ISTANBUL & CAPPADOCIA & PAMUKKALE & Antalya

Day 1 - Istanbul - Arrival Day

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.

Day 2 - Istanbul City Tour

(Breakfast & Lunch included)

Full Day Ottoman & Byzantium Relics Tour With Lunch: (APPROX. 08:00-17:00)

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.

Day 3 – Half Day Bosphorus Cruise – Kayseri – Cappadocia

(Breakfast included)

Half Day Bosphorus Cruise Tour: (APPROX. 08:00-13:30)

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; 15th-century fortress Rumelihisari; the Beylerbeyi Palace, the summer home of Ottoman sultans; and many more. After tour, you will be transferred to IST (NEW) Airport to catch flight to Cappadocia. Arrive & transfer to hotel.

Day 4 – North Cappdocia Tour

(Breakfast & Lunch included)

Full Day North Cappadocia Tour with Lunch  (APPROX. 09:30 – 16:00 )

An impressive day will start with Dervent valley. Then we keep going on with Pasabag “fairy chimneys”, where you can feel the mystic of Fairy Chimneys. We will break at Avanos center of terracotta art. Ceramic dated back to the 3000 BC in the area and survived from to generations A visit to ceramic & tile center to see how the ceramics made by hand. After lunch we visit the famous Goreme Open Air Museum to see the best examples of Icons in Cappadocia. Soft rocks of Cappadocia from the clefts carved out to form such as stables, churches, monasteries. A visit to the carpet weaving co-operation to see how the Turkish carpet made by hand. We will enjoy the day by taking a look to the Goreme Valley from next to the Uchisar Rock-Castle.

Day 5 – South Cappadocia Tour – Kayseri – Antalya

(Breakfast & Lunch included)

Full Day South Cappadocia Tour with Lunch  (APPROX. 09:30 – 16:00 )

After breakfast around 09:30 Depart visit Red valley and explore the famous rock-cut churches and hike 5 km through the Güllüdere Valley also known as Rose Valley. The trails that loop around Gulludere Valley (Rose Valley) are easily accessible to all levels of walkers and provide some of the finest fairy-chimney-strewn vistas in Cappadocia. As well as this though, they also hide fabulous, little-visited, rock-cut churches boasting vibrant fresco fragments and intricate carvings hewn into the stone. Then visit Çavuşin village. One of the oldest settlements in the area, Cavusin is situated 2km from Goreme, on the Goreme – Avanos road. The Church of St. John the Baptist offers a panoramic view of the village. This church and its paintigs date back to the 5th century, making the oldest church in the region. It had a large courtyard which is unusual for Cappadocia, this has been eroded away however. This village is famous for the houses and churches of the christian clegymen. After lunch drive to the pigeon valley. In the afternoon visit Kaymaklı underground city. Kaymakli and Derinkuyu underground cities are the two largest and deepest of the 40 others in Cappadocia. They both have eight floors, although not all are open to the public. Where early Christians lived in fear and faith. Later transfer to airport to board flight for Antalya. Arrive and transfer to hotel. Overnight will at Antalya.

Day 6 – Pamukkale Tour – Antalya

(Breakfast & Lunch included)

Full Day Pamukkale Hierapolis Tour with Lunch (APPROX. 08:00-18:30)

You will be picked up from your hotel at around 08:00 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 (entrance is 35 TL per person extra self-payment). There shallow thermal waters ripple over a wonderful scattering of ancient roman ruins that lie beneath.

Day 7 – Antalya City & Waterfalls – Antalya

(Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included)

Full Day Antalya City Tour with Two Waterfalls With Lunch: (APPROX. 09:30-17:30)

Once you’re on Uzun Çarşı Sokak, make sure to see the beautiful Tekeli Mehmet Paşa Cami, an Ottoman mosque built in the 18th century. If you wander towards the top along Hesapçı Sokak, you’ll inevitably come upon the grand ruin of Hadrian’s Gate, built in 130CE to commemorate the visit of Roman emperor Hadrian. Make sure to pay attention to (and shoot some photos of) the beautifully ornate floral motif friezes and cornices. A little further down on Hesapçı Sokak, you’ll find the ruins of the Kesik Minare Cami (Broken Minaret Mosque), a former Roman temple built in the second century that later became a Byzantine church and then, in the 13th century, a mosque. From there, walk down to the ancient harbour by taking the Kırkmerdiven (40 Steps), built by the Venetians who occupied Antalya in the 15th century. At the base of the steps, you’ll find yourself in the ancient Roman Harbour, which was the main artery from the second century BCE until the late 20th century, when a new port was built near Konyaaltı Beach. Nowadays, the historic harbour is home to yachts and tour boats as well as cafes and bars. Walk to the southwestern edge to gaze upon the stunning Hıdırlık Kulesi, a stone tower supposedly built by the Roman Empire in the second century that later became a fortification and lighthouse. Later visit Duden Waterfalls which is a group of waterfalls comprising Upper Duden Waterfalls and Lower Duden Waterfalls. The Upper Duden Waterfalls, also called Alexander Waterfalls, is situated at a distance of 10 km from the city center. The silvery waterfalls, from a height of 20 m, amidst the lush green vegetation, hillocks, and blue pool of water mesmerize the visitors.

Day 8 – Antalya to Istanbul Airport to Home

(Breakfast included)

Morning have breakfast at hotel. Later transfer to airport to board flight for Istanbul. Arrive Istanbul and connect flight for home.

TOUR INCLUDES:

• Arrival airport transfer from Istanbul Ataturk airport (PRIVATE)
• 2 nights’ hotel in Istanbul
• 2 nights’ hotel in Cappadocia
• 3 nights’ hotel in Antalya
• 7 open buffet breakfasts
• 5 local lunches during the tours
• Half Day Istanbul Bosphorus Cruise Tour (SIC)
• Full Day Istanbul city tour (SIC)
• Full Day North Cappadocia city tour (SIC)
• Full Day South Cappadocia city tour (SIC)
• Full Day Pamukkale city tour (SIC)
• Full Day Antalya City Tour with Two Waterfalls (SIC)
• All entrance fees mentioned in the itinerary
• Transportation in a fully air - conditioned, non - smoking coach
• Professional English - speaking tour guides
• Return airport transfer in all cities (PRIVATE)
   

TOUR NOT INCLUDE:

• 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