WHAT’S INCLUDED:

• 2 nights hotel in Istanbul on BB basis
• 1 nights hotel in Canakklale on HB basis
• 1 night hotel in Kusadasi on HB basis
• 2 night hotel in Pamukkale on HB basis
• 1 night hotel in Konya on HB basis
• 2 night hotel in Cappadocia on HB basis
• 1 night hotel in Ankara on HB basis
• 1 night hotel in Bolu on HB basis
• 11 breakfasts, 10 local lunches, 10 local dinners
• Guided mentioned City Tours on SIC basis
• All entrance fees mentioned in the itinerary
• Transportation in a fully air-conditioned, non-smoking coach
• Professional English-speaking tour guides
• Return airport transfers in everywhere
• Per person 50 cl drinking water in the vehicle.

WHAT’S EXCLUDED:

• International flights.
• Insurance: All types
• Turkey entry visa
• Items of a personal nature such as alcoholic drinks, cold drinks, laundry
• Any others expenses which are not mentioned at the included section

INFO :

Day 1 - Istanbul - Arrival Day

Meeting with our staff at Istanbul airport and transfer to the hotel for your first night in Istanbul. Overnight in Istanbul.

Day 2 - Istanbul City Tour (breakfast and local lunch are included)

Hippodromme  Square    It was a public arena mainly for chariot races and also home to gladiatorial games, official ceremonies, celebrations, protests, torture to the convicts and so on. The German Fountain of Wilhelm II, the Obelisk of Theodosius, the bronze Serpentine Column and the Column of Constantine are other monuments at the square.

Sultanahmet  Mosque    built in the 17^th century and known as the Blue Mosque because of its magnificent interior decoration of blue Iznik tiles.  

St. Sophia    This ancient basilica, built by Constantine the Great, in 4th century and reconstructed by Justinian in the 6th century, is one of the architectural marvels of all time.

Lunch (Drinks on your own)

Topkapı palace    The great palace of the Ottoman sultans from 15th to 19th centuries, housing an exquisite collection of precious gems, jewelry thrones of sultans, robes worn by the sultans and their families; miniatures, the Holy Mantle; CHAMBER OF SACRED RELICS.

[Harem (women's quarters) is not included in visit program and extra entrance fee is required.]

Hagia Irene is the first building converted to a church from a pagan temple in the 4th c. AD. With remainings from sixth, eight and fifteenth centuries it has an authentic architecture. It was used as the patriarchate of the city too . A short but impressive visit will take us to  the Byzantine era.

Order of the visits can be changed by the guide due to daily conditions.

After old city tour, transfer back to the hotel. Free evening or optional Istanbul night shows or Bosporus dinner cruise including traditional Turkish entertainment and dinner. Overnight in Istanbul.

 

Day 3 - Canakkale tour (breakfast and local lunch are included)

Drive to gallipoli, a short stop over by Tekidag on the way, after lunch in Eceabat visit anzac cove and battle fields of Lone Pine, the Nek, the memorial of 57.division and the war trenches where the bloodiest scenes of the first world war have taken place.  

Cross over Canakkale ( Dardanelles) strait by ferry.

Dinner and overnight in Canakkale.

Order of the visits can be changed by the guide due to daily conditions.

 Drive back to your Hotel. Overnight in Canakkale.

Day 4 - Troy - Bergama - Kusadasi (breakfast and local lunch are included)

Troy    visit will be the ruins of the famous iliada and odisseus legends. The north eastern gate, Athena temple, the sacred presynct, some of the walls of nine different layers of the ancient city, roman bath, odeon and southern gate will be seen.

After lunch by cable car we go up to Pergamon hill and visit antique city which was housing the second biggest library of the antique world. The Trajan temple, the palaces, themenos of the Athena temple, antique theatre and Zeus althar are the highlights.

Order of the visits can be changed by the guide due to daily conditions.

 Drive to kusadasi dinner and overnight at Kusadasi.

Day 5 - Ephesus Tour (Breakfast, local lunch, local dinner are included)

Ephesus   It was one of the most important harbor cities in antique world and also it is mentioned in the book of Revelations as one of the seven churches of the apocalypse. In Ephesus Celcus Library, Temple of Hadrian, the fountain of Trajan and the Theater will be the highlights.

Virgin Mary’s house    This place is discovered by Lazarist priests after a German nun described the house and the mountain as the last residence of Virgin Mary after she had some visions about the place.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

Artemis temple   We see the ruins of one of the seven  wonders of the world.

Carpet    Local weaving center of carpets and kilims in Selcuk.

Order of the visits can be changed by the guide due to daily conditions.

 Drive back to your Hotel. Dinner and overnight in Kusadasi.

Day 6 – Pamukkale Tour (Breakfast, local lunch, local dinner are included)

Drive to Pamukkale 

Hierapolis (“Holy City”) was an ancient Greco-Roman city in Phrygia located on hot springs in South West Anatolia. Its ruins are adjacent to white terraces of Pamukkale.

Hierapolis is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The hot springs there have been used as a spa since the 2nd Century B.C.E. and people came to soothe their ailments with many of them retiring here.

Some of the highlights; the large necropolis is filled with sarcophagi, the main street with the gates and latrines, cathedral, the theatre and St. Philips tomb. The hot springs causing cascades which are called the Cotton Castle. After the tour, drive to hotel 

Order of the visits can be changed by the guide due to daily conditions.

Dinner and overnight in Pamukkale.

Day 7 - Psidia, St. Helen Konya (Breakfast, local lunch, local dinner are included)

Pisidian Antioch was built by the commander of Alexander the Great called Seleucus I. Nicator c. 300 B.C. The Roman emperor Avgustus choosed it as one of the two important military centers in Anatolia. He has rewarded the city by building an imperial  temple. Saint Paul also choosed this city as a center for his missionary journeys and made his longest preeching here. With its early church ruins and avgustus temple it will remain in your mind with its natüre among the mountains.

Hagia Helena Church Built by the mother of emperor Constantine I. as the first known official church of christianity. On her way to find the original cross she stayed in Konya            (Iconium) and decided to build a church there. Its typical orthodox interior will introduce us to their traditions and icons.

Day 8 – mevlana , Underground city and  Caravansarai  

Mevlana Celaledini Rumi Museum is located at the center of Konya city. In 13. Century a relious leader,a poet and a philosopher Rumi choosed this place as the center of his preechings. Today his mausoleum with a conic shape green cuppola it is adjacent to the mosque building. The education rooms , kitchen and the whirling dervishes section can be seen, you may also find books and souvenirs refering to his poems in yhe museum cofee shop.

Kervansaray (caravanserai) stop will be on the route from Konya to Cappadocia. This route is on the medieval silk road and there were safe stops for caravans. Security, justice and trade was organized by the local governers free of charge in these medieval hotels.  We will stop at one of them  to discover how it was running.

Underground City is one of many hidden cities at Cappadocia. Since prehistoric ages people have built towns under the ground for a few reasons. Through Roman and early christian era there has been additions too. With kitchens livingrooms, stables and storages  this is an impressive start fort he region full with caves.

Day 9 – Cappadocia (Breakfast, local lunch, local dinner are included)

Optional Tour: Hot Air Balloon Riding Tour (Between Sunrise up to 8:30 am before breakfast)

After breakfast visit Dervent Valley to see the unique fairy-chimneys. Drive to Pasabag (Monk's Valley) to see the interesting mushroom-shaped pinnacles. Drive to the city of Avanos which is a famous town of pottery. You will have the opportunity of seeing the production of local terracotta and ceramic products. In the afternoon visit Goreme open air museum  where the remains of rock-cut churches and Christian settlements date back to hundreds of years ago. Before returning to the hotel, stop over at  the natural Uchisar Castle. Overnight at Hotel in Cappadocia.

Day 10 – Ankara

Drive to Ankara 

A short stop over by the salt lake.

Visit Anitkabir (Mausoleum of Ataturk) 

Lunch at a local restaurant.

Visit  Anatolian Civilisations Museum and Ankara castle. Drive through Ulus which is the nations center since Turkey was established and main streets of Ankara to Bolu direction. 

Dinner and overnight in Bolu.

Day 11 – Istanbul 

Drive to Istanbul 

Spice Bazaar (Egyptian Bazaar)    The Spice Bazaar dates back to the 17th Century. It is one of Istanbul’s oldest covered markets, where the exotic, oriental aspect of the city still survives. It is the best place to find spices, herbal teas, and traditional Turkish food such as Turkish delights (lokum).

Lunch    at a local restaurant.

Bosphorus cruise    A cruise between the two continents, Europe and Asia , along the Bosporus by the Dolmabahçe and Beylerbeyi Palaces, antique villas and mansions up to the Rumeli Fortress. (The Rumeli Fortress From The Sea (No Interior Visit)) disembark from the boat on european side.

Grand Bazaar (Covered Market)    More than 4000 shops in this labyrinth of streets and passages trade having its own area; the goldsmiths’ street, the carpet sellers, Turkish arts and crafts, such as hand painted ceramic plates, hand-honed copperware, brassware and trays, water ewers, onyx ware and meerschaum pipes.

After our final dinner we are saying goodbye to each other and finalize our tour at Istanbul airport.

Order of the visits can be changed by the guide due to daily conditions.

PRICE :

1599 USD (4 and 5 star hotels)