Where the Pontic Mountains drop steeply to the Black Sea and the highlands of Eastern Anatolia begin behind them, monks sought the seclusion of the mountain forests and valleys for centuries. That is why this landscape can be compared with Athos: Sumela Monastery clings like a swallow's nest to the rock face, and in the valleys of Tao-Klarjeti the mighty churches of Georgian monks, Oshki and Ishkhani, rise up.
The First Epistle of Peter already sends its greeting to the Christians “in Pontus” – the faith took hold early on this coast. On the tour from Trabzon you encounter the frescoes of Hagia Sophia of Trebizond, cross the passes to Erzurum, stand before Ararat, whose name the Bible links with Noah's rescue, and walk through the ruins of the Armenian capital Ani. To conclude, the route leads through the green Fırtına Valley to the tea gardens of Rize.
A state-licensed, English-speaking tour guide accompanies you through all eight days and, on request, prepares devotions together with your group.
The Bible reading path
Passages you will read on site
Acts 2:9Pontus
Among the witnesses of Pentecost in Jerusalem were also people from Pontus – the early link between this coast and the gospel.
1 Pet 1:1Trabzon (Pontus)
Peter greets the elect strangers in Pontus – read at the starting point of the tour.
Gen 8:4Ararat
The ark comes to rest upon the mountains of Ararat – an account heard anew with the mountain before your eyes.
Gen 9:12–17Ararat
God sets his bow in the cloud as a token of his covenant with Noah and every living creature.
2 Kgs 19:37Ararat
Sennacherib's murderers escape “into the land of Armenia” (Hebrew: Ararat) – the Bible knows the region as a land of its own in the north.
Tip: bring your own Bible – at each place we open the relevant passage together. Bible quotations: King James Version.
Day by day
Itinerary
Day1
Arrival in Trabzon
Trabzon Airport → hotel
At Trabzon airport your local tour guide welcomes you and takes you to the nearby hotel. The city – as Trebizond once a trading hub on the Silk Road and the residence of a Byzantine imperial dynasty of its own – is the starting point of the tour. At the welcome drink your fellow travellers get to know each other; your guide introduces the route and the history of the Pontus, and a word of blessing places the coming days under God's protection.
1 Pet 1:1Overnight: Trabzon
Day2
Sumela and Hagia Sophia of Trebizond
Trabzon → Maçka → Sumela → Trabzon
A shuttle takes us up to Sumela Monastery, which clings to the rock face high above the Altındere valley – linked for more than fifteen centuries with prayer and the veneration of the Mother of God. The rock church, frescoes and holy spring are revealed on a tour; the way back is along a forest path. In the afternoon we visit the 13th-century Hagia Sophia of Trebizond with its frescoes above the sea, then in the old town the Orta Hisar Mosque – once the city's cathedral as the Church of Panagia Chrysokephalos – and the Atatürk Villa.
Overnight: Trabzon
Day3
Across the Pontic Mountains to Erzurum
Trabzon → Gümüşhane → Bayburt → Erzurum
From the green coast the road climbs through mountain forests and over high passes up into the highlands. On old caravan routes we stop for photos in Gümüşhane and in front of the fortress of Bayburt. In the afternoon we reach Erzurum, which at almost 2,000 metres is one of the highest cities in Turkey. Here you visit the Double Minaret Madrasa (Çifte Minare), the Great Mosque and the Hatuniye Mausoleum, before dinner at the hotel gives you a chance to settle in to the highlands.
Overnight: Erzurum
Day4
Ishak Pasha Palace and a view of Ararat
Erzurum → Ağrı → Doğubayazıt
East of Erzurum the road leads over passes and wide plateaus to Doğubayazıt. Above the plain sits the 18th-century Ishak Pasha Palace, in which Ottoman, Persian and Armenian architecture come together. In the late afternoon the view opens onto Ararat, which rises 5,137 metres as the highest peak in the country. In a devotion before the mountain we read of the flood, of Noah's rescue and of the bow in the cloud as the token of the covenant God made with all life.
Gen 8:4Gen 9:13Overnight: Doğubayazıt
Day5
Ani – ruins of a Christian capital
Doğubayazıt → Iğdır → Kars → Ani → Kars
Through the plain of Iğdır, with Ararat again and again in view, we drive along the border towards Kars. In the afternoon we reach Ani, the former Armenian capital above the gorge of the Arpaçay: the cathedral, the Church of the Redeemer and the Church of St Gregory with remains of frescoes bear witness to a great Christian past – today a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Back in Kars you see the 10th-century Church of the Apostles and taste regional specialities such as Kars honey and Gravyer cheese.
Overnight: Kars
Day6
Georgian monastery churches in Tao-Klarjeti
Kars → Tortum → Oshki → Ishkhani → Artvin
Far from the main roads, in Tao-Klarjeti, monks from Georgia created houses of God in the 10th century whose dimensions still astonish today. Via Göle and Oltu we reach the valley of the Tortum river and the cross-domed church of Oshki (Öşkvank) with the reliefs of its founders. In the afternoon we go up to Ishkhani (İşhan), once a bishop's seat, where remains of wall paintings have survived. In the evening we reach Artvin high above the Çoruh valley – after a day that makes it clear why this landscape is compared with Athos.
Overnight: Artvin
Day7
Fırtına Valley and the tea gardens of Rize
Artvin → Hopa → Fırtına Valley → Rize
From Artvin we descend to the Black Sea and follow the coast to Ardeşen. In the Fırtına Valley, the “Storm Valley”, Ottoman stone arch bridges span the river, tea terraces climb the slopes, and Zilkale castle sits enthroned on a rock; in Çamlıhemşin you can try regional cuisine such as muhlama at midday. In Rize a tea factory shows the way from the freshly picked leaf to the finished çay. The farewell evening invites you to look back together.
Overnight: Rize
Day8
Farewell to the Black Sea
Rize → Trabzon Airport
Depending on your flight time, you drive from Rize back to Trabzon airport. On request, a beach extension on the Aegean or the Riviera can follow. What remains are the images of a landscape in which monasteries, mountains and valleys tell of a faith that has been at home here since the earliest times – and the word of the psalm that our help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
⛔ No shopping stops: carpet, jewellery or leather showrooms are not part of this tour.
Included
7 nights in typical local 3- to 5-star hotels with half board (breakfast and dinner)
Round trip in an air-conditioned coach, airport transfers in Trabzon
State-licensed, English-speaking tour guide
Entrance fees as per programme and shuttle to Sumela Monastery
Visit to a tea factory in Rize
Welcome drink on the first evening
Not included
Flights – on request we will enquire about suitable connections for you
Lunches and drinks
Tips (guideline: tour guide approx. €3–5, driver approx. €2–3 per day)
Travel insurance
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called the “Turkish Athos”?
As on Athos, monks lived in seclusion for centuries in the Pontic Mountains and in the valleys of Tao-Klarjeti. Sumela, Oshki and Ishkhani still tell of this today.
How demanding is the tour?
In the highlands there are some long driving days, and at Sumela as well as Ani the paths are uneven. Normal sure-footedness is sufficient; generous breaks are planned.
Where does the tour begin and end?
It starts and ends in Trabzon; the tour comprises 8 days with 7 nights. A beach extension on the Aegean or the Riviera is possible on request.
Who can book the tour?
Churches and groups from 9 people, and as a private tour from just one person – for Christians of all denominations. We are happy to prepare devotions together with your group.
How much does the tour cost?
You will receive the price on request, as it depends on dates, group size and room allocation. We will send you a personal offer – free of charge and without obligation.
Is the flight to Trabzon included?
No, the flight is not included in the tour price. On request we will enquire about suitable connections for you or your group.
Enquiry & booking
Enquire about this tour
Monasteries between the Black Sea and Ararat – the “Turkish Athos”
