Travel to Turkey

Route

Istanbul |Ankara |Cappadocia |Pamukkale| Ephesus | Smyrna |Pergamo |Troy | Canakkale | Bursa

 DAY 1 | SATURDAY ARRIVAL IN ISTANBUL

Arrival and assistance. Transfer to the hotel. Hotel accommodation.

DAY 2| SUNDAY ISTANBUL (Breakfast)

Breakfast at the hotel. Free day with the possibility of signing up for an optional ‘Bosphorus and Sultanahmet’ tour. Hotel accommodation

Optional excursion |BOSPHORUS AND SULTANAHMET DISTRICT (Full day with lunch)

Departure from the hotel for a visit to the Egyptian Bazaar (spice market) and then a boat tour of the Bosphorus, the strait that separates Europe from Asia where we can enjoy the great beauty of the forests of Istanbul, its palaces and the yali, wooden palaces built on both sides. In the afternoon visit the Sultanahmet neighborhood with the Roman Hippodrome Square, the Blue Mosque, unique among all the Ottoman mosques to have 6 minarets and the splendid basilica of Hagia Sophia of the 6th century. Back to the hotel.

 DAY 3 | MONDAY ISTANBUL | ANKARA (Breakfast, Dinner)

Breakfast at the hotel. Free morning with the possibility of signing up for an optional tour ‘Topkapi Palace and Grand Bazaar’.

Optional excursion | Topkapi Palace and Grand Bazaar (Half day without lunch)

Departure from the hotel for a visit to the Topkapi Palace, residence and administrative center of the sultans of the Ottoman Empire, famous for its excellent collections of arms, jewels, porcelain and relics (Harén section with supplementary ticket). Continuation for free time in the Grand Bazaar (closed on Sundays, religious holidays, 15 July and 29 October), building that houses more than 4000 shops inside.

In the combined time (approx.13:00 hrs ) departure by coach for Ankara ( 450 km) passing by the intercontinental bridge of Istanbul. Arrival in the capital of the country. Dinner at the hotel.

DAY 4 | TUESDAY ANKARA | CAPPADOCIA (Breakfast, Dinner)

Breakfast at the hotel Visit the capital of Turkey with the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations with exhibition of Palaeolithic, Neolithic, Hittite, Frigia Urartu etc. and the Mausoleum of Ataturk, dedicated to the founder of the Turkish Republic. Departure for Cappadocia (290 km). On the way, visit the underground city built by Christian communities to protect themselves from Arab attacks. The underground city preserves stables, common rooms, meeting rooms and small rooms for families.   Arrival in the Cappadocia region. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

DAY 5 | MİERCOLES CAPPADOCIA (Breakfast, Dinner)

OPTIONAL EXCURSION | BALLOON EXCURSION  

At dawn, possibility to participate in a balloon excursion, a unique experience, on rock formations, fairy chimneys, natural formations, lunar landscapes.

Breakfast at the hotel. Day dedicated to the visit of this fantastic region with its spectacular fairy chimneys, unique in the world: Goreme Valley, with its cave churches, with paintings of the 10th and 11th centuries; stop at the troglodyta village of Uçhisar , Avcilar visit which has a spectacular landscape, Derbent valley with its curious natural rock formations and time for craft workshops such as carpets and onyx-semi-precious stones mounted on silver jewelry. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

OPTIONAL EXCURSION | FOLK SPECTACLE AND BELLY DANCING 

After dinner at the hotel, possibility to go out for a folk show and belly dancing with free bar of local alcoholic beverages. Dances in characteristic attire and folk music from all regions of Turkey and the finest interpretation of belly dancing in an astonishingly spacious cave hall.

 DAY 6 | THURSDAY CAPPADOCIA | PAMUKKALE (Breakfast, Dinner)

Breakfast and departure for Pamukkale (610 km). On the way, stop to visit the Sultanhan Caravanserail Seljuq inn from the medieval era. Continuation for Pamukkale. Free time in Pamukkale “Cotton Castle”, unique in the world with its natural pools of limestone thermal waters and petrified travertine waterfalls. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

DAY 7 | VİERNES PAMUKKALE | EPHESUS | SMYRNA (Breakfast, Dinner)

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for Selçuk-Efeso (200 km) . Arrival and visit to the archaeological area of Ephesus, city dedicated to Artemis. The Odeon, the Temple of Hadrian, the House of Love, the Library of Celsus, the Agora, the Marble Street and the largest Theatre of antiquity. Visit to the House of the Virgin, supposed last home of the Mother of Jesus. Stop at a leather production center and continue to İzmir-Izmir (~85 km.), the third largest city in Turkey. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

DAY 8 | SATURDAY IZMIR|PERGAMO|TROY|ÇANAKKALE (Breakfast, Dinner)

Breakfast at the hotel Departure for Pergamo, the current Bergama (110 km). Arrival and visit the ruins of Asclepion which was the most important hospital in Asia Minor, with its therapeutic center. Continuation for Troy (~190 km.). Visit the famous archaeological city of history that evokes the poetic name of the saga Iliad of Homer. Continuation to Çanakkale (~25 km.). Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

DAY 10 | DOMİNGO ÇANAKKALE | BURSA | ISTANBUL (Breakfast)

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for Bursa (270 km) which was the first capital of the Ottoman Empire between 1326 and 1364. Visits to the medieval Great Mosque ‘Ulu Camii’, the famous Silk Bazaar ‘Koza Han’ and the Green Mausoleum. Continuation to Istanbul (~150 km). Overnight at the hotel.

DAY 10 | MONDAY DEPARTURE FROM ISTANBUL (Breakfast)

Breakfast at the hotel. (if the flight schedule and transfer allows). Transfer to the airport and end of our services.