Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Istanbul, Airport Pick-up
Stop At: Istanbul, Istanbul
Upon your arrival in Istanbul airport, a local representative will pick you up and drop you off at your hotel. The rest of the day will be left for you to recover from jet lag.
Duration: 1 hour
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Yasmak Sultan (4 stars) or similar
Day 2: Istanbul Old City tour
Stop At: Topkapi Palace, Cankurtaran Mahallesi Gulhane Park, Near Sultanahmet Square, Istanbul 34122 Turkiye
The guided sightseeing starts with the Topkapi Palace where shows the powers of Ottoman Empire.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Stop At: Hippodrome, Binbirdirek, Sultan Ahmet ParkI No:2, Istanbul Turkiye
Then the guide will lead you to visit the ancient Hippodrome, which is now a public square, and only three monuments still stand there.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: Blue Mosque, Sultanahmet Mah At Meydani Cad No 7, Istanbul 34122 Turkiye
Next turns to the nearby Blue Mosque is named so because it is decorated by over 20,000 blue and white İznik tiles inside; this round-roof building is also a landmark of the city.
Duration: 40 minutes
Stop At: Hagia Sophia Mosque, Sultan Ahmet, Ayasofya MeydanI No:1, Istanbul 34122 Turkiye
In the afternoon, continue to visit Hagia Sophia Museum which is a unique example of religious architecture combining Christian and Islamic style.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Stop At: Grand Bazaar, Grand Bazaar, Istanbul
After, spend the rest time of this afternoon at the bustling shopping mart, Grand Bazaar. Dated to 1461, it is one of the world’s oldest markets. The commodities here mainly include jewelry, candies, lights, porcelains and carpets.
After today's sightseeing, your guide will escort you back to the hotel.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Meals included:
•
•
Accommodation included: Yasmak Sultan (4 stars) or similar
Day 3: Bosphorus Cruise, Fly to Izmir & Transfer to Kusadasi
Stop At: Bosphorus Strait, Istanbul 34122 Turkiye
After breakfast, you will embark on a boat for an amazing cruise on Bosphorus River, during which you will see the Dolmabahce Palace, churches, mosques, graveyards and Bosphorus Bridge along the river. It will last for about 2 hours.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Izmir, Izmir, Izmir Province, Turkish Aegean Coast
After tour, transfer you to airport. Fly to Izmir. Upon landing, you will be picked up and transferred to the hotel in Kusadasi where you will spend two nights. The rest of day is free for you explore the charming coastal town.
Duration: 4 hours
Meals included:
•
•
Accommodation included: Ilayda Avantgarde Hotel (4 stars) or similar
Day 4: Full day tour of Ephesus
Stop At: Ancient City of Ephesus, Selcuk 35920 Turkiye
Today you will have a full day sightseeing in Ephesus. There, you will see quite a lot historical sites, such as Temple of Hadrian, Celsus Library, Roman Baths and Grand Theater. After lunch at a local restaurant, continue to visit Artemis Temple. It is one of the seven ancient wonders of the world. Sadly, only a column stands there nowadays, surrounded by some rocky ruins. Then, pay a visit to the House of the Virgin Mary, where Virgin Mary spent her last time of life. When today's visits end, transfer you back to the hotel.
Duration: 8 hours
Meals included:
•
•
Accommodation included: Double Tree by Hilton Hotel (4 stars) or similar
Day 5: Fly to Cappadocia
Stop At: Cappadocia, Cappadocia
After breakfast, your driver will pick you up and send you to Izmir airport for you to take the flight to Cappadocia. If the direct flight is not available, we'll help you to transfer in Istanbul. Upon arrival, your local driver will be waiting for you at the exit of the airport, holding a welcome board with your name on, and send you to the hotel. The rest of the day is for your own plan.
Duration: 4 hours
Meals included:
•
Accommodation included: Hera Cave or similar
Day 6: Northern Cappadocia Tour
Stop At: Goreme Open-Air Museum, Merkez, Muze Cd., Goreme 50180 Turkiye
Today, your local guide will accompany you to explore the northern Cappadocia. The first stop will be Goreme Open Air Museum, which is a UNESCO World Cultural and Landscape Heritage with nearly 1,000 cave churches and monasteries.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Pasabag, Urgup Turkiye
Then, you will go to Pasabag, also called Monks Valley, to see the interesting rock formations looking like mushrooms and fairy chimneys.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Devrent Valley, Devrent Mevkii No:1 Urgup Yolu, 50500 Turkiye
In the afternoon, drive through the Imagination Valley to visit the Devrent Valley, where many natural rocks in animal shapes lie.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Love Valley, Love Valley, North Carolina
At last, on the way back to the hotel, pass through Love Valley for you to admire the incredible night views of Cappadocia.
Duration: 2 hours
Meals included:
•
•
Accommodation included: Hera Cave or similar
Day 7: Southern Cappadocia Tour, Fly to Istanbul
Stop At: Kaymakli Underground City, Derinkuyu Turkiye
After breakfast in hotel, the southern Cappadocia tour will begin with the visit to the Derinkuyu Underground City, one of the deepest underground cities of Cappadocia which can accommodate as many as 20,000 people.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Ihlara Valley, Guzelyurt 68500 Turkiye
The second stop of today will be the beautiful Lhlara Valley. There, your guide will escort you to hike for 3-4 km (1.9-2.5 mi) to explore the small rock-cut churches along the river. Around noon, enjoy lunch in a local restaurant in Belisirma, a small village along the Melendiz Stream.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Selime Monastery, Guzelyurt Turkiye
In the afternoon, get to Selime Monastery, the largest rock cathedral in Cappadocia.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Pigeon Valley, Uchisar KasabasI Nevşehir Kapadokya, Goreme 50240 Turkiye
Pigeon Valley will be our last stop today, where you will have a chance to take the wonderful photos of groups of caves like pigeon nests and unusual wind-erosion landform.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Istanbul, Istanbul
Finally at the end of the day, you will be transferred to the airport to take the return flight to Istanbul. Arriving in the late evening, your local driver will pick you up and send you to the hotel safely.
Duration: 1 hour
Meals included:
•
•
Accommodation included: Yasmak Sultan (4 stars) or similar
Day 8: Departure from Istanbul
Stop At: Istanbul, Istanbul
According to the schedule of your leaving flight, your driver will transfer you to the airport by the private car and see you off.
Duration: 1 hour
Meals included:
•
No accommodation included on this day.