Note: Depending on availability at the time of booking, reservations will be made at one of the hotels listed above. Accommodations will be given at another hotel of the same category and standards if none of the hotels on the list are available.
Planning a trip for 10 or more? Please reach out to us via email or phone, and we would be happy to prepare a tailored offer and help you plan the details.
Museum and attraction entrance fees (except Hagia Sophia)
Bosphorus Dinner Cruise
2 Nights accommodation in Istanbul
2 Nights accommodation in Kars
1 Night accommodation in Dogubayazit
1 Night accommodation in Van
Inclusions
2 Nights accommodation in Mardin
Meal plan as mentioned above
Airport arrival and departure transfers
Professional English-speaking guide
Transportation during tours
Museum and attraction entrance fees (except Hagia Sophia)
Bosphorus Dinner Cruise
Ishak Pasha Palace Excursion
Van Castle Visit
Akdamar Island Excursion
Mardin Old City Tour
Midyat Excursion
Dara Ancient City Excursion
Hotel taxes
Ani Ancient City Excursion
Kars City Tour
Ishak Pasha Palace Excursion
Van Castle Visit
Akdamar Island Excursion
Mardin Old City Tour
Midyat Excursion
Dara Ancient City Excursion
Hotel taxes
Ani Ancient City Excursion
Kars City Tour
Day 1: Bosphorus Dinner Cruise and Arrival in Istanbul
✓ Dinner Included
Greetings from Turkey! Meet your representative when you arrive at Istanbul Airport, then make your way to your hotel to check in. Before the evening program, take some time to unwind. Transfer to the Bosphorus for a memorable dinner cruise in the evening. Enjoy breathtaking views of Dolmabahçe Palace, Ortaköy Mosque, Maiden's Tower, Rumeli Fortress, Bosphorus Bridge, and Beylerbeyi Palace as you sail between Europe and Asia. Your dinner is accompanied by folklore performances and traditional Turkish entertainment. Spend the night in Istanbul.
Day 2: Tour of Istanbul's Old City
✓ Breakfast Included✓ Lunch Included
Take a full-day guided tour of Istanbul's historic peninsula after breakfast. Explore the beautiful Topkapı Palace, one of Turkey's most significant cultural icons and the home of Ottoman Sultans for almost four centuries. Proceed to the famed Blue Mosque, which is renowned for its exquisite architecture and stunning İznik tiles. Explore the ancient Hippodrome Square, which was formerly Constantinople's social and athletic hub.
Hagia Sophia admission is optional and costs €30 per person. One of the most significant structures in world history is the Hagia Sophia. From the outside, your guide will go into great depth about its intriguing Byzantine and Ottoman background. Visit the renowned Grand Bazaar after lunch. It is one of the biggest and oldest covered markets in the world, with over 4,000 stores offering souvenirs, jewelry, rugs, pottery, and spices.
Go back to the hotel.
Day 3: Take a flight to Kars and go on a city tour
✓ Breakfast Included✓ Lunch Included
Make your way to Istanbul Airport for your journey to Kars after breakfast. Discover one of Turkey's most intriguing frontier cities upon arrival. Discover the local cultural history, stone mansions, Russian-era architecture, and historic center. Spend the night at Kars.
Day 4: Ani Ancient City Tour
✓ Breakfast Included✓ Lunch Included
Visit the fabled Ani Archaeological Site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "City of 1001 Churches," after breakfast. Discover the city walls, defenses, churches, and cathedrals from the Middle Ages that are close to the Armenian border. Spend the night at Kars.
Day 5: Tour to Dogubayazit and Ishak Pasha Palace
✓ Breakfast Included✓ Lunch Included
Head to Dogubayazit after breakfast. One of the best examples of Ottoman architecture in Eastern Anatolia is the beautiful Ishak Pasha Palace. Savor stunning views of Turkey's tallest mountain, the fabled Mount Ararat. Spend the night in Dogubayazit.
Day 6: Tour to Van Lake and Akdamar Island
✓ Breakfast Included✓ Lunch Included
Proceed to Van after breakfast. Take a boat trip to Akdamar Island, which is home to the amazing Holy Cross Church (Akdamar Church), and visit the old Van Castle. Explore the splendor of Turkey's largest lake, Lake Van. Spend the night in a van.
Day 7: Take a flight to Mardin and tour the old city
✓ Breakfast Included✓ Lunch Included
Make your way to the airport for your journey to Mardin after breakfast. Discover the charming Mardin Old City when you get there. It is well-known for its honey-colored stone buildings, winding lanes, and stunning vistas of the Mesopotamian Plains. Take a tour of the ancient Deyrulzafaran Monastery. Spend the night at Mardin.
Day 8: Ancient City Tour of Midyat and Dara
✓ Breakfast Included✓ Lunch Included
Visit the quaint village of Midyat, which is well-known for its gorgeous stone palaces and centuries-old silver workmanship, after breakfast. Proceed to the intriguing Dara Ancient City archeological site, which was formerly a significant Roman frontier city. Spend the night at Mardin.
Day 9: Departure
✓ Breakfast Included
Transfer to Mardin Airport in accordance with your departing flight schedule after breakfast. Grandoria services come to an end.
Planning a trip for 10 or more? Please reach out to us via email or phone, and we would be happy to prepare a tailored offer and help you plan the details.
Grandoria Tours is particularly concerned about the welfare of both its partners and its visitors. As a business, we prioritize the happiness, well-being, and wealth of our clients. We have made some changes to make the procedure easier so that you can reserve your trips in advance and take advantage of your reservations until the very last day.
When you plan a trip with us, you will save time, money, and take no risks thanks to this method. In order to reserve the rooms at the hotels listed in the itinerary, we ask for a 25% advance payment after confirmation. You have two weeks from the day of your arrival to make the remaining payment.
If you cancel more than two weeks before to the departure date, Grandoria Tours will reimburse your 25% deposit without charging you any penalty. In this manner, our visitors will be protected and won't have to worry about fines.
The 25% payment is non-refundable if you have not shown up for the tour despite providing us with your arrival/departure airline information and receiving confirmations for lodging and tour programs. Except for pre-made packages, your tours would fall under the category of "customized/tailor-made tours" if you need different lodging locations, such as any worldwide brand-name hotels, and the hotel's policies would apply and be disclosed in the itinerary. Our goal is to avoid charging visitors for penalties and to ensure that they will profit from our compliance going forward.
Winter (Dec-Feb): December, January, and February, when temperatures hover around 10 degrees Celsius.
Spring & Summer (Mar-Aug): March, April, and May (approx. 22°C); June, July, and August (approx. 30°C).
Autumn (Sep-Nov): With a national average temperature of 20 degrees Celsius. Wear appropriate apparel in accordance with these guidelines.
Please pack your apparel according to these seasonal guidelines to ensure a comfortable trip.
Please ensure you have checked the following items before your departure:
International Flight Tickets
Tour Itinerary
Confirmation received from us (Hotel reservations, etc.)
Domestic Flight Tickets (Please check your name spelling)
Passport Validation
Visa requirements (check your dates)
Invitation letter (ask us if needed to ease your application)