Eastern Turkey & Black Sea Tour Package: 7 Days from Rize to Van
Overview
Eastern Turkey & Black Sea Tour Package: 7 Days from Rize to Van
Eastern Turkey and the Black Sea coast are far less visited than Istanbul or the Aegean, yet they offer green valleys that recall Switzerland, mountain scenery and centuries of history. This private 7-day tour takes you through both regions.
You fly from Istanbul to Rize to walk among tea plantations and continue up to the alpine Ayder Plateau. Further east, you see the ruins of Ani on the Armenian border, the Seljuk and Ottoman monuments of Erzurum and the mountain town of Kars.
In Dogubeyazit you view Mount Ararat and visit the Ishak Pasha Palace. The tour ends in Van, where a boat takes you to Akdamar Island and its old Holy Cross Cathedral, before you fly back to Istanbul.
Included: breakfast on six mornings, 6 nights of accommodation, a professional guide, transfers, an air-conditioned vehicle, the domestic flights in the itinerary and admission fees for the sites listed. Lunch, dinner and optional tours or activities are not included.
Tour Info
Itinerary
Day 1 – Flight to Rize, Tea Plantations & Çamlıhemşin
The group meets in Istanbul and takes a domestic flight to Rize.
Your first visit is to the tea plantations, where you learn how tea shapes life and culture in this region. You then explore Çamlıhemşin, a pretty town ringed by green mountains.
One night in a hotel.
Day 2 – Ayder Plateau & Zilkale Castle
Today you head up to the Ayder Plateau, known for its mountain views and traditional wooden houses. You also visit Zilkale, a medieval castle set high on a cliff, and enjoy the local food of the Black Sea.
One more night in a hotel in Rize.
Day 3 – Ani Ruins, Kars & Erzurum
The morning is spent at Ani, the ruined capital of the medieval Bagratid Kingdom of Armenia. The kingdom first ruled from Kars, but in the 10th century King Ashot III moved the capital here to be nearer the main trade routes.
Ani stands on a headland above the Arpa Cayi River valley, with open steppe all around and the Armenian border right beside it. Its empty, crumbling ruins make it one of the most romantic places in Turkey. Take time to wander among them; look for the church of Christ the Redeemer, cut neatly in two. Afterwards you return to Kars for lunch.
In the afternoon you drive west to Erzurum, a city surrounded by mountains and one of the oldest settlements in Anatolia. You arrive around mid-afternoon and make a short stop at its best-known symbol, the twin towers of the Cifte Minareli Medrese. Built as a school of theology, it now stands as a fine example of late Seljuk architecture.
The day ends at Rustem Pasa Bedesten, an old trading hall that sells the region's famous black amber Oltu stone, made into jewellery and tespihs (prayer beads). In the evening you might try a real Cag Kebab, a juicy roll of lamb cooked on a horizontal spit.
One night in a hotel.
Day 4 – Ardahan Castle, Bogatepe Cheese Village & Kars
This morning you leave the village and travel northeast towards the Georgian and Armenian borders, with Kars as your goal.
It is a long drive of about 6.5 hours, but the scenery is some of the finest in Turkey: first along the Black Sea coast, then inland beside the winding Kura River.
Along the way you stop at Ardahan Castle on the riverbank. It is thought to date from the 12th century, when the Seljuqs ruled the area, and an inscription over the gate records repairs ordered by the Ottoman sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in the mid-16th century.
The last stop before Kars is a tasty one. Bogatepe village is so well known for its cheese that it has its own cheese museum. High meadows surround the village, and much of the cheese is still made in the traditional way. Sample local favourites such as gravyer, similar to emmental, and kasar, then sit down to a traditional home-cooked dinner before driving on to Kars for the night.
One night in a hotel.
Day 5 – Mount Ararat Views & Ishak Pasha Palace in Dogubeyazit
After breakfast you head back east to Dogubayazit, a town people jokingly call the 'doggy biscuit'.
The three-hour drive passes through Agri, a plateau village that shares its name with nearby Mount Agri (Ararat). At 5,165 metres this is the highest mountain in Turkey, and tradition says Noah's Ark came to rest here during the flood. You stop to photograph the views.
In the afternoon you explore Ishak Pasa Sarayi (Ishak Pasha Palace) in Dogubayazit. Part palace and part seat of government, it is now partly in ruins and stands among rough mountains, looking out over the plains with Mount Ararat in the distance. Walk through its restored rooms and enjoy the setting.
You spend the evening in Dogubayazit, a good chance to meet and talk with local people.
One night in a hotel.
Day 6 – Van, Boat Trip to Akdamar Island & Holy Cross Cathedral
Van is famous for its unusual cats, but its history goes back as far as 5,000 BC. Urartian, Armenian, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman rulers have all left their mark here, from the Urartian Van Fortress to the Armenian Holy Cross Cathedral. The city also enjoys a beautiful position beside the largest body of water in Turkey.
After a drive of about 2 hours to Van, you take a boat across the lake to Akdamar Island to see the Holy Cross Cathedral. Built by Armenians in the 10th century, it holds faded but impressive frescoes, and its outer walls are carved with dramatic scenes from the Bible.
Later you have free time to walk around town, see the odd Lake Monster statue and perhaps spot a Van cat.
One night in a hotel.
Day 7 – Flight from Van to Istanbul
Today you say goodbye to eastern Turkey and fly from Van back to Istanbul, a flight of about 2 hours.
Important Notes
Optional extras
- Hot air balloon flight in Cappadocia (Göreme): $310
- One extra hotel night in Istanbul, before or after the tour: $65
- Upgrade to a private tour: $350
Inclusions & Exclusions
- ✓Breakfast x 6
- ✓6 Nights Accommodation
- ✓Professional guide
- ✓Transfers
- ✓Air-conditioned vehicle
- ✓Domestic Flight Fares in the itinerary
- ✓Admission Fees in the itinerary
- ✕Lunch, Dinner
- ✕Optional additional tours or activities
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Black Sea and Eastern Turkey in 7 days, from Rize to Van: the key facts
This is a 7-day, 6-night tour that flies you from Istanbul to Rize on the Black Sea and back from Van in the far east. On the way you see the tea plantations around Rize, Camlihemsin, the Ayder Plateau and Zilkale Castle, then cross into eastern Turkey for the ruins of Ani, Kars and Erzurum, Ardahan Castle and the cheese village of Bogatepe, Mount Ararat and Ishak Pasha Palace near Dogubeyazit, and finally Akdamar Island on Lake Van. Breakfast is included every morning; most lunches and dinners are not.
It suits travellers who have already seen Istanbul, Cappadocia and the coast and want green mountains, border-region history and long scenic drives. It is not a relaxing trip. The price is from $2,480 per person.
| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Length | 7 days / 6 nights |
| Route | Istanbul - Rize - Camlihemsin - Ayder - Kars - Ani - Erzurum - Ardahan - Kars - Dogubeyazit - Van - Istanbul |
| Style | Listed as a group tour, although the overview calls it private (see below) |
| Start / end | Meet in Istanbul for the flight to Rize / flight from Van to Istanbul on Day 7 |
| Included | 6 nights' accommodation with 6 breakfasts, professional guide, transfers, air-conditioned vehicle, domestic flights in the itinerary, admission fees for listed sites |
| Extra | Lunches and dinners, optional tours and activities, international flights |
Is this a private tour or a group tour?
The page does not agree with itself. The overview calls it "this private 7-day tour", the tour information box says "Group Tour", and the extras list offers an "upgrade to a private tour" for $350. Before you book, ask us to confirm in writing whether your date runs as a shared group or as a private tour, how many people can be in the group, and what the $350 upgrade changes. If you want a private trip from the start, compare the private 7-day Black Sea tour from Istanbul from $2,440 per person.
What does the Black Sea part cover?
Day 1 is a domestic flight from Istanbul to Rize, then the tea plantations and the riverside town of Camlihemsin. The page gives no flight time. Day 2 drives up to the Ayder Plateau, with its wooden houses and mountain views, and on to Zilkale Castle on its cliff above the valley. The Day 2 text mentions local Black Sea food, but lunch and dinner are not in the price. Our Black Sea tour guide and Black Sea destination page explain the region.
How long are the drives in the east?
Long. Day 3 visits Ani, the former Bagratid capital on the Armenian border, with lunch in Kars, then drives west to Erzurum for the Double Minaret Madrasa and the Rustem Pasa Bedesten. Day 4 is about 6.5 hours of driving via Ardahan Castle and Bogatepe back to Kars. Day 5 is about 3 hours to Dogubeyazit, and Day 6 about 2 hours to Van. The Day 4 text also mentions a route "along the Black Sea coast" from Erzurum, which does not fit, so ask us for the real route.
Which meals are included?
The inclusions say six breakfasts, and the exclusions list lunch and dinner. But the itinerary describes lunch in Kars on Day 3 and a home-cooked dinner in Bogatepe on Day 4, and an optional Cag kebab evening in Erzurum, without saying whether they are paid. Budget for lunches and dinners yourself, and ask us in writing which meals, if any, are covered. The cheese tasting of gravyer and kasar in Bogatepe is part of the visit.
What do we see near Mount Ararat and Lake Van?
On Day 5 you stop for views of Mount Ararat on the way to Dogubeyazit and visit Ishak Pasha Palace in the afternoon. On Day 6 you drive to Van and take a boat to Akdamar Island for the Holy Cross Cathedral, then have free time in town. Day 7 is a flight of about two hours from Van to Istanbul, where the tour ends. Our Eastern Turkey destination page gives more background on these places.
When is the best time of year for this route?
Kars and Erzurum are high and very cold in winter, with heavy snow, and travel guides point to June to September as the most comfortable window for Kars. The Ayder Plateau is green from late spring to autumn but is often misty, even in summer. Ask us which months this tour runs and whether winter dates change the route. Bring layers and a rain jacket in any season, and good walking shoes for Ani and Zilkale. Our best time to visit Turkey article covers the rest of the country.
Which hotels do we stay in?
The page names no hotels and no star ratings. From the itinerary, the nights are spent in the Rize area (Nights 1 and 2), Erzurum (Night 3), Kars (Night 4), Dogubeyazit (Night 5) and Van (Night 6). Night 1 is not stated clearly, so confirm where you sleep after Camlihemsin, and ask us for the hotel names and categories for every night before you pay. For a longer version of the east, see the private best of Eastern Turkey tour from $3,730 per person.
How do we book this tour?
Choose your date and number of guests in the booking form on this page and add any extras. You can also message us on WhatsApp at +90 545 307 67 88. We confirm whether the tour is private or group, the flights, the hotels, the meals and the Day 4 route, and send the full plan in writing before you make any payment. Get Turkey Tours is a TÜRSAB-licensed agency (A-15751). More routes are on our Eastern Turkey tours page.
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