Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival Day
Stop At: Istanbul Airport, Tayakadın, Terminal Caddesi No:1, 34283 Arnavutköy/İstanbul, Türkiye
Arrival to Istanbul Airport where our driver/guide will meet you and transfer to your hotel for check-in before having the rest of the day at your leisure
Duration: 1 hour
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Hotel in Istanbul
Day 2: Sultanahmet – Old Istanbul
Stop At: Topkapi Palace, Cankurtaran Mahallesi Gulhane Park, Near Sultanahmet Square, Istanbul 34122 Turkiye
Go to the Topkapi Palace, which was once used by the Ottoman Sultans from the 15th to 19th centuries and see the magnificent collection of priceless jewels, silver, crystal, and porcelain, robes that were worn by the sultans and the relics of the prophet Mohammed. (Entrance to the Harem is extra).
Duration: 3 hours
Stop At: Hagia Sophia Mosque, Sultan Ahmet, Ayasofya MeydanI No:1, Istanbul 34122 Turkiye
Visit the Hagia Sophia, which was built by Emperor Justinian and was the largest building in the world for over 1000 years and has intricate mosaics and a huge central dome.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Blue Mosque, Sultanahmet Mah At Meydani Cad No 7, Istanbul 34122 Turkiye
After lunch, we will visit the stunning Blue Mosque that was built for Sultan Ahmet I, and is a unique piece of architecture with its six minarets and features 20,000 beautiful Iznik tiles.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Hippodrome, Binbirdirek, Sultan Ahmet ParkI No:2, Istanbul Turkiye
Visit the ancient Hippodrome with Obelisk of Theodosius, Snake Pillar and German Fountain of Wilhelm II and visit the hidden Underground Cistern.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Grand Bazaar, Grand Bazaar, Istanbul
See the Grand Covered Bazaar with its many shops perfect for your holiday souvenirs.
Duration: 2 hours
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Hotel in Istanbul
Day 3: Bosphorus Cruise with Haghia Sophia and Beylerbeyi
Stop At: Misir Carsisi (Spice Market), Rustem Pasa Mahallesi, Erzak Ambari Sok. No:92 Eminonu - Fatih, Istanbul 34116 Turkiye
Visit the exotic Egyptian Spice Market located on the Golden Horn before boarding your cruise of the Bosphorus where the waterway separates the two continents Europe and Asia.
Duration: 2 hours
Pass By: Rumeli Fortress, Yahyakemal Cad. No.28, Istanbul 34470 Turkiye
Pass by Rumeli fortress which was built by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1452, so he could prepare for his conquest of Istanbul.
Stop At: Beylerbeyi Palace, Abdullahaga Cad., Istanbul Turkiye
Cross over the Bosphorus Bridge to Asia where you will visit Beylerbeyi Palace, which was once the summer address of the Ottoman Sultans, then on to Camlica Hill for a fantastic view of Istanbul.
Time for lunch in a lovely seaside fish restaurant. Cruise is on a public boat unless other arrangements are made.
Duration: 2 hours
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Hotel in Istanbul
Day 4: Istanbul - Cappadocia
Stop At: Kaymakli Underground City, Derinkuyu Turkiye
Fly from Istanbul to Cappadocia, and upon arrival, you will be met at the airport just outside the arrival’s gate and transfer to Cappadocia.
Tour the Kaymaklı Underground City, one of the fascinating underground settlements in Cappadocia then drive to Sahinefendi (Sobesos) which is newly discovered (01 May 2002) mosaic houses and Archaeological excavation site.
Villages in the valleys are surrounded by the “tabletop” mountains which are spectacular.
Duration: 3 hours
Stop At: Keslik Monastery, Urgup Turkiye
Continue to the Keslik Monastery close to Cemil, that hides its frescoes behind a thin smoke layer which you can only see by torchlight.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Mustafapasa Yeni Cami, Sht. Nadir Kurt Sk. Yukarı, Mustafapasa, Urgup 50400 Turkiye
Visit Mustafapaşa (Sinasos), an old Greek town with its spectacular old Greek houses; outstanding examples of late Greek settlements and architecture.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Saruhan Culture and Event Center, Yeni kayseri Yolu 6 km, Nevsehir 50500 Turkiye
Visit Saruhan Caravanserai, a roadside inn where travellers would rest and recover from their day’s journey. Caravanserais supported the flow of information, commerce and people across a network of trade routes of North Africa, Asia, and South-Eastern Europe on the legendary Silk Road and the Spice Road.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Red Valley, Nevsehir Ortahisar, Nevsehir 50650 Turkiye
Continue with the panorama of the Red Valley, with its fabulous volcanic rock formations and is in the heart of Cappadocia but still away from the tourist crowd.
Duration: 1 hour
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Hotel in Cappadocia
Day 5: Cappadocia
Stop At: Devrent Valley, Devrent Mevkii No:1 Urgup Yolu, 50500 Turkiye
Meet at the hotel reception after breakfast, then have your first meeting with the lunar landscape of Cappadocia with some rock formations beyond belief in Devrent valley, walk-in Pasabag near Zelve and wonder at the “fairy chimneys” where the sound of the wind mixes with the “songs of fairies”.
Duration: 3 hours
Stop At: Avanos Oren Yeri, Kapadokya Cd., Avanos 50500 Turkiye
Lunch in Avanos which has been the centre of terra cotta work of art since around 3000 BC and you will get a demonstration in a traditional pottery workshop.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Goreme National Park, Goreme 50180 Turkiye
In the afternoon, visit the famous Goreme Open Air Museum and see the best examples of Byzantine art in Cappadocia in rock-cut churches with frescoes and paintings (10th to 13th century).
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Uchisar Castle, Uchisar Turkiye
Continue to Uchisar Rock-Castle to have a panoramic view of the valleys of Cappadocia.
Duration: 1 hour
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Hotel in Cappadocia
Day 6: Cappadocia – Konya – Pamukkale
Stop At: Sultanhani Kervansarayi, SultanhanI Zafer Mahallesi Sehit Murat Caddesi No 3, Sultanhani 68190 Turkiye
Drive to Konya and en route, visit Sultanhani Caravanserai, a roadside inn where travellers could rest from the day’s journey.
Caravanserais supported the flow of information, commerce, and people across a network of trade routes of Asia, North Africa and South-Eastern Europe on the legendary Silk Road and the Spice road.
Duration: 6 hours
Stop At: Mevlana Muzesi, Mevlana Cd. No:1, Konya 42030 Turkiye
In Konya centre, visit the Mevlana is the founder of Sufism and whirling Dervishes.
Duration: 1 hour
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Hotel in Pamukkale
Day 7: Pamukkale – Kusadasi
Stop At: Pamukkale Natural Park, Pamukkale orenyeri kocacukur alani pamukkale kasabasi, Pamukkale Turkiye
The travertine terraces at Pamukkale are definitely one of the most spectacular natural wonders that you will be able to see from several mineral springs in a substantial white cliffside.
About 200 m overlooking the plain you can see how the calcite-laden waters have dripped over a number of terraced levels and created a fairyland of unusual solidified cascades and shell-shaped basins and look like creations made from snow or like balls from cotton, which gave the scenery the Turkish name Pamukkale (cotton castle).
Moreover, the water in the basins changes its colour according to how the light enters.
Duration: 5 hours
Stop At: Aphrodisias, 80 km from Pamukkale, Geyre Turkiye
Visit Aphrodisias which was primarily known as a centre for the arts, specifically sculpture. The Aphrodisias School of Sculpture had a distinctive style and was very well circulated throughout the Greek and Roman world.
Duration: 2 hours
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Hotel in Kusadasi
Day 8: Ephesus
Stop At: Ancient City of Ephesus, Selcuk 35920 Turkiye
Visit the ancient city of Ephesus and spend a few hours walking in the footsteps of Alexander the Great, Apostles Paul, Caesar, Cicero, and John and many other well-known historical names.
Duration: 3 hours
Stop At: Ephesus Terrace Houses, Selcuk 35148 Turkiye
The recently opened Terrace Houses (entry included) which is where the wealthiest Romans lived and are a great example of sensitive excavation and presentation and the mosaics and frescos are stunning.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Meryemana (The Virgin Mary's House), Sultaniye Mahallesi, Selcuk 35100 Turkiye
Tradition has it that St John brought Virgin Mary hereafter the Crucifixion and lived her last years close to the city of Ephesus on a secluded mountaintop. A lovely chapel was constructed on the site and tended by Franciscans and open to visitors and has been designated a pilgrimage site by the Pope.
Duration: 2 hours
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Hotel in Kusadasi
Day 9: Kusadasi – Pergamum – Canakkale
Stop At: Pergamon Ancient City, Akropol Cd. No:6 Hamzalisuleymaniye, Bergama 35700 Turkiye
Visit Pergamon that became an important kingdom during the Hellenistic period and had the second-best library in the time of the ancient Greek civilisation, after Alexandria.
When the Ptolemies stopped exporting papyrus because of competitors, and partly because of shortages, the Pergamenes created a new substance to use in codices, called pergaminus or parchment after the city. This was made of calfskin, a predecessor of vellum.
Asclepion that is located to the southwest of the lower city and was a sanctuary dedicated to the god of health. Asclepics that was one of the largest hospitals in history and is located to the west of the city, which was a great centre of culture, art and medicine.
Continue to Canakkale.
Duration: 6 hours
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Hotel in Canakkale
Day 10: Troy – Dardanelles – Gallipoli – Istanbul
Stop At: Troy (Truva), Tevfikiye Koyu, Intepe, Canakkale Turkiye
Visit Troy with its world-famous wooden horse before continuing to Gallipoli and then across the Dardanelles to Istanbul for an overnight stay.
Duration: 6 hours
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Hotel in Istanbul
Day 11: Istanbul
Stop At: Istanbul, Istanbul
Free afternoon in Istanbul for the last chance to complete your visits.
Duration: 5 hours
Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Hotel in Istanbul
Day 12: Departure Day
Stop At: Istanbul Airport, Tayakadın, Terminal Caddesi No:1, 34283 Arnavutköy/İstanbul, Türkiye
Transfer to Istanbul Airport to connect to your international flight.
Duration: 1 hour
Meals included:
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No accommodation included on this day.