Senior Trip - Turkey

Arrival on the first day then connection flight to a village deep in Anatolia

After our connecting flight via Istanbul, we arrive in Kayserli, deep into the Anatolian heartland. We are met at the airport by our English-speaking guide, and driven by private transport to the village of Avanos, our base for the exploration of this region.

We check into Kirkit Pension, a 200 year-old authentically restored Ottoman guesthouse. We have the evening to relax, explore the village and prepare to begin our adventure. As we move around the region, our luggage will follow us on private transport and be available at each destination we spend the night in.

Where we stay on Day 1

In Capadoccia, over the centuries, the erosion of volcanic rocks formed Dali-esuqe surreal landscapes, that are both captivating and haunting. Our hike today takes us through some of these incredible valleys. After a hearty breakfast, we'll drive through the Gôreme open-air museum to reach the plateau above the village.

Afterwards, we’ll hike through the amazing landscapes of the regional valleys to the rocky crop of Uçhisar (1000m) for a panoramic view of the area. We are then transported to a comfortable family pension where we will spend the evening.

After breakfast, we’ll follow a track through the vineyards through some of the most spectacular landscapes of the area in the surrounding village of Çavusin. In the village, we will observe traditional Turkish village life that has remained unchanged for centuries. In the evening, we will be transported to the pension for dinner and our overnight stay.

After breakfast, we are dropped off in the remote village of Cat where we will hike down two valleys in a U-shape and observe centuries old pigeonholes carved in stone along the way. We are then transported to the village of Güzelyurt, 10km from the Ihlara valley. On the way, we will visit the deepest underground city of the area, Derinkuyu, 8 floors deep! In the late afternoon, we pay a visit to the locals of this authentic village and meet up with a family of the village in a traditional cave house. Together we will prepare homemade Turkish raviolis for dinner, accompanied by other yummy dishes like bazlama. After a tasty dinner, we are transported to our pension for a well needed sleep.

Otherwise after breakfast, we hike along the splendid canyon of Ihlara, along the shady Melendiz river and visit some of the brilliant ancient churches in the canyon. The canyon was formed by the river thousands of years ago and has a depth of approximately 100m – a truly magnificent site to explore. After the excitement of the day, we are transported back to our pension to relax, have dinner and enjoy another majestic Anatolian evening.

After admiring the small rock village of Sivrihisar at the foot of a Byzantine fortress and the 6th century Red Church, considered a jewel of Byzantine architecture and the last standing built church of Cappadocia, we’ll hike to the Meydan plateau where the peaks of the surrounding volcanoes of Erciyes (3,916m) and Hasan (3,268m) are clearly visible. From here we pass the crater lake of Nar which serves as a grazing location to the semi-nomads that inhabit this area. Here cold water and boiling water (at 70°) meet to offer a great opportunity for a refreshing swim. We are then transferred back to Avanos to relax and enjoy our last evening in the Turkish heartland.

After breakfast, we are transferred to Kayserli Airport for our flight back to Istanbul and then connecting flight home,
This was taken from our Turkey itinerary - the first 7 days of it