14D DISCOVER AZERBAIJAN, GEORGIA AND TURKEYWAZ14T07/Dec/2019 to 31/Dec/2020

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

• Baku City Tour with Palace of Shirvanshahs and Maiden Tower • Visit Baku Bib Heybat Mosque and Muhammad Mosque • Yanar Dag “Burning Moutain and Mardakan Castle • Sheki Juma Mosque and Shki Khan Palace • Sighnaghi Hill Town • Tbilisi and Batumi City Tour • Trabzon City tour with Ataturk Mansion • View Sumela Monastery • Bozztepe Cable Car Ride to • Amasya Castle and Amasya Museum • Kastamonu Castle and Lake Abant Nature Park • Istanbul City Tour with Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace

SINGAPORE – BAKU

Depart from Singapore Changi Airport for your flight to Baku – Azerbaijan.

D1

BAKU

Upon arrival, be greeted by our local representative and embark on a city tour of Baku. Your first destination willbe the Highland Park that offers a 360° panoramic view of the Baku city, which resembles a massiveamphitheater that gently slopes down to the adjoining Caspian Sea! Visit to Old Town - 'IcheriSheher' which is the heart of Baku. Included in your visit are some historically architectural monumentslocated in the territory of Old Town such as the Palace of Shirvanshahs and the Maiden Tower - ‘Baku’ssymbol’ also known locally as Giz Galasi, was built in the 12th century as part of the walled city. After lunch, drivepass by Baku Boulevard, one of the favorite retreat centers for tourists and inhabitants. Visit Baku’s Bibi HeybatMosque and Muhammad Mosque. After lunch, explore the National Carpets Museum - whose very buildingresembles a folded carpet and the Cultural Center Complex - Heydar Aliyev Center that is comprised of anexhibition halls, museum and auditorium. Its architecture is remarkable as no angles can be seen in its interior aswell as exterior.

D2

Lunch/Dinner

BAKU – ABSHERON – BAKU

Visit the oldest oil producing fields on the Absheron Peninsula to view the natural gas outlets Yanar Dag or“Burning Mountain” and mud volcanoes. Foreign invaders attracted by natural resources induced local feudallords to erect fortified castles some of which stand today. There are two of them in Mardakan, one with a roundtower, and a larger one with a square tower. Near the castle is the 15th century Tuba-Shahi mosque, containingan exhibition dedicated to the castles in the Absheron peninsula. The Mardakan castle, located in the northernextreme of town, with a round tower surrounded by walls, offers a nice view of the Caspian Sea. After lunch visitthe Cultural center named after H.Aliyev. Recognized as one of the world’s famous buildings, the masterpiece ofZaha Hadid has become an architectural landmark of the modern Baku. End the day with a visit to HeydarMosque, the largest in Baku.

D3

Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

BAKU – SHAMAKHI – LAHIJ – SHEKI

Embark on a scenic drive to Sheki with a visit to the historical mosque Juma (Friday) at Shamakhi. Continue toIsmayilli region for Lahij. Lahj is a village and municipality on the southern slopes of Greater Caucasus within theIsmayilli Rayon of Azerbaijan. Its population is approximately 860 people who speak the variation of Tati - Lahijilanguage and a notable place in Azerbaijan, with its authentic handicrafts traditions, particularly related to copper.The village's carpet and rug crafts are also well known in Azerbaijan and the South Caucasus. Depart toSheki (~300 km).

D4

Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

SHEKI

Start your day with a city tour Sheki, with visit to the city fortress and Sheki khan Palace. Explore theCaravanserai with its artisans’ stalls such as silk and embroidery shops, potters, confectioners, hatters etc. Visitthe Shebeke workshop specialize in stained glass mosaics an authentic art of Sheki. Visit Juma mosque-madrasa dated to 1750 as well the mosque of Omar Efendi.

D5

Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

SHEKI – SIGHNAGHI – TBILISI

After breakfast, bid farewell to Azerbaijan and cross over to Georgia via the Lagodekhi border. After visitingSighnaghi hill town, continue towards Tbilisi – the capital of Georgia.

D6

Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

TBILISI

After breakfast, embark on a city tour of Tbilisi which includes visit to the Old Town. Visit Freedom Square andRustaveli Avenue, the main street of Tbilisi and explore through some of the narrow streets for some souvenirshopping. The city tour also includes visit the Tbilisi Mosque.

D7

Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

TBILISI – BATUMI

Start your day with a scenic drive towards Batumi, a Black Sea resort and port city. Upon arrival, lunch followedby a brief city tour with a visit to Batumi Mosque and take in sights such as the Batumi Boulevard encompassesa waterfront promenade with a park and beach. View the 130m-high Alphabetic Tower, adorned with Georgianscript.

D8

Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

BATUMI – TRABZON

After breakfast, drive along the coast line towards the border of Turkey then continue to Trabzon via Arhavi - atown and locale of Artvin Province. The landscape is sloping and precipitous, view the Twin Bridge and continueto Ayder Plateau located in the town of Camlihemsin in the province of Rize. The Ayder Plateau is fondly referredto as “honey forest” because of its delicacy - honey. It is a conglomeration of all shades of green with touches ofgold and brown that reaches out to the skies. The history of Uzungol is tied in with that of Trabzon’s.Trabzon's ancient name was "Trapezos". This means “table”. The old city had been built on a narrow hillwhich stretched down to the sea in the shape of a table. Enjoy a traditional cooking class followed by dinner.

D9

Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

TRABZON – AMASYA

Start your day with a visit to the Ataturk Mansion, the stately mansion that was once owned by the founder of theRepublic of Turkey Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. View Sumela Monastery - the extensive ruins of Sumela Monastery,founded by Greeks in the 4th century, cling improbably to a sheer cliff, high above evergreen forests. This is oneof the Black Sea region's unquestionable highlights. Due to ongoing restoration means you can't goinside until at least 2023, but for many visitors, just seeing the exterior from the 'Seyir Noktas'viewpoint is worth the long drive. The Onur Ant (Statue of Honor) is also known as the Atatürk Monument and islocated in Atatürk Park in the Ilkadm district of Samsun. Designed by Austrian sculptor Heinrich Krippel, the statueis dedicated to the landing of Atatürk in Samsun, which marked the beginning of the Turkish War of Independence(1919-1923). Finally visit the Amisos Hill dates back B.C 3th century. Enjoy a ride on the Boztepe Cable Carbefore continue to Amasya for late afternoon city tour that includes the Ferhat aqueduct and the 13th centurySeljuk Burmali Mosque. The last stop for today will the Amasya Castle, overlooking the city, the Amasya Castlehas been attacked by the Persian, Roman, Pontus and Byzantine Empires. After every destructive force, thecastle was built anew and protected the city until the 18th century when it lost its strategic importance. Visitorscan view the cisterns, water depots, and remains of an Ottoman hamam after they make their way up to the top ofthe mountain.

D10

Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

AMASYA – BOLU

Visit Amasya Museum which display archaeological artifacts and Islamic Period mummies. Drive to Bolu and onthe way stop in Kastamonu to visit Kastamonu Castle which is one of the major magnificent monuments of theprovince and it is assumed to be constructed in the Byzantine period. View the House Rock Tombs located tothe south of the city center on a rock starting from an altitude of 8 meters. These rock tombs are dated to the 7thBC. Finally visit Lake Abant Nature

D11

Park which is a tectonic structure, shelters a variety of plants in itself and have a great open air recreationpotentiality. As a result of these characteristics of the lake, 1150 hectares of it had been taken under the status ofNatural Park in the year 1988. Overnight in Bolu.

Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

BOLU – ISTANBUL

From Bolu head towards Istanbul, upon arrival visit The Blue Mosque - one of the biggest mosques of Istanbulfrom 17th century architecture is one of the principal adornments on the skyline of Istanbul. Explore TopkapiPalace which was the forrmer imperial residence from where the Great Ottoman Empire was ruled. Today it is aspectacular museum that has one of the largest collections of Chinese and Japanese porcelain and the veryfamous treasury of the Royal Family. Not to be missed is the Grand Covered Bazaar a bazaar that will tempteven the non-shoppers with its rich collection of precious handmade carpets, jewellery, leather and souvenirs.

D12

Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

ISTANBUL – SINGAPORE

After breakfast, free time till you check out from the hotel. Enjoy a Bosphorus Cruise, starting at the GoldenHorn, which played an important role in the city's development. Along the way, you’ll enjoy spectacularviews of old wooden villas, palaces of marble, fortresses, and small fishing villages located along the shore. Latertransfer to the airport for your flight home.

D13

Breakfast

ARRIVE SINGAPORE

D14

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