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1 Day
Guided Tour · Min. 2 People
15 people
English
This Antakya tour from Mardin is built around ancient Antioch and the Hatay countryside, and it closes with a gourmet stage in the early evening. It is listed as a daily tour that starts in Mardin and ends in Hatay, about 650 km in total. Antakya is a long drive from Mardin and the Hatay programme begins at 09:00 at the Titus Tunnel, so we agree the departure time and the travel plan with you before your booking is confirmed.
The first stop is the Titus Tunnel, a channel the Romans carved through solid rock to steer floodwater away from the harbour of Seleucia Pieria. Next comes an optional visit to the spot where, according to tradition, the prophets Hızır (Khidr) and Moses met, followed by the Moses Tree in the village of Hıdırbey, an ancient plane tree linked by local belief to Moses. Around noon you reach the Church of St. Pierre, a cave church on the edge of Antakya that is counted among the earliest places of Christian worship.
After a break for lunch and shopping, the afternoon continues at the Antakya Museum, known for its Roman mosaics, then along the Asi (Orontes) River and in the Long Bazaar. Sightseeing finishes at 17:00, when the gourmet part of the day starts, and at about 18:30 you are dropped at your accommodation in Hatay.
Antakya is still rebuilding after the earthquakes of February 2023. The Long Bazaar was badly damaged, and access to the church and the museum can change while restoration continues, so we check with you before the tour which stops are open. Your guide, transport within the region and airport transfers are covered; meals, entrance tickets, main transport to and from the region, tips and extras are paid separately.
Plan more of your trip: Southeast Turkey tours · Gaziantep gourmet tour from Mardin · Mount Nemrut tour from Mardin · Seven Churches of Revelation in Turkey
The tour is listed as a daily programme from Mardin to Hatay, about 650 km in total. The Hatay day plan starts at 09:00, so the departure time from Mardin and the travel plan are confirmed with you when you book.
Walk through the rock-cut water channel from the Roman period.
Optional visit to the spot where, by tradition, the prophets Hızır (Khidr) and Moses met.
See the ancient Moses Tree in Hıdırbey village.
Visit the cave church of St. Pierre in Antakya.
Free time for lunch and shopping; lunch is paid locally.
See the archaeological finds and mosaics of the Antakya Museum.
Time beside the Asi (Orontes) River in the city.
Visit the Long Bazaar of old Antakya. It was badly damaged in the 2023 earthquakes, so what you can see depends on the restoration work.
Sightseeing ends here and the gourmet part of the day begins.
The programme finishes in Hatay with a drop-off at your accommodation.
Tour vehicle with your guide from Mardin to Hatay and between the stops, about 650 km in total; airport transfers included.
Start from Mardin; the departure time is confirmed with you before booking. The programme ends in Hatay with a drop-off at your accommodation.
Check dates and book online, or message our team on WhatsApp for a tailored quote.
It is listed as a daily tour from Mardin to Hatay with about 650 km in total, and the Hatay programme starts at 09:00. Because the drive is long, we agree the departure time and travel plan with you before confirming the booking.
Restoration is still going on in Antakya, and access to the church, the museum and the Long Bazaar can change. We check which stops are open before your tour.
Transport within the region, airport transfers and guiding. Meals, entrance tickets, main transport to and from the region and tips are paid separately.
In Hatay, with a drop-off at your accommodation at about 18:30.
