This is an itinerary of great variety; from the tea-plantations of the Black Sea coast to the high plateau of Eastern Anatolia.

You may decide not to take a dip on the coast but you should sample a swim in Lake Van. Having obtained your car from our represenative at the airport you will spend the next one or two days in the hills above Trabzon from where you can visit the Sumehla Monastry and the ancient city of Trebizond itself, a third night is spent along the coast before heading inland over the Kackar mountains into Turkish Georgia with its beautiful old churches, fast flowing rivers, and steep gorges.

The unusual climate has made some to claim that here was the original Garden of Eden. After three days you will travel on to the high plateau skirting the beautiful Cildir Lake to reach Kars and Ani. Mount Ararat appears shimmering like a princess and birds of prey hover above you. This is a landscape of pastoral peoples, but also witnessed the sophistication of the ‘jet set’ of the eighteenth century. Isakpasa Palace stands in splendid solitude among mountain peaks. Van is only a three hour drive from Isakpasa and holds something of interest for everyone: swimming cats, Urartu sites, early graveyards, Armenian churches, volcanic craters, highland cheese and great botanical experiences to mention but a few of its delights.

Your accommodation at Van is for fove nights right on the lake just outside the main town.

14 + 7 nights – Airports: Trabzon/Urfa or Adana

Having come so far you may wish to extend your stay to visit Mount Nemrut ! Here at over 2000 metres stands the terraced tumulus of Antiochus. During his lifetime he adopted relatives with whose gigantic likenesses his own enthroned resemblance would posthumously greet the rising and setting sun. You can also visit Sanli Urfa, former Edessa. This is a marvellous city with a strong Arabic flavour to it. The streets bustle with colour, the souk is one of the best in the near East, and the restaurants are enticing. Sanli Urfa is also a place of pilgrimage, as tradition has it that Abraham was born here.