Your guide and driver pick you up after breakfast and head directly to these two hilltop fortresses. Built to defend Erzurum during the Russo-Ottoman War, they offer sweeping views of the city and provide essential context for the region's turbulent 19th-century history.

Visit the tomb of the Seljuk warrior Abdurrahman Gazi, who gave his life during the conquest of Erzurum while planting a flag on the summit of Mount Palandoken. The nearby mystery road, a local optical illusion where vehicles appear to roll uphill, adds an unexpected and memorable interlude.

The Three Tombs are among Erzurum's most photographed landmarks; the largest eight-sided structure is attributed to Emir Saltuk, founder of Saltukid rule in the late 11th century. After touring a 300-year-old Ottoman house museum, you head downtown for a lunch of traditional local dishes to recharge for the afternoon.

The afternoon covers the core of the historic city center. The Grand Mosque dates to the Seljuk period, the Twin Minaret Madrasa of 1253 is considered the city's defining monument, and the 5th-century castle clock tower rewards the climb with one of the finest viewpoints in eastern Turkey.

Take a leisurely break for Turkish tea inside the Erzurum Houses, restored Ottoman residences that operate as a combined museum and tea house. The nearby caravanserai, a restored Ottoman-era inn that once sheltered Silk Road caravans, now hosts silver and jewelry merchants selling the region's distinctive black stone.

The day concludes at a reputable local restaurant where you try Cag Kebap, Erzurum's signature dish of horizontally skewered lamb cooked over a wood fire. Your driver then returns you to your hotel at Palandoken or elsewhere in the city.