Day
1: Istanbul
Upon arrival meeting and transfer
to your hotel, OPTIONAL ORIENTATION TOUR OF ISTANBUL AT 11:00AM, 02:00PM OR 05:00PM
with Multilingual Audio Guiding System in 11 languages (English, German, French,
Spanish, Japanese, Italian, Arabic, Russian, Dutch, Hebrew, Turkish)
The Orientation Tour covers those sites listed below. Hagia
Sophia, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Underground Cistern, Gulhane Park, Archeological
Museum,Sirkeci Train Station for "Orient Express", Topkapi Palace, Port
of Bosphorus, Boats to Asia & Princes' Islands, Spice Bazaar, New Mosque,
Chamber of Commerce,Galata Bridge, Galata Tower, Tophane (Cannon Factory), Kilic
Ali Pasa Mosque, Nusretiye Mosque, Chamber of Shipping, Academy of Fine Arts (1st
Ottoman Parliament), Dolmabahce Palace (photograph break), Stadium, Hop On - Hop
Off Option at Taksim Square Taksim Square, Ataturk Culture Center, Istiklal Street
(Shopping & Cafes), Old Pera, Pera Palas Hotel (of Agatha Christie), TUYAP
Exhibition Center, Panoramic view of Golden Horn, Suleymaniye Mosque , Fatih Mosque
, Ataturk Bridge , Aqueduct of Valens, Old Jewish Settlement, Jewish Hospital,
Bulgarian (Metal) Church, Patriarch of Fener, Pierre Loti Cafe, Eyup Sultan Mosque,
City Walls, Topkapi, Edirnekapi, Yedikule Dungeons, Golden Gate, Fish Market,
Princes' Islands, Haydarpasha Train Station, Selimiye Military Headquartes, Leander's
Tower, Doors to Byzantium, Kumkapi, Yenikapi, Tekfur Palace, Tour Ends at Sultanahmet
Center. Overnight in Istanbul.
Day 2: Istanbul
SPICE BAZAAR (Egyptian Bazaar) The air here is filled with the
enticing aromas of cinnamon, caraway, saffron, mint, thyme and every other concievable
herb and spice. BEDESTEN exhibits the traditional silk weaving courses carpet
weaving courses authorised by the Ministry of National Education. Possibility
to see jewellery, handicrafts center and leatherware show. Free time provided
for shopping. BOSPHORUS ON BOAT A traditional excursion by boat along the waterway
seperating Europe and Asia.The shore is lined with old wooden villas, palaces
of marble, fortresses, and small fishing villages. During the excursion you will
pass the magnificent Dolmabahçe Palace, and further along, the parks and imperial
pavillions of Yıldız Palace. On the coastal edge of this park, is Çırağan Palace,
300 meters of is marble facade faces the shore. At Ortaköy a great variety of
artists gather every Sunday to display their work along the street. Ortaköy is
a symbol of tolerance with a church, a mosque and a synagogue existing side by
side for centuries. RUMELİ FORTRESS Built by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1452 prior
to the conquest of Istanbul, was completed in only four months to control and
protect Bosphorus. It is one of the most beautiful works of military architecture
anywhere in the world. BEYLERBEYİ PALACE The summer residence of Ottoman Sultans
with its original furniture and magnificent gardens with the HAREM on the ASIAN.
BOSPHORUS BRIDGE Unique chance to step from one continent (ASIA) to another (EUROPE)
ÇAMLICA HILL The highest point in Istanbul. At the top of it you can rest and
admire the magnificent panorama of Istanbul and the Bosphorus from the beautiful
gardens, landscaped in traditional style. After the tour, overnight bus to Cappadocia.
Day
3: Cappadocia
Upon arrival, meeting and transfer
to your hotel. Pick up at 09:20am from the hotel for Full Day Cappadocia Tour.
We pick our guests up from the hotel looby at 09:00am, and first we visit Imagination
Valley where you can see thousands of fairy chimneys and where you can see the
formation stages of Fairy chimneys clearly. The reason why we call this valley
as imagination valley is just because of some animal-like natural formations like
Camel. then We drive to Zelve Open air museum which is based in 3 different valleys
and where the first seminars to monks in Cappadocia were given. Then we head towards
Monks Valley where monks used to live in seclusion in fairy chimneys in rock cut
rooms from 5th century up to 14th century. After monks valley,we go to pottery
town of AVANOS, where the longest river of Turkey KIZILIRMAK (Red River) pass
through, leaving the red clay on its banks that is the raw material of Pottery
since Hittites. A chance is offered to our guests to view the pottery making demonsration
and try to make their own pottery.. After Avanos and pottery we have lunch by
pigeon valley in Uchisar in an open buffet style restaurant, after lunch we visit
Uchisar citadel and some Cave Houses in the Valley , top of cappadocia. After
Uchisar citadel, on the way to Goreme Open air Museum, We stop over the Esentepe
which overlooks Goreme Town and Mt Erciyes, taking some pictures and then, We
drive to Goreme Open Air Museum to see the best preserved churches of Cappadocia
with the best preserved frescoes inside. We spend like 1 and half hours in Goreme
open air museum. After the open air museum, We drop our guests at their hotels.
Overnight in Cappadocia.
Day 4: Cappadocia
Pick up at 09:20am from the hotel for full day Cappadocia tour,
The Second Day Tour focuses on the natural beauty of Cappadocia. We will start
the tour hiking in Red&Rose valleys for 2 hours, but no need to worry because
it is all the way downhill and you will enjoy the scenery while hiking and exploring
some older churches in the valley and never ever get tired. We end up hiking in
Cavusin Village, an old Seljuk and Ottoman village, and we will visit the Cave
Mosque which is unique to Cappadocia, There are only two Cave Mosque in Cappadocia.
Then We will have lunch in another open-buffet-style restaurant and then head
towards Kaymakli Underground city where the Christian Communities led a communal
life in Fear and Faith, hiding themselves from the Invasions. Then We will head
to Ortahisar to climb up the castle with stairs and take some pictures at the
top. After the tour, Turkish Bath for 1 hour and overnight bus to Pamukkale.
Day
5: Pamukkale
Upon arrival, meeting and breakfast,
Full Day Pamukkale and Hierapolis Ancient City Tour. Pamukkale (Cotton Castle)
is one of the most enchanting and remarkable sights in the whole of Turkey with
the great dazzling white plateau, almost 400 feet high, rising in a curtain of
stalagmites and shallow pools, giving one into another on hundreds of different
levels, a fairyland of cotton-white forms and pale blue water cascading gently
down. The great baths were constructed in the second century and are so well preserved
that they now serve as a museum. The impressive and recently restored theatre,
the Martyrium of St. Philip the Apostle of the 5th century - a colonnaded street
erected by Domitian, a monumental gate of the same period, another bath stretching
on for over a mile, the necropolis with a fascinating variety of tombs and sarcophagus
are the famous monuments of this antique city. After the tour, 3 hours bus ride
to Ephesus. Meeting and transfer to your hotel.
Day 6: Ephesus
Of all the ancient cities of Turkey, Ephesus is the best preserved
and most visited in all ages and is as popular as it was in ancient times. This
is due to the miraculous discovery of the House the Virgin Mary. The city had
splendid buildings and was dedicated to the Godness Artemis, whose temple was
considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The main monuments that we will
see during the visit of this fascinating city are: the street of Arcadiane, the
majestic theatre, marble road, library of Celsus, market place street of the Curetes,
baths of Scholastica state agora, prytaneion, odeon. The town of Seljuk, is dominated
bye a Byzantine citadel close to the basilica of St. John, built in the 5th century,
on the site of tomb of the Apostle. Seljuk has also an exceptionally fine archaeological
museum. After the tour, Overnight Bus Back to Istanbul.
Day 7: Istanbul
Upon arrival meeting and transfer to your hotel. Free Day at
your leisure.
