Mount Nemrut & Gobeklitepe Tour from Istanbul: 2 Days with Flights
Overview
Mount Nemrut & Gobeklitepe Tour from Istanbul: 2 Days with Flights
With your own guide you travel to Gobeklitepe, the world's oldest known temple, and to the famous summit of Mount Nemrut, where the view from the top stays with you long after the trip.
At Gobeklitepe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that predates Stonehenge, you learn about the mysteries of the site. Along the way you also see the colossal statues left by the Commagene kings, the Karakus Tumulus and the Roman bridge at Cendere.
Stress Free Private Travel
Over these 2 private days everything is arranged for you, with guided sightseeing, comfortable transfers and private service from start to finish.
Tour Info
Itinerary
Day 1 – Flight to Adiyaman, Arsameia, Karakus and Mount Nemrut
In the morning your driver collects you from the hotel and drives you to the airport, where you board the flight to Adiyaman. Your guide is waiting when you land, and your exploration of the ancient Kingdom of Commagene begins.
You start at Arsameia, once the summer capital of the kingdom, known for its rock inscriptions and reliefs. Then comes Karakus Tumulus, where members of the Commagene royal family were buried; an eagle stands on top of the southern column.
On the way to Nemrut you stop at Cendere Bridge, a Roman bridge that still spans the river. Late in the afternoon you climb Mount Nemrut, whose summit holds giant stone heads of ancient gods.
This remarkable mountaintop sanctuary is a high point of the whole journey.
From the mountain it is a drive of about 3 hours to Sanliurfa, where you spend the night.
Day 2 – Sanliurfa Museum, Gobeklitepe and Pool of Abraham
After breakfast the day starts in Sanliurfa, among the oldest cities in the world to have been lived in without a break.
Your first visit is the Sanliurfa Archaeological Museum, which holds remarkable finds from prehistoric times and the early civilisations of Mesopotamia.
Next is Gobeklitepe, called "the zero point of time". Built over 11,000 years ago, it is the earliest temple complex known anywhere, and it has changed the way we see human history.
The afternoon is for Balikligol. Known as the Pool of Abraham, it is a holy place in Islamic tradition, where the Prophet Abraham is believed to have been thrown into the fire.
When the tour is over, a transfer takes you to Sanliurfa Airport for the flight to Istanbul. Our representative meets you there and drives you to your hotel.
Our services end here. Thank you for travelling with Get Turkey Tours; we hope to welcome you back.
Inclusions & Exclusions
- ✓Private Tour
- ✓Local Tour Guides
- ✓Domestic Flights (Economy Class)
- ✓Transportation by Private Van
- ✓Airport Transfers (Mentioned)
- ✓Museum Tickets & Attraction Fees
- ✕Hotel Bookings (Available Upon Request)
- ✕Meals & Drinks
- ✕Gratuity (Suggested)
Cancellation Policy
Cancel at no charge until 7 days before your tour and you receive a full refund. If you cancel within the final 7 days before the tour, no refund is given. All times shown are local.
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Private 2-day Mount Nemrut and Gobeklitepe tour: the essentials
This private two-day trip from Istanbul brings you to the famous summit of Mount Nemrut and to Gobeklitepe, the world's oldest known temple, with a guide and driver just for you. Along the way you also visit the Karakus Tumulus, the Arsameia ruins, the Cendere Roman bridge, the Sanliurfa Archaeological Museum and the Pools of Abraham. Domestic flights in economy class, airport transfers, a private van, local guides, and the museum tickets and fees for attractions are all covered. As the price depends on your dates and group size, we quote it on request.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Duration | 2 days |
| Price | On request, based on your dates and group |
| Type | Private, with a guide and driver of your own |
| Flights | Economy class, Istanbul to Adiyaman, returning from Sanliurfa |
| Included | Museum tickets and attraction fees, private guide and van, airport transfers |
| Not included | Meals and drinks, hotel (can be arranged on request), tips |
What is in the 2-day itinerary?
| Day | Programme |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Fly to Adiyaman; visit the Karakus Tumulus, the Roman bridge at Cendere and Arsameia; then the top of Mount Nemrut |
| Day 2 | Sanliurfa, one of the world's oldest cities with continuous habitation: the Sanliurfa Archaeological Museum, then Gobeklitepe and the Pools of Abraham; fly back to Istanbul |
Private or group tour of Nemrut and Gobeklitepe?
| Tour from Istanbul | How it differs | Price from |
|---|---|---|
| This private tour | Your own guide and van, your own pace, timing set around sunrise or sunset at Nemrut | On request |
| 2-day group tour to Mount Nemrut and Gobeklitepe | Shared tour including hotel and lunches | $1,050 |
| 3-day Nemrut, Gobeklitepe and Karahantepe tour | An extra day for Harran, Karahantepe and Sogmatar | On request |
| Private day trip to Gobeklitepe | Only Gobeklitepe | On request |
The private option suits photographers, families and history fans who want extra time among Nemrut's statues or in the museum, free of a group timetable.
Why is Mount Nemrut special?
In the 1st century BC, King Antiochus I of Commagene built his tomb-sanctuary on the mountaintop: a man-made peak of stones with terraces on either side lined with huge statues of gods and kings, whose enormous heads now sit on the ground. From the summit you look out over the mountains of southeastern Turkey, a view that stays with you, above all at sunrise or sunset.
What is the Cendere Bridge?
It is a Roman bridge dating from the 2nd century AD, built to honour Emperor Septimius Severus and his family, and it still spans the Cendere stream on the road to Nemrut. Close by is the Karakus Tumulus, a burial mound for the royal women of Commagene, marked by columns crowned with animal figures.
When should you go?
From late spring to early autumn, while the road to the Nemrut summit is open. Even in summer the summit is cold at dawn and dusk, and Sanliurfa gets very hot in July and August. In winter, snow can close the mountain.
What to bring
A windproof jacket and warm layers for the summit, sturdy shoes for climbing up to the terraces, a hat and sunscreen at Gobeklitepe, modest clothes for the religious sites of Sanliurfa, and your passport, needed for the flights within Turkey.
How to book
Send your preferred dates and the number of travellers via the form on this page or on WhatsApp, and say whether you would like us to book your hotel. We confirm the price and plan in writing, and payment is due only once we have confirmed. To see more, visit our Gobeklitepe tours and Turkey tour packages.
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