June 11 - 14 VAN PEARL FISH MIGRATION TOUR
2 Night 3 Days
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Tour Details
Tour Program
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Not Included
General Information
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Tour Route
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The pearl mullets living in Lake Van migrate to freshwater by swimming against the current during their breeding period, and their struggle continues as they rush to the freshwater streams flowing into the lake to lay their eggs between April 15 and July 15. We are going to Van to observe this migration.
This tour is specially prepared for PIKOLA EXPLORERS.
Our tour consists of 4 days, including 2 nights of travel by vehicle and 2 nights of hotel accommodation.
The hotels where we will stay during our tour are KARACA HOTEL VAN.
Our tour includes 2 nights in a hotel, 2 breakfasts at the hotel, 2 dinners, transportation, guidance, and TÜRSAB insurance.
The seating plan is arranged by us, and no seat guarantees are provided.
For a confirmed reservation, 20% of the tour fee will be collected at the time of reservation.
The remaining payments can be made via EFT, Mail Order, Credit Card, or cash 7 days before the start of the tour.
Our guide may change the course of the tour due to force majeure (weather, road, etc.).
Triple rooms (3-person) consist of a double bed + an extra bed.
The 3rd bed is either an extra bed or a sofa bed (fold-out couch) and is smaller than standard beds.
Triple rooms (3-person) are subject to availability.
In hotels, the typical check-in time is 14:00 (in some countries, it is 15:00), and the check-out time is 10:00.
Group reservations are made at hotels for our programs.
Pikola may change the order of the program without altering the content of the program if deemed necessary.
Please do not forget to bring clothes suitable for continental climate conditions.
Tour cancellations will be notified to our guests 7 days in advance.
Museum entries affiliated with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey are valid with the MUSEUM CARD.
The Museum Card is not valid in private museums.
For the Museum Card, you can apply from the following link: https://muze.gov.tr/ or through E-DEVLET.
Teachers who present their IDs can enter the MUSEUMS FREE of charge.
Visitors with Disabled Cards, those under 18 years old, and those over 65 years old can enter museums for FREE.
From 2026 onwards, our retired guests will have FREE entrance to the MUSEUMS of the Ministry of Tourism.
TÜRSAB Professional Insurance is provided by our agency.
Our agency is not responsible for places that cannot be visited due to non-compliance with the given times.
The tour vehicle will be a LARGE BUS with 19 / 31 or 51 seats according to the number of participants.
DEAR GUESTS, TO AVOID ANY DISRUPTION, WE REQUEST YOU TO READ THE SECTIONS 'SERVICES INCLUDED/NOT INCLUDED IN THE PRICE' - 'IMPORTANT INFORMATION' CAREFULLY.
Dear participants,
In Ordu, at 18:00, we will meet at the Old Bus Station and designated points along the road.
In Giresun, at 19:00, we will gather at designated points in Ata Park, and we will start our journey with the offerings of PİKOLA.
In the morning, we arrive in Ahlat and begin our tour of the Ahlat Seljuk Cemetery, filled with monumental gravestones. After the information provided by our guide, we head to Tatvan to have our breakfast (extra). After breakfast, we move towards Bitlis, located at the foot of Mount Nemrut, which is said to have been established by Badlis, one of Alexander the Great's commanders, on Alexander's orders. In the "city of five minarets," we visit the Ihlasiye Medrese, Şerefiye Mosque, Hamam, and the Historical Bazaar, before going to Gevaş. With the breathtaking view of Mount Artos, we take our boats to Akdamar Island. We get to know the church, which is one of the most special works of medieval Armenian architecture and a masterpiece on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list. We learn about all the figures on the church's walls, which is known as the central complex of the monastery built between 915-921, and then we head to Van, where we check in to our hotel. Accommodation and dinner at KARACA HOTEL VAN.
After breakfast at our hotel, we will explore Çavuştepe Castle, built on a hill offering a magnificent view of the region by the powerful ancient civilization of Urartians, which ruled over some parts of Eastern Anatolia, Iran, and Armenia in the 9th century BC, accompanied by our guide, and which has a rich history spanning thousands of years. At the end of the tour, we head to the city center to visit our workshop where we can see the elegant works of Savat Silver and photograph the world-famous Van Cats with their different colored eyes. Afterwards, we proceed to the Muradiye district of Van, where we will visit the Muradiye Waterfall, which cascades from a height of about 20 meters. After an exciting time spent on the bridge, we turn our direction to the Erciş district. Here, we watch the migration of the endangered Inj Kefali, which is only found in this region and struggles to reach riverbeds to lay its eggs, similar to salmon. After enjoying this visual feast and taking photographs, we return to our hotel. Accommodation and dinner will be at KARACA HOTEL VAN.
After breakfast at our hotel, we are heading to see the Muradiye Waterfall. We take photos of the waterfall, which has a magnificent view located on the Bend-i Mahi River that originates from Tendürek Mountain, and then we cross Tendürek Mountain and arrive at Doğubayazıt. We visit the Ishak Pasha Palace, built by Ishak Pasha from the Çıldıroğulları family during the Ottoman period in the 18th century, and explore the magnificent palace with a view of Mount Ararat. Beyond the palace, in the complex of buildings, we see the influences of Seljuk, as well as the styles that entered Ottoman art (Gothic, Baroque, Rococo, Empire) due to Westernization, with each monumental door and figurative decorations being distinct from one another. After a shopping break at the Doğubayazıt Smugglers' Bazaar, we begin our return journey via Erzurum. In the late hours of the night, we drop off our esteemed guests at the points where we picked them up and bid farewell until we meet again on another PİKOLA TOUR trip.
- Transportation by Large Bus
- 2 Nights Accommodation in a 4* HOTEL
- 2 Breakfasts at the Hotel
- 2 Dinners at the Hotel
- Professional Guiding Service
- In-Vehicle Refreshments
- Parking and National Park Fees
- TÜRSAB Domestic Travel Insurance
- All Excursions Specified in the Program
- Our Agency's Friendly Face and Assistance
- First Day Breakfast
- Museum and Archaeological Site Entrance Fees
- All Lunches
- Boat Fee, Minibus Transfer
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Season-appropriate clothes (can be cool in the morning and evening, warm during the day)
- Light jacket or cardigan
- Sunglasses & hat
- Small backpack (ideal for day trips)
- Camera / phone + power bank
- Personal medications and hygiene products
- Sun cream
- Hat / bandana
- Cash (for small purchases)
- Umbrella or raincoat
Turkish
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