Turkey reboot tour. Forest, mountains, sea - the charm of Karadeniz

I will meet you at the airport and take you to the hotel, which is located in the forest near the town of Of and has access to the sea.

At the hotel, you will have time to relax, and in the evening, we will meet for dinner to get to know each other, and, if you still have the energy, we'll go for a walk around the town.

In just one day, we will see an ancient Genoese fortress, waterfalls hidden among lush greenery, and a castle that seems straight out of medieval legends.

And we will also try our hand at being tea pickers at the tea plantations in Rize, where more than half of all Turkish tea is grown!

We'll have breakfast and head towards the tea plantations, drink some tea with a view of the hills, and take photos. After that, we'll explore the legacy of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires — the Maiden’s Tower, Zil Castle, and the Şenyuva arch bridge. Along the way, we will also enjoy the beauty and greenery of this region, seeing the picturesque Fırtına Valley, the Ayder Plateau, and the Bridal Veil Waterfall. On the way back, if you still have the energy, we'll stop by Rize to walk around the city.

We'll have breakfast and head to Panagia Sumela, a monastery carved into a sheer cliff, featuring unique Byzantine-era frescoes. There, we will take a leisurely stroll through the monastery grounds, located in the middle of a dense coniferous park that is often shrouded in a mystical fog.

We'll catch our breath over lunch at a local restaurant, where we will try Black Sea cuisine.

And then we'll head out to explore the main sights of Trabzon!

We will see landmarks such as:

• Hagia Sophia Church: The main symbol of the city. This 13th-century Byzantine church with unique frescoes has served as a mosque, a museum, and is now active as a mosque once again. It is surrounded by a beautiful garden overlooking the sea.

• Trabzon Castle and Walls: Ancient fortifications stretching from the hills all the way to the coast. They are divided into the Upper, Middle, and Lower Castle. The surviving walls offer panoramic views of the old quarters.

• Gülbahar Hatun Mosque: Built in the early 16th century in honor of the mother of Ottoman Sultan Selim I. It is a beautiful religious complex made of dark and light stone, surrounded by a peaceful square.

• Atatürk Pavilion: A snow-white, three-story European-style mansion from the early 20th century, surrounded by a luxurious garden. The founder of the republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, stayed here, and the interior of that era has been preserved inside.

• Boztepe Hill: The city's main observation deck on a high hill. People come here to drink Turkish tea from a samovar, watch the sunsets, and get a bird's-eye view of Trabzon and the Black Sea.

We will head to that very postcard lake — you have definitely seen it before!

The road to the lake runs first along the sea coast and then winds through the mountains. The views along the way will certainly not leave you indifferent and pose a serious threat to your phone's storage capacity!

And if the weather is good, we will rise above the clouds to the Karester Plateau and drink tea at an altitude of 2000 meters! (Please note: in bad weather, we do not go up because the road gets washed out and the clouds completely block the view).

In the evening, if you wish, we can visit the Trabzon Aquarium or simply take a stroll around the city.

I will take you to the airport and hope that this is not our last journey together.

Or… if you wish, you can stay for a couple more days, and I will help you extend your hotel stay :)