FASCINATING TURKEY 11 Nights / 12 Days Istanbul & Bursa & Kusadasi  & Antalya & Konya & Cappadocia

Fascinating Turkey Tour Programme:

Meet at IST/SAW airport & transfer to your hotel. You will be given your room key and the rest of the day is yours to explore Istanbul. Overnight in Istanbul

* Visited Sights:  The Old city  “Sultanahmet”  – Grand Bazaar – Blue Mosque – Hagia Sophia – Hippodrome – Obelisk of Theodosius – German Fountain of Wilhelm II  – Serpentine Column – Topkapi Palace
Guests will be picked up around 8:00am, and brought to the Sultanahmet district, the oldest, most historic part of the city. The first stop of the day will be the Hagia Sophia, as our tour guide explains the significance of this massive building that was once a Christian church, then a mosque, and now a museum. Afterward, we will pass the Hippodrome of Constantinople, where we will see the site’s impressive obelisk, before reaching the Blue Mosque. We should be sure to take pictures of both the interior and exterior of this impressive building. Next, we will continue to the Grand Bazaar, a massive, bustling complex to find clothing, decorative furnishings, food, and more. On the way to the bazaar, we will see other historical monuments, like the Tomb of Sultan Ahmet I, the Firuz Aga Mosque, and the exterior of the Tomb of Mehmed II. After our visit to the Grand Bazaar, we will make a brief stop for lunch. In the afternoon, we will visit Topkapi Palace, the primary residence of the Ottoman sultans for nearly 400 years. Afterward, we will visit the Little Hagia Sophia, the final stop on the tour before guests are returned to their hotels.

Please Note: St. Sophia Museum is closed on Mondays, Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesdays and The Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays

* Visited Sights:  Bosphorus Region – Rumeli Fortress – Spice Bazaar
Guests of this half-day tour can choose the morning or afternoon option, and will be picked up from their hotel at the selected time. We will first visit the Spice Bazaar, one of the city’s most colorful and bustling attractions, which has been in operation since the 17th century and still remains a very popular attraction for locals and visitors alike. The tour guide will give us tips on the best stalls and kiosks to visit so we do not become overwhelmed by the busy market, where we will have roughly 45 minutes of free time to explore and shop. Next, we will head to the shores of the Bosphorus Strait for a cruise, learning about this important, strategic waterway that straddles the Asian and European continents. On our voyage, we will see an impressive showcase of many historic Istanbul buildings: the decadent façade of Dolmabahce Palace (no interior visit); 15th-century fortress Rumelihisari(no interior visit); the Beylerbeyi Palace(no interior visit), the summer home of Ottoman sultans; and many more. After tour, you will be transferred to your Istanbul hotel.

* Visited Sights: Uludag (Mount Olympos) – Grand Mosque – Green Mosque – Green Mausoleum – Silk Market – Inkaya Tree
Departure by ferryboat via Yalova, enjoying the lovely countryside view. Drive to Bursa, former Ottoman Capital and lunch of famous “Kebap of Alexander The Great“. Climb to Uludağ, the legendary Mount Olympos, by Teleferik (cable car), visit to Ulucami (Grand Mosque), the Green Mosque and the Green Mausoleum, the old Silk Market in the Covered Bazaar. The tour includes a visit to Inkaya tree: a huge plane tree of more than 600 years with an open-air café sheltering in it´s shadow where we can enjoy a traditional Turkish tea in the shade. Transfer back to hotels. Overnight in Bursa.

After breakfast, transfer to IST/SAW Airport by ferry for flight to Izmir. Transfer to hotel. Overnight in Kusadasi.

* Visited Sights:  Ancient Pamukkale Cotton Castles & Hierapolis – Cleopatra’s Pool – Thermal Hot Springs & Terraces
You will be picked up from your hotel at around 08:00am  for the tour of Pamukkale, which is the center of natural thermal spring waters with healing properties. Due to the chemical properties in the water, pure white colored travertines and stepped water terraces have been created on the mountain slope. It is for its resemblance to cotton piles that it is called “Cotton Castle” in Turkish. Upon arrival,  you will visit the travertines and the ancient city of Hierapolis which has the biggest Necropolis with 1200 gravestones in Anatolia. Also, the Sacred Pool is one of the highlights of the site. There shallow thermal waters ripple over a wonderful scattering of ancient roman ruins that lie beneath. After tour , transfer back to your hotel.

* Visited Sights:  Ephesus Ancient Ruins – House of Virgin Mary – Temple of Artemis
You will be picked up from your hotel at around 09:00 am. Tour start from the port of Kusadasi proceed to the House of the Virgin Mary includes scenic views of the Byzantine fortress in Selcuk and the Temple of Artemis. A long and winding road affords wonderful views of the valley en route to the Shrine of St. Mary. The diminutive house, beautifully situated in the Solmissos Mountains, is considered by the Vatican to be the final resting place of the Virgin Mary. Your tour continues to ancient Ephesus, where you’ll pass through the arched Magnesia Gate and begin a slow, downhill walk to the ruins of the Roman provincial capital. Your knowledgeable guide will highlight such sights as the beautifully preserved Temple of Hadrian, the magnificent Trajan Fountain, the Odeon Theater, once used for both political and entertainment purposes, and the beautiful Celsus Library with its imposing façade and two story Corinthian-style columns. The dramatic Great Theater is one of the few structures still used today. It seats twenty-five thousand and, although it was once an arena for gladiator games, it is now home to annual spring festivals. Temple Of Artemis (Diana), on the side of one of the seven wonders of ancient World. After tour, transfer to airport for flight to Antalya. Arrive & transfer to Cappadocia Hotel.

* Visited Sights:  Hadrian’s Gate – Clock Tower – Republic Square – Kaleiçi (Antalya Old Town) – Duden Waterfalls – Fluted Minaret 
You will be picked up from your hotel at around 09:30 for the tour of Antalya Waterfalls Düden Waterfalls are a group of waterfalls in the province of Antalya. The waterfalls, formed by the Düden River (one of the major rivers in Southern Anatolia), are located 12km North east of Antalya. They end where the waters of the Lower Düden Falls drop off a rocky cliff directly into the mediterranean sea. We will stop for lunch here which is included in the price. After the waterfalls we will drive to the old city centre of Antalya where you will have a couple of hours free time to explore the Harbour, go on a one hour boat tour (price not included) and indulge in the local shops! After tour, transfer back to your hotel.

After Breakfast , transfer to Antalya Buss Station for Konya. Transfer to hotel. Overnight in Konya. Free day for shopping and explore the city.

* Visited Sights: Mausoleum of Mevlana – Caravansarai
After breakfast early in the morning at 08:00 drive to Konya. Once your reach to Konya stop at a restaurant for lunch at 13:00pm. After the lunch visit the imposing green – tiled Mausoleum of Mevlana, the mystic founder of the Sufi sect (Whirling Dervishes). After tour, transfer to Cappadocia hotel.

* Visited Sights: Red Valley – Valley of Gulludere – Cavusin village – Underground City
Today will be another mystical day, we will start with a visit and walk in the Red Valley and discover rock-cut churches and hike 5 km through the Valley of Gulludere. Then keep going on with a visit to Cavusin village. Ancient Cavusin was already abandoned several about 11th Century. Lunch will be selection of Turkish Cuisine. In the afternoon drive to the Pigeon Valley for panoramic view, Underground City, dated back to the Hittites than used by the early Christians. Under Ground city specially carved to be used during the war time to save their lives as well as early Christians hide themselves from the Roman pressure, you can still see stables kitchen living room bedroom and more. After tour, transfer back to yoour hotel.

After breakfast you will have free time until we depart to airport for our domestic flight to Istanbul and then switch to international terminal to catch home-bound flight. We hope your tour was a memorable one and we would like to see you in the future in one of our tours again. Have a nice trip back home and thanks for choosing us.

Included:

• All airport- hotel transfers
• 11 Night Hotel Accomodation
• All meals mentioned in the itinerary (x11 Breakfast + x7 Lunch)
• All group tours mentioned in the itinerary
• All entrance fees mentioned in the itinerary
• Transportation in a fully air – conditioned, non – smoking coach
• Professional English – speaking tour guides

Excluded:

• Insurance: All types
• Drinks, Dinners
• Domestic & International flight tickets
• 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

* Price Valid : Untill 15 December 2024 (Exluding Special Occassions such as New year & national holiday periods )