2027 Winter Break Special Eastern Express Dream - Train Outbound, Flight Return
Tour Detail
TOURISTIC EASTERN EXPRESS OUTBOUND - FLIGHT RETURN
Highlights:
• Eastern Express • Çıldır Lake • Ani Ancient City • Caucasus Night • Kanlı Tabya • Cheese MuseumTour Program
Kdz. Ereğli/Akçakoca/Düzce/Ankara
GNR TURİZM VEHICLE PICK-UP POINTS
08:30 Kdz. Ereğli Elif Hotel Front
09:00 Akçakoca Çuhallı Migros Front
09:45 Kalıcı Konutlar 3rd Region Square
10:00 Düzce Rasim Betir Boulevard GNR Turizm Stop
10:30 Bolu Cici Taxi
We pick up our dear guests from the boarding points and set off toward Ankara. At 13:30 we board the Turistik Doğu Ekspresi train. After our cabin allocations in the sleeper carriages are completed, the train will depart at 13:55. Our journey to Kars by train, with stops along the way, will take approximately thirty hours.
Lunch: To be taken freely along the way. (Not included in the tour price.)
Dinner: To be taken freely on the train. (Not included in the tour price.)
Erzincan/Erzurum/Kars
Our train route is: Kırıkkale – Kayseri – Sivas – Erzincan – Erzurum. The train will stop in Erzincan at 07:55 for 2.5 hours. Guests who wish may rest on the train or join the (Extra) tour of the city. The places we will see are Girlevik Waterfall, Ekşisu Picnic Area, Altıntepe Urartu Castle, Bakırcılar Bazaar, City Center. At 10:25 the train will depart from Erzincan. After our four and a half hour journey, we will arrive at the Erzurum train station at 14:21. Guests who wish may rest on the train or join the (Extra) tour of the city. The places we will see are Üç Kümbetler, Erzurum Mansion, Yakutiye Madrasa, Taşhan, Erzurum Congress Building, Erzurum Castle. At 17:51 the train will depart from Erzurum. After our four and a half hour journey, we will arrive at the Kars train station at 22:00. Our vehicle waiting for us there will transfer us to our hotel in Kars. Accommodation is at our hotel.
Ani Ancient City/Armenian Border/Lake Çıldır
After breakfast at the hotel, we set off to visit the Ani Historical Archaeological Site, located on the Armenian border and one of the 19 monuments in Turkey inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The places we will see in the city of Ani are: the Gagik Church, Church of the Apostles, St. Gregory Chapel, St. Prkich (Halashar) Church, the Great Cathedral (Fethiye Mosque), Tigran Honents (Frescoed) Church, and at the far end of the border, the Monastery of the Virgins (Nuns), a Zoroastrian Fire Temple from Persian civilization, and a Georgian Church. Since the city of Ani was also used during the Seljuk period, we will also see the Seljuk Palace, Castle, and Baths, as well as the Abu-l Menucehr Mosque, the first mosque built by the Turks in Anatolia. Afterwards, we head to the Caucasus War History Museum (Bloody Redoubt). Occupied by the Russians in the 19th century, the redoubt was actively used during the Ottoman–Russian Wars. Today it is one of the finest examples of interactive museology. After our museum visit, we will have lunch freely. You may taste the local delicacies recommended by our guide. After lunch, we head to Lake Çıldır. On the lake, which freezes completely in the winter months, guests who wish may take an extra horse-drawn sled ride. Guests who wish may also take a walk on the ice. Afterwards, we head to our hotel to rest. In the evening, we head to the Caucasus Night, an optional extra event arranged for guests who wish to attend. After this beautiful evening, featuring dinner, local music and dance shows, and accordion music around the fire, we return to our hotel.
Kars/Istanbul/Düzce/Akçakoca/Ereğli
After breakfast at the hotel in the morning, our first stop will be the Alexander Nevski Church (Fethiye Mosque). After the photo stop here, we will see panoramically the buildings still in use in the city rebuilt on a grid plan in the Tahtdüzü area during the Russian occupation. Among the places we will see are the Governor's Mansion, PTT Building, Orthodox Church (Merkez Mosque), Demir Bridge, İsmet Paşa Primary School, Physician's House (Opera Building), Fevzi Paşa Primary School, Kars Castle (Panoramic), Karahanoğlu Bridge, Twelve Apostles Church, Ebu Hasan Harakâni Tomb, Topçuoğlu Bathhouse, Muradiye Bathhouse, Treasury (Defterdarlık), Gazi Ahmet Muhtar Paşa Mansion. Afterwards, we head to the first thematic Cheese Museum, where we can see the production processes of Kars gravyer and kaşar cheese. Opened in 2022, the museum operates inside the Süvari Bastion, built in the city center of Kars in 1734. After our visit to the Cheese Museum, we will give you free time for shopping in the city center. After free time, we will be transferred to Kars Airport. At 20:45, our Kars – Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen flight will depart with Pegasus Airlines flight PC 2593. After arriving at Sabiha Gökçen Airport at 23:00, we will board our waiting vehicle and begin the return journey. We say goodbye, looking forward to meeting you on the next Gnr Turizm organization.
Breakfast: Taken at the hotel. (Included in the tour price.)
Lunch: Taken freely in Kars. (Not included in the tour price.)
Dinner: Taken freely on the return route. (Not included in the tour price.)
General Information
Museum Card
What's Included
* Transportation as Specified in the Program * 2 Nights' Accommodation in Hotels * 2 Breakfasts at the Hotel * Mandatory Travel Insurance According to Tourism Law No. 1618 * Professional Guide Service * One-Way Sleeping Car Ticket on the Tourist Eastern Express * Pegasus Airlines Kars – Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport Flight Ticket * Transfer Düzce – Ankara Train Station * Transfer Sabiha Gökçen – Düzce
Not Included
* All Meals During the Train Journey * Lunches * Dinners * Hotel Services (Minibar, Telephone, etc.) * All beverages, including water with meals * Museum Entrances (Museum Pass) * Optional Tours
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