Hanging Sumela Monastery, tea plantations, verdoyant slopes and waterfalls, Ayder plateau and mystical pines, discover the Black Sea region and Bursa from Istanbul

On your arrival at Istanbul Airport you will be met by one of our staff and transferred to your hotel in Istanbul. The rest of the day is free time for you to explore this magical city. Overnight in Istanbul.

After breakfast we will pick you up from hotel and start a full day guided tour of old city in historical peninsula beginning with great museum Hagia Sophia, one of the greatest marvels of architecture, constructed as a basilica in the 6th century by Emperor Justinian.

Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Topkapı Palace, Little Hagia Sophia Mosque, Grand Covered Bazaar.

End of the tour transfer to your hotel. Overnight in Istanbul.

We pick you up from your hotel in early morning, transfer to airport for a morning flight to Trabzon and we meet our guests at Trabzon Airport with our crew and we start to see verdoyant Black Sea without more ado. Firstly, we visit Sumela Monastery which was constructed on the step slopes of the Black Mount and it is located in Golden River National Park. We will have our lunch at a restaurant located on outskirts of the Mount Zigana and among the mystical pines. After the meal, we visit the Cave Karaca, located in Torul, Gümüshane and presents us a visual recital with its stalactites and stalagmites. We have a break at the Mount Zigana which has two climates on its both sides passing the Zigana Pass and then we reach Hamsikoy which is the home town of rice pudding following the old Iranian Road. We taste the rice pudding, drink our tea in a country tea house and do a nature walk then drive to your hotel, dinner and overnight stay in Trabzon.

Breakfast at your hotel then we start the day by visiting Hagia Sophia which had been used as a museum and was converted into a mosque. Then we visit Ataturk’s Villa where he used to stay during his visits to Trabzon. After that, we go up to the hillside Boztepe to see the panoramic view of the city. We sip our teas coming with traditional semouvers by watching the city from the hillside. We will have our lunch at the Lake Sera. After the lunch we depart for the Lake Uzungol in the afternoon. On the way, we will see the local workshops like local textile arts and visit a tea factory in Of town. Then we arrive in Uzungol. We will have our dinner accompanied with live music. Overnight stay in Uzungol.

After the breakfast, we depart for the highland Ayder. On our way, we will stop for a tea break in Rize Botanical Garden, observe the workers weaving local fabrics, see the rafting area on the River Fırtına and experience the Laz regional culture. We will arrive at our hotel in Ayder in the afternoon driving through the rain forests and the waterfalls. You will admire the lush verdoyant landscape of the region. After arriving at Ayder then it will be your free walking time for you to appreciate the beauty of this gorgeous region. We will have our dinner accompanied with local violin and pipes. Overnight stay in Ayder at a local hotel.

After the breakfast taken at your hotel, we depart for the village called Caglayan located in Fındıklı in the morning. The village is famous for tea and kiwi groves and traditional Lazic mansions. You will have an hour break for taking pictures, we do an hour nature walk along the River Caglayan. Then we drive to Cayeli in order to have our lunch whre you get a chance to taste the beans that are famous throughout Turkiye. After the meal, we arrive in Trabzon following the Black Sea coastal road. You have free time so that you can discover the historical bazaar area of Trabzon and buy some souvenirs from Trabzon. At the end of the tour we transfer you to the airport for a flight to Istanbul. Arrival in Istanbul and transfer to your hotel.

Breakfast at your hotel then we pick you up from your hotel and begin with a brief visit to City Walls which surround the whole part of the old city since 5th Century.

Golden Horn, the bend in the Bosphorus and a natural harbour of the historical peninsula.

Spice Bazaar, different aromas of various spices. Bosphorus Cruise, through the waterway separating the two continents, Europe and Asia, with a possibility to take photographs of marble palaces, small fishing villages, ancient wooden villas of Ottoman architectureside by side with modern luxury apartments. During the excursion you will pass the magnificent Dolmabahce Palace, imperial pavillions of Yildiz Palace, Ciragan Palace, and Ortakoy which is a symbol of tolerance with a church, a mosque and a synagogue existing side by side for centuries.

Rumeli Fortress (from the boat – no interior visit), historical armament built by the Conqueror to control and protect the Bosphorus. A unique example of military architecture.

Beylerbeyi Palace, the summer residence of Ottoman Sultans with its original furniture and magnificent gardens with the Harem on Asian Side.

Bosphorus Bridge, unique chance to step from one continent (Europe) to another (Asia) in a day.

Camlıca Hill, panoramic view of Istanbul and Bosphorus from one of the highest and most appealing place of the city.

At the end of the tour we take you back to your hotel and overnight in Istanbul.

If you find yourself feeling the need to escape from the bustle of Istanbul for a day, the Princes' Island Tour would be the best. You will join us aboard a ferry bound for the idyllic Princes' Island, enjoying cool breezes and charming sights along the way. Our destination is Buyukada, the largest of the island chain, it was a site of exiled palace members, particularly in the Byzantine era, the popular summer resort with pinewood scenery and wooden mansions, once the pleasure island of Byzantine Princes.

You will have your lunch at a nice fish restaurant in the island.

There you can enjoy a ride in an electric carriage among the pine trees after relaxing on the beaches in the numerous coves of its coast. Evening return to Istanbul and transfer to hotels.

Breakfast at your hotel then you will be picked up from your hotel and taken to the pier for ferry to Bursa. While enjoying the lovely countryside  view, we will drive to Bursa, the fisrt capital city of Ottomans where the Ottoman Empire was first started. Taste its famous Iskender Kebap, walk through its old markets, climb to the Uludag, the legendary mount of Grek Gods, Olympos, by cable car. Visit Ulu cami, ( Grand Mosque ), Green Mosque, Green Tomb, The Old Silk Market. See the high quality of silk scarves in here. See the real life of Turkish people in the region.

End of the day drive back to Istanbul, arrival and transfer to your hotel.

After breakfast at your hotel, our tour concludes and it is time for us to say goodbye. We will take you to the airport in time for you to catch your international flight back home and we will wish you a very pleasant flight. We hope to see you again on another Pomegranate Tour.