Day 1
Arrival to İstanbul, meeting by the tour manager, transfer to the hotel at old city near Sultanahmet Square. After a short rest and refreshing in the hotel, you will have a welcome dinner by our company in a traditional restaurant with delicious Turkish food&drinks.
Day 2
İstanbul old city tour: You will start to your Turkey tour in the heart of İstanbul old city. The three symbols of İstanbul; the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sophia and the Topkapı Palace will take you to centuries ago as the best architectural&imperial structures of Byzantium&Ottoman eras.
The Hippodrome of Constantinople, which was a public area for chariot races, also home to gladiatorial games and the Basilica Cistern, which was the greatest water supply of the Roman time are the other places you will see on your first day.
The day will end with a boat tour in Bosphorus, that will take all your tiredness.
Day 3
The day starts with a tour in one of the oldest&colourful shopping malls in the world; The Grand Bazaar (Kapalı Çarşı), including 4000 shops, which was first built in 1460. If you are enthusiastic about traditional shopping, then there is one more to see; the Egyptian (or Spice) Bazaar.
After a half day in the Old City and lunch, you will discover the heart of İstanbul, in Beyoglu district. The “Romanesque style” Galata Tower is one of the symbols of İstanbul. It was built in the 14th Century by the Genoese as a watchtower and today it is used a an exhibition place&museum.
A walk from Galata Tower to İstiklal Street will take you into the vivacious life of İstanbul and give the opportunity to see the heart of the city, that lives 24 hours! This street will call up you the heartbeat of a living body; just to describe its function for İstanbul.
Day 4
A drive nearly for 5 hours on a comfortable bus from İstanbul to Ankara will end around noon time. Ankara, the capital city of Turkey, has two major spots; The first and the most visited place is Anıtkabir; the Mausoleum&Museum of Atatürk, founder of the Turkish Republic. The other attraction is Anatolian Civilaziations Museum, which includes thousand of pieces from several eras of civilizations, including the oldest map of the World. A short tour in the old town near Ankara Castle will be the end of the day. Overstay in Ankara.
Day 5
Departure from Ankara to Cappadocia, short stop by the Salt Lake (Tuz Gölü) on the way. And if you are there on the right season (between May-October), you have a chance to see thousands of flamingos, that is the biggest flamingo breeding colony in the world.
A moonscape region carved by the nature and men, Cappadocia is most famous for its unique geological features and layers of history. On your first day in this dreamland, you will see Göreme open air museum and Uçhisar on this day. At night, after dinner, as an obtional tour you have the chance to join to Turkish night, where you will be offered wine&nuts while enjoying the amazing traditional dance shows one after one. Overstay in Avanos.
Day 6
Hot air balloon tour (optional): This might be the most interesting balloon rides in the world which brings millions of people to Cappadocia. Combined with the mystical atmoshere of the land, you will be able to see many historical places and natural beauties above 1000 feet (300 meters). The tour includes pick up and drive back to the hotel.
Fairy Chimneys, Underground City and Illustrated Valley are the places to visit on your last day in Cappadocia.
Day 7
After leaving Cappadocia in the early hours, you will arrive to Konya in 3 hours to visit Mevlana Museum, that is the home of Rumi. This visit will open you a new door in your life after getting to know the inspiritual life of Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi, teaching people with his Sufi stories, poetry&illuminating personal experiences. If you are interested in this philosophy, we will reccommend to take your tour in December as there is a “Seb-i Arus Ceremony” on every 17 December, the night of Mevlana’s death. Thousands of people all around the world gather at the magnificent 13th century Mevlana Mausoleum to celebrate his “Wedding Day”, his Reunion with his Beloved, with the Divine.
After lunch in Konya, you will travel nearly 4,5 hrs to Antalya for overnight stay. During your travel through Konya plain&Taurus Mountains you will see&get ideas about Turkish agriculture, different life styles, flora&fauna.
Overstay in Antalya.
Day 8
Antalya tour: Aspendos, Side, Perge.
This 8 hour excursion will take you to some of the most important archaeological sights of Anatolia. You will visit 3 of the 4 great cities of the Hellenistic period, and cool down at the magnificent Kurşunlu Waterfall.
Perge, was the capital of Pamphylia during the Hellenistic period. The Aspendos theatre, built between 161-180 AD during the reign of Marcus Aurelius, is considered one of the world’s best-preserved theaters from antiquity, and is an immensely popular tourist attraction. The ancient Greek city Side’s spectacular natural harbor setting made it one of the most important cities in Pamphylia, and one of the most significant centers for trade, especially of olive oil and slaves. At the end of this tiring tour, you will refresh at Kurşunlu Waterfall and then return to your hotel
Day 9
Another long, but very impressive travel on the tour is Antalya-Marmaris route. Travel time is 4 hours and you will travel on the Taurus mountains. Marmaris is located in the Aegean part of Türkiye and you will have a short walk tour in this beautiful city following your arrival. You will be hosted in a nice fish restaurant in the marina after your city tour.
Day 10
You will have obtional tours in Marmaris;
- “Village tour” introducing you the life of Aegean villagers and giving you an idea about the world famous Marmaris pine honey production.
- Another obtion is Dalyan&Kounos Tour, just 45 minutes away, famous for its ancient city, rock tombs, thermal mud bath and İztuzu Beach.
- Or, just a free day by lying on the beach&shopping in Marmaris!
Day 11
Your tour will be connected to Greece on this day!
The ferry from Marmaris at 9 am will be in the second biggest Greek island Rhodes in 1 hour. You will directly start the island&city tour from the harbour. After a travel full of history and Greek food, you will have time for leisure. In the evening, a traditional Greek night in a tavern will cheer you up.
Day 12
Ferry back to Marmaris at 9 am. The travel from the harbour is directly to Pamukkale (You will be able to leave most of your luggage in the hotel in Marmaris before Rhodes tour, and you will get them on the bus). And, after 3 hours travel, you will meet another fascinating landscapes on the Earth with “cotton white” travertines. Deriving from springs in a cliff almost 200 m high overlooking the plain, calcite-laden waters have created at Pamukkale (Cotton Palace) an unreal landscape, made up of mineral forests, petrified waterfalls and a series of terraced basins.
The area is also famous with the ancient ruins. At the end of the 2nd century B.C. the dynasty of the Attalids, the kings of Pergamon, established the thermal spa of Hierapolis. The ruins of the baths, temples and other Greek monuments can be seen at the site.
Hiearpolis+Pamukkale together are listed together in the Unesco’s World Heritage Sites.
Enjoy the thermal bath in your hotel in your hotel after a tiring day.
Day 13
The travel to Ephesus&Virgin Mary House in the province of İzmir will take nearly 3 hours. You will drive through the large plains of Aegean region with cotton, fig, grape fields. Ephesus is one of the best preserved ancient sites in the world with its library, theater, bath and streets. After Ephesus, Virgin Mary House is very close to visit, which is accepted as one of the pilgrimage sites for Christians. The tour will end in a small Greek&Turkish village; Şirince, famous for its houses, wine and handicrafts.
You will have an evening flight to İstanbul from İzmir Airport.
Day 14
You will explore İstanbul on your own and complete the picture with yourself. This will be a free day in İstanbul. But, if you want to have an unforgatteble complementation, we will suggest a full Turkish Bath/Hammam tour, and if you wish we will organise it for you.
Day 15
Return flight to your home. Enjoy your flight and see you next time. “Güle güle!”