Cities, A Journey Through History Engraved in Stone”

On the third day of our tour, we begin our city tour after enjoying an open buffet breakfast at our hotel. This ancient city has hosted many civilizations throughout history, serving as one of the most important cultural stops not only in Anatolia but also at the gateway to the Caucasus. First, we visit the tomb of Hasan Harakani, one of the spiritual figures of the 11th century. One of the important figures in the Sufi tradition in Anatolia, Harakani is regarded as one of the symbols of the principle “keep people alive so that the state may live” and holds an important place in Kars’s spiritual identity. Then, we see the Kümbet Mosque, one of the most important structures in the history of medieval Kars. Built as a church during the Bagratid Kingdom in the 10th century, this structure was converted into a mosque centuries later, becoming one of the rare examples where different faiths came together within the same architecture. Afterwards, we enjoy a panoramic view of Kars Castle, one of the city’s symbols. Founded during the Seljuk period in the 12th century, this castle has served as a defensive stronghold throughout the city’s history due to its dominant position overlooking the Kars Plain. We continue our tour with Yeni Tabya, built during the Ottoman period for strategic defense purposes and one of the most important lines of Kars’s defense. This structure played a critical role in the defense of the region, particularly during the Ottoman-Russian wars of the 19th century, and has survived to the present day as one of the most important examples of military architecture. We then visit the Caucasus Front War History Museum, which bears the traces of the Caucasus Front. Here, we witness the region’s recent history through documents, military equipment, and reenactments related to World War I and the Ottoman-Russian wars. During a short walk through the city center, we closely observe Kars’s streets shaped by its stone architecture and its historical texture. During our lunch break, we have the opportunity to discover the rich culinary culture that developed under the influence of Kars’s geographical conditions. Cheese varieties, which emerged particularly as a result of livestock-based production, are among the region’s most important gastronomic values. After lunch, we learn about the production process of gravyere and kaşar cheeses, two of Kars’s best-known local products, and take a tasting and shopping break at a location offering local products. We then proceed to our hotel for a short rest. Later in the day, guests who wish may join the optional Caucasian Night with Dinner program. Accompanied by Caucasian folk dances, regional melodies, and flavors from the local cuisine, we have the opportunity to experience the cultural richness of this region in an entertaining atmosphere. Dinner is not included in the tour price for tonight’s accommodation. Guests who do not participate in the Caucasian Night program may arrange their evening meal freely according to their personal preferences. Accommodation at our hotel in Kars.

Dining and Accommodation Information:
Breakfast: Open buffet or set-menu breakfast at the hotel (Included in the Tour Price)
Lunch: At a restaurant in Kars (Extra/Optional)
Dinner: During the Caucasian Night with Dinner (Extra/Optional)
Accommodation: Kars / Işıl Park Otel, Büyük Kale Otel, The Kars Park Otel, Sapran Otel, or similar hotels.

 “Time Flowing on the Rails, Civilization Living in the Stones”

On the fourth day of our tour, after having breakfast at our hotel, we depart for Kars Train Station to embark on one of Anatolia’s most nostalgic journeys. Our journey between Kars and Erzurum on the scheduled Eastern Express, departing at 08:00 with pulman seats, offers not merely transportation but an experience in its own right.  As we travel along the rails, endless steppes, snow-covered mountains, frozen streams and small Anatolian settlements seem to flow before our eyes like a painting behind glass. This fairytale journey allows us to closely experience the harsh yet equally poetic geography of Eastern Anatolia. After arriving at Erzurum Train Station, we meet our waiting vehicle and begin our city tour. We set out to discover Erzurum, standing tall on Anatolia’s high plateau and distinguished by its deep-rooted history. Our first stop is Yakutiye Madrasa, surviving from the Ilkhanid period to the present day. With its stone decorations on the portal, this structure reflects the elegance of Seljuk–Ilkhanid art and takes us back to the world of learning in the 14th century. We then turn to the Ottoman period and visit Lala Mustafa Pasha Mosque. A work of Mimar Sinan, this mosque is one of the simple yet impressive examples of classical Ottoman architecture. In the middle of our city tour, we take a break for Cağ Kebab (extra), one of the first delicacies that comes to mind when Erzurum is mentioned. We have the opportunity to experience this unique delicacy, cooked over a wood fire and served on skewers, at a traditional venue. After our meal break, we head to Rüstem Pasha Caravanserai (Taşhan), one of the important stops of the Silk Road in Anatolia. During our free time here, you may visit the workshops producing Oltu stone, which has become a symbol of Erzurum, and learn more closely about the story of this precious stone shaped by the hands of artisans. We continue our tour with the Twin Minaret Madrasa, one of the city’s most magnificent structures. One of the most impressive examples of Seljuk stonework, this building is considered a symbol of Erzurum. Afterwards, we visit the Three Tombs. These structures, among the most elegant funerary monuments of medieval Turkish architecture, reflect the aesthetic understanding of the period and its belief in the afterlife. With a short walk through the streets of Erzurum, which still preserve their historic texture, we have the opportunity to observe the city’s traditional architecture and daily life. At the end of the day, we depart for Erzurum Airport. We make our return journey on AJet Airlines’ scheduled Erzurum–Istanbul flight departing at 08:00. We bid farewell to you, our valued guests, hoping to meet again on another cultural journey.

Dining and Accommodation Information:
Breakfast: Open buffet or set-menu breakfast at the hotel (Included in the Tour Price)
Lunch: Cağ Kebab will be served as a menu in Erzurum (Extra/Optional)
Dinner: Dinner is not organized on the day of return
Accommodation: There is no accommodation on the day of return.