Gaziantep Mesopotamia & Eastern Anatolia Tour: Sites & Highlights
Eight days following the arc from hunter-gatherer caves to monumental temples across Mesopotamia
An 8-day tour of Mesopotamia and Eastern Anatolia based in Gaziantep, visiting Göbekli Tepe (the world's oldest known temple complex, dating to around 12,000 years ago), Mount Nemrut, Akdamar Island, and the ancient ruins of Ani, Harran, and Dara. The tour includes seven nights' accommodation, an English-speaking guide, and an air-conditioned vehicle. Four nights are half-board and three are bed-and-breakfast only.
Step-by-step itinerary
Day 1: Gaziantep city and museum tour
- Visit Zeugma Mosaic Museum
- Walking tour of Gaziantep city sites
Day 2: Halfeti boat tour and Mount Nemrut
- Halfeti boat tour
- Visit ancient tumulus
- See Septimus Severus Bridge
- Explore Mount Nemrut
Day 3: Göbeklitepe and Şanlıurfa museums
- Visit lake with fishes
- Tour Göbeklitepe site
- Explore Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum
- Visit Harran ruins and conic houses
Day 4: Dara and Midyat city tour
- Visit Dara settlement
- Lunch break
- Midyat city tour
Day 5: Mardin city and monastery tour
- Half day city tour in Mardin
- Visit Deyrulzafaran Monastery
- Tour Kasimiye Medresesi
Day 6: Diyarbakır historical sites
- Visit 10 Arched Bridge
- Explore Diyarbakır city walls
- See Sheikh Mutahhar Mosque
- Visit The Great Mosque
Day 7: Van region churches and castle
- Visit Akdamar Church
- Tour Urartu Castle
Day 8: Eastern Anatolia historical sites
- Visit Ishakpasha Palace
- Explore Salt Cave
- Tour Ani Ruins
The experience
The route opens in Gaziantep with the Zeugma Mosaic Museum (the world's largest, holding 2,448 square meters of mosaic), and a three-hour walking tour of the copper artisans' bazaar, the castle, water cisterns, baths and Silk Road caravanserais. From there the tour moves east through the Euphrates valley to Halfeti, where a boat tour passes the half-submerged minaret of Savaşan Village Mosque, a reminder of the dam that flooded dozens of settlements in 1999 and exposed the ancient city of Zeugma beneath the water.
The centerpiece is Göbekli Tepe, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the oldest known religious structure on earth, built around 12,000 years ago and predating the Egyptian pyramids by millennia. The Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum nearby holds about 10,000 artifacts, including the world's oldest statue and original temple remains. Mount Nemrut follows, with its ancient tumulus and the Cendere Bridge, a Roman structure from the time of Septimus Severus. The southern leg takes in Dara (a 6th-century military garrison city), Midyat, and Mardin, where the Deyrulzafaran Monastery and Kasimiye Medresesi stand as centers of Syriac Christianity. Diyarbakır's city walls (over 5 kilometers in circumference, more than 10 meters high, and largely intact from the Roman period) enclose the old city and the Sheikh Mutahhar Mosque.
The final days reach Lake Van, where Akdamar Island holds a 10th-century church, and the Urartu Castle overlooks the water. The tour ends at Ishakpasha Palace, a 17th-century Ottoman structure built in Seljuk style, before visiting the Salt Cave and the ruins of Ani, the medieval Armenian capital. Seven nights' accommodation is included. Compulsory seat insurance in Van is covered.
What’s included
- Seven nights' accommodation split between half-board and bed-and-breakfast.
- an English-speaking guide for the full eight days.
- air-conditioned vehicle transport throughout.
- compulsory seat insurance in Van.
- a three-hour walking tour of Gaziantep's bazaar, castle, cisterns and caravanserais.
- a boat tour on the Euphrates at Halfeti.
- entry to the Zeugma Mosaic Museum and visits to Göbekli Tepe, Mount Nemrut, Dara, Midyat, Mardin's monasteries, Diyarbakır's city walls, Akdamar Island, the Urartu Castle, Ishakpasha Palace, the Salt Cave and Ani Ruins.
Before you book
Prices and times updated 3 days ago
Operated by Tripster Travel Agency
Is this one for you?The guide speaks English throughout, so you'll follow the commentary without translation delays. If you speak German, Russian or Turkish, you can request a guide in that language at booking.
Traveler reviews
Top questions
What languages is the tour guided in?
Live guide in English, German, Russian and Turkish.
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Youth (8 to 17 years); Child (4 to 7 years); Infant (under 4): free.
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 24 h before the start.
What is Göbekli Tepe and why does it matter on this tour?
Göbekli Tepe is the world's oldest known temple complex, built around 12,000 years ago and predating Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids by thousands of years. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage site and marks the earliest evidence of religious and ceremonial practice in human history, making it the centerpiece of the Mesopotamia leg of the tour.
Does the tour include entry to museums and archaeological sites?
Museum tickets and site entry are not included in the tour price and are paid separately. The guide will take you to these locations, but you'll arrange admission at each stop.
What kind of accommodation will I have over the eight days?
You'll stay seven nights total: four nights with half-board (breakfast and dinner included) and three nights with bed-and-breakfast only. Lunch is not included on any day and is your own expense.
Is the guide fluent in English?
Yes, the tour includes a live English-speaking guide throughout. The operator also offers guides in German, Russian, and Turkish if you prefer another language.
What is the physical demand of this tour?
The tour involves moderate walking and travel by air-conditioned vehicle over eight days. It is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, pregnant travelers, or those with poor cardiovascular health. You should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness.
What is Akdamar Island and what will I see there?
Akdamar Island sits in Lake Van and is home to a 10th-century church. The tour includes a visit to the island as part of the final days exploring the Van region and the Armenian cultural heritage of Eastern Anatolia.
Gaziantep Mesopotamia & Eastern Anatolia Tour: Sites & Highlights
8d · EN · DE +2
from US$ 2,147 per person
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