Day 1: DESTINATION – ISTANBUL.
Arrival in Istanbul. Transfer to the hotel and accommodation.
Day 2: ISTANBUL – ANKARA – CAPADOCIA. (BREAKFAST – LUNCH – DINNER) (SUNDAY – THURSDAY)
Breakfast Early morning departure for Ankara, passing through the Bolu Mountains. In Ankara, visit the Atatürk Mausoleum. In 1953, this mausoleum, dedicated to Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey, was inaugurated. It is a marble block with 40-ton columns, reached by a long avenue lined with lions, ending in a vast plaza. Lunch We'll have lunch at a local restaurant and then continue on to Cappadocia. in route, we'll also visit the Salt Lake. Arrival, dinner and hotel accommodation.
Day 3: CAPADOCIA. (BREAKFAST – LUNCH – DINNER)
Breakfast At the hotel. Visit this fascinating region with its unique landscape, formed by lava ejected from the Erciyes and Hasan volcanoes 3 million years ago. Visit the Göreme Open Air Museum, an incredible Byzantine monastic complex comprised of churches carved into the rock and adorned with beautiful frescoes. Visit the Avcilar and Güvercinlik valleys, which boast a spectacular landscape of the so-called Fairy Chimneys. Lunch During the visit, we'll stop at a local restaurant. We'll then continue with panoramic views of the Cappadocia valleys. During the excursion, we'll have the opportunity to visit typical workshops where carpets, onyx, and turquoise are made, offering quality craftsmanship at good prices. Dinner at the hotel. Hotel accommodation in Cappadocia.
(During your stay in Cappadocia you will have the opportunity to participate in a folk dance performance in a typical cave with unlimited regional drinks and take an optional hot air balloon excursion at sunrise).
Day 4: CAPADOCIA – PAMUKKALE. (BREAKFAST – LUNCH – DINNER)
Breakfast and departure for Pamukkale. Along the way, visit a caravanserai, an ancient type of building that arose along the main roads where caravans made long journeys of many days—for trade, pilgrimage, or military purposes. Lunch at a local restaurant. Then, to Pamukkale, a place where the high concentration of calcium in its waters has created one of the most spectacular formations in the world.Dinner and hotel accommodation.
Note:We can visit Pmaukkale (cotton castle) on this day depending on our arrival time at Pmaukkale.
Day 5: PAMUKKALE – EPHESUS – IZMIR AREA. (BREAKFAST – LUNCH – DINNER)
Breakfast At the hotel. Departure for Hierapolis, an ancient Hellenistic city now in ruins. Visit to the famous Cotton Castle, a natural wonder of gigantic white waterfalls, stalactites, and natural pools formed over centuries by the flow of water rich in calcium salts from thermal springs. Continue to Selçuk, the center of Ephesus. Excursion to Ephesus, the best-preserved ancient city in Asia Minor. During the 1st and 2nd centuries, it had a population of 250,000 and monopolized the wealth of the Middle East. Lunch We will meet at a local restaurant. We will visit the Temple of Hadrian, the Roman Baths, the Library, the Odeon, the Theater, etc. Later, we will visit the House of the Virgin Mary, and in the afternoon, a leather workshop where we can see the famous leather goods of the Aegean region. Finally, we will continue to the Izmir area. Dinner at the hotel. Hotel accommodation in the Izmir area.
Day 6: IZMIR AREA – BURSA – ISTANBUL. (BREAKFAST)
BreakfastAt the hotel. Departure for Bursa. Arrival in Bursa and visit to the Green Mosque or Yesil Camii, built in 1419 by Mehmet I Çelebi. Next to the Mosque is the Green Mausoleum. It is possibly the most beautiful building in all of Bursa. Continue to Istanbul. Overnight in a hotel in Istanbul.
Day 7: ISTANBUL. (BREAKFAST)
Breakfast Check in to the hotel. Morning departure to visit the Rustum Pasha Mosque. Afterwards, we'll enjoy one of Istanbul's most famous activities: a boat trip on the Bosphorus, the strait that separates Europe and Asia. During this journey, you'll see the palaces of the Sultans, traditional wooden houses, and experience history in a unique way. We'll end our day with a visit to one of the city's highlights: the Spice Bazaar, established by the Ottomans five centuries ago and still in use today. Enjoy some free time. The tour concludes at the Egyptian Bazaar.
Day 8: ISTANBUL. (BREAKFAST)
Breakfast at the hotel.Free day. Free time to explore the city with the option of taking a full-day excursion to the Jewels of Constantinople, including lunch. Visit the ancient Hippodrome, dating back to the Byzantine era, which was the center of civic life in the country. Here, not only were horse races and gladiatorial combats held, but also celebrations in honor of the Emperor. Today, it preserves the Obelisk of Theodosius, the Serpent Column, and the Fountain of Emperor Wilhelm. Next, we'll visit the Blue Mosque, built in 1609 during the reign of Sultan Ahmet, who, wanting his mosque to surpass the Hagia Sophia, constructed it with six minarets. Afterward, we'll go to Topkapi Palace, the residence of the sultans until the 19th century, where most of the Ottoman sultans' valuable artifacts are housed. Enjoy a panoramic view of Hagia Sophia from the outside, the most exquisite example of Byzantine art and one of humanity's greatest achievements. Then, transfer to the Grand Bazaar. The covered bazaar, built in 1660, can be considered a small city under hundreds of domes, with four thousand shops inside, narrow streets, squares, and 18 entrance gates. End of visit to the Grand Bazaar
Day 9: ISTANBUL - CITY OF ORIGIN. (BREAKFAST)
Breakfast
At the hotel. At the scheduled time, transfer to the airport.
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