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Göbekli Tepe and Mardin 3 Days
Price on request based on your dates and group size
About this tour
Three days in the cradle of civilisation, with domestic flights from Istanbul. Climb up to Göbekli Tepe, the 11,500-year-old sanctuary that rewrote prehistory, stroll beside the sacred fish of Balıklıgöl, step inside the beehive houses of Harran and spend the night in Mardin, the city of golden stone overlooking Mesopotamia. English-speaking guide, standard hotels on half board and all entrance tickets included.
Trip details
Duration
3 days / 2 nights
Destination
Şanlıurfa and Mardin
Category
Cultural
Type
Private tour
Accommodation
2 hotels
Meals
7 included
Flights
2 domestic
Route
Şanlıurfa
Mardin
Day-by-day itinerary
1
Flight to Şanlıurfa — Göbekli Tepe, the Bazaar and Balıklıgöl
ArrivalWe fly from Istanbul to Şanlıurfa (1 h 50 min) and have lunch in the city. In the afternoon we go up to Göbekli Tepe, the oldest sanctuary in the world: its T-shaped pillars, up to 5.5 metres tall, were carved 11,500 years ago — six millennia before Stonehenge — and have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2018. On the way back we stroll through the Şanlıurfa bazaar, among hammered copper, pistachios and spices, and finish beside the Pool of Sacred Fish (Balıklıgöl) and the cave where Abraham was born, where tradition places the prophet's childhood. Dinner and overnight in Şanlıurfa.
Flight:
Istanbul (IST) → Şanlıurfa (GNY) (Turkish Airlines / AJet)
Visits:
Göbekli Tepe, Şanlıurfa Bazaar, Pool of Sacred Fish (Balıklıgöl), Cave of Abraham's Birth (Mevlid-i Halil)
Hotel:
Standard hotel Şanlıurfa · Half board
Meals: Lunch · Dinner
2
Harran and the Mesopotamian Plain — Arrival in Mardin
Şanlıurfa Mardin
We set off early for Harran, 45 minutes to the south: its conical mud-brick beehive houses have kept the desert heat at bay for centuries, and among them stand the castle and the ruins of the university where Aristotle was translated into Arabic in the 9th century. We have lunch back in Şanlıurfa and take the Mesopotamian road: a 190-kilometre drive, about 2.5 hours across the plain, to Mardin. We arrive in the last light, when the city's limestone glows golden above the plain that stretches towards Syria. Dinner and overnight in Mardin.
Visits:
Harran (archaeological site and beehive houses)
Hotel:
Standard hotel Mardin · Half board
Meals: Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
3
Mardin — The Old Town and the Flight Home
DepartureWe devote the morning to Mardin's old town: Ottoman houses of carved stone, 14th-century Artuqid doorways, vaulted alleyways and silver filigree workshops, with the panorama of Mesopotamia always in the background. Lunch on a terrace in the historic centre. In the afternoon, a 2 h 30 min drive back to Şanlıurfa airport (GNY) and flight to Istanbul. End of our services.
Flight:
Şanlıurfa (GNY) → Istanbul (IST) (Turkish Airlines / AJet)
Visits:
Mardin Old Town
Meals: Breakfast · Lunch
Planned accommodation
We work with several hotels in each category in every city; the exact hotel is confirmed when you book.
The hotels shown are the planned ones. If one isn't available, we'll offer another of a similar or higher category.
Photo gallery
Mardin
What's included
Included
- 2 nights in standard hotels: 1 in Şanlıurfa and 1 in Mardin, on half board
- Daily breakfast and the 2 hotel dinners (Şanlıurfa and Mardin nights)
- 3 lunches at local restaurants, as per itinerary
- Airport–hotel–airport transfers
- Private vehicle with driver for all three days
- Licensed English-speaking guide throughout the tour
- Entrance tickets and visits: everything in the programme — Göbekli Tepe, Balıklıgöl, the Harran archaeological site and Mardin's old town
- Domestic flights Istanbul–Şanlıurfa and Şanlıurfa–Istanbul with taxes
Not included
- International flights
- Drinks with meals
- Tips for the guide and driver (as a guide: €3/day for the guide and €2/day for the driver)
- Personal expenses
- Optional excursions and anything not listed above
Frequently asked questions
What's included in Göbekli Tepe and Mardin 3 Days?
Göbekli Tepe and Mardin 3 Days includes: 2 nights in standard hotels: 1 in Şanlıurfa and 1 in Mardin, on half board; Daily breakfast and the 2 hotel dinners (Şanlıurfa and Mardin nights); 3 lunches at local restaurants, as per itinerary; Airport–hotel–airport transfers; Private vehicle with driver for all three days; Licensed English-speaking guide throughout the tour; Entrance tickets and visits: everything in the programme — Göbekli Tepe, Balıklıgöl, the Harran archaeological site and Mardin's old town; Domestic flights Istanbul–Şanlıurfa and Şanlıurfa–Istanbul with taxes. Anything not included is listed just as clearly in the "What's included" section of this page.
Do I need to speak Turkish for this trip?
No. Your guide, Sinan, speaks fluent English and is with you throughout the trip. He takes care of all the arrangements, translations, bookings and negotiations for you.
Can I customise Göbekli Tepe and Mardin 3 Days?
Yes. Göbekli Tepe and Mardin 3 Days is a private tour, so this 3-day itinerary is flexible: you can change stops, add extra days, swap hotels or adjust the pace of the trip. Message me with your preferences and we'll design your tailor-made trip, with no extra charge for the planning.
When is the best time to visit Şanlıurfa and Mardin?
Türkiye can be visited all year round. Spring (April–June) and autumn (September–November) bring pleasant temperatures and fewer crowds. Summer is ideal for the coast, and winter has its own charm in Cappadocia, with snow-covered landscapes.
Why can't I see a price on this page?
Because this is a private tour and its price depends on your dates, how many of you are travelling, the hotel category and the visits you want to include. I'd rather work it out by hand and send you a real quote, with everything itemised, than show you a "from" price that ends up looking nothing like what you pay. Request it with the quote form on this page and you'll have it within 24 hours.
How do booking and payment work?
Once you request a quote, you receive a private link with the final price and the full itinerary, with no obligation. To confirm, you pay a 30% deposit. The balance is paid 31 days before departure, by bank transfer or card (+3% surcharge). If you cancel more than 90 days before departure, only the handling fee and any penalties charged for flights and services already issued are retained; closer to departure, the cancellation policy scale applies, the same one you'll see in your quote.
Read more
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Deyrulzafaran and Mor Gabriel: The Syriac Monasteries of Mardin
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Göbekli Tepe: How to Visit the World's Oldest Temple
Seven thousand years before the pyramids, hunters with no towns raised circles of stone pillars carved with animals on a
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Şanlıurfa and Göbekli Tepe: The Oldest Temple in the World
Built 12,000 years ago, Göbekli Tepe forced archaeologists to rethink how civilisation began. Nearby, Şanlıurfa (Urfa, a
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Mardin: The Golden Stone City Overlooking Mesopotamia
Mardin clings to a hillside above the plain of Mesopotamia, with carved stone houses, 1,500-year-old Syriac monasteries
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