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Eastern Turkey - Wildlife & History
Tour Code: TUR08An 8-day holiday to enjoy the wildlife and archaeological highlights of the east and Black Sea regions of Turkey.
£3,695
£3,295
Highlights
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Summary
Turkey lies at the crossroads of east and west, not just in its birdlife but also in its extraordinarily rich cultural history. On this holiday, we travel from the ancient city of Erzurum to Dogubeyazit in the far east of the country and delve into both its wildlife and history, enjoying Ottoman cities one moment, while watching Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters the next. The tour will take us into the rugged Kackar Mountains in search of Caucasian Black Grouse and Caspian Snowcock, along with Wallcreeper and Krüper’s Nuthatch, and visits high-altitude lakes where Armenian Gull breeds, along with White and Dalmatian Pelicans. Ani, the ruined ‘City of 1,001 Churches’ which lies along the Silk Road, is also included on this itinerary, and finally, in the shadow of Mount Ararat, we will visit the 18th-century Ishak Pasha Palace and nearby look for yet more key birds such as Mongolian Finch, Grey-necked Bunting and Asian Crimson-winged Finch.
- Eastern specialities including Caspian Snowcock, Caucasian Grouse, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater and Mountain Chiffchaff
- Sought-after Western Palearctic passerines including Green and Ménétries's Warblers, Grey-necked Bunting, Mongolian Finch and Pale Rockfinch
- Visit Erzurum, once a caravan crossroad of the Silk Road
- Discover the sites of the ancient city of Ani and the remarkable Ishak Pasha Palace
- See Mount Ararat, the highest peak in Turkey and Europe
- Led by a Naturetrek tour leader with a local ornithologist and a local history guide
Outline Itinerary
Dates & Prices
2026
Tour Leader: Chris Griffin
Chris was obsessed with wildlife from an early age, when he spent every available moment either at a local nature reserve or buried in a bird book! Naturally this led to a wildlife orientated career, where he worked for the RSPB and various environmental consultancies as a Field Ornithologist. Now, three decades on, his life hasn’t changed much, as he still birds his local reserves and is regularly found delving his head into a field guide!
Chris is a keen wildlife photographer, and particularly enjoys the Somerset Levels where he photographs anything and everything. Birds are his first love, but Chris also enjoys watching, and has excellent knowledge of lepidoptera, odonata, reptiles, and amphibians. His enthusiasm for wildlife is infectious, and he relishes any opportunity to share his wealth of knowledge and experience!
2027
Tour Leader: Jacob Everitt
Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?
For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.
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Why Naturetrek?
At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:
- The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
- Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
- Outstanding value and exceptional customer service
Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!
