Day 1
Fly to Istanbul. Transfer to your city centre hotel and overnight in Istanbul
Day 2
After breakfast in your hotel, your guide will meet you at your hotel and you will start your full day tour of Old City of Sultan Ahmet. The tour will start at Hippodrome and Obelisk of Theodosius followed by Sultan Ahmet Mosque which is famous for its striking blue Iznik tiles and 6 minarets. After visiting Sultan Ahmet Mosque, you will across the opposite side of the Sultan Ahmet square to face one of the grandest churches of all times. Built in between 532 to 537 by the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian and served as the Cathedral of Constantinople until 1453 Hagia Sophia is a great architectural beauty and an important monument both for Byzantine and for Ottoman Empires. After Hagia Sophia the group will visit the historical Cistern before lunch break. After lunch break Imperial Palace of the Ottoman Empire, Topkapi Palace will be visited.
Historic areas of Istanbul are under the World Heritage Site list of UNESCO since 1985
Day 3
After breakfast your guide will meet you in the hotel to start another full day city tour of Istanbul. First stop will be at Chora Church in one of the oldest districts of Istanbul. Chora Church most famous for its striking 13th century mosaics and frescoes considered one of the most beautiful examples of a Byzantine church. After Chora Church you will take the cable car to Pierre Lotti Hills for the panoramic view of Golden Horn and Istanbul for a nice tea or coffee break under the tree shaded tea house. After lunch break, Suleymaniye Mosque and Spice Market visit will follow with a 1,5 hours bosphorus boat trip. Bosporus straight dividing Europe and Asia is one of the most strategic as well as beautiful passages in the world. Its shores are lined with fine neighborhoods, Ottoman Palaces, fortresses, old wooden villas, famous hotels, parks and gardens, restaurants and cafeterias and so on. Overnight in Istanbul
Day 4
Take the early morning flight to Kayseri and transfer to Cappadocia to begin the Regional Tour of Cappadocia. Tour starts from Devrent Valley (Imagination Valley), spectacular fairy chimneys and beautiful landscapes. After Devrent valley, you will visit Pasabag (known as monk's valley) where double and triple headed rock formation. Lunch break will be at Avanos, famous for pottery and Red river ( Kizilirmak) After lunch, you will visit Goreme open air museum which heart of Cappadocia. Goreme open air museum famous for wall painting dates back to 10th century describing the life of Jesus Christ and monks. The last stop will be Uchisar castle, natural and one of the biggest mass fairy chimneys of the region. Return back to your hotel and overnight in Cappadocia. B-L
Day 5
Optional Hot Air Balloon ride is highly recommended at sun rise time. You will need to wake up early but it’s all well worth to experience this amazing ride. Return back to the hotel and have breakfast and after breakfast start to full day tour of Cappadocia. The tour starts from Red valley, explore the famous rock-cut churches and hike through the colorful and breath-taking fairy chimneys. After 4 km's hiking, you will visit the Greek Village of Cavusin famous for rock cut churches. After lunch, you will visit the one of the magical places of the region, Kaymakli underground city, and largest underground city of Cappadocia. After Kaymakli underground city, you will visit pigeon valley famous for dove cotes. The last stop will be at Ortahisar castle, biggest mass fairy chimney of Cappadocia. In the evening optional Sufi Dervishes ceremony can be arranged at Saruhan. Overnight in Cappadocia. B-D
Day 6
After breakfast in the hotel you will drive to Konya. Konya has been the cradle of many civilizations over the years as well as being the home of great philosopher and thinker of Mevlana Celallettin Rumi whom have been influencing and enlightening the human beings as a great scholar and philosopher.
From Cappadocia to Konya the drive time will be around 3 hours of drive. After lunch break in Konya the first stop will be at Catalhoyuk.
Catalhoyuk, located within the province of Konya, is known as the first permanent settlement of humans where the first cultivation started, the first fire was discovered and a common fence towards wild animals were built. The Neolithic site of Catalhoyukwas first discovered in the late 1950's and the site became famous internationally due to the large size and the dense occupation of the settlements as well as its massive wall.
After Catalhoyuk visit you will return back to the city of Konya and start the city tour where you will be visiting the Beautifully restored Selcuk Madras a with its fascinating collection of ceramics and artifacts from Seljuck period. This will be followed but Sems-i Tebrizi Tomb & Mosque and Mevlana Museum.
Overnight in Konya B -L
Day 7
The drive from Konya to Antalya will take about five hours. When you reach Antalya check into your hotel and after a short rest in the late afternoon we will climb up to one of the best Antique Cities of Turkey called Thermessos Antique City.
Termessos might as well be the most interesting ancient cities of Antalya region. It is a Psidian city built at a height of 1050 meters in the Taurus Mountains. Termessos constitutes an unusual synthesis of a large number of rare plants and animal species, which are under protection in the Termessos National Park. When turning off the Antalya-Burdur highway (11 km.) in the direction of Korkuteli, the Termessos signpost will be seen 14 km. further on, and Termessos itself is a further 9 km. A visit to this site requires time and the stamina to walk uphill, because Termessos is built entirely on a mountainous area difficult to access.
The inhabitants of Termessos were known as the Solyms but unlike those of other cities of the time they did not come from the sea and were entirely of Anatolian origin. What is known of their history commences principally at the time that Alexander the Great surrounded the city in 333 B.C., which he likened to an eagle's nest and failed to conquer. Termessos, after a gradual decline, was finally abandoned in the 5th century A.D. Some of the remains found there are the walls, the Hadrian's triumphal arch, the cisterns, the theater, the gymnasium, the agora, the Odeon and the heron. Among the tombs which are scattered far and wide can be seen those of Alcates, Agatemeros and the Lion decorated sarcophagi, which are extraordinary.
Overnight in Antalya. B
Day 8
After breakfast drive towards Belek to visit Aspendos Theatre and Perge Ancient City. In the afternoon visit Antalya Archeology Museum. Overnight in Antalya
ASPENDOS THEATRE is located 15 km east of Belek.Aspendos is an ancient city and famous with the best preserved Roman Theatre in ancient world. Theatre was built in 2C AD by architect Zenon during the reign of Marcus Aurelius.Aspendos Theatre has got great acoustic.Theatre could take 14.000 people when it was built by two rich brothers. Behind the Aspendos Theatre,you should see the ancient Roman Aqueducts of Aspendos.
PERGE ANCIENT CITY :PERGE is the best preserved ancient city on Mediterranean cost of Turkey situated 25 km west of Belek.Greco-Roman Theatre,Roman Baths,Agora,Marble Streets,Roman Stadium
Day 9
Take the early morning direct flight from Antalya to Izmir and transfer to Selcuk to start the full day tour of Ephesus.
Ephesus is one of the most magical sites in Turkey, perfectly isolated in a mountain valley, with views out to the sea from the top of the site, you enter a lost world. Extremely wellpreserved,the ancient structures of Ephesus date back to the 12th century BC. Originally it was famed for the Temple of Artemis, located just outside the main tourist site, of which one of the original soaring pillars remains. Inside the site itself is the enormous theatre, the Temple of Hadrian, and the spectacular terraced houses once inhabited by wealthy Romans and adorned with exquisite mosaics. Fundamentally a Greek city, Ephesus was one of the Seven Churches of Asia mentioned in the Book of Revelation, and remained an important religious centre for much of Turkey’s ancient history.
Overnight in Izmir. B -L
Day 10
After breakfast in the hotel drive to Pamukkale that has the meaning of the Cotton Castle in English. Once known as Hierapolis, famous for healing thermal / mineral Baths and beautiful snow-white “petrified waterfalls. After lunch visit Hierapolis, including the magnificently preserved Necropolis, the main Street and Gates, the thermal Baths, the devil’s hole, and Masterpiece Theater. Pamukkale terraces are made of travertine, a sedimentary rock deposited by water from the hot springs. In this area, there are 17 hot water springs in which the temperature ranges from 35 °C to 100 °C The water that emerges from the spring is transported 320 meters (1,050 ft.) to the head of the travertine terraces and deposits calcium carbonate on a section 60 to 70 meters long covering an expanse of 240 meters to 300 meters. Swimming or a therapeutic bath in a hotel pool’s hot spring mineral Waters.
After the tour return back to Kusadasi. Free evening to enjoy the town. Overnight in Izmir. B -L
Day 11
After breakfast in the hotel depart for the ancient City of Pergamum, which will take about 1 hour drive.
Pergamon
Ancient City of Pergamon was built on a conical hill rising 1,000 feet above the surrounding valley, Pergamum was an important capital city in ancient times. Pergamum's acropolis and Asclepion are both listed among the top 100 historical sites on the Mediterranean. Most of the buildings and monuments in Pergamum date to the time of Eumenes II (197-159 BC), including the famed library, the terrace of the spectacularly sited hillside theatre, the main palace, the Altar of Zeus, and the propylaeum of the Temple of Athena. In the early Christian era, Pergamum's church was a major centre of Christianity and was one of the Seven Churches of Revelation. Asclepion, Galen born & educated in Pergamum, was the authority of European medicine from the 2nd century until renaissance. He was the founder of the health principles of diet, relaxation, exercise. Visit the ancient hospital & health centre where he worked.
Overnight in Bergama. B- D
Day 12
After breakfast in the hotel depart for Canakkale which will take about four hours drive from Bergama.
Ancient City Of Troy
Troy was a city well-known to both history and legend it is best known for the Trojan War described in the epic poems attributed to Homer. Although the actual nature and size of the historical settlement remain matters of scholarly debate, the ruins of Troy at Hisarlik are a key archaeological site whose many layers illustrate the gradual development of civilization in northwestern Asia Minor. The idea that the city was Troy goes back at least 2,700 years, when the ancient Greeks were colonizing northwest Turkey. In the 19th century, the idea again came to popular attention when a German businessman and early archaeologist, Heinrich Schliemann, conducted a series of excavations at Hisarlik and discovered treasures he claimed to be from King Priam.
After the Ancient City of Troy visit, drive to city centre Canakkale and visit the Canakkale Archeology Museum. Overnight in Canakkale. B-D
Day 13
After breakfast in the hotel drive to Eceabat to take the ferry acrross Dardanelles and drive back to Istanbul. Overnight in Istanbul
Day 14
Transfer back to Airport to take the return flight back home. End of Services.