9 DAYS MOUNT ARARAT EXPEDITION (Mount Ararat Trekking & Climbing)

DAY 1 - CHECK IN TO HOTEL

Pick up from Istanbul Ataturk airport and transfer to your boutique hotel

First night accomodation in your boutique hotel.

DAY 2 - FLIGHT TO VAN - AKDAMAR ISLAND - MURADIYE WATERFALL

After breakfast we will transfer you to airport to fly to Van. Arriving to Van, our first destination will be Akdamar island to visit a Armenian church. Then we will see Muradiye Waterfall.

Accomodation in Dogubeyazit.

DAY 3 - DOGUBEYAZIT - BASE CAMP (3200m)

We will transfer to 2.200 m high from sea level, by a truck. Then finaly we will start our expedition to the Base Camp (3.200m). We'll load all packs to the mules except our daily-pack. We will trek 4-5 hours on soft inclined path to reach the Base Camp which also called Green Camp because only this area is grassy. Our drinks and snacks will be ready when we arrive at the Camp. It's free time until dinner which is cooked by our cooker.

Overnight at the Base Camp

(Total trekking time 4-5 hours, avarege ascent 1000m)

DAY 4 - ACCLIMATIZATION DAY (Base Camp (3200m) - Camp II (4200m) - Base Camp)

Today we will trek for acclimatization. Route to Camp II will be harder but shorter than Base Camp Path. We will go to Camp II in 3 hours trekking time and back to Base Camp in 2 hours trekking time.

Dinner and overnight at the Base Camp

(Total trekking time 5 hours, avarage ascent/decent 1000m)

DAY 5 - BASE CAMP (3200m) - CAMP II (4200m)

Today we will trek to Camp II by following yesterday's route. After breakfast we will pack all equipment and load the mules again. After arriving there, we will relax with drinks and snacks. And then you will get a briefing about how to use crampon, rope, ice axe and the other technical informations from your guide.  By the way, view of the Camp II is perfect. You can see Little Ararat, Dogubeyazit and Iran at the same time.  Tomorrow is the summit day. So you should rest and go to sleep early.

Dinner and overnight at the Camp II

(Total trekking time 5 hours, avarage ascent 1000m)

DAY 6 - CAMP II (4200m) - SUMMIT (5137m) - BASE CAMP / CAMP II*

Summit day! We will start to climb in the very early morning. We will wear our crampons where the Glacier starts about 4900m. And after total 7 hours trekking time, we are the peak of the highest mountain of the West European and Anatolian. We generally can't stay a long time on the Peak due to strong wind and turn back to Camp II to rest and drink something for a while. After that we will continue to Base Camp for overnight.

* If we can't climb to the peak due to bad weather condition, we will try tomorrow again.

DAY 7 - BACK TO HOTEL / SPARE DAY (Second try for the peak)**

Today we are leaving from Mt. Ararat. We will load all pack to the mules again. A truck will be waiting for us to bring back to our Hotel. After resting and cleaning, we will celebrate our the Mt. Ararat Summit achievement.

**If bad weather condition did not let us climbing to the peak yesterday, today we will try "day 6 schedule" again.

**But if we don't want to lose one day, we have to turn back to our Hotel in the summit day. Otherwise we will miss "Day 8 Dogubeyazit tour".

DAY 8 - DOGUBEYAZIT TOUR

We start to visit Ishakpasa Palace which has 336 rooms, tomb, mosque, harem. This palace built by Ishakpasa who was the governor of Ottoman. After that we will see the track of the Noah's Ark. Meteor crater which is 60 m depth and 35 m width, is second largest crater of the World  and will be last stop in our tour.

Accomodation in Dogubeyazit

DAY 9 - FLIGHT TO ISTANBUL - HOME

After breakfast we will transfer you to Van airport.