2-Day Göbekli Tepe & Mount Nemrut Tour from Istanbul

Stand among towering statues at a high summit, then walk the world's oldest temple.

A 2-day tour from Istanbul combining Mount Nemrut in Adıyaman and Göbekli Tepe in Şanlıurfa, with domestic flights, a night in a 3-star hotel, and a guide in English. Day one covers the Karakuş Tumulus, Cendere Bridge, Arsemia and Mount Nemrut's East and West Terraces at sunset. Day two visits Şanlıurfa's archaeological museums, Göbekli Tepe, Abraham's cave and the Pool of Prophet Abraham before your evening flight back to Istanbul. Entry to all sites, breakfast, airport transfers and roundtrip flights are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Flight to Adıyaman and Nemrut Tour

• Pick up from hotel and transfer to Istanbul airport
• Flight from Istanbul to Adıyaman
• Meet at Adıyaman airport and depart for Mount Nemrut tour
• Lunch at local restaurant
• Visit Karakus Tumulus
• Visit Severan Bridge
• Visit Arsemia
• Visit Mount Nemrut East and West Terraces
• Enjoy sunset at Mount Nemrut
• Return to hotel in Kahta Adıyaman

Day 2: Sanliurfa and Gobekli Tepe Tour

• Breakfast at hotel
• Explore Sanliurfa city
• Visit Urfa Archaeological Museum and Aleppo Bahce Mosaic Museum
• Visit Ainzelha lake
• Visit cave birthplace of prophet Abraham
• Walk through local covered bazaar
• Lunch with kebabs
• Visit Gobekli Tepe archaeological site
• Visit Abraham’s cave and Pool of Prophet Abraham
• Drive to airport for evening flight to Istanbul
• Arrival in Istanbul and transfer to hotel

The experience

The tour starts with a morning pickup from your Istanbul hotel and a flight to Adıyaman airport, where your guide meets you for the drive to Mount Nemrut. Lunch happens at a local restaurant on the way. You'll see the Karakuş Tumulus first: a funerary monument built around 30–20 BCE for a Commagene queen and two princesses, marked by a column topped with an eagle and surrounded by Doric columns about 9 metres high. The Cendere Bridge, a late Roman crossing of the Cendere Çayı creek, takes roughly two hours to explore. It sits 55 kilometres northeast of Adıyaman on the road to Sincik.

Arsemia, the summer residence of Commagene kings, sits sixty kilometres from Adıyaman and holds a relief of Heracles shaking hands with King Mithridates from around 50 BC, plus the greatest Greek inscription of Anatolia. Then you climb Mount Nemrut itself (2,134 metres high), where King Antiochus I built a tomb-sanctuary in 62 BCE flanked by eight to nine-metre statues of himself, two lions, two eagles and various gods. The heads have been scattered across the site over centuries, but the East and West Terraces still frame the statues, one group facing sunrise and the other sunset. You'll watch the sunset from the mountain before returning to your hotel in Kâhta.

Day two begins after breakfast with a drive to Şanlıurfa, known as the city of prophets. You'll visit the Urfa Archaeological Museum and the Aleppo Bahçe Mosaic Museum, both holding collections from Harran and the Göbekli Tepe area. The Ainzelha lake, stocked with millions of domesticated fish, comes next, followed by Abraham's cave, the birthplace of the prophet, and the Pool of Prophet Abraham, believed to be where he was thrown into fire by Nimrod. A walk through Şanlıurfa's covered bazaar rounds out the city exploration, with lunch featuring local kebabs. Then you visit Göbekli Tepe, dating back as far as 12,000 years and believed to be the world's oldest ritual complex, built before writing or pottery existed. An evening drive to the airport gets you back to Istanbul, where your guide drops you at your hotel.

What’s included

• Domestic roundtrip flights from Istanbul to Adıyaman.
• hotel pickup and all airport transfers.
• one night in a 3-star hotel in Kâhta.
• breakfast both mornings.
• entry to Mount Nemrut National Park, Karakuş Tumulus, Cendere Bridge, Arsemia, the Urfa Archaeological Museum, Aleppo Bahçe Mosaic Museum, Balikligol (the Pool of Prophet Abraham), Abraham's cave and Göbekli Tepe.
• a live guide in English throughout the tour.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00Last departure this season: 30 Nov

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (7 and older) · Child (3 to 6 years) · Infant (under 3)

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 72 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Moderate physical level

Operated by Travel See Life

Is this one for you?The early morning flight and the climb to Mount Nemrut's 2,134-metre summit mean you'll need moderate fitness and energy for two full days of travel and walking. The fixed itinerary packs both major sites into one trip, so you see Nemrut's sunset statues and Göbekli Tepe without splitting the journey across separate bookings.

Traveler reviews

4.85★★★★★★★★★★

20 verified traveler reviews

5 ★18

4 ★1

3 ★1

2 ★0

1 ★0

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 6 years); Infant (under 3).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 72 h before the start.

What exactly is Göbekli Tepe and why does it matter?

Göbekli Tepe is an archaeological site in Şanlıurfa dating back as far as 12,000 years, believed to be the world's oldest ritual complex. It was built before records of writing or pottery existed, making it a site that has caused archaeologists to rethink early human history.

How much walking and climbing does this tour involve?

The tour requires at least a moderate level of physical fitness. Mount Nemrut stands at 2,134 metres, and you'll walk the East and West Terraces to view the statues. Göbekli Tepe and the city sites in Şanlıurfa involve walking through archaeological areas and bazaars, but the pace is guided and you'll have time to rest between stops.

Are the flights between Istanbul and Adıyaman included in the price?

Yes, domestic roundtrip flights from Istanbul to Adıyaman and back are included, along with all airport transfers. You'll fly out on day one at 11:10 and return on day two with an evening flight.

What's included for meals and accommodation?

Breakfast is included both mornings. You'll stay one night in a 3-star hotel in Kâhta. Lunch on day one is at a local restaurant on the way to Mount Nemrut, and lunch on day two features kebabs in Şanlıurfa. These are included. Dinner is not included in the tour price.

Will I have a guide who speaks English?

Yes, a live guide in English accompanies the entire tour, explaining the history and details of each site from the Karakuş Tumulus and Arsemia through Mount Nemrut and Göbekli Tepe.

What museums will I visit in Şanlıurfa?

You'll visit the Urfa Archaeological Museum and the Aleppo Bahçe Mosaic Museum, both of which hold large collections of artifacts from the Harran and Göbekli Tepe areas. Entry to both is included.