**Day 1** - Ankara – Kurtalan Express – Diyarbakır - 10:30 Meeting at Ankara Train Station - 11:20 Departure from Ankara Train Station We board the chosen carriage at Ankara Train Station for our train journey to Diyarbakır, Bitlis, Van, Kars, Erzurum. Embarking on an unforgettable 24-hour journey, we travel through the Anatolian steppes to Diyarbakır, taking in beautiful landscapes as we pass through various cities. - **Breakfast:** Will be taken on the train. (Extra) - **Lunch:** Will be taken on the train. (Extra) - **Dinner:** Will be taken on the train. (Extra) - **Accommodation:** Night journey on the train - Diyarbakır - Kırıkkale - Kayseri – Sivas – Diyarbakır – On Gözlü Köprü – Hevsel Gardens – Keçi Burcu – Mardin Kapı – Dört Ayaklı Minare – Diyarbakır Grand Mosque – Bitlis - Tatvan - We meet our guide and vehicle to continue our road trip. First, we head to a restaurant to taste the famous dishes of ancient Diyarbakır. After our meal, we start exploring Diyarbakır. Our first stop is the Diyarbakır Grand Mosque, the most important spot in the historic city surrounded by 5 kilometers of walls. Known as the first in Anatolia and the 5th Harem-i Sharif in the Islamic world, we visit the Grand Mosque. Next, we visit Hasan Pasha Inn, the largest inn in the region. We also see the Cahit Sıtkı Tarancı Museum House and Ahmet Arif House. Afterwards, we visit the Four-Legged Minaret (Sheikh Mutahhar Mosque), built in 1500 by Akkoyunlu ruler Kasım Bey, and see the oldest part of Diyarbakır's 9000-year-old walls, the Keçi Burcu and Mardin Kapı. After seeing Hevsel Gardens along the Tigris River panoramically, we arrive at the On Gözlü Bridge. During the Hıdırellez festival, locals would write their wishes on cloth and throw them into the Tigris River from this bridge. Depending on the time, we have a photo break before saying goodbye to Diyarbakır and driving to Tatvan in Bitlis, a 4-hour journey. We proceed to our hotel in Tatvan. Dinner and overnight stay at our hotel. - **Breakfast:** Will be taken on the train. (Extra) - **Lunch:** Will be taken in Diyarbakır. (Extra) - **Dinner:** Will be taken at the hotel. Included in the tour price. - **Accommodation Hotel:** Tatvan/ Kardelen Hotel, Karaman Hotel, etc. **Day 2** - Ahlat Selçuklu Cemetery – Emir Bayındır Tomb - Van Lake – Van Castle (Tuşpa Castle) – Van Museum - Cat House – Van Lake – Akdamar Island and Church - On the 3rd day of our Diyarbakır Bitlis Van Kars Erzurum Tour with Kurtalan Express, after breakfast at the hotel, we head to the Ahlat Selçuklu Cemetery, a masterpiece from the Seljuk era. In Ahlat, we will see the monumental tombstones, some of which are 3.5 meters tall, and the Emir Bayındır Khanate, one of the most interesting among the various styles of built hanates. After leaving Ahlat, we travel along the shore of Lake Van to reach Gevaş district. - We take a half-hour boat tour on the saline and soda-filled Van Lake to reach Akdamar Island. (Extra) Akdamar Island is the second largest island situated in Lake Van, between Van and Bitlis. Once we arrive on Akdamar Island, our guide will share with us the sad tale of separated lovers. We learn about the church, commissioned by Armenian King Gagik I of Vaspurakan and built by architect Manuel between 915-921 in honor of the Holy Cross, then we give you free time to explore this marvelous structure and its surroundings. After the free time for photos, we return to the mainland by boat. After a lunch break at the port, we head to Van Castle, also known as Tuşpa in ancient times, named after King Sarduri I, called Sardurihinili. We see the walls, Castle Mosque, the rock tombs of Urartian Kings, and Castle Gates and receive insights from our guide before visiting the Van Museum. The museum features an impressive collection ranging from the Urartians to recent history. Following our museum visit, we head to the iconic Cat House of Van to see the famous and charming Van cats. After photographing the cats, we visit a Savat workshop to learn about Urartian art. Upon completing our shopping, we head to a Women’s Carpet Cooperative to see and purchase local handwoven carpets. We move to our hotel, where we will have dinner and spend the night. - **Breakfast:** Will be taken at the hotel. Included in the tour price. - **Lunch:** Will be taken on the shore of Van Lake. (Extra) - **Dinner:** Will be taken at the hotel. Included in the tour price. - **Accommodation: Van:** Eden's Hotel **Day 3** - Van - Tendürek Mountain – Muradiye Waterfall – Ağrı - Doğubeyazıt – İshak Pasha Palace – Iğdır - Tuzluca Cave -Kars - On the 4th day of our Diyarbakır Bitlis Van Kars Erzurum Tour with Kurtalan Express, after breakfast at the hotel, we proceed to the Muradiye Waterfall, fed by the Tendürek Mountain, located on the Bend-i Mahi Stream. After a photo stop, we head to Doğubeyazıt near the Iranian border. In Doğubeyazıt, our next stop is the İshak Pasha Palace, built 220 years ago and served as the administrative center of the Bayezid Sanjak until World War I, becoming an emblem of Eastern Anatolia. With 116 rooms and intricate stone-carved monumental gates, İshak Pasha Palace will fascinate you. Following our guided tour of the palace, we leave you with time for the view over Old Beyazıt. After free time, we take a lunch and shopping break in Doğubeyazıt. Then, we say goodbye to Doğubeyazıt and gaze at Mount Ağrı, which stands 5137 meters tall and backs against Iğdır. Visitors interested can join our excursion to Tuzluca Salt Caves (extra). The caves, used historically, continue operating, created by carving out an extensive area of salt mountains, and have a magnificent visual appeal. They’re also used for natural asthma treatment. After being captivated by the cave, we board our bus and follow the Armenian border to reach Kars via Digor. Following check-in at our hotel, dinner and overnight stay at our hotel. **Note:** İshak Pasha Palace is closed to visitors on Mondays. In case it coincides with special periods, it will be observed from outside. - **Breakfast:** Will be taken at the hotel. Included in the tour price. - **Lunch:** Will be taken in Doğubeyazıt. (Extra) - **Dinner:** Will be taken at the hotel. Included in the tour price. - **Accommodation: Kars:** The Karspark Hotel, etc. **Day 4** - Kars Castle – Stone Bridge – 12 Apostles Church – Fethiye Mosque – Bloody Barrack - Ani Ruins – Menuçehr Mosque – Çıldır Lake On the 5th day of our Diyarbakır Bitlis Van Kars Erzurum Tour via Kurtalan Express, after breakfast at the hotel, we head to Ani Ruins, located at the Turkish-Armenian border and a significant junction of Armenian and Seljuk cultures. Ani was the wealthiest city in the region 1000 years ago. You’ll notice this in its sacred structures immediately. During your tour of this ancient city, you will see the walls, gates, Surp Pirgiç Church (Keveli Church), Surp Kirkor Church (Tigran Honents Church), Cathedral (Mother Mary Church), Small Bath, Abu’l Manuheran Mosque, Sultan Palace, the first Turkish mosque in Anatolia Menuçehr Mosque, and Silk Road Bridge among other historic sites. After appreciating Arpaçay, which forms the boundary between the two countries, from above, we bid farewell to this mesmerizing historical city and make our way to Çıldır Lake. We provide free time at Çıldır Lake, a natural barrier lake that freezes during winter months. Here, those interested can ride horse-drawn sleighs across the lake, fish from the ice, and take plenty of photographs to immortalize the moment. After free time at Çıldır Lake, we head back to Kars city center. For lunch, we proceed to a restaurant where you can enjoy Kars specialties like Goose Meat, Hangel, Piti, Haşil, and Manti. We explore Kars through a city tour, appreciating Kars’s culture as one of the easternmost cities in Turkey while also being the westernmost city in the Caucasus thus it carries both eastern and western cultural traits. During our tour, we visit Kars Castle, Kümbet Mosque (12 Apostles Church), the famous Russian Baltic-style Fethiye Mosque, Namık Kemal’s house where the renowned poet lived for a period, and explore Kars streets with our guide. After taking a stroll around Kars streets,the Russian Baltic Architecture is one of the finest examples and formerly used as a church before being converted into the mosque Fethiye Mosque can be seen. Following the visit, we stop at a local store where you can purchase the famous Kars cheese and honey. After shopping, we head to the Bloody Barrack Museum, built for Sarıkamış Martyrs and among the country’s most poignant museums. During our museum visit, in the interactive halls, you can try to feel the era's spirit. After the museum visit, we return to our hotel for lodging. *Guests wishing can participate in a Kafkas night after dinner, witnessing stunning dances, with men seemingly flying in the air and women gliding gracefully over surfaces as they perform traditional Kafkas dances. (Extra) - **Breakfast:** Will be taken at the hotel. Included in the tour price. - **Lunch:** Will be taken by Çıldır Lake. (Extra) - **Dinner:** Can be taken at Kars Kafkas night (Extra) - **Accommodation: Kars:** The Karspark Hotel, etc. **Day 5** - Eastern Express Journey – Allahu Ekber Mountains – Sarıkamış – Erzurum Congress Building - Erzurum Ulu Camii – Old Erzurum Houses – Yakutiye Madrasa – Twin Minaret Madrasa – Taşhan - On the 6th day of our Diyarbakır Bitlis Van Kars Erzurum Tour via Kurtalan Express, after breakfast at the hotel, we move to Kars station for an enjoyable and nostalgic train journey. (Eastern Express Pulman Seat) As we travel on one of the most scenic routes of the Eastern Express, you’ll be mesmerized by the captivating view awaiting you as you ascend the Allahuekber Mountains. From here, we’ll see Sarıkamış, where 90,000 martyrs fell, panoramically, and then arrive in Erzurum. Our first stop in Erzurum will be the famous Cağ Kebab shop for lunch. After lunch, we begin our exploration of Erzurum, one of the largest cities in Eastern Anatolia and also the country's city center at the highest altitude of 1900 meters. The entirety of Erzurum’s ancient structures is built of volcanic basaltic black stones. Our tour in Erzurum starts with a visit to the Erzurum Congress Museum, where the foundations of our republic were laid with the Erzurum Congress held from July 23 to August 7, 1919, in a building constructed in 1864, today serving as an Art and Sculpture Museum. Next, we visit the monumental Twin Minaret Madrasa, a masterpiece of Seljuk architecture. Our journey continues to the Üç Kümbetler, one of the finest examples of monumental tombs dating back to the Saltuk period. We then proceed to the Erzurum Grand Mosque, which will leave you spellbound with its ornate ceiling craftsmanship. Next, we visit a small ethnographic museum made up of the unification of 11 houses, known as the old Erzurum Houses, where we will take a tea break. After our tea break, we explore Taşhan, a standout Ottoman architectural piece now housing the famous Oltu Stone shops, and then visit the Yakutiye Madrasa, noted for its exquisite tiles. Finally, we make our way to Erzurum Airport for our flight back to Istanbul via Erzurum – Sabiha Gökçen. Our Kurtalan Express Diyarbakır Bitlis Van Kars Erzurum Tour concludes as we part ways with hopes of meeting you in another Dgn Travel event. - **Breakfast:** Will be taken at the hotel. Included in the tour price. - **Lunch:** Will be taken as Erzurum Cağ Kebab. (Extra) - **Dinner:** Will be taken in local area restaurants. (Extra)