If you have visited Turkey before you will know that it is a country full of surprise but nowhere more than the Black Sea region! Extending from just east of Istanbul to the frontier of Georgia, the Black Sea region is a real anomaly, guaranteed to smash any stereotypes you may hold about Turkey.

The combination of damp northerly and westerly winds, confronting an almost uninterrupted wall of mountains, has created high levels of rainfall which in turn result in a lush green environment. The area sees very few package tourist or backpackers and most foreign visitors are archaeology groups, trekkers or skiers. Starting north of Ankara as mere humps, the coastal ranges attain world-class grandeur by the time they reach the Georgian border. Travelling along the Black Sea largely consists of soaking up the atmosphere as in comparison to the western part of Turkey there are relatively few major historic attractions -with the exception of Sumela Monastery, outside of Trabzon.

The hinterland along the Black Sea is home to some of Turkey’s most appealing and unspoilt villages, the mountains have had the effect of giving the locals a culture distinct from anywhere else in the country. Black Sea food for instance is arguably the best in Turkey and years of geographic isolation have even given the locals unique physical characteristics…as well as a reputation for being country bumkins, with weird accents and of being allegedly stupid and the brunt of many jokes. But what is most striking to the foreign visitor is how genuinely friendly and outgoing Black Sea people seem to be. A kind of easy going cheerfulness pervades the region.

The Black Sea coast currently has very few visitors, even domestically. It won’t however, remain undiscovered forever. For now though, the Black Sea remains Turkey’s secret.
Spectacular scenery, friendly people and a culture distinct in the world: Turkey’s Black Sea coast is ripe for discovery, writes Brendan Shanahan, author of “In Turkey I am Beautiful”.

 

Day 1
Arrival day and a warm welcome to Istanbul. You will be collected from the airport and transferred to our hotel in the Old City which will be a short walk to many of the historic sites and also the Grand Bazaar. Later this evening we will enjoy our first authentic Turkish meal.

The night will be spent at: Valide Sultan Hotel or equivalent – Sultanahmet.
Meals provided will be: Dinner
Extras included: Transfer from Ataturk Airport

Day 2
A guided tour of the Old City. We visit the Hippodrome, the sporting and political centre of the Old City; the Blue Mosque, renowned for its tiles and marble; Topkapi Palace, residence of the Sultans for almost three centuries and also the Underground Cistern (Yerebatin Saray).
A free day for those that have been to Istanbul before – today will provide you the opportunity to take a cruise up the Bosphoros and get an early glimpse of the Black Sea, visit the Prince’s Island or just wander the streets of Sultanahmet taking in the atmosphere.
Tonight is a free night and you are able to explore the area and discover a new and exciting place for dinner.

The night will be spent at: Valide Sultan Hotel or equivalent – Sultanahmet.
Meals provided will be: Breakfast
Entrance fees provided: All entrance fees.
Extras included: Guide for the day.

Day 3.
Today we visit the more out of the way sites of Istanbul, including Chora Church, famous for its beautiful mosaics, Suleymaniye Mosque, Pierre Lotti, Eyup and we will see the old city walls up close and personal.

The night will be spent at: Valide Sultan Hotel or equivalent – Sultanahmet.
Meals provided will be: Breakfast and dinner
Entrance fees provided: Chora Church
Extras included: Guide

Day 4
An early departure and a five hours drive to the Safranbolu. Safranbolu is a UNESCO Heritage listed site and dates back to Roman times however in more recent times it was a popular residence for Ottoman Royalty and is now more famous for its beautiful houses that are a perfect example of old civil architecture, reflecting the Turkish social life of the 17-19th centuries. Safranbolu received its name form the saffron flower which is native in Safranbolu. On arrival we will visit the old houses of Safranbolu and the Safranbolu Bazaar. For those interested there is an option of a traditional Turkish Bath

The night will be spent at: Cinci Han – Safranbolu
Meals provided will be: Breakfast and Dinner

Day 5
We drive to Amasra and enjoy our first glimpses of the Black Sea. Amasra is one of the prettiest towns on the Black Sea coast poised on a peninsula split by two inlets. Most towns in Turkey are famous for a particular foodstuff and in Amasra it is the famous salad that contains 25 ingredients – perhaps lunch today at one of the many fish restaurants along the waterfront accompanied by the famous Amasra salad!
We travel through the mountains to Kastamonu where we will spend the night.

The night will be spent at: Ugurlu Konaklari – Kastamonu
Meals provided will be: Breakfast and dinner

Day 6
After breakfast we will travel to the village of Kasaba and visit the Mahmutbey Mosque, built in 1366, which is the only wooden mosque in the world. After lunch we travel towards the Black Sea to Ordu where we spend the night. The Boztepe aerial railway is a popular attraction and rises 550 metres overlooking the town. We will also visit the area surrounding the Taşbaşi Cultural Centre. Formerly a Greek Church it overlooks the seafront from its hillside locations. The surrounding old Greek quarter is an attractive neighbourhood of tumbledown houses which were occupied by Greeks before the population exchange. A traditional group meal tonight.

The night will be spent at: Hampton by Hilton – Ordu.
Meals provided will be: Breakfast and dinner.

Day 7
After breakfast we will take a half day boat trip on a traditional fishing boat before continuing into the mountain and the village of Uzungȍl on the coast of Lake Uzungȍl where we spend the next two nights. The picturesque lakes, its village and the surrounding valley have become a popular spot for visitors – a beautiful valley between high rising mountains. Famous for its trout farms, some of the restaurants even have their own mini trout farms, where you can watch your lunch splash around in a pool before being speared and grilled

The night will be spent at: Inan Kardesler – Uzungȍl
Meals provided will be: Breakfast and Dinner
Entrance fees provided: Boat trip

Day 8
We spent the day in Uzungȍl and take the breathtaking scenery as we take amazing walks around the lake. A group dinner tonight.

The night will be spent at: Inan Kardesler – Uzungol.
Meals provided will be: Breakfast and dinner

Day 9
After breakfast we make our way to Trabzon, located on the historical Silk Road. Trabzon is famous throughout Turkey for its anchovies called hamsi and these are the speciality dish in many restaurants in the city. Trabzon is also a major producer of tea (the Lipton factory is here) and hazelnuts.
We visit the St. Sophia church and Ataturk’s holiday house before checking into our hotel.

The night will be spent at: Zolu Grande Hotel – Trabzon
Meals provided will be: Breakfast and dinner

Day 10
We depart our hotel after breakfast and make our way to the spectacular Sumela Monastery nestled in a steep cliff at an altitude of about 1,200 metres facing the Altındere Valley; it is a site of great historical and cultural significance. We enjoy lunch in the valley before traveling inland towards Erzurum which in winter is the location of one of Turkeys’ most popular ski resorts.

The night will be spent at: Rafo Hotel – Erzurum
Meals provided will be: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Day 11
Today we will tour the city of Erzurum and visit the old city walls, the Medrese with is twin minaret and visit mosques which date back to the Selcuk period. Erzuruum is the highest major city in Turkey, situated at an altitude of 2000 metres.

The night will be spent at: Rafo Hotel – Erzurum
Meals provided will be: Breakfast and dinner.

Day 12
After breakfast we make our way to the airport and board a morning flight to Istanbul where we will be transferred back to our hotel. The rest of the day is free – one last opportunity to visit the Grand Bazaar or Spice Market for some last minute shopping. We enjoy our last meal together and a chance to bid each other farewell.

The night will be spent at: Valide Sultan Hotel – Sultanahmet
Meals provided will be: Breakfast and dinner
Extras provided: Domestic flight – Erzurum to Istanbul
Transfer from airport.

Day 13.

The tour ends today after breakfast and transport will be provided to the airport to board your flight.