One of Turkey's most special and enjoyable train journeys, the Tourist Eastern Express, will be back on the roads between December 22, 2025 and March 1, 2026, offering unique landscapes, historical stops, and a comfortable travel experience during the 2025-2026 winter season!
If you want to explore this unique route in the comfort and warmth of the train, accompanied by an expert guide, make your reservation as soon as possible to take advantage of our limited number of places.
TOUR ITINERARY
Day 1: We begin our journey to Ankara at 09:00 from Safranbolu and 09:30 from Karabük, arriving at Ankara Train Station around 13:00.
At 13:45, we board the train to begin our Eastern Express journey, which promises to take your breath away at times.
Accommodation: Our first night's accommodation will be in our private carriage with Pullman seats on the train.Day 2
Ankara / Kars / Erzincan / Erzurum
Girlevik Waterfall / Erzurum Congress Building / Yakutiye Madrasah / Taşhan
After a pleasant overnight journey, we arrive in Erzincan in the morning. During our 2.5-hour train stop in Erzincan, we disembark and board our waiting bus. Together with our valued guests, we visit Girlevik Waterfall and other important places in Erzincan city center. After our tour, we return to our train and continue our enjoyable journey from Erzincan to Erzurum, passing through breathtaking landscapes.
This train journey, accompanied by the unforgettable scenery of the Karasu River and the Munzur Mountains, will give us the opportunity to witness some of Anatolia's most captivating landscapes. This enjoyable journey, which takes us to Erzurum without any boredom, accompanied by wonderful views flowing before our eyes, will end with our boarding of the vehicle waiting for us at Erzurum train station. Our tour here includes: We will visit the Erzurum Congress Building, known as the place where the declaration of liberation of our National Struggle was signed, the Double Minaret Madrasa, the most beautiful example of Seljuk architecture in Anatolia, and the Yakutiye Madrasa, the largest madrasa with a closed courtyard in our country, remaining from the Ilkhanid period. After exploring this beautiful city with our guide's explanations, we will have a meal and tea/coffee break at Erzurum Houses, followed by free time combined with shopping for Oltu stone at Taşhan. Afterwards, we will complete our program and board our train to Kars. Upon arrival in Kars, we will be transferred to our hotel by the vehicle waiting for us. Our accommodation will be in a 4-star hotel in Kars.
Day 3 Kars: St. Pirkitch Church / Silk Road Bridge / Menuçehr Mosque / Painted Church / Ani Ruins / Çıldır Lake / Sledding Tour
After breakfast at the hotel, we will go to the Ani Ruins, located at the furthest point of our country, on the Armenian border. Known as the Ephesus of the East, Ani was the most magnificent and wealthiest city in the region during its first millennium. With the explanation of our expert guide, you will learn how it has been reduced to ruins today, admire Anatolia and its rich past, and continue the tour by exploring the city walls, monumental (Portal) gates, the Painted Church, the Church of St. Pirkitch, the Menuçehr Mosque (the first Turkish mosque in Anatolia), and the Silk Road Bridge. You will also gaze down upon the Arpaçay River, which forms the border between Armenia and Turkey, taking beautiful photographs. With the joy and awe of this magical view, we will bid farewell and set off towards Lake Çıldır, the highest lake in Eastern Anatolia.
On Lake Çıldır, which freezes over in winter, those who wish can enjoy a very pleasant sledding tour with snow sleds, followed by a lunch consisting of fish caught with nets thrown by breaking the ice covering the lake's surface. Afterwards, with a heavy heart, we set off again to return to Kars city center.
In Kars city center, after a short visit where we can taste and shop for the region's famous cheeses and local products, we will take a walk through the streets known for their beautiful examples of Baltic architecture from the Russian occupation period. We will conclude our tour here with free time for photos. After the program, we will return to our hotel and have free time to rest and prepare for the evening before attending the Caucasus Night program.
Day 4 Kars: Caucasus Front War History Museum / Kümbet Mosque / Fethiye Mosque / Kars Castle / Kanlı Tabya
After breakfast at the hotel, we continue our Kars tour from where we left off.
Rebuilt after 1877, during the 40 years of Russian occupation, the city is home to some of the best examples of Baltic architecture in our country. Streets intersecting at 90-degree angles, ornate facades, and cut-stone buildings take us on a journey through time.
After visiting Kars Castle, which overlooks the city center like an eagle's nest, and the Kümbet Mosque, one of the most magnificent structures in the city center, we continue our tour with a visit to the Fethiye Mosque. This structure, where stone speaks, is like a memory of the social events that took place in the region, having been used for different purposes throughout history. After taking photos here, we reach Kanlı Tabya, where the impact of the Russian Wars will be felt to the core. After visiting the Caucasus Front War History Museum, a true war relic named Kanlı Tabya because all our soldiers were martyred after the Russian raid, we head to the airport for our flight to Ankara. Upon our arrival in Ankara, we will board the bus waiting for us at the airport and set off towards Karabük and Safranbolu for the final journey of this tour.
Transportation from Safranbolu, Karabük to Ankara
Private Pullman seats and private compartments for groups
Transportation
Professional guidence
5 Nights Hotel Accommodation with Bed & Breakfast
food and Beverages
Museum Tickets
