Mount Nemrut, Göbeklitepe, Diyarbakır & Mardin Tour from Istanbul

Istanbul to Gaziantep & Şanlıurfa

Begin with an early private transfer from your Istanbul hotel to Istanbul Airport. Fly to Gaziantep, where your licensed guide and private driver will meet you at the airport exit with a sign bearing your name.

After a short drive, visit the Zeugma Mosaic Museum, home to an exceptional collection of Roman mosaics recovered from the ancient city of Zeugma. The museum also displays frescoes, fountains, columns, sculptures, grave stelae and sarcophagi that reveal the artistic wealth of the Euphrates region.

Enjoy lunch in Gaziantep, a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy celebrated for its kebabs, pistachios and baklava. Afterwards, explore the historical center with visits around Gaziantep Castle, the traditional copper market and a local baklava shop.

Continue approximately one and a half hours to Şanlıurfa. Check in to your hotel, enjoy dinner at a selected local restaurant and rest after the day’s journey. Overnight in Şanlıurfa.

Meals included: Lunch and dinner.

Şanlıurfa, Harran, Göbeklitepe & Adıyaman

After breakfast, explore the historic center of Şanlıurfa, traditionally known as the City of Prophets. Visit Balıklıgöl – the Pool of Abraham, where local tradition tells how fire became water and burning wood became the sacred carp still living in the pool.

Walk through the old streets before driving approximately one hour to Harran. Discover its distinctive adobe beehive houses, castle remains, ancient walls and the ruins connected with its historic center of learning.

Continue approximately 30 minutes to Göbeklitepe. Walk around the protected excavation area and examine its monumental T-shaped pillars, animal reliefs and ceremonial enclosures dating to the beginning of the Neolithic period.

After the visit, continue toward Adıyaman. Lunch and dinner are arranged during the day according to the route and confirmed timing. Check in to your hotel and prepare for the very early Mount Nemrut departure the following morning. Overnight in Adıyaman.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Mount Nemrut Sunrise, Commagene Sites, Diyarbakır & Mardin

Depart very early, usually around 03:30, for Mount Nemrut. From the national park entrance, walk uphill for approximately 20–30 minutes to reach the monumental terraces and royal sanctuary of King Antiochus I.

Watch sunrise across the surrounding mountains beside the colossal statues of gods, kings, lions and eagles. Your guide will explain the Kingdom of Commagene and the sanctuary’s remarkable combination of eastern and western traditions.

Descend from the mountain and continue to Arsameia Ancient City, the former summer capital of Commagene. Follow the ceremonial path to its reliefs, rock-cut monuments, inscriptions and tunnel structures.

Visit the Roman-era Cendere Bridge and the Karakus Tumulus, a funerary monument associated with the women of the Commagene royal family. Afterwards, return to the hotel for breakfast.

Continue approximately two and a half hours to Diyarbakır. Explore the UNESCO-listed Diyarbakır Fortress and City Walls, learn about the cultural landscape of the Hevsel Gardens and visit the Great Mosque of Diyarbakır, one of Anatolia’s most important historic mosques.

After lunch and an afternoon in Diyarbakır, drive approximately one hour to Mardin. Check in to your hotel and enjoy dinner. Overnight in Mardin.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Mardin Heritage Tour & Flight Back to Istanbul

After breakfast, begin exploring Mardin, a multi-cultural city built along a hillside overlooking the Mesopotamian plains. Its golden limestone houses, narrow lanes and monumental buildings reflect centuries of Artuqid, Islamic and Syriac Christian heritage.

Visit the impressive Kasimiye Madrasa, followed by the hilltop Zinciriye Madrasa. Continue through the old city to the Mardin Grand Mosque, an iconic example of Artuqid-period stone architecture.

Complete the cultural program at Deyrulzafaran Monastery, an active Syriac Orthodox monastery located outside the city with sweeping views across Upper Mesopotamia.

After lunch, transfer privately to Mardin Airport for the flight back to Istanbul. Upon arrival, your driver will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your Istanbul hotel.

Meals included: Breakfast and lunch.