ISTANBUL 37ºF - 39ºF

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

ISTANBUL 37ºF - 39ºF

A sightseeing tour of the city. On our tour, we will include a cable car ride up to the Pierre Loti viewpoint and we will enter the Mosque of Suleyman the Magnificent (the largest in Istanbul). We will see the walls, the Golden Horn, the fishing district, and we will admire the exterior of Hagia Sofia. After the visit, we will offer tickets and a visit to the Topkapi Palace (entrance included), which was the administrative centre of the Ottoman Empire, with its magnificent courtyards and its pavilions. At the end of the afternoon we will provide a transfer to the Taksim neighbourhood, the most commercialised and lively area of the city. There will be time to dine in one of its many restaurants, and you can also take the old tram that crosses the area or go to see the nearby Galata Tower. Note: Services during your stay in Istambul the order of the places visited may be modified.

ISTANBUL 37ºF - 39ºF

Today we include a boat trip on the Bosphorus that will last about two hours. The Bosphorus is a strait that connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara, which separates Istanbul into two parts: the European part and the Asian one. We will enjoy seeing the liveliness of the strait with its multitude of boats. We will pass under the two bridges that unite Europe and Asia and we will admire the palaces of the sultans, the typical wooden houses and the Ottoman villas. Free time.

ISTANBUL 37ºF - 39ºF - ANKARA 30ºF - 32ºF - CAPADOCIA

Today we travel by train: from the station in the Asia district, we take the most modern and the fastest train in Turkey, a pleasant 4-hour trip through the Anatolian landscapes, perhaps having a coffee in the train café. Arrival in ANKARA. After a time to have lunch in the area of the station, travelling by van, we will take you to discover the Mausoleum of Ataturk. After that, we will continue en route to Cappadocia. We will pass through the SALT LAKE, with its incredible landscapes. Arrival in AVANOS (CAPPADOCIA), dinner included.

CAPADOCIA

Full day in the fantastic region of CAPPADOCIA, with its lunar landscapes, its churches and troglodyte villages. We will discover the GOREME Valley with its open air museum and its churches carved into the rocks, entry tickets included. We will visit UCHISAR, a natural fortress. In KAIMAKLI we will visit the underground city that could house 30,000 people. Returning to Avanos we stop at PASABAG, the valley of the fairies, we will walk in this spectacular natural area. Free time and dinner included.

CAPADOCIA - IHLARA 28ºF - 28ºF - KONYA 28ºF - 28ºF

At the far end of Cappadocia, we will visit the IHLARA Valley; known for the freshness of its waters, its churches and villages excavated in the rock. Then we continue our route, with a stop in an old CARAVANSERAI from the 13th Century before arriving in KONYA where we visit the Mausoleum of Mevlana. Here we will learn about the sect of the Dervishes (entrance included). Dinner included. At night, we suggest that you attend the dance performance of the whirling dervishes in the cultural centre.

KONYA 28ºF - 28ºF - EGRIDIR - PAMUKKALE 39ºF - 39ºF

We take a scenic road between the lakes, and get to know EGRIDIR, a beautiful town next to a large lake, with its walls and mosques. There’s time to have lunch. We then continue to PAMUKKALE-Hierapolis, whose calcareous waters have created the Cotton Castle (entrance included). Dinner included.

PAMUKKALE 39ºF - 39ºF - EPHESUS 77ºF - 77ºF - KUSADASI 39ºF - 48ºF

We leave for EPHESUS, the best preserved ancient city of Asia Minor; 2000 years ago it had a quarter of a million inhabitants. We see the house of the Virgin Mary, the Basilica of Saint John and the impressive ruins of Ephesus (entrance included). We then go on to KUSADASI, a popular coastal town with a lot of atmosphere, commercial life and a small castle. Dinner included.

KUSADASI 39ºF - 48ºF

Breakfast. Free time to enjoy the idyllic beaches of Kusadasi on the Aegean coast, or stroll around its lively centre and its famous harbour where cruise ships depart towards the Greek islands. Dinner included.

KUSADASI 39ºF - 48ºF

Free day. Today you could spend the day discovering one of the largest, lushest and most beautiful Greek islands in the Aegean, Samos, located just 30 minutes by ferry from the port of Kusadasi, or you could spend the day enjoying the Aegean coastline in Kusadasi. Dinner included.

KUSADASI 39ºF - 48ºF - IZMIR 34ºF - 37ºF - ISTANBUL 37ºF - 39ºF

After breakfast and at the scheduled time, transfer to Izmir airport for a domestic flight to Istanbul. End of services upon arrival at Istanbul airport where you can take a flight back to your city of origin or continue your vacation. We hope you enjoyed your trip.