Welcome to Turkey! Upon arrival at the Istanbul airport terminal, you will meet your guide and be transferred to the hotel or a half-day tour, depending on your arrival time.

After breakfast and check-out, you will be transferred to the airport for a domestic flight to Trabzon. Upon arrival at Trabzon Int’l Airport, you will visit the 4th-century Sumela Monastery and Altindere National Park. Later, you will drive up Zigana Mountain, enjoying spectacular views. You will then visit Karaca Cave in Gümüşhane, considered the most beautiful in Turkey. Finally, you'll visit the church of St. Sophia before driving to your hotel in the center of Trabzon.

Today you will explore the highlights of Trabzon and then transfer to Rize city. You will drive to Uzungöl (long lake), a hidden paradise in the Pontic Alps, and have lunch at a seaside restaurant. In the afternoon, you'll take a short break in Rize for a panoramic view from the Botany Garden, where you will visit kiwi and tea plantations. You'll then arrive in the Firtina (Storm) Valley which leads to Ayder Plateau, seeing Camlihemsin, Konaklar, Senyuva Bridge, and Zil Kale along the way. You will take a gentle trek to Goksu Fall before arriving in Ayder to check into a wooden hotel.

After breakfast, you will drive to Samsun (a 380km, 5-hour drive). The founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, started the Turkish War of Independence here on May 19, 1919. You will stop for lunch in the city of Ordu before driving to Samsun for a city tour, followed by transfer to the hotel for dinner and an overnight stay.

After breakfast, you will drive to Amasya (a 190km, 2-hour drive). Amasya is a province distinct for its natural setup and historical values; it was the homeland of the famous geographer Strabo. Located in a narrow cleft of the Yesilirmak river, it has a 3000-year history with priceless remains from many civilizations, including 2000-year-old water channels and 1000-year-old bridges. You will stay overnight in Amasya.

After breakfast, you will drive to Bolu (a 414km, 5-hour drive). After lunch, you will depart for Abant Lake, which is most probably the most famous lake in Turkey. You can enjoy a seven-kilometer walk around the lake, ride horseback, or take a horse cart. The lake is surrounded by pine trees and is famous for its trout. You will stay overnight in Bolu.

After breakfast, you will depart for İstanbul (a 250km, 3-hour drive). Upon arrival, you will visit Camlica Hill, the highest point in Istanbul with incredible views of the Bosphorus. You will then take a Bosphorus Cruise. The strait is dotted with parks and elaborate Ottoman mansions. Afterwards, you will have lunch at a fish restaurant on the Galata Bridge and then head to the Spice Bazaar (Egyptian Bazaar). After the tour, you'll go to a restaurant for dinner and then to your hotel for an overnight stay.

After breakfast, you will depart for an Old City Tour, first visiting Topkapi Palace, the great palace of the Ottoman sultans from the 15th to the 19th centuries. The tour continues to the Sultanahmet Imperial Mosque, also known as the “Blue Mosque” because of its magnificent interior decoration of blue Iznik tiles. Outside the mosque, you will find the Hippodrome, which was the scene of chariot races and comprises three monuments: the Obelisk of Theodosius, the bronze Serpentine Column, and the Column of Constantine. After the tour, you'll go to dinner and then depart for the hotel.

Your trip will end after breakfast and check-out from the hotel by 11:00 am. You will be transferred to the airport.