ISTANBUL 70ºF - 73ºF

Welcome to Turkey! Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel and accommodation.

ISTANBUL 70ºF - 73ºF

We will start this intense day by discovering the magnificent city of Istanbul. We´ll know the Basilica of Hagia Sophia, culmination of the Byzantine Art, and the famous Topkapi Palace, residence of the ottoman sultans for four centuries, including the treasure and the Holy Relics (entrances included). We shall enjoy a typical lunch, included, in a local restaurant in Sultanahmet area, and continue visiting the Blue Mosque, wonder of harmony, proportion and elegance and the Hippodrome (entrances included) that preserves the Obelisk of Todosio, the Serpentine Column, the Fountain of Emperor William and the Egiptyan Obelisk. To finish this marvelous day we will have a transfer to the Great Bazaar where we can get lost in its 4,000 shops. An unforgettable experience. Return to our hotel and accommodation.

ISTANBUL 70ºF - 73ºF

After breakfast we shall do one of the most beautiful activities in Istanbul, a boat tour on the Bosphorus (included), a channel separating Europe and Asia. During this tour, we can appreciate the Palaces of the Sultans, old typical wooden houses, and enjoy history in a different way. Next, we will visit one of the most appreciated places, the Spices Bazaar (entrance included), active during the last five centuries. This included tour ends in the bazaar where you can enjoy its atmosphere and a variety of shops. In the afternoon an optional tour can be done to the asian part of the city, and we´ll know the Beylerbeyi Palace, Eyup neighborhood, Caffe Pièr Loti and the Golden Horn. Return to the hotel and accommodation.

ISTANBUL 70ºF - 73ºF - KAYMAKLI - UCHISAR CASTLE - CAPADOCIA

Early transfer to Istanbul airport to board a domestic flight to CAPPADOCIA. Upon arrival, we will go to one of the 36 troglodyte caves known in Cappadocia, the underground city of KAYMAKLI (entrance included) built in Hittite times. It is the widest of the underground cities in the region, measuring nine levels deep, where several thousand people could be held for months. Next, we will visit the Uchisar Castle located at the highest point in Cappadocia, where we will be able to contemplate the magnificent views of volcanic formations and the castle. At the end of the afternoon, transfer to the hotel, dinner and accommodation.

CAPADOCIA

Today we will visit this fascinating region of original landscape formed by the lava thrown by the Erciyes and Hasan volcanoes 3 million years ago. We will head to the Göreme National Park, an incredible place that resembles a Byzantine monastic complex made up of dozens of rock-cut churches, many of them with beautiful frescoes (entrance included). Next, we will visit the Avcilar Valley and the Pasabag and Guvercinlik Valleys (entrance included) from where we can admire the best views of the vol-canic forms called “Fairy Chimneys”. At the end of the afternoon we will visit the typical workshops of rugs and onyx and turquoise stones. Dinner at the hotel and accommodation.

CAPADOCIA - TARSUS 73ºF - 75ºF - ADANA 73ºF - 75ºF - GAZIANTEP 68ºF - 70ºF

Today´s route will take us to the Mediterranean coast. We will go to the biblical city of TARSUS, the birthplace of Saint Paul, which has important Ottoman vestiges in addition to having been the meeting place of two famous lovers, Marco Antonio and Cleopatra. We will pass through Cleopatra´s Gate, visit the well and the ruins of St. Paul´s house (entrance included) and enter the old town to visit the 16th century covered market, Kirkkasir Bedesteni, its Great Mosque, the Ulu Cami and the Church of Saint Paul (entrance included). We will continue our journey towards ADANA, a city located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean in the center of the Çukurova region, which has one of the most fer-tile lands in the world. The metropolis offers an interest that very few cities have due to its geographical environment, its historical past and its ethnic diversity. We will finish our route in the ancient and beauti-ful city of GAZIANTEP. Dinner and accommodation

GAZIANTEP 68ºF - 70ºF - NIZIP 72ºF - 72ºF - HARRAN 75ºF - 75ºF - SANLIURFA 72ºF - 72ºF

Early in the morning we will visit GAZIANTEP, located in the upper Euphrates river basin, a city that was the cultural and commercial center of the Silk Road. Today it is famous for its delicious pistachios and the famous Turkish dessert “baklava”. We will visit its Castle and the Bazaar, one of the most special and an-cient in the country. Leaving Gaziantep we will stop at NIZIP, a soap and olive oil district. We will see the remains of the ancient city of Belkis or Zeugma (entrance included) next to the Euphrates River. Next, we will go to HARRAN, located in an arid and inhospitable plain, dotted with adobe villages with a peculiar architecture of conical houses. This is where, according to the Bible, Abraham lived for a time on his way to Israel, the Promised Land. Our next stop will be SANLIURFA, a city where Arab, Turkish and Kurdish cultures mix. Sanliurfa is also, according to the Islamic religion, the birthplace of the prophet Abraham and therefore a place of pilgrimage. We will visit the Golbasi area, the Pond of the sacred carps and the Grotto of Abraham (entrance included). At the end of the afternoon arrival at the hotel, dinner and accommodation.

SANLIURFA 72ºF - 72ºF - GOBEKLI TEPE - MOUNT NEMRUT - ISTANBUL 70ºF - 73ºF

Our first stop will be at GÖBEKLITEPE (entrance included), a unique sanctuary erected at the highest point of a mountain ridge, built about 12,000 years ago (approximately 10,000 BC), which makes it the oldest sanctuary in the world. Next, we will go to the Throne of the Gods or MOUNT NEMRUT. At 2,200 m altitude, it is a place declared Cultural Heritage by UNESCO (entrance included). This burial mound of King Antiochus I, built in 62 BC as a monument to his divine ancestry, surprises with the colos-sal heads and statues of Armenian, Greek and Persian deities who, far from the "underworld" on top of the mountain, intended to assimilate in size and grandeur to the gods themselves. The complex consists of two terraces with scattered statues and in the center, the tomb covered with millions of crushed ro-cks, which form a conical peak crowning the mountain. After the visit we will leave for the airport to take our flight back to Istanbul. Accommodation.Note: The return flight to Istanbul may vary from origin depending on the schedules of the airlines departing from "Adiyaman, Malatya or Diyarbakir."

ISTANBUL 70ºF - 73ºF

After breakfast, at the indicated time, transfer and end of services. We hope you enjoyed your trip!.VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION: DURING THE MONTH OF RAMADAN THE MAIN TOURIST ATTRACTIONS WILL REMAIN OPEN ALTHOUGH IT IS POSSIBLE TO HAVE CHANGES IN OPENING AND CLOSING TIMES. DURING THE RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS (END OF RAMADAN AND SACRIFICE) THE BAZAARS AND SOME MONUMENTS WILL BE CLOSED.