12 Days

 

Welcome to Istanbul. Arrival in Istanbul and transfer to your hotel. According to your arrival time( if it is in the morning) you can either check in to the hotel and relax or do a half day Afternoon Bosporus Cruise tour, visiting Golden Horn & Spice Market and Bosporus boat trip along Istanbul's famous waterway dividing Europe and Asia.

 

After having breakfast at the Hotel, Our guide meets you and We start our day trip around 09:00 am

We see how old meets new when you visit Istanbul’s five “must-see" historic sites. The sites include:

Sultanahmet Meydanı, was a horse-racing track that was the sporting and social centre of Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire and the largest city in Europe. Obelisk of Theodosius, Serpentine Column, and German Fountain of Wilhelm II are visited.

One of the most famous monuments in both the Turkish and Islamic worlds, the Sultan Ahmet Mosque (also known as the Blue Mosque) is a superb creation in the classical Ottoman style. The mosque has six towering minarets and 260 windows illuminating its vast main chamber, which is decorated with more than 20,000 Iznik tiles.

Now a museum, Hagia Sophia was built in the 6th century by the Emperor Justinian, and was one of the largest basilicas in the Christian world. After the Ottoman conquest, it was converted to a mosque and is today one of the most magnificent museums in the world. Take a moment to linger here to admire the fine Byzantine mosaics.

In operation since the 14th century, the Grand Bazaar is one of the world's largest covered markets, with 58 streets and over 4,000 shops. The bazaar is specially known for its jewelry, leather, pottery, spices and carpets.

*Lunch in an old city Restaurant.

The largest and oldest palace in the world, Topkapi is the crown jewel of the Ottoman Empire. With its harem (additional cost), treasury and exotic buildings overlooking the Golden Horn, your visit to Topkapi promises to be a truly fascinating experience.

 

We leave the hotel with our guide, and continue to the rest of our trip with a comfortable vehicle to Safranbolu driving 4 hours.

*Lunch in a local restaurant. Safranbolu is a town and district of Karabuk. We have lunch in old vilage house, See the Hidirlik Hill and old famous wooden houses.

Dinner in a local restaruant clean and friendly place still uses a real wood fire to cook its tasty Ottoman food

We stay in an old Safranbolu house hotel .

 

After having breakfast at the Hotel, We set off for Ankara and drive 2.5 hours. First, we visit

Anatolian Civilization Museum which displays rich and unique collections such as the treasures in the Hittite section.

*Lunch in a restaurant next to Ankara Citadel with panoramic view of capital city of Ankara

Anitkabir - Than visit the Moselium of Ataturk with World War I museum. Than we drive to Cappadocia .

Dinner in Goreme Valley in a local restaurant.

 

After having breakfast at the Hotel ,We depart for a Volcainc area tour with our guide.We visit :

Goreme Open Air Museum,It’s the most famous attraction, for good reason, a complex of several painted cave-churches carved out by Orthodox monks between 900 and 1200 AD.

Uchisar Castle, The natural rock citadel of Uçhisar is the tallest point in Cappadocia, visible for a great distance from the region's other towns such as Urgup and Avanos

*Lunch in a cave restaurant and we taste local pottery Kebab

Avanos on the banks of the Red River in Cappadocia is all about pottery-making. You can see pottery being made, and even take a pottery-making class and make some yourself.

Pasabagi The best place to see three-headed fairy chimneys. Pasabag, the Pasha's Vineyard, is surrounded by incredible natural rock formations; a spectacular scene.

Devrent Valley, The ruins at Devrent are spread over three valleys, which also house several pointed fairy chimneys with large stems.

Dinner in Goreme Valley in a local restaurant.

 

After having breakfast at the Hotel, We hike 3 km in

Red Valley through orchards and vineyards, between fairy chimneys and rock-carved houses, You can see the old cave churches and pigeon dwellings in caves.

Cavusin, Afterwards, visit the old Village of Cavusin with its deserted houses after 1960’s looks like a ghost town. Christian missionaries and communities once lived in the old Cavusin valley, now in ruins.

*Lunch in a small village house. We drive to Visit the famous;

Kaymakli Underground City, it is contained within the citadel of Kaymaklı. First opened to tourists in 1964 . The houses in the village are constructed around the nearly one hundred tunnels of the underground city. Each space is organized around ventilation shafts. The tunnels and underground rooms are still used today as storage areas, stables, winery, living areas, cellar and cave churches.

Pigeon Valley in Cappadocia consists of plenty of pigeon houses. The pigeon droppings were also used as fuel and fertilizers. Travelers come to this place to see a wide variety of architectural structures. The pigeon houses are carved in rock. The wonderful architecture constructed amidst the idyllic landscape makes it a magnificent sight. Chimneys have been craved in the rocks. The chimneys consist of caves which were used as hiding places for Christians who escaped from the Romans.

Dinner in Urgup’s center in a local restaurant.

 

After having breakfast at the Hotel,We depart early in the morning for Konya.We Visit;

Sultanhani Caravansarai which is the best examples of Selcuk Caranvansaraies built in 13’th century on the Historical Silk trade road. Arrival to Konya and lunch in city centre. Than we visit;

*Lunch in a very close restaurant to Mevlana museum and we try Etli Ekmek-local food of Konya.

Mevlana Museum, Dervish houses and the Sultan Selim Mosque dating back to 16’th century. We drive a couple of hours and arrive in evening to Pamukkale.

Dinner at the hotel

 

After having breakfast at the Hotel, Our day starts with the discovery of the

Hierapolis with its largest Necropolis of the ancient Hellenistic world, Roman basilica baths , Domitian gate, latrines, Agora, colonnaded street and Byzantine gate and Roman fountains.

*Lunch in the village of Pamukkale.

Than we go for the Thermal pools and have 1 hour to enjoy hot pools. Than walk to the travertine terraces at Pamukkale are one of the most spectacular natural wonders from various mineral springs in a vast white cliff side, about 200 m overlooking the plain, calcite-laden waters have dripped down over a series of terraced levels and created a fairyland of bizarre solidified cascades and shell-shaped basins.

Dinner in a very special restaurant in Kusadasi with Aegean food.

 

You will be picked up from your Istanbul hotel early in the morning for your Flight to Izmir.

Upon your arrival, You will be picked up from Izmir Airport. We visit:

House of the Virgin Mary which is 8 km from Ephesus on the hills. The Vatican has recognized this small site in the Solmissos Mountains as the final resting place of the Virgin Mary. A small chapel dedicated to St. Mary was founded when the ruins of the house were first discovered.

Ephesus is considered one of the great outdoor museums of Turkey. Ephesus Tour starts from the upper entrance gate. Ancient city has 3 main streets .We see the Baths of Varius ,Odeon, Prytaneion, Fountain of Polio, The Gate of Heracles ,State Agora, public toilets, Temple of Hadrian , Temple of Domitian , Library of Celsus, Great Theater and Harbor street with necropolis.

*Lunch in the old Village of Selcuk.

The Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, is also one of the places to visit. Today the site lies on the edge of the modern town of Selcuk.

 

After having breakfast at the Hotel, We drive to

Pergamon early in the morning to see High City –Acropolis with the Sanctuary of Trajan & Athena, Library, The Hellenistic Theater with a seating capacity of 10,000.

*Lunch in downtown Bergama in a local restaurant.

Then we drive 3 km down from hill to see;

Asclepion which was known as the first place of medical science. Notable structures in the Asclepieion include the Roman theater ,Stoa, Temple of Asclepius, an underground passageway . Drive to Canakkale. After Check in to hotel we walk the shores of Dardanelles and see the Trojan Horse

Dinner around the harbor.

 

After having breakfast at the Hotel, We drive to Homer’s legendary Troy, famous for its wooden horse. Archaeological digs have proved that there had been nine separate periods of settlement in Troy.

*Lunch is on the road

Drive to Istanbul from Dardanelles. Arrival to Istanbul.

 

After breakfast at the hotel you may ask our office for other options while enjoying tea with us.

Depending on your departure time, transfer to Airport for your return flight.