Silk Road & Zigana: Trabzon – Gümüşhane – Bayburt — 4 Days

Arrival in Trabzon and check-in. The day covers Sumela Monastery and Altındere Valley National Park. Sumela Monastery is a Byzantine cliff monastery carved into the sheer face of Karadağ (Black Mountain) at roughly 1,200 metres elevation, overlooking the Altındere Valley in the…

1. 08:30 - 11:00 Sumela Monastery· 150 dk

   Tour coaches can reach the Altındere National Park car park; the steep, narrow upper section cannot be reached by coach and requires the shuttle minibus. Parking: A large car park and reception facilities are available at the Altındere National Park entrance; vehicles are left there, with onward access by shuttle.

   The panoramic viewing terrace on the valley's opposite slope; the final bend of the trail approaching the monastery; the fresco walls of the Rock Church; the Altındere Valley view veiled in morning mist.

   Wheelchair access within the monastery is limited due to the rocky, stepped path; wheelchair users can still enjoy the valley floor and the viewing points.

2. 12:45 - 13:45 Lunch — local flavour stop· 60 dk

   Lunch break of regional cuisine.

3. 11:30 - 14:30 Altındere Valley National Park· 180 dk

   Tour coaches can reach the car park on the valley floor without difficulty; the final leg is completed only by shuttle service and on foot. Parking: Paid parking on the valley floor (approximately 50-70 TRY/day); also suitable for tour coaches and campervans.

   The valley viewpoint on the opposite slope where the monastery appears in panorama; the bridge and waterfall on the valley floor; the entrance terrace and fresco gallery of the rock church; the streamside area around the trout facilities.

   Limited — the car park, valley floor and trout facilities are level and accessible, but the final 20-30 minute steep path to the monastery is not suitable for disabled or mobility-restricted visitors.

Route Trabzon, Maçka

The day covers Hamsiköy (Rice Pudding Village), Zigana Pass & Tunnel, Atatürk Pavilion and Trabzon Hagia Sophia (Museum-Mosque). Hamsiköy is a lush green mountain village in the Maçka district of Trabzon, set at roughly 1,200 metres on the northern slope of Zigana Mountain.

1. 08:30 - 09:30 Hamsiköy (Rice Pudding Village)· 60 dk

   Suitable for tour coaches; flat parking areas in front of the businesses allow easy manoeuvring for large vehicles. Parking: Wide, free parking for cars and tour coaches in front of the roadside bakeries and restaurants.

   The panorama of the village and spruce forests framed from in front of the roadside bakery-restaurants; timber Black Sea houses by the stream; the misty-morning viewpoint overlooking the Zigana slopes; a macro shot of a freshly baked plate of sütlaç.

   Wheelchair access is moderately easy since the ground is largely flat; most restaurants have road-level entrances, though some paths within the village are uneven.

2. 10:00 - 10:45 Zigana Pass & Tunnel· 45 dk

   Tour coaches can park on the wide shoulders of the old pass road and the summit clearings; the narrow, steep bends require experienced drivers for large vehicles. The tunnel route is trouble-free for standard coaches. Parking: Free open-air parking on the wide shoulders of the old pass road, the flat areas around the summit, and near the ski facility.

   Summit viewing terraces (green Black Sea-facing slopes and southern Gümüşhane plateaus in one frame), the hairpin bends of the old pass road, the sea of clouds filling the valleys on summer mornings, and snowy forest views in winter.

   The panorama can be comfortably enjoyed from the vehicle or from level overlooks; sloping nature trails and snowy ground are not suitable for wheelchairs.

3. 11:15 - 12:15 Atatürk Pavilion· 60 dk

   Tour coaches can reach the Soğuksu car park; the municipality's Köşk shuttle bus service is also available. Parking: Soğuksu pavilion car park; tiered fee for cars (first 30 minutes free). Free for a set period for disabled visitors' vehicles.

   City rooftops and Black Sea panorama from the garden terrace (a classic tour photo); the white neoclassical façade amid the pine grove; the period-furnished interiors of Atatürk's study and bedroom.

   Entry is free for disabled visitors and one companion; the disabled car park is free for a set period. Because it is a historic mansion, access to the upper floors is by stairs; the ground floor and garden are accessible.

4. 12:45 - 13:45 Lunch — local flavour stop· 60 dk

   Lunch break of regional cuisine (outside half-board).

   Local spread and presentation shots.

5. 13:45 - 14:45 Trabzon Hagia Sophia (Museum-Mosque)· 60 dk

   Tour coaches can pull up close to the building; drop-off and pick-up are possible a short walk from the garden entrance. Parking: Dedicated parking beside the building is limited; paid car parks and street parking are available nearby.

   The garden framing the bell tower and main dome together; the sea-view south terrace; the stone reliefs on the south portal; the frescoes and the opus sectile floor beneath the dome inside the apse.

6. 15:15 - 16:45 Free time — city centre· 90 dk

   Rest and free exploration (~1.5 hours).

Route Trabzon, Maçka, Ortahisar

Transfer from Trabzon to Gümüşhane. The day covers Karaca Cave, Limni Lake Nature Park and Torul Castle & Glass Terrace. Karaca Cave (Karaca Mağarası) lies within the boundaries of Cebeli village in the Torul district of Gümüşhane, at roughly 1,550 metres above sea level, and is regarded as one of…

1. 08:30 - 10:20 Transfer from Trabzon to Gümüşhane· 110 dk

   Inter-city transfer in an air-conditioned vehicle; short rest stop en route.

2. 10:20 - 11:05 Karaca Cave· 45 dk

   The double-lane asphalt connecting road is well suited for tour coaches; it is a standard coach stop on Eastern Black Sea tours. Parking: An adequately organised car park for tour coaches and private vehicles is available at the cave entrance.

   The large halls with color-lit major columns and organ-pipe curtain formations; the white-to-deep-blue travertine pools and cave roses; the lit platform angles looking from the entrance mouth toward the inner halls.

   Limited. Since the interior tour follows a lit, stepped/sloped platform, it is difficult for wheelchair users and visitors with reduced mobility; the entrance surroundings and car park are on flat ground.

3. 11:35 - 13:05 Limni Lake Nature Park· 90 dk

   Tour coaches can reach the entrance car park via the stabilised road through Zigana village; it is programmed together with the Zigana pass on the land leg of Trabzon-based Eastern Black Sea tours. Parking: An organised car park at the nature park entrance offers sufficient capacity for cars and coaches.

   The reflection point on the lake's northern shore (forest and mountain silhouette mirrored in the water), the forest clearings along the walking path circling the lake, and the panoramic ridge path looking down over the lake; snow-covered spruce and the frozen shoreline in winter give the most striking photographs.

   The entrance and part of the lakeshore are partly level and accessible, but the mountain and forest paths circling the lake are not fully suited to wheelchair access.

4. 13:35 - 14:35 Lunch — local flavour stop· 60 dk

   Lunch break of regional cuisine (outside half-board).

   Local spread and presentation shots.

5. 14:35 - 15:35 Torul Castle & Glass Terrace· 60 dk

   Suitable for tour coaches; thanks to its proximity to the highway and its car park, large vehicles can approach without difficulty, making it a frequently used stop for agencies. Parking: An organised car park for tour coaches and private vehicles exists at the lower level of the castle/glass terrace.

   The most striking shots are taken from the edge of the glass terrace looking down the Harşit valley, together with the giant Turkish flag on its 45-metre pole, in sunset light; framing the castle's silhouette on the rock from the opposite slope is also popular.

   Access to the glass terrace involves a rocky, sloping path and stairs, so it is limited for wheelchair users; although the car park and lower level are relatively close, reaching the upper platform requires physical effort.

6. 16:05 - 17:35 Free time — city centre· 90 dk

   Rest and free exploration (~1.5 hours).

Route Gümüşhane, Torul

Transfer from Gümüşhane to Bayburt. The day covers Bayburt Castle, Aydıntepe Underground City, Sırakayalar Waterfall and Kop Martyrs' Memorial and Pass. Bayburt Castle is a commanding fortress rising on a steep rocky ridge to the north of the city, in the upper basin of the Çoruh River, and it is the undisputed emblem of Bayburt. Transfer at the end of the tour.

1. 08:30 - 09:45 Transfer from Gümüşhane to Bayburt· 75 dk

   Inter-city transfer in an air-conditioned vehicle; short rest stop en route.

2. 09:45 - 10:45 Bayburt Castle· 60 dk

   Tour buses can approach the car park at the foot of the castle; groups usually disembark here and continue on foot to the ramparts. Parking: A car park is available at the foot of the castle; the central car parks around the Grand Mosque/Clock Tower are also within walking distance.

   The south/west face of the walls overlooking the Çoruh Valley; the city skyline and Şingah quarter panorama from the inner castle; the golden light on the castle walls at sunset; a dramatic upward perspective of the ramparts shot from the foot of the castle.

   Limited. While the car park and lower levels are partly accessible, the climb to the upper ramparts is difficult for wheelchair users and visitors with reduced mobility due to the steep, stony and stepped terrain.

3. 11:15 - 12:15 Aydıntepe Underground City· 60 dk

   Tour coaches can reach the entrance point near the town centre; the final approach through the narrow streets is on foot. Parking: Parking for cars and tour coaches is available around the entrance in the town centre.

   The depth perspective of the vaulted gallery corridors; natural light streaming through the conical ventilation shafts; the 1.5-metre-diameter round stone door mechanism and room entrances.

   Limited; the galleries are narrow (~1 m) and low (2–2.5 m) and occasionally stepped, making wheelchair access unsuitable.

4. 12:45 - 13:45 Lunch — local flavour stop· 60 dk

   Lunch break of regional cuisine (outside half-board).

   Local spread and presentation shots.

5. 13:45 - 14:45 Sırakayalar Waterfall· 60 dk

   Tour coaches can reach it via the village road; flat open ground for manoeuvring exists near the village entrance and picnic area. Parking: No formally marked car park; flat open parking areas exist near the village entrance and around the picnic area.

   The rocky terrace on the far bank of the lower pool and the side profile of the stepped drop; afternoon light is recommended for the west-facing surface. Frozen ice columns in winter make for unique shots.

   Limited. The footpath down to the falls is short but rocky and uneven; visitors with reduced mobility can view the scene from the upper terrace.

6. 15:15 - 15:45 Kop Martyrs' Memorial and Pass· 30 dk

   Tour coaches can pull directly off the paved road; ample flat space for manoeuvring and parking. Parking: A wide, free, level car park is available around the monument.

   The monument's base platform and roadside viewing flats, from which the pass, the snowy-misty mountain view and the Kop Tunnel mouth fall into frame together. Sunrise/sunset and winter fog give the most dramatic light.

   Most of the ground is flat, making the surrounding walk partly possible; the monument's base platform is reached by a few steps and is not fully accessible.

7. 16:15 - 17:45 Free time — city centre· 90 dk

   Rest and free exploration (~1.5 hours).

Route Bayburt, Merkez, Aydıntepe