Day 1. Depart Melbourne. Depart Australia on QF09 to Singapore and connect with Turkish Airlines to Istanbul [subject to availability].

Day 2. Arrive Istanbul and connect with our transit flight to Adana, arriving there at 10 am. We will then drive a short way to Mersin. On the way we will visit Tarsus. This town was the chief town of Cilicia and birthplace of the Apostle Paul. We will visit St Pauls' well, the ancient road and Cleopatras' gate. After lunch at the Tarsus waterfalls we will head for the hotel. The rest of the day is free to do as you please. Orientation talk at dinner tonight. Overnight: MERSIN [BD]

Day 3. This morning we will head into the Taurus Mountains to visit two of the ancient cities of Cilicia. The first is Uzuncaburç [ Diocaesarea] . It was the cult centre of the nearby ancient city of Olba. After lunch we will visit Kanlidivane [Canytelis]. The city has remains from Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine times. Overnight again: MERSIN [BD]

Day 4. After breakfast we will drive to Antakya. We will visit the Mosaic Museum, known for having one of the best collections of Roman Mosiacs in the world. We will also visit St Peters' Grotto, the earliest Christian church ever built and where the word of Christianity was first introduced. Also today we will visit Seleucia ad Piera to see the massive diversion tunnels dug by the Roman emperors Titus and Vespasianus to protect the city. Overnight in ANTAKYA [BD]

Day 5. Depart Antakya and drive to Kahta, stopping on the way for some famous Kahramanmaras icecream. Once in Kahta we will check in to the hotel and then begin our tour to Mt Nemrut, one of Turkeys' most amazing sights. It is an artificial mountain top, framed by temples littered with gigantic statues of gods from the Commagene civilization.En route we will visit Cendere bridge and Arsameia, the capitol of the Commagene kingdom. The day will culminate with sunset at Mt Nemrut. [N.B the hike to the summit takes 30-40 mins of 30% uphill steps + a torch might be needed for descent.] Late dinner and overnight in KAHTA [BD].

Day 6. Depart Kahta this morning and visit Ataturk Dam, the biggest hydro-electric dam of Turkey . We will drive to the beautiful holy city of Sanliurfa, where Abraham was born and many prophets passed through. We will go to Urfa castle, visit the Prophet Abraham's birth cave [Dergah] and Gölbasi or the pools of the sacred carp. Overnight in the city of prophets:SANLIURFA [BD]

Day 7. We travel down to another archeological site, Harran. A mystical and ancient ‘bee-hive' villiage, built of mud bricks and mentioned in Genesis and being a place where Abraham lived. We see the city walls and the old Harran village. On return to Urfa we will have time to explore the Grand bazaar, famous for its coppersmiths. Overnight again in SANLIURFA [BD].

Day 8. We drive to Mardin, the most Arab town in Turkey, with its lovely Syrian influenced architecture. The honey colored stone houses are perched on the high slopes of the mountain overlooking the Syrian plains. We will visit Sehidiye mosque and medrese [seminary] and also Mardins' current Post Office, originally a home. After a short drive we will reach the 1500 year old Darul Zafaran Monastery, once the seat of the Syrian Orthodox patriachate. Aramaic, the language of Jesus is still the liturgical tongue here. Overnight in MARDIN [BD].

Day 9. This morning we will drive to Diyarbakir, a town that dates back 3,500 years. The amazing city walls were built by the Roman Emperor Constantius ?? in 349 A.D. We are going to visit one gate of these walls. We will see Ulu Cami [Great Mosque], originally a church called Mar Toma. After an invasion of Muslim Arabs they converted it to a mosque. The houses and walls of Diyarbakir are built of basalt and the last stop of the day Cahit Sitki Taranci museum originally home of a famous poet. Overnight in DIYARBAKIR [BD].

Day 10. Today we drive to Lake Van, the largest lake of Turkey. On the way we visit Ahlat, which has a cemetery with the best display of Seljuk grave stones in Turkey. We will continue along the shores of Lake Van until we reach Akdamar Island. We will go to the Island to see the beautiful church of the Holy Cross, a great example of Armenian architecture. Overnight in VAN [BD]

Day 11. Van was the ancient Uratian capital of Tusba. We visit the impressive citadel that stands on a peak above Van that dates back to the 9th century BC. We will then proceed to Çavustepe , an ancient Urartian city. If time allows we will visit Hosap castle as well. Van is also known for a breed of unusual cat– pure white, with one green eye and one brown. Overnight again in VAN [BD]

Day 12. We will drive north now towards Dogubeyazit , stopping on the way for a tea break at the Muradiye waterfalls. Dogubeyazit is close to Mt Ararat and where the legendary Noah's Arc is resting. We will visit the Ishak Pasa Palace an amazing place which has a mixture of Seljuk, Ottoman, Georgian , Persian and Armenian architectural styles. Just out of Dogubeyazit near the border is a meteor hole which was created in 1920 and is the 2nd largest in the world. Overnight DOGUBEYAZIT [BD]

Day 13. If you did not get a photo of Mt Ararat yesterday then this morning you might! The mornings are usually the best. We are off to Kars, a town famous for its cheese [kasar] and also the ruins of Ani. With history dating back to 5,000 B.C it was the entrance to Anatolia from the silk road. Within the great city walls is the medieval city of Ani. The ruined city has a cathedral, churches, market, mosques and a bath complex. Ani overlooks a deep gorge and the Arpa Çay river which forms the border with Armenia. Overnight in KARS [BD]. N.B if time allows we will also visit Kars castle.

Day 14. We head west now to Erzurum city, stopping on the way to see the 16th century Çoban dede bridge. In Erzurum we will visit some of the best examples of Seljuk architecture. The Yakutiye medrese, once a Mongol seminary, is now the Turkish & Islamic Arts & Ethnographic museum. We will also visit the Grand Mosque [ulu cami], the Double minaret medrese - built in 1253 by the sultan as a Koranic academy and the Three tombs adjacent to it, built for his daughters. We should also have time for a visit to the local Rüstem Pasa market, where they make and sell black amber prayer beads. Overnight in ERZURUM [BD]

Day 15. We head into the Black Sea region and with this the landscape changes dramatically. En route to Artvin we will see Lake Tortum and Yusefeli. This area is full of old Georgian churches, which we will visit before heading along the scenic road to Artvin. Overnight in ARTVIN [BD].

Day 16. RIZE. This morning we will continue through the Kaçkar mountains until we reach the Black Sea coast. We will travel up the valley inland again to Ayder, a yayla [plateau] village famous for its hot springs and natural beauty. We will have lunch in the lovely surrounds of this village before heading to the town of Rize. We will visit the Tea Research Institute gardens for a cup of local tea and where you can see 40 different shades of green. We will have free time in Rize this afternoon. Overnight in RIZE [ BD]

Day 17. Welcome to my hometown. During the next two days we will take it easy to enjoy the beauty of this area. We will head up the Ikizdere valley towards our hotel. We will stop at a tea factory to learn about tea then will have lunch in my home town [Simsirli]. After lunch we will drive to the hotel in Ikizdere and then go and explore the area. [BD]

Day 18. After breakfast we will drive to Simsirli, which hides itself behind a jungle of tea and beans fields. We will visit a delightful gem of a mosque, built entirely of Chestnut and carved with manic mastery in 1849. Today is a good chance to see local people picking tea and harvesting their crops. We may join in for a while! We will walk to my family home where I was born. The words are not enough to describe this day. This is Turkey 's Switzerland . Overnight in Ikizdere again [BD]

Day 19. We will leave my home town and travel to another Black Sea valley and to Uzungöl, a lake set in a fantastic location on the slopes of the Kaçkar mountains. Once we are there we will walk around the lake side or just relax and enjoy this magnificent scenic area. Overnight in UZUNGÖL [ BD]

Day 20. We will depart for Trabzon. We will visit the Aya Sofya [Church of divine wisdom]. The frescos and decorative sculpting on the outside are the highlight. We will then move on to Sumela Monastery which is 46 km south and perched on a steep cliff. Most of the rooms are shells with fine examples of fresco paintings. Overnight in Maçka/Trabzon [BD]

Day 21. Transfer to Trabzon Airport for flight to Istanbul. [B] FLY HOME or you may choose to spend more time in Istanbul or to continue your journey to another destination.