Eastern Black Sea Turkey Tour - 8 Days/7 Nights

Upon your arrival at Ankara airport, you’ll be greeted by your guide, board our busses, and set off for Kastamonu (250 km - 4 hrs) for our Black Sea tour. Kastamonu is a historical city known for its steep and deep canyons with lush forests which are home to diverse wildlife, plateaus, caves, sandy beaches, coves, historic mansions, Archeology Museum, and delicious local dishes, as well as the ancient city of Pompeipolis and Ilgaz Ski Center in the central Black Sea region. We will have a lunch break on the way and continue towards Kastamonu by crossing the Ilgaz Mountains with scenic views. You’ll have free time after check-in at the hotel. After resting, you can explore nearby sites, such as historical mansions, the clock tower, and enjoy a cup of Turkish coffee cooked on embers. Dinner and overnight in Kastamonu hotel. ( Dinner )

After breakfast at the hotel, we will depart for our next destination, the city of Sinop (190 km - 2 hrs). Upon our arrival to Sinop, located at the northernmost point of Turkey, we will visit Sinop Castle built in the 8th century BC and the famous Sinop Historic Prison, known as the Alcatraz of Anatolia. The prison, which has been the subject of many novels, was built inside the castle in 1568 and had been in use until it was closed and turned into a museum in 1999. Afterward, we will have lunch at a local restaurant. Then, we will discover the Akliman Nature Park and the Hamsilos fjord. Then, we will see the northernmost point of Turkey İnceburun, and the scenic lighthouse here. 
Finally, we will visit the Kotra workshop, which has become the symbol of Sinop with handmade wooden model ships and depart for Samsun (160 km - 2 hrs). On the way, we will take a short break in Gerze Port, which is famous for its mussels and seafood.
Dinner and accommodation in Samsun.   (Breakfast –  Dinner )

After breakfast, we will start exploring Samsun from Tütün İskelesi (Tobacco Pier), the site of Bandırma Ferry, which is the symbol of the Turkish War of Independence used by the founder of the Republic of Turkey, Atatürk, on his trip from Istanbul to Samsun in 1919. Afterward, we will see the model village of the Amazon women of the Cimmerian tribe and have a city tour. Then, we will set off for Ordu. On the way, in the town of Perşembe, we will visit Cape Jason and the historical Church of Jason. 
Upon our arrival in Ordu, we will take the cable car to Boztepe, the highest hill of the city, and have a relaxing cup of coffee here while enjoying the views. Afterward, we will go back to the city and have lunch at a local restaurant and continue on our way towards the city of Giresun. Upon arrival, we will see the Giresun Island, Giresun Castle built during the reign of Pontus Ruler Farnakes. Giresun is also famous for hazelnuts which are known to be the world’s most oily and quality hazelnuts. 
Next, we will pass through Tirebolu and its renowned river and the Zigana Pass at an altitude of 1735 meters, which still preserves its importance as a gateway on trade routes since ancient times, then we will reach Hamsiköy, a typical Black Sea village surrounded by nature. Located at an altitude of 1300 meters over the Kaçkar Mountains, Hamsiköy is famous for its trekking and mountain biking activities and delicious rice pudding. We will reach Altındere Valley by passing through Coşandere and Maçka, known for its stony roads.
Next, we will visit the Sumela Monastery (Panagia Soumela Monastery), a Greek Orthodox monastery and church complex built on the side of a mountain slope at 1150 m above sea level by carving inside the rocks in 360-395 AD. The complex consists of priest chambers, kitchen, chapels and aqueducts, adorned with frescoes. The monastery was closed since 2015 for restoration work but reopened to visitors recently. 
Arrival in Trabzon, dinner, and overnight in Trabzon hotel.   (Breakfast –  Dinner )

We will start our Trabzon tour after having breakfast early in the morning.
When the Roman Empire was divided into two at the end of the 4th century, Trabzon remained under the rule of the Eastern Roman Empire, known as the Byzantine Empire. After years of fighting and trade between the Byzantines and the Arabs, the Arabs started calling the people of the region under Roman rule as Rums (Greeks).
Today, we will first visit Hagia Sophia Church in Trabzon, which was built between 1238 and 1265 during the Komnenos Kingdom and is known for its frescoes depicting scenes from the Bible and Torah. Next, we will visit the Atatürk Pavilion, which was built by a Greek businessman in 1890 and gifted to Atatürk. 
In Trabzon, you can shop at precious handmade jewelry shops and learn about the Kazaziye and Silver Filigree artworks, which are unique to Trabzon. Next, we will go to Uzungöl, via the towns of Çaykara and Of, to enjoy its world-famous scenery. We will have lunch at a local restaurant here and have free time. 
Afterward, we will visit a Rize fabric (Feretiko) workshop, which is one of the most important traditional handicrafts of Rize. After some shopping here, we will head for the tea gardens of Çayeli and Çeçeva villages. Then, we will drive to Ayder Yaylası (Ayder Plateau) via Çamlıhemşin. We will have a relaxing walk to enjoy this lovely plateau and have a cup of tea while chatting with the local people in the open air over the magnificent views of Ayder. Dinner and accommodation in Ayder Yaylası.   (Breakfast –  Dinner ) 
** You can join a special entertainment program with regional Black Sea dances and music in the evening.

Today, we will have a delicious breakfast on the oxygen-rich Ayder plateau and head for the Fırtına (Storm) Valley. After visiting the Zilkale and Çinçiva (Şenyuva) villages 750 meters above sea level, you can join the Rafting, Zipline or Huge Swing activities in the Fırtına Valley. (not included) 
Rafting: Carried out under the supervision of licensed instructors on 6-7 person boats, rafting in Fırtına Valley is an exciting activity full of adrenaline. (duration 1.5 hrs) 
Zipline: This activity is carried out on steel ropes where participants cross over the valley at a length of 350 m. 
Huge Swing: Get ready to ride the most interesting swing of your life. These gigantic swings perched on the edge of hills offer exciting moments. 
We will have lots of opportunities to take pictures and meet the local people by walking around the hundreds of years old historical stone bridges over the Fırtına Deresi (Storm River) flowing down the valley between the green forests. After seeing the Palovit Waterfall,  Çat Valley, and Pokut Plateau, we will have lunch at a local restaurant, and we will learn about the tea picking and packaging process in a tea factory and visit the handcrafted knife workshop made from special Sürmene steel in Sürmene district, which bears the traces of the Seljuks. At the end of our visits, we will drive back to Ordu via Giresun. Arrival and overnight in Ordu.   (Breakfast –  Dinner.

After breakfast, we will drive through Fatsa to the Perşembe Plateau, which has a different topography from the other Eastern Black Sea plateaus and the widest plains of the Black Sea region. We’ll enjoy the views here for some time and have a 2-hour trip to Amasya, the city of Princes. Upon arrival, we’ll have a lunch break at a local restaurant, check-in at an hour hotel, and rest for a while. Then, we will start our tour of the historical city of Amasya, located on the banks of the Yeşilırmak River. Here, we’ll see the Şehzadeler Park, Sultan Bayezid II Complex, historical mansions with bay windows, Amasya Clock Tower, the Tombs of the Kings of Pontus dating back to 336 BC, the Archeology Museum, and the water channels that are the subject of the love story of Ferhat and Şirin. Located in the Central Black Sea area, Amasya is one of the oldest settlements in Anatolia with a history of 7,500 years. The old mansions here, which have been turned into boutique hotels, are very popular among tourists. We’ll enjoy the rest of the day sipping coffee at the cafes by Yeşilırmak facing the wooden mansions and the Tombs of Kings.
Dinner and accommodation in Amasya.   (Breakfast –  Dinner )

After an early breakfast, we will set off to Ankara (approx. 350 km - 5 hrs). After about 1.5 hours, we’ll arrive in the city of Çorum, which is famous for its roasted chickpeas, and visit the ancient city of Alacahöyük, one of the most important settlements of the Hittite Kingdom. Alacahöyük, which occupies an important place in the Hittite history and contains the ruins of the first dam in Anatolia, and 14 settlement layers dating from four different cultural phases. We’ll also visit the Alacahöyük Museum, which provides information about Hittite architecture and art. Some of the most important findings from the excavations are displayed here, including 13 royal tombs from the ancient Bronze Age, jewelry made of gold, silver, bronze, and precious stones, and commonly used household items. 
After the museum, we’ll visit the capital of the Hittite civilization, Hattuşa (Boğazköy) built 3700 years ago. We have the best information about Hattusa, which was the capital of the Hittite Civilization for 400 years after the Hattians, from the Hittite cuneiform archive, exhibited at the Boğazkale Museum today. The museum is home to historical artifacts such as statues, jewelry, and household items belonging to civilizations that once lived in Central Anatolia. Boğazkale district has countless ruins from the Hattian, Assyrian, Hittite, Phrygian, Galatian, Roman, and Byzantine periods. We’ll also visit Yazılıkaya, built by the Hittites among high rocks as a sacred place of worship, an open-air temple to hold celebrations and rituals. Here, we’ll see fascinating depictions of gods and goddesses carved on rocks, the Great Temple, Lion's Gate, King's Gate, Tunnel, Summer Palace, and the Hattusa City Walls which once surrounded the whole city. 
After our visit, we’ll have lunch at the local restaurant with traditional Hittite dishes and continue on our way to Ankara.
Dinner and accommodation in Ankara.   (Breakfast –  Dinner )

After breakfast, we will check out and explore the capital of Turkey, Ankara. We’ll have a sightseeing tour in Çankaya and Kızılay districts where foreign embassies, consulates, Prime Ministry, and parliament buildings are located. Then, we will visit Anıtkabir, or the Mausoleum of Atatürk, the final resting place of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the leader of the Turkish War of Independence and the founder of the Republic of Turkey. Here, we will see 4000 books read by Atatürk and his personal belongings in the Anıtkabir Museum. Afterward, we’ll have free time in Ankara’s biggest shopping malls until our airport transfer time.  ( Breakfast ) 
Our tour will end with your transfer to Ankara Airport.  Ankara Airport Transfer will be a private transfer. Hope to see you on another Turkey Holiday.