If you choose the itinerary "Mt Ararat and Culture tour in Istanbul": you will first see the pearl of Turkey, the city which was once the heart of Romans, Byzantiums and Ottoman Empire. Tour starts with seeing cultural and historical highlights of Istanbul than you fly to the east, to very different cultural and geographical  area of Turkey.

"And the Ark of Noah stopped on the Mt Ararat".

This sentence from the bible has made Mt. Ararat famous in the world. Mt Ararat, the mountain that graced with legends! Acording to the story: Mt Ararat is the last stop for the Noah Ark after the flood and with this reason it is accepted as holy mountain by Christians, Juish or Muslims. Some people still look for the Noah Ark's remainings at the mountain. With this tour we take you to the glacier covered summit of Mt Ararat (5.137 m), to the highest point of Turkey. On the summit you will look to Anatolian high plataeu from the roof of it and you will see Armenia and Iran lands far behind Turkey border. For this tour mountaineering experience is not necessary but you must have a good conditional situation and health and be prepaired for high altitute conditions. We have some more historical places to explore in the area such as Akdamar Island and its famous Armenian church in Van and Ishak Pasha palace in Dogubayazit.

Included services:

• Single group transfer from airport and to airport
• All land transfers with private coach
• 6 nights in the 3 star hotel based on BB
• 4 camp days full board service and hot drinks
• Cook and cooking equipment
• Lunch pakets for camp days
• English speaking mountain guide
• Carrying bags on horses until base camp and upper camp
• Tents for 2 people share basis
• Service for getting permit (we apply for the clients and get the permit but permit fee is extra)

Not included services:

• International and domestic flights (fligths from Istanbul to Van around 150 Euros if you purchases early and we can buy for you if you wish)
• Lunches and dinners in the city, drinks
• Entrance fees in sightseeing tours
• Tips and climbing permit fee (50 USD per person)

Tour itinary:

1st day: Departure from own country and arrival to Istanbul
Arrive to Istanbul. Transfer to Hotel in Sultan Ahmet whichis the heart of Istanbul famous with old historical places such as Ayasofia, Blue Mosque, Yerebatan cistern.

2nd day: Sight seeing tour in Istanbul
Guided sight seeing tour in Istanbul. Visits might include the Blue Mosque, Ayasofia Moasque which was builded as chuch once, Roman period watern cistern and nearby Hippodrome. We return to the hotel for our second night.

3rd day: Flight from Istanbul to Van
Flight to Van, transfer to hotel. Half day boat tour to Akdamar Island which is famous with Armenian church dated X.century. The church covered with marvellous stonework reliefs from the Bible stories.

4th day: Bus transfer from Van to Dogubayazit
Transfer to Dogubayazit with 3-4 hours minubus transfer and on the way visiting Muradiye waterfall. Staying in hotel in Dogubeyazit. On the afternoon prepairing the gear  and get ready for climbing.

5th day: Dogubayazit to Eli Village
After breakfast short transfer to Eli Village. Giving the bags to horses we walk to base camp, 3.200 m (4-5 hours). We overnight in tents at the base camp.

6th day: Base camp (3.270m) - Upper camp ( 4.200m)
Acclimatisation day, walk to upper camp, to the altitue of 4.200 m and back to base camp. Staying in tents.

7th day: Base camp - Upper camp
Walk to upper camp, 4.200 m. Staying in tents.

8th day: Summit Day- Base camp
Summit day. Ascend to the top, 5.137 m, walking back to base camp. Staying in tents.

9th day: Reserve day / Sight seeing tour
Reserve day for the summit. If this day do not be used we visit Noahs´Ark Ishak Pasha palace from the Ottomans time period  in Dogubayazit.

10th day: Base camp - Eli Village - Dogubayazit
Descend to village Eli, further by coach to Dogubayazit.

11th day: Van - Istanbul and connected International flight
We leave Dogubayazit early in the morning and 3 hours transfer to Van before fly to Istanbul and then depends on flight time, fly home. Tour ends.