Turkey: Across The Anatolian Plateau to Istanbul
Group Tour
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Overview
The mountains, high plateaus and steppe lands of Central Turkey have witnessed countless invaders and conquerors from the Hittites and the Byzantines to the Seljuks and Ottomans; all of them leaving their distinctive marks on the land and amongst the people.
On this journey we’ll discover much of this impressive and diverse legacy as we travel from the Black Sea coastal city of Trabzon over the mountains towards the rarely visited but stunning UNESCO Great Mosque in Divriği taking ...
The mountains, high plateaus and steppe lands of Central Turkey have witnessed countless invaders and conquerors from the Hittites and the Byzantines to the Seljuks and Ottomans; all of them leaving their distinctive marks on the land and amongst the people.
On this journey we’ll discover much of this impressive and diverse legacy as we travel from the Black Sea coastal city of Trabzon over the mountains towards the rarely visited but stunning UNESCO Great Mosque in Divriği taking in the iconic sight of the 4th century cliff-hanging Sumela Monastery en route. In Sivas we’ll admire some of the world’s finest Seljuk architecture before continuing on to the magical landscapes of Cappadocia. Here amongst the carved volcanic tufa yet more UNESCO treasures await in the form of Göreme and there’ll be both time and opportunity to explore this stunning region on foot.
Our final leg of the journey takes us across the plains of Konya by way of the great caravanserai of Sultanhani to visit the tombs of Mevlana and Atatürk and explore the stunning Museum of Anatolian Civilisations in Ankara. We conclude our journey amongst the breath-taking cultural highlights of Istanbul, a city that was undoubtedly once the greatest on earth, laying at the heart of three of the world’s most enduring empires - Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman.
HIGHLIGHTS
At a glance
MEALS
TRANSPORT
On this tour we will use minibuses and trains.
GROUP SIZE
EXPERT TEAM
ACCOMMODATION
ENTRANCE FEES
FITNESS RATING
WILD MILES
ACCOMMODATION
As an overall ethos, wherever possible we aim to use characterful accommodation that enhances the overall travel experience, not just offers a bed for the night. This can obviously vary dramatically from country to country and from trip to trip. On this particular trip we will be in comfortable hotels throughout. Please note that the accommodation mentioned in the itinerary is intended as a guide only and is always subject to availability.
FITNESS RATING
LOW: You should be comfortable walking around towns and cultural sites. May include some optional walks (typically 1-2hrs).LOW/MODERATE: May be of a long duration and/or involve numerous border-crossings. May include easy/moderate day walks (up to 2-3hrs/day). You should be relatively fit and lead a generally active lifestyle.
MODERATE: May include several easy/moderate day walks (up to 2-5hrs/day) possibly at altitude. You should be relatively fit and lead a generally active lifestyle. Previous experience of similar trips helpful.
MODERATE/HIGH: May involve several days of moderate hiking (up to 3-6 hrs/day) possibly at altitude. You must be a fit and active traveller with appropriate trekking experience.
HIGH: May involve several days of moderate/strenuous trekking (up to 4-7 hrs/day) possibly at altitude. You must be a very fit and active traveller with appropriate trekking experience.
Wild Miles Club
When you book a trip with Wild Frontiers you are awarded points, which are based on the return distance from London to the arrival city of your trip. Points are awarded for all our holidays, including both our escorted group tours and tailor-made trips. When you accrue points, you will qualify for the following discounts on all future bookings:
| Blue | More than 10,000 points | 2.5% discount |
| Bronze | More than 30,000 points | 5% discount |
| Silver | More than 45,000 points | 7.5% discount |
| Gold | More than 60,000 points | 10% discount |
Map & Itinerary
Individual departures may vary so please refer to the information in the tour specific links in the Dates and Prices section below
Day 1 Tour starts in Trabzon
Day 1 Tour starts in Trabzon
The tour starts this evening in the Black Sea coastal hub of Trabzon where we’ll enjoy a welcome dinner.
Day 2 Trabzon - Sumela - Kemaliye
Day 2 Trabzon - Sumela - Kemaliye
This morning we'll pay a visit to Trabzon's renowned Haghia Sophia, considered by many to be one of the finest examples of Byzantine architecture anywhere. Heading inland we'll then discover the iconic Sumela Monastery. Perched like an eyrie, high up on the sheer cliffs, this Greek Orthodox retreat can trace its antecedents back to the 4th century and the surrounding views and exquisite frescoes make this one of the finest settings in Turkey. Heading up and over the mountains we'll travel as far as the town of Kemaliye, which is known for its historic architecture, including many Ottoman-era houses.
Day 3 Kemaliye - Divrigi - Sivas
Day 3 Kemaliye - Divrigi - Sivas
Leaving Kemaliye this morning we first head south to the town of Arapgir, where we’ll visit a 700-year-old 'Cemevi' - a place of worship for Turkey's Alevi community. Our visit will give us an insight into the religious diversity in Turkey and the influence of the large, but almost invisible, Alevi faithful whose beliefs, way of life and forms of worship are very different to the orthodox Sunni majority. We'll continue to Divrigi to visit the UNESCO site of the Great Mosque and hospital before finally we head north-west to the old Seljuk capital of Sivas to spend the night.
Day 4 Sivas - Cappadocia (Avanos)
Day 4 Sivas - Cappadocia (Avanos)
Sivas once lay along the road to Baghdad, ensuring its development as an important centre for trade and culture. Under the rule of the Seljuks it grew into a mecca for learning and scholarship, and periodically served as the capital of the Seljuk Empire, along with Konya. Many of the city’s more interesting architecture stems from this period and its historic heart is liberally sprinkled with 13th century madrassahs and minarets that are covered in beautiful turquoise and blue tiles. We’ll have the whole morning to enjoy this historical city before driving on to Avanos this afternoon - our base for the next three nights, in the heart of Cappadocia.
Day 5 Cappadocia
Day 5 Cappadocia
We will spend the whole day exploring some of the highlights of the region, beginning at the Göreme Open Air Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here we will walk through the valley and explore the painted churches of this former Byzantine monastery. This afternoon we’ll visit Kaymakli underground city, originally carved out by the Hittites around 3000BC, and then Uchisar Fortress, built by the Romans, from where we’ll be able to enjoy spectacular views of the area. We’ll also take a walk to visit the fairy chimneys known as 'Love Valley' before returning to Avanos for the evening.
Day 6 Cappadocia
Day 6 Cappadocia
A second day to enjoy this stunning area, we’ll head to the lesser known Soganli Valley today to enjoy a two-hour walk and see several of the painted churches. We’ll also visit the unspoiled villages of Cemil, Taskinpasa and Sahin Efendi before returning to Avanos town, set on the banks of the Kizilirmak - the Red River. The red clay of the river provides the raw material for pottery, which has been produced in this area for centuries. There’ll be time to visit some of the family-run potteries for which the town is famous this afternoon.
Day 7 Avanos - Konya - Ankara
Day 7 Avanos - Konya - Ankara
Leaving Avanos this morning, we’ll drive across the plain of Konya stopping to visit Sultanhani, one of the largest caravanserais on the Silk Road, dating back to the 13th century. Continuing on to Konya, we will visit the Mevlana Museum, containing the tomb of the great dervish and poet Mevlana Jelaleddin Rumi. We’ll also visit the Seljuk period Karatay Madrassa before taking a late afternoon bullet train to Ankara, Turkey’s modern-day capital.
Day 8 Ankara
Day 8 Ankara
We start the day with a 2.4 km walk, to absorb the sights and the sounds of this great capital city, first though Gençlik park, then up through the wide modern avenues, passing buildings that played an important part in the formation of modern Turkey, and passing a few remnants of the Roman city too, before arriving at the old town near the citadel. Today we’ll visit two of the country’s most essential sights. The first is the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations, one of the world’s most critically acclaimed museums (and deservedly so) displaying artefacts found within the borders of Turkey between 100,000 BC and 200 AD. The second is the Mausoleum of Ataturk, Turkey’s revered 'father' who almost single-handedly is responsible for Turkey’s continued existence today following its defeat in World War I. This enormous monument is dedicated to Ataturk and the architecture of the mausoleum is based upon the caravanserai staging posts of the Silk Road. We will also have a chance to see Ankara Castle, with its great views over the city.
Day 9 Ankara - Istanbul
Day 9 Ankara - Istanbul
The last stage of our epic journey takes us by high-speed train towards Turkey’s cultural capital, Istanbul, formerly Constantinople. The train terminates on the Asian side of the city, and we walk the vibrant streets of Kadikoy neighbourhood (1.5km), with colourful shops, trendy restaurants and bars, before we arrive at the magnificent shores of the mythical Bosphorus. As the amazing skyline of Istanbul opens out before us, we get on one of the local ferryboats enabling us to see both sides of Istanbul from the water, before taking our first footstep back on continental Europe, taking in the minarets and domes of one of the world’s greatest cities and a fitting finale to our Anatolian adventure. After settling into the hotel, you will be invited to join a guided tour of the nearby sites of the Hippodrome, the Blue mosque and the Basilica cisterns.
Day 10 Istanbul
Day 10 Istanbul
We’ll spend the morning exploring Sultanhamet, Istanbul’s historic centre. Here we’ll see the iconic Aya Sophia, which was built at the command of Emperor Justinian in the 6th century. In the afternoon you’ll be free to experience the extensive Grand Bazaar, one of the largest in the Middle East and a shopper's mecca since just after the mid-15th century. Tonight we’ll meet up for our final dinner in this truly fascinating city.
Day 11 Tour ends in Istanbul
Day 11 Tour ends in Istanbul
The tour ends after breakfast at our hotel today.
ACCOMMODATION USED ON THIS TOUR
Usta Park Hotel, Trabzon
Situated in the heart of the old town, this perfunctory ‘city centre’ hotel has all you need for a pleasant stay in this interesting town. Laid out over seven floors, the en suite rooms are all of a decent size and decorated in light and neutral hues, well-equipped with safe, kettle, fridge, mini bar and TV, and offering modern-style bathrooms. There is a large reception meeting area on the ground floor and a sizable dining area on the top floor from which fabulous views of the Black Sea can be enjoyed.
The Ankara Hotel, Ankara
With its unique location inside the new Ankara railroad terminal, the Ankara Hotel brings the traditional bazaar culture together with the modern trends of the city. Located at the cross section of the old and the new city centre it is a great property for you to spend your time in Ankara. An on site restaurant brings both local dishes and cuisines from around the World.
Grand Sirkeci Hotel, Istanbul
In the heart of Old Istanbul within easy reach of many of the city's top tourist attractions, the Grand Sirkeci offers modern rooms in an historic building. With neutral decor, all rooms are well equipped with en suite bathroom, tea and coffee facilities, tv, minibar and full length windows, some with balconies. The courtyard restaurant provides a gourmet breakfast buffet as well as meals including Turkish and international cuisine.
Hotel Rating
Hotel Rating
Hotel Rating
Accommodation displayed here should be taken as a guide only. *Please refer to the Detailed Itinerary of your individual departure for more information.
PRIVATE HOLIDAYS: DATES DON’T FIT?
All group tours can be taken on a private basis.
Additional Details
Responsible Travel
With local people, culture and eco-systems in mind, responsible travel and sustainable tourism are at the core of Wild Frontiers. We believe that a successful trip not only delivers a unique and unsurpassable journey for our travellers but also benefits the people and places we visit.
When designing our tours, we actively seek out experiences that have a positive impact on the communities and precious environments we visit - from supporting social enterprises; resting our heads in rural homestays; and eating at locally owned restaurants; to helping fund conservation projects that protect wildlife and their habitats.
Visit the Responsible Travel area of our website to read more, including the work of the Wild Frontiers Foundation through which we fundraise to aid community empowerment and education projects.
Reducing Single Use Plastic
We recognise the environmental issues and challenges around single-use plastic in many countries we visit and are actively working with our partners on the ground to reduce plastic waste on our tours and within the hotels and restaurants we visit. You can help to reduce your personal plastic waste by taking a refillable, filtered water bottle with you on your trip. Filtered water bottles can be refilled from water sources including your hotel room and restaurant taps, drinking fountains and refill stations. Every time you refill your bottle without the use of single-use plastic, you will be helping to reduce waste and protect the environment. Filtered Water Bottles | Wild Frontiers (wildfrontierstravel.com)
Getting There
If you would like us to send you a quote for the suggested tour flights or on any alternative flight that may suit you better, please let us know, noting that for our US clients, we will most likely refer you to one of our preferred partners. For this trip our suggested flights from the UK (subject to change) are shown below.
If you wish to arrange your own flights you are completely free to do so and in this case we can arrange any transfers or supplementary accommodation that you may require. However please note that if you are planning on making your own flight arrangements, we recommend that you first check with us to see if the trip is guaranteed. We then suggest that you purchase flights that are flexible and ideally refundable as due to the nature of adventure travel, itineraries and destination accessibility can change at any time. For more information, please refer to our booking conditions.
| Flight Code | Departing | Arriving |
|---|---|---|
| TK 1988 | London Heathrow (LHR) 06:30 | Istanbul (IST) 12:35 |
| TK 2834 | Istanbul (IST) 17:35 | Trabzon Airport (TZX) 19:30 |
| TK 1971 | Istanbul (IST) 14:45 | London Heathrow (LHR) 16:40 |
Visas & Vaccinations
VISAS
Visas are necessary for many of the destinations we travel to and while we aim to provide you with the most up-to-date information, requirements frequently change and as such for the latest advice we advise that you check with the relevant embassies or contact a reputable visa agency. More details can be found here - https://www.wildfrontierstravel.com/visa
For this tour UK passport holders currently do not require a visa for Turkey.
Passports should ideally be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the end of your tour.
Non-UK passport holders or non-UK residents should contact the relevant embassies for individual requirements.
VACCINATIONS & ADDITIONAL TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS
There are no mandatory vaccination requirements for travellers to Turkey.
For all destinations, please make sure you are up-to-date with any standard vaccinations (e.g. MMR, Hepatitis A, Tetanus) as recommended by your local health care provider.
For the most up-to-date information on all vaccination requirements and the most suitable anti-malarial tablets, we strongly suggest that you seek advice from your local travel centre or consult an official travel health website such as www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk or www.travelhealthpro.org.uk
Covid Testing: No mandatory testing is currently required for vaccinated or unvaccinated travellers.
If necessary further details will be sent out to you upon booking, however ensuring that correct and valid visas & vaccinations are obtained remains the sole responsibility of the client.
Extensions
If you have more time available, why not arrive early to adjust to a new time zone or just to get a feel for the country before your tour starts? Alternatively, you might choose to allow a few extra days after the tour to relax or to undertake some further exploration.
The choice is completely yours and we can usually arrange anything from simply additional accommodation and transfers to full tailor-made itineraries*. Please contact the office for more details and to discuss your requirements.
*Please note bespoke, tailor-made itineraries need to be a minimum of 7 days and we can only offer them in countries where we have a tailor-made expert
Governmental Travel Advice
Many governments issue advice which highlights potential hazards their citizens might experience when travelling abroad. We strongly suggest you refer to your country’s particular advisory site before booking and contact us if you have any queries or concerns. Click to follow links to the advice of the British Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) or the US State Department.
Non-UK citizens should consult the travel advice of their respective governments.
Key Information
CLIMATE
Central Turkey is such a vast land mass that it is hard to sum up its climate. As a general rule, the coastal areas (around Trabzon and Istanbul) will have their temperatures moderated by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara but summers and winters can still be harsh, although not so much as in the interior. Spring and Autumn remain the best overall times to visit although travel is definitely possible year round.
IS THIS TRIP FOR ME?
It may sound obvious but Wild Frontiers tours are not always for everyone and it is important to us that the tour you choose is the most suitable. All our tours have a fitness rating as a guideline but you should check the day-by-day itinerary carefully. In certain instances we may ask you to complete a travel questionnaire before confirming your booking in order to ensure your suitability. Should you have any concerns about your ability to partake in any aspect of the tour then please contact the office.
KEY ASPECTS TO CONSIDER
Anyone in a reasonable state of health, with an open mind and a sense of adventure should be perfectly able to cope with this tour, however please note that in order to fully benefit from all aspects of the trip you should be sufficiently active to be able to walk around the vast open areas of Cappadocia and feel comfortable getting on/off trains with your luggage.
THE NATURE OF ADVENTURE TRAVEL
We feel that it’s worth pointing out that while we will always strive to stick as close to the stated itinerary as possible, it may be necessary from time to time to make changes to our itineraries or services (due to weather, political and religious influences etc.) and this can happen with little or no notice. This unpredictability can be one of the most exciting aspects of adventure travel and for many of our clients often leads to unexpected highlights as the tour-leader necessarily adapts the tour to the changing conditions. However we are aware that this lack of assuredness may not suit everyone. As such, with the greatest respect, if you are someone who needs to know that everything will happen exactly as planned, we would kindly suggest that perhaps our tours are not for you. Adventure travel can be infectious and once you’ve caught the bug, it is likely to never leave you, but especially if this is your first such tour we would strongly urge you to give us a call if you have any concerns whatsoever about your suitability for this trip.
TRAVELLING SOLO AND SINGLE SUPPLEMENTS
As a company approximately 70% of our clients are solo travellers, so it’s very unlikely you’ll be alone!
Our prices are typically based on twin-share accommodation but single supplements are not compulsory for any Wild Frontiers tour. If you prefer not to pay a single supplement we’ll pair you with someone else of the same sex for you to share with throughout the trip.
On this trip, if you do opt to pay for a single supplement then please note that it will cover you for all nights of the tour.
Please note that paying a single supplement entitles you to lone occupancy of a single room. In many cases these rooms will be of the same size as a double/twin room, but in some cases they may be smaller.
INSURANCE
Insurance that provides cover for emergency repatriation in case of a medical emergency is compulsory for all tours. You should be aware that due to some of the geographical areas visited and some of the activities included on certain of our trips some standard insurance policies may not always provide adequate cover. As such we strongly recommend that you purchase a policy that adequately covers your trip. Please see the Insurance section for more details.
General Information
TOUR PRICE
All our tours are priced on a land-only basis, giving you maximum flexibility when deciding how to get to and from your tour.
DEPOSIT
A 10% deposit is required to confirm your booking.
PROTECTION FOR YOUR MONEY
For further details please see our travelling with peace of mind page
WILD MILES
This tour will earn you 4024 Wild Miles
WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED
We believe in a completely transparent approach to pricing with no hidden extras. As such, please note that the following are not included in the cost of the tour.
Visas & Travel Insurance: Visas will always be tour/nationality dependent but travel insurance is mandatory
Tips: Always optional but some guidance will be given in the pre-departure information documents
International Flights: Please ask us for an obligation-free quote for flights which originate in the UK
Airport Transfers: We include complimentary transfers if arriving/departing on the suggested group flights
Beverages & any costs of a personal nature: This will include items such as laundry and souvenirs
WILD FRONTIERS COMMUNITY
If you’re still not sure if this trip is right or just want to see get some different perspectives, then why not have a look at the wide variety of resources we have on our website? Browse our community section to read our blogs, watch videos and find out about our events.
WHY WILD FRONTIERS?
We are frequently asked what makes Wild Frontiers different from other tour operators. Visit our Why Wild Frontiers page to find out.