6 Nights / 7 Days
From Fairy Chimneys to Mesopotamia
6 Nights | 3 Cappadocia · 1 Gaziantep · 1 Şanlıurfa · 1 Diyarbakır — surreal landscapes and the cradle of civilization.
Turkey / City
Şanlıurfa
A city where ancient prophecy meets archaeological discovery — Şanlıurfa sits at the roots of civilisation, home to Göbekli Tepe and sacred pools associated with Abraham's birthplace.
Also part of Upper Mesopotamia
Şanlıurfa occupies a place of deep religious significance in southeastern Turkey, where the city sits at the roots of ancient Mesopotamia. By tradition, this is where Abraham spent his early years, and the site draws visitors to the sacred pools where carp glide through still water — a reminder of the city's layered history as a crossroads of faiths and civilizations.
The Pool of Sacred Fish
The Pool of Sacred Fish (Balıklıgöl) sits at the heart of the old city, a calm body of water surrounded by tea gardens and stone pavements. Carp still swim in the pool, descendants of the fish that locals say were turned white as a sign of divine protection when Nimrod cast Abraham into fire. Nearby, the mosque and shrine complex mark the traditional birthplace of Abraham, drawing pilgrims and visitors throughout the year.
The Old City and Its Bazaar
Above the old city, the Şanlıurfa Castle — built on foundations dating back to the Hellenistic period — offers views across a landscape of minarets and date palms, an unexpected touch in southeastern Turkey. The castle's walls and towers reflect centuries of construction and reconstruction, from Roman through Byzantine to Ottoman periods.
Şanlıurfa's bazaar quarters wind through the old city in covered lanes filled with copper merchants, spice sellers, and textile traders. The smell of lamb being grilled over coals drifts from street-side grills, while tea houses fill with regulars watching the afternoon pass. Local specialities include lamb kebabs spiced with local herbs, stuffed vegetables cooked in clay pots, and sweet pastries soaked in syrup.
Göbekli Tepe
In the hills northeast of the city, Göbekli Tepe rewrites human history. Excavations here have uncovered T-shaped stone pillars arranged in circular structures, dated to around 9600 BCE — thousands of years before Stonehenge or the Egyptian pyramids. Walking the excavation paths, you can see the pillars up close and stand where hunter-gatherers gathered to build something that changed our understanding of early human civilization.
The Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum houses artefacts recovered from Göbekli Tepe and surrounding sites, placing these discoveries in context. For visitors, the museum provides essential background before or after visiting the site itself.
Şanlıurfa rewards slow exploration. Its streets reveal layers of history through unexpected junctions between sacred sites, lively market activity, and archaeological discoveries. The city feels distinct from Turkey's western tourist centres — a place shaped by different currents of trade, faith, and agricultural tradition that still flow through its daily rhythm.
On the map
Find it on the map
- Şanlıurfa City
Also around here
Tours that visit Şanlıurfa
8 Nights / 9 Days
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3 Nights / 4 Days
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3 Nights | 1 Gaziantep · 1 Şanlıurfa · 1 Diyarbakır — Göbeklitepe, Mount Nemrut and the cradle of civilization.
11 Nights / 12 Days
The Ultimate Eastern Turkey Expedition
11 Nights | 3 Cappadocia · 1 Gaziantep · 1 Şanlıurfa · 1 Diyarbakır · 3 Mardin · 1 Van · 1 Kars — fairy chimneys, Mount Nemrut, Mardin and the haunting ruins of Ani.
14 Nights / 15 Days
The Ultimate Journey Across Turkey
3 Nights Istanbul | 3 Nights Cappadocia | 1 Night Gaziantep | 1 Night Sanliurfa | 1 Night Diyarbakir | 3 Nights Mardin | 1 Night Van | 1 Night Kars
9 Nights / 10 Days
Turkey's Grand Cultural Journey
9 Nights | 3 Istanbul · 3 Cappadocia · 1 Gaziantep · 1 Şanlıurfa · 1 Diyarbakır — imperial capitals, surreal landscapes and the cradle of civilization.
Good to know
Before you book you should know
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Is this trip right for you?
Our groups are capped at eight travellers, which is about a third of what the industry calls a small group. Eight people share one vehicle, one table at dinner and one guide's attention, and the day can change on the road without anybody being left behind. If you are looking for a coach, a fixed script and a microphone, this is not that.
Most days involve real walking, often on ground that was laid two thousand years before walking shoes: marble worn smooth, cobbles, uneven steps and long site paths with little shade. Bring shoes you can spend a morning in.
Some days move between regions and are largely a drive, with stops along the way. Summers are hot — well over 35°C inland — and winters are colder than most people expect, so layers, a hat and sunscreen earn their place in the bag whatever the month.
How demanding a particular trip is, is written on the trip itself: the physical rating in the header, and the day-by-day itinerary above.
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Rooms, and travelling on your own
Trip prices are per person, sharing a twin room. Each traveller picks their own room while booking, so a party can mix the three:
- Twin share — two single beds, shared with someone you are travelling with or with a traveller of the same gender.
- Travelling as a couple — one double room.
- Individual room — a room of your own, for a single supplement on top of the trip price. Availability is limited, and the supplement for a given date is shown next to the option when you book.
Solo travellers are welcome on every departure, and most of our groups have one or two aboard.
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Accommodation
The hotels named in an itinerary are a guideline rather than a guarantee. Where one is full, or has dropped below the standard we booked it for, we substitute a property of a similar standard in the same area — we would rather change the hotel than the trip.
Check-in is usually mid-afternoon. If you arrive early we will ask for the room, but no hotel can promise one before its own check-in time; luggage can normally be left at reception in the meantime. If you want the room from the night before, ask us and we will add the extra night to your booking.
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Passports, visas and insurance
Entry requirements depend on your nationality and change without much notice, so the only reliable source is the official one: the government of the country you are travelling to, and your own foreign ministry's travel advice. Check both before you book a flight.
Many countries ask for a passport valid for at least six months beyond your travel dates, and for blank pages. It is worth looking at yours now rather than at the airport.
We ask every traveller to carry travel insurance covering medical treatment and repatriation, and we would strongly encourage cover for cancellation and for your luggage as well.
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Your departure is guaranteed — the day can change
Once a departure is on the calendar it runs. We do not cancel a trip for want of a minimum number of bookings, so a booked date is one you can plan flights and leave around.
What can move is the shape of a day. Museums and archaeological sites change their hours, roads close, weather turns, a local holiday lands in the middle of the week. Where that happens your guide reorders the day, or swaps a stop for one of the same weight, and tells you why. Changes to a booked itinerary are covered by our Booking Terms & Conditions.
