11-Day Guided Mesopotamia Tour from Istanbul
11-Day Guided Mesopotamia Tour from Istanbul
Start and end in Istanbul! With the In-depth Cultural tour of Eastern Turkey In 11 Days. You have an 11 days tour package taking you through Istanbul, Cappadocia, and 8 other destinations in Turkey.
Includes accommodation, flights, an expert guide, insurance, meals, transport, and more.
Book This ExperienceA glimpse of the journey
Your Itinerary
A curated journey through the experience
Istanbul
Day 2: Jewels of Istanbul
Dolmabahce Palace
After you meet with your guide at the hotel, you will visit Dolmabahce Palace which was built in the 19th century and is one of the most glamorous palaces in the world. It was the administrative center of the late Ottoman Empire with the last of Ottoman Sultans was residing there.
2 hoursCamlica Hill
After Dolmabahce Palace, you will pass across the Bosphorus by driving and reach Camlica Hill on the Asian Continent side of Istanbul. You can see the Bosphorus, two of the bridges which link each side of Istanbul, the Old City of Istanbul, and more.
45 minutesBosphorus Strait
You will take a boat to the Bosphorus Strait for about 1 and a half hours. During your tour, you will see more palaces, mansions, and famous restaurants just on the side of the Bosphorus.
1 hour 30 minutesPierre Loti Tepesi
A flyover by Cable Car to enjoy the beautiful view of Golden Horn from Pierre Loti hill.
1 hourMisir Carsisi (Spice Market)
Day 3: Explore the Old City & Fly to Cappadocia
1 hour 30 minutesHagia Sophia Mosque
Hagia Sophia is a Late Antique place of worship in Istanbul, designed by the Greek geometers Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles. Built-in 537 as the patriarchal cathedral of the imperial capital of Constantinople, it was the largest Christian church of the eastern Roman Empire (the Byzantine Empire) and the Eastern Orthodox Church, except during the Latin Empire from 1204 to 1261, when it became the city's Latin Catholic cathedral. In 1453, after the Fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire, it was converted into a mosque. In 1935, the secular Turkish Republic established it as a museum. In 2020, it re-opened as a mosque.
2 hoursTopkapi Palace
The Topkapı Palace is a large museum in the east of the Fatih district of Istanbul in Turkey. In the 15th and 16th centuries, it served as the main residence and administrative headquarters of the Ottoman sultans.
2 hoursBlue Mosque
Sultan Ahmed Mosque also known as the Blue Mosque is an Ottoman-era historical imperial mosque located in Istanbul, Turkey. A functioning mosque also attracts large numbers of tourist visitors. It was constructed between 1609 and 1616 during the rule of Ahmed I. Its Külliye contains Ahmed's tomb, a madrasah, and a hospice.
45 minutesHippodrome
The word hippodrome comes from the Greek hippos, horse, and dromos, path or way. For this reason, it is sometimes also called Atmeydanı ("Horse Square") in Turkish. Horse racing and chariot racing were popular pastimes in the ancient world and hippodromes were common features of Greek cities in the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine eras.
30 minutesGrand Bazaar
The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops on a total area of 30,700 m2, attracting between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. In 2014, it was listed No.1 among the world's most-visited tourist attractions with 91,250,000 annual visitors. The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is often regarded as one of the first shopping malls in the world.
1 hourCappadocia
Day 4: Explore Cappadocia – Full Day Guided Tour
Devrent Valley
After Breakfast at the hotel, we start to explore the Cappadocia region. We start with Devrent Valley (also spelled as Dervent Valley) reveals many different rock formations and is only a 10-minute drive from Goreme. The small fairy chimneys in the valley form a lunar landscape, or moonscape, by their strange look. The valley also has many animal-shaped rocks.
30 minutesPasabag
Then we pass through Pasabag or Pasha's Vineyard is situated on the Zelve road between the popular town of Goreme and traditional pottery-making town Avanos. Here you can find spectacular cone topped rock pillars known as Fairy Chimneys standing tall throughout the vineyard, Pasha was a in important officer in Ottoman times when the region was captured. However Pasabag is more commonly known as Monks Valley, it earned its name from the many monk refuges carved into the soft rock cones.
45 minutesAvanos
Drive to the city of Avanos. The most famous historical feature of Avanos, which is still relevant and very visible today, is its production of earthenware pottery; it is also the most economic activity in the town. The ceramic trade in this district and its countless pottery factories date right back to the Hittites, and the ceramic clay from the red silt of the Kızılırmak has always been used. It is a popular destination because of its attractive old town with cobbled streets, and views over the river.
45 minutesGoreme Open-Air Museum
In the afternoon visit another beautiful open air museum at Göreme where the remains of rock-cut churches and Christian settlements date back hundreds of years.
1 hour 30 minutesUchisar Castle
Day 5: Explore Cappadocia – Full Day Guided Tour
30 minutesGulludere Vadisi
After having breakfast at the hotel, we will again depart for a full day Cappadocia tour. Depart from your hotel to visit Red valley, and explore the famous rock-cut churches and hike 5 km through the Güllüdere valley.
1 hourÇavuşin
Then visit Çavuşin village. This village is famous for the houses and churches of Christian clergymen.
30 minutesPigeon Valley
After lunch Drive to the pigeon valley. Pigeon Valley is a lovely valley located near Uchisar town named after the thousands of pigeon houses carved into the soft tufa since ancient times and offers another spectacular panoramic view over Cappadocia together with the spectacular views of the dovecotes.
15 minutesKaymakli Underground City
Day 6: Drive Nemrut – Full Day Guided Tour
1 hour 30 minutesMount Nemrut
Day 7: Diyarbakır & Mardin – Full Day Guided Tour
3 hoursCity Walls
Today you will visit Diyarbakır, another ancient settlement; at 5000 years old is one of the oldest cities in the world. An overwhelmingly Kurdish city Diyarbakir is famed for its ancient city walls; constructed by the Romans, the current walls, built of massive black basalt blocks are, after the great wall of China, the longest continuous defensive wall in the world.
1 hourGrand Mosque
We will visit also one of the oldest and important mosques in the Muslim World. Ulu Camii.
30 minutesMardin
Day 8: Mardin & Gobekli Tepe & Urfa – Full Day Guided Tour
Deyrulzafaran Monastery
After breakfast, we will visit Deir-Al-Zafaran (the Saffron Monastery), the center of the Syrian Orthodox Patriarchy, and still an active monastery. The site of the Saffron monastery has been a sacred place for thousands of years.
1 hourPotbelly Hill
Day 9: Harran & Halfeti – Full Day Guided Tour
1 hour 30 minutesHarran
Today we leave from Urfa and drive to Antep. On the way, we will visit Harran. Harran is one of the science centers of the world. First University in the world was built here. Harran is also famous for house type.
1 hour 30 minutesHalfeti
Day 10: Gaziantep & Fly Back to Istanbul – Full Day Guided Tour
2 hoursZeugma Mosaic Museum
We will visit the mosaic museum in Antep. Antep is another ancient Roman city and the mosaic museum will surprise you.
1 hour 30 minutesGaziantep
You will have a chance to taste Gaziantep Baklava. Baklava the world-famous Turkish Dessert is from Antep.
1 hourIstanbul
Day 11: Departure from TURKEY – Airport Transfer
Istanbul
No accommodation included on this day.
Included
- All sightseeing tours of the places mentioned in the program
- All entrance & parking fees, ferry, tolls and petrol
- All tours with English speaking guidance licensed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism
- All transport with new & AC vehicles
- All accommodation
- All local taxes
- Domestic flight tickets
- 10x Breakfast
- 9x Lunch
- Accommodation included: 10 nights
- Entry/Admission - Goreme Open-Air Museum
- Entry/Admission - Gulludere Vadisi
- Entry/Admission - Dolmabahce Palace
- Entry/Admission - Bosphorus Strait
- Entry/Admission - Deyrulzafaran Monastery
- Entry/Admission - Mount Nemrut
- Entry/Admission - Hagia Sophia Mosque
- Entry/Admission - Pasabag
- Entry/Admission - Uchisar Castle
- Entry/Admission - Pierre Loti Tepesi
- Entry/Admission - Potbelly Hill
- Entry/Admission - City Walls
- Entry/Admission - Zeugma Mosaic Museum
- Entry/Admission - Camlica Hill
- Entry/Admission - Topkapi Palace
- Entry/Admission - Kaymakli Underground City
Not Included
- Drinks, visas, personal expenses, porters, tips
- International airfare to TURKEY
- Meals not listed
- Optional tours
Good to Know
- Infant seats available
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Near public transportation
- Stroller accessible
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- Face masks required for travelers in public areas
- Face masks required for guides in public areas
- Face masks provided for travelers
- Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
- Social distancing enforced throughout experience
- Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
- Gear/equipment sanitized between use
- Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
- Guides required to regularly wash hands
- Regular temperature checks for staff
- Temperature checks for travelers upon arrival
- Paid stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms
- Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Tickets & Cancellation
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.