Day 1 – Istanbul Arrivals
After arrival in Istanbul you will be transferred from the airport & checked into your hotel, and tonight you will be able to enjoy a welcome dinner with the mystical atmosphere of Istanbul at night.
Day 2 – Istanbul – Ephesus
After breakfast, we will depart via domestic flight to Izmir and transfer to Ephesus. Today you will do a full-day Ephesus sightseeing tour and Ephesus Tour where we will go first to The House of Virgin Mary on the top of Bulbul Mountain. The house was discovered in the 19th century and Catherina Emmerich (1775-1824) was an invalid German nun who had never visited Ephesus and yet described in great detail the house and its situation which she had seen in a vision. It is believed that St.John brought Mary (the mother of Jesus) to Ephesus sometime between AD 37-48 and she spent the last years of her life there. After that, we will continue to the Ancient City of Ephesus to see one of the most spectacular excavations in the world and the chance to explore the Odeon, Fountain of Trajan, Stream baths of Scholastika, Temple of Hadrian, Grand Theater - where Saint Paul preached is believed to be the largest outdoor theater in the ancient world with a capacity of 24,000 seats and let's not forget about the impressive Library of Ephesus - which is adorned with columns and statues. The last and perhaps the most important, site in Selcuk is the great Temple of Artemis (Diana) which is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Ephesus Artemis was a goddess of fertility and was often pictured as draped with eggs or multiple breasts, symbols of fertility, from her waist to her shoulders. And then our tour ends in the Mosque of Isa Bey which was built in the 19th century and also used as a caravanserai. A perfect architectural, you must see it. Between the tours, you have taken one hour of free time to relax, you can take some refreshments or lunch in the cafeteria. After the tour, you will check in to your hotel. You can enjoy Kusadasi nightlife. Overnight in Kusadasi. Breakfast and Lunch Included
Day 3 – Pamukkale – Hierapolis Tour (3-hour drive as one way)
After breakfast, you will be picked up from your hotel at 08:00 and you depart for Pamukkale (Cotton Castle). Pamukkale has been drawing the weary and the curious to its thermal springs for more than 23 centuries. The Turkish name refers to the extraordinary surface of the snow-white cliffs, shaped over millennia by the accumulation of calcium deposited by mineral springs. Legend has it that the formations are solidified cotton (the area’s principal crop) that was left out to dry by giants. Dripping slowly down a vast mountainside, mineral-rich water foams and collects in bowls that terrace the decline, spilling over petrified cascades of stalactites into milky pools below. The site of ancient Hierapolis and the accompanying museums are overshadowed by the springs but are nevertheless fascinating and you really shouldn’t leave Pamukkale without a savory dip in the sacred fountain at the Pamukkale Cleopatra pool with its warm, fizzy waters that bubble from the springs sources, and on the pool’s floor rest the remains of the Roman columns, toppled by the earthquake that opened the source. After walking on the terraces we will walk to Hierapolis City and just outside the main entrance is the Necropolis (Graveyard), with more than 1200 tombs and sarcophagi. People who wished to be buried here believed that proximity to the hot springs and vapor-emitting cracks would ease their trip to the Underworld and among the tombs lies the Martyrium an octagonal 5th-century edifice believed to have been erected upon the site where St.Philip was martyred in 80 CE. Hierapolis City Bath the visible portions of this 1st-century structure are all that remain one of Asia Minor’s greatest ancient tourist industries: Hygienia. The springs of Hierapolis were particularly popular among vacationing Romans. The city baths are of glossy marble interior and have now been converted into a mediocre Archaelogical Museum. Carved into the side of the mountain is the monstrous Grand Theater that dominates the Vista of Hierapolis and almost all of the seating area for 25.000 is intact and various ornately sculpted decorative elements adorning the 3rd century CE. Between the tours, you have taken one hour of free time to relax, you can have some refreshments or lunch in the cafeteria. At the end of the tour, drive back another 3 hours to the hotel. Breakfast and Lunch Included
Day 4 – Kusadasi – Sirince Turkish Village & Flight to Cappadocia
After breakfast, check out from the hotel and take the luggage with you in the vehicle. Today, we will go to visit a traditional Turkish Village, Sirince (pretty). As the village is located on the top of a mountain, anyone will enjoy the impressive wine yards’ and peach tree’ views on his way. You will have the chance to meet the locals and taste their local produce, Sirince is one of the government's Protected Areas of Izmir and so most of its original authentic buildings are well preserved, especially the two Churches in the village Center. After lunch you can have free time to go shopping and check out all the narrow streets of the village belonging to the women, selling handcrafts of all kinds, olive oil. Another attraction of Sirince is its Wine, which you can taste in small cafés. After the tour, you will drive to the airport Izmir for a flight to the Cappadocia region (direct or via Istanbul). Meet at the airport and transfer to the Cappadocia region overnight. Breakfast and Lunch Included
Day 5 – Cappadocia
We will go from your hotel at 09:00 am to visit Devrent Valley for our first spot, Devrent Valley, also known as Imagination Valley, has none of the cave churches, Byzantine frescoes, or Roman citadel ruins that are famous throughout the rest of Cappadocia; but what it does have is an extraordinary landscape shaped by nature to make you laugh and wonder and explore. Our next visit will be Pasabag (Monk’s Valley), We will stop at Passabaglari (Monks Valley) to see some mushroom-shaped fairy chimneys. These interesting structures are formed due to the harder rock material deposited above, such that they form mushroom shapes. These pillars had a significant shape for early Byzantine Christians. It is nicknamed Monks Valley because of the ascetic monks who came here as early as the 5th century and lived hermit lifestyles. It was a so-called ‘stylite’ way of living, from the Greek work stylos, meaning pillar. The Christian monks built dwellings inside the pillars, lived there, fasted, and prayed. Avanos town of Avanos is set on the banks of the Kizilirmak, the Red River. Starting old village of Avanos winds up the hills leading away from the town and is a beautiful maze of old stone houses, some restored, some converted. In some of the abandoned houses, the features of traditional Ottoman architecture can be seen along with ancient decorations, motifs, and murals. You will also participate hands-on in a pottery workshop. After lunch you will proceed to the Goreme Open Air Museum, Museum has incredible rock formations. You will enjoy all the churches and paintings of Christ and the apostles featuring the most impressive of all rock-carved churches in Cappadocia. Our last stop will be at Uchisar Village, perched on a steep rock formation, this town provides some of the most dramatic panoramas of the astonishing Cappadocia. Wandering in town, very nice watching the harmony between nature and humans. Between the tours, you have taken one hour of free time to relax, you can take some refreshments or lunch in the cafeteria. Our tour finishes around 17:00. We will back to your hotel. Overnight in Cappadocia, standard room in the special class hotel. Lunch Included.
Day 6 – Cappadocia to Istanbul
Please check out from the hotel after breakfast and take your suitcases with you. Depart from your hotel to visit Red Valley, explore the famous rock-cut churches, and walk 4-5 km through the Gulludere valley. Then visit Cavus village. This village is famous for the houses and churches of the Christian clergymen. After lunch drive to the Pigeon Valley. In the afternoon visit Kaymakli or OZKONAK the underground city where early Christians lived in fear and faith. Transfer back to the hotel around 5:00 pm. We will depart for Kayseri or Nevsehir Airport to catch our plane for Istanbul. After arriving in Istanbul, you will check in to your hotel. Free night. Overnight in Istanbul. Breakfast and Luch Included
Day 7 – Istanbul
You will be picked up from your hotel and you will go to visit the first St. Hagia Sophia, This ancient basilica, built by Constantine the Great in the 4th century and reconstructed by Justinian in the 6th century, is one of the architectural marvels of all time. Hagia Sophia is one of the greatest surviving examples of Byzantine architecture. Of great artistic value was its decorated interior with mosaics and marble pillars and coverings. The temple itself was so richly and artistically decorated that Justinian proclaimed,” Solomon, I have outdone thee “ Justinian himself had overseen the completion of the greatest cathedral ever built up to that time, and it was to remain the largest cathedral for 1,000 years up until the completion of the cathedral in Seville in Spain. Basilica Cistern which was one of the biggest underground water supply depots of Ancient Istanbul the Capital. Blue Mosque, Built in the 16th century by the architect Mehmet, the mosque is recognizable from its six minarets and decorated inside with 21,043 tiles from Iznik in a dominant blue color; because of its magnificent interior decoration of blue Iznik tiles. Hippodrome, Ancient Hippodrome, the scene of chariot races, with the three monuments; the Obelisk of Theodosius, the bronze Serpentine Column, and the Column of Constantine. We continue to Topkapi Palace (closed on Tuesdays), The great palace of the Ottoman sultans from the 15th to the 19th centuries housing an exquisite collection of crystal, silver, and Chinese porcelain, robes worn by the sultans and their families, the famous jewels of the Imperial Treasury, miniatures, the Holy Mantle; enshrining relics of the Prophet Mohammed. Conclude your day of touring with a short drive to the exotic Grand Cover Bazaar (Closed on Sundays and Feast Days), which is one of the most colorful institutions in Istanbul. In this labyrinth of streets and passages are more than 4,000 shops with each trade having its own area. After finish your tour, you will transfer to your hotel. Overnight in Istanbul. Between the tour, you have taken free time to relax, you can take some refreshments or lunch. Breakfast Included
Day 8 – Istanbul
After breakfast check out from your hotel. You will transfer to Istanbul Airport regarding your flight details. End of tour. We hope to see you future in another tour. Breakfast Included
No extra hidden cost..!
What’s Included
Pick-up and drop-off services.
Flights Tickets, Transportation, guidance, all entrance fees for museum and sites.
7 nights of 5-star hotel accommodation.
Local GROUP tours with professional tour guides as indicated in the itinerary.
Local taxes.
Meals as indicated in the itinerary.
What’s Not Included
Tips (optional).
Personal expenses.
Extra services.
Drinks in the meals except breakfasts.
No extra hidden cost!
