Day 1: Arrive in Istanbul – Istanbul City Tour Private Basis – Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Hippodrome and Grand Bazaar

Welcome to Turkey!   

On Arrival in Istanbul airport, you will be met outside the arrival gate with a sign bearing your name and then transferred to your hotel.

After Breakfast at your hotel, you will be met by your guide at the lobby. You will begin your tour of the Sultanahmet district, the heart of old Istanbul, at Hagia Sophia. Built by the Emperor Justinian in the early 6th century AD and designed by Anthemius of Tralles and Isodore of Miletus, the church is one of the marvels of world architecture. Converted into a mosque in 1453, it is now a museum. Its massive dome still dominates the skyline of old Istanbul. Next you will visit the Blue Mosque which takes its name from the exquisite tiles adorning its interior. Following up is the Hippodrome, the stadium of ancient Byzantium, held 100,000 spectators and featured objects from all corners of the empire. You will continue the tour at The Grand Bazaar which was the commercial heart of the old city and its 4,000 shops are full of treasures including carpets and kilims, silks, jewellery, ceramics, icons, and leather goods.

In the afternoon you will continue your tour at Topkapi Palace, which, from the 15th to the 19th century, was the principal residence of the Ottoman Sultans. You will then visit the fabulous Imperial Treasury and the Baghdad Kiosk. Topkapi Palace is now a museum and has unrivalled collections of jewelry, including the Spoonmaker’s Diamond, the 3rd largest diamond in the world. It also possesses numerous Ottoman court costumes and ceramics, notably including one of the world’s finest collections of Chinese celadon ceramics, many of which were gifts from other rulers. Interestingly, some of the ceramics have a special glaze that was said to change color in the presence of poison. You will also visit the Imperial Armory where centuries of Ottoman weaponry is displayed. But perhaps the loveliest feature of Topkapi Palace are its courtyards with ancient trees; it is easy to imagine the sultan strolling here far from the cares of state and empire. Overnight in Istanbul.

Day 2: Free for activity

Breakfast at the hotel.

Rest of the day at leisure. Overnight in Istanbul.

Day 3: Half day Bosphorus Cruise Tour SIC Basis – Flight to Izmir (Meal: breakfast at hotel)  

Spice Bazaar, Bopshorus Cruise

You will begin with a brief visit to the 17th century Spice Bazaar, one of Istanbul’s most colorful, bustling attractions. Next, you will travel the Golden Horn on our way to an unforgettable cruise along the Bosphorus, the majestic strait that runs through Istanbul, linking Europe and Asia. From your cruise boat, you can view the dramatic sights lining the Bosphorus’ wooded shores: mosques, a bridge that for a time was the world’s longest and Rumeli Hisari, a massive fortress built by Mehmet the Conqueror in just three months as he prepared to take Istanbul. Also noteworthy on this tour are the 19th century mansions of the Ottoman elite and the Sultans’ fanciful gingerbread palaces and hunting lodges. 

After the tour you will be transferred to Istanbul Airport for your flight to Izmir.

On arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel.  Overnight in Kusadasi. 

Day 4: Pamukkale Tour Seat in Coach Basis (breakfast at hotel – Seyir Restaurant (Open Buffet)

Pamukkale Travertines, Hierapolis Ruins
After having breakfast at the hotel, you will journey inland to Pamukkale to enjoy the spas, pools, and terraces of this natural wonder, called the “Cotton Castle”. This name is truly fitting, the brilliant white calcified terraces do truly resemble a castle made of cotton. You will also spend time in Hieropolis, with one of the largest and most diverse necropolis in the world. After the tour, you will be transferred to your hotel. Overnight in Kusadasi. 

Day 5  (breakfast at hotel – Hitit Restaurant (Open Buffet)

Ephesus Ruins, Temple of Artemis, Virgin Mary’s House
First you will visit Ephesus ruins starting from the upper gate and see famous Celsus Library, Hadrian Temple and Ephesus Antic Theatre which has a capacity of 25000. Next you will stop by at Temple of Artemis once was a one of the seven wonders in the ancient times. Then you will head to Virgin Mary’s House where she spent her last years.

After the tour you will be transferred to Izmir Airport for your flight to Antalya.

Upon arrival Antalya you will be met and transferred to your hotel.  Overnight in Antalya.

Day 6: Perge Aspendos and Waterfall Seat in Coach Basis (Breakfast at hotel – Bes Konak Restaurant (Open Buffet)

Perge Antic Site, Aspendos Theatre, Town of Side
This is a day trip to well-known Pamphylian cities Perge and Aspendos. Perge was the capital city of Pamphylia, a vast Roman province, with a combination of Roman, Greek and Byzantine cultures and a stadium with a capacity of 12000. After Perge you will move onto Aspendos Aspendos Theatre is one of the best-preserved Roman amphitheatres on the Asian continent. Built into a steep hillside and big enough to host 15000 people, this vast semi-circular edifice was used to stage plays in second century A.D. Its perfect acoustics means that it is still used today for operas and ballet festivals. After visiting the amphitheatre, you can experience the amazing engineering of the city’s high aqueduct near the Eurymedon river. You will have the lunch break by Seljuk Bridge over the Eurymedon River. After lunch break, you will move onto the Town of Side which is a peninsula, known for the roman style theatre. Side used to be one of the most important trade centres in antiquity and now it’s one of the most popular holiday resorts in Southern Turkey. Overnight in Antalya.

Day 7: Antalya to Cappadocia (Meal: Breakfast at hotel)

After checking out you will transfer to Antalya Airport for your flight to Cappadocia.

After arriving Cappadocia, you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

Overnight in Cappadocia.

Day 8: Cappadocia north tour Seat in Coach Basis Breakfast at hotel 

Goreme Open Air Museum, Zelve Valley, Devrent Valley, Cavusin Village, Avanos

Resembles a vast monastic complex composed of scores of refectory monasteries placed side-by-side, each with its own fantastic church, Goreme Open Air Museum is obviously the first sight to be visited by any traveler in Cappadocia, standing as it does in the very center of the region with easy access from all directions. It contains the finest of the rock-cut churches, with beautiful frescoes (wall paintings) whose colors still retain all their original freshness.
Fairy chimneys with multiple stems and caps can be found in Zelve Valley, which will be your second stop. A chapel dedicated to St. Simeon and a hermit’s shelter built into such fairy chimney with three heads. Devrent Valley is 1 km from Zelve Valley. The ruins at Devrent are spread over three valleys which also house several pointed fairy chimneys with large stems.
You will also visit Cavusin Village, one of the oldest settlements in the area. The churct of St. John Baptist offers a panoramic view of the village. This church and its paintings date back to the 5th century, making the oldest church in the region. Your last stop will be Avanos,
a center of terra cotta work since 3000 BC. The clay which comes from the Red River passing through the town, gives life both land and local economy.

* Optional Balloon Tour: Flying in a hot air balloon is an amazing and unforgettable experience which you will never forget. Very early in the morning you will be picked up from your hotel and transferred to our balloon site. You will be welcomed with a light breakfast while you are registering for your flight. After meeting at the balloon site, you will be watching how we prepare our balloons for your adventure. After getting on the air you will be seeing beautiful sunrise upon Cappadocia. You will be thrilled with the scale of colors and shapes. We will be ascending to 3000 feet and then almost you will be able touch fairy chimneys. After landing we will celebrate our flight with champagne toast (or soft drink) and your pilot will be presenting your flight certificates. After deflation balloons you will be transported to your launch site and continue to your day.

Overnight in Cappadocia.

Day 9: Cappadocia South Tour Seat in Coach Basis breakfast at hotel 

Kaymakli Underground City, Pigeon Valley, Uchisar Rock Castle, Esentepe Panorama, Rose Valley
You will visit Kaymakli Underground City which was built under the hill known as the Citadel of Kaymakli and was opened to visitors in 1964. The people of Kaymakli (Enegup in Greek) village have constructed their houses around nearly one hundred tunnels of the underground city. The inhabitants of the region still use the most convenient places in the tunnels as cellars, storage areas and stables, which they access through their courtyards. The Kaymakli Underground City has low, narrow and sloping passages. While the underground city consists of 8 floors below ground, only 4 of them are open to the public today, in which the spaces are organized around ventilation shafts. Afterwards, you will take a stroll through Pigeon Valley, a green valley with many different rock formations and hundreds of pigeon houses carved into fairy-chimneys. Next is Uchisar Rock Castle. This 60mt. (200ft) high fortress was not built but carved out of a natural hill dominating the area with a breath-taking view of all the surrounding Cappadocian formations. Then you will head to Esentepe Panorama where you can enjoy the best panoramic view of Gerome. You will end the day with a trip to Rose Valley. It has beautiful rock formations with some great hidden rock-carved churches. The most interesting part of this area is the countless tracks connecting the small villages and towns through vineyards and gardens like a spider net. Overnight in Cappadocia.

Day 10: Flight back to Istanbul – Onward flight 
We will meet at your hotel lobby and transfer you to Kayseri Airport for your flight to Istanbul.  Tour Ends.