Premium Turkey & the Caucasus

Premium Turkey & the Caucasus

Immerse yourself in four unforgettable countries wrapped up in stories on a 29-day Premium journey. Go deep into the ancient heart of fascinating Turkey, then continue to the vibrant green hillsides and majestic snow-capped mountains of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia. Explore lands where the walls hold the weight of centuries of rich history and where ancient traditions mingle with modern influences. Journey through forests and past towering peaks to find medieval mosques and villages. Travel with expert local leaders, make local friends along the way and discover there’s so much more to each destination than what meets the eye.

Activities

• Istanbul – City Tour
• Istanbul – Blue Mosque Visit
• Istanbul – Welcome Dinner
• Complimentary Airport Arrival Transfer
• Gallipoli – Anzac Cove, Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair
• Troy – Archaeological site visit
• Selcuk – Leader-led orientation walk
• Ephesus – Archaeological site visit
• Sirince – Village visit and fruit wine tasting
• Selcuk – Cooking class
• Pamukkale – Hierapolis and Travertines National Park
• Kayakoy – Village visit
• Kas – Leader-led orientation walk
• Kas – Sailing trip with seafood lunch
• Antalya – Leader-led orientation walk
• Antalya – Antalya Museum
• Sagalassos – Archaeological site visit
• Konya – Mevlana Museum
• Cappadocia – Leader-led orientation walk
• Cappadocia – Sunset drinks
• Cappadocia – Zemi Valley walk
• Cappadocia – Goreme Open Air Museum
• Cappadocia – Carpet weaving co-op
• Cappadocia – Pottery demonstration
• Cappadocia – Ozkonak Underground City
• Cappadocia – Kizilcukur Valley
• Cappadocia – Home-cooked dinner
• Baku – Welcome Dinner at Local Restaurant
• Complimentary Airport Arrival Transfer
• Baku – Palace of the Shirvanshahs
• Baku – Walking Tour with Local Guide
• Qobustan – Petroglyphs
• Qobustan – Half Day Trip
• Sheki – Khan’s Palace
• Sheki – Stained Glass Workshop Visit
• Shamakhi – Yeddi Gumbaz Mausoleum & Juma Mosque
• Kakheti – Lunch and Wine Tasting with a Local Family
• Kakheti – Georgian Polyphonic Singing
• Telavi – Market Tour with Tastings
• Tbilisi – Narikala Fortress & Cable Car
• Tbilisi – Old Town Walking Tour with Local Guide
• Tserovani – Refugee Settlement & Enamel Workshop Visit
• Mtskheta – Jvari Monastery
• Meskheti – Khertvisi Fortress
• Vardzia – Cave Town Visit with Local Guide
• Ananuri – Architectural Complex
• Gori – Stalin Museum
• Gori – City Tour
• Stepantsminda – Gergeti Trinity Church
• Stepantsminda – Caucasus Mountains Day Trip
• Haghpat – Haghpat Monastery
• Geghard – Geghard Monastery
• Lake Sevan – Sevanavank Monastery
• Garni – Temple Visit & Duduk Performance
• Yerevan – City Tour with Local Guide
• Yerevan – Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex

Highlights

• Get to the heart of Turkey and the Caucasus’s with experienced local leaders – enjoy guided city tours, stroll the ancient streets of Ephesus, learn the secrets of Troy, marvel at Baku’s diverse architecture, explore Tbilisi’s winding narrow streets, and uncover the history of ancient Yerevan.
• Enjoy Feature Stays in Cappadocia, with elegantly decorated rooms carved from stone, and at the foot of the Tsiv-Gombori mountains, with unforgettable views of the Alazani Valley.
• Uncover the real Turkey during Exclusive Experiences, including a cooking class with a celebrated chef, visit to an empowering carpet weaving cooperative, cruise around the southern coast, and traditional dinner at a local’s home in Cappadocia
• Visit the Tserovani Refugee Settlement in Georgia during an Exclusive Experience, where you will visit a jewellery making workshop aimed at providing employment to displaced women within the camp, create a piece yourself and learn about the issues surrounding long-term displacement.
• Marvel at ancient wonders and otherworldly sights, from the Cotton Castle of Pamukkale and psychedelic rockscapes of Cappadocia to the open-air archaeological museum of Qobustan in Azerbaijan and the magnificent cave town of Vardzia in Georgia.