7 Day Istanbul Cappadocia Pamukkale Antalya by Plane - YK234

7 Day Istanbul Cappadocia Pamukkale Antalya by Plane - YK234

Discover the magic of Istanbul, amazing Cappadocia, the travertines in Pamukkale
Pamukkale means cotton castle in Turkish. It is the result of limestone formations built over thousands of years. Warm calcium rich mineral water flowed over the cliffs and as it cooled it deposited the calcium into the formations that are seen today. Pamukkale is now a world heritage site.
UCHISAR: Uchisar is a troglodyte town situated right in the middle of Cappadocia. It is named after the enormous piece of rock in the center of the town, which was once used as a castle. This extraordinary rock is the highest peak of the area with the view of whole Cappadocia and Erciyes (Argeus) Mountain.
Naturally, Side used to be one of the most important trade centers in the antiquity and now it is one of the most popular holiday resort in Turkey.

Itinerary

Day 1: Day 1 – Arrival

Stop At: Bosphorus Strait, Istanbul 34122 Turkey
Day 1 – Arrival in Istanbul
Upon your arrival we will pick you up from the airport and transfer your hotel.

Bosphorus Cruise (Half Day Afternoon) with Spice Market
We cruise the Bosphorus and from the deck of our cruise boat take in the sights and sounds of this legendary waterway, which is lined with historic villages , grand wooden mansions, imposing fortresses, like Anadolu Hisari and the Baroque palaces of the late Ottoman sultans.

After our cruise, we visit the Spice Bazaar , a thrilling riot of colors, sounds and the rich smells of exotic spices.

Overnight in Istanbul.
Duration: 8 hours

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight in Istanbul. Sokkullu Pacha

Day 2: Day 2 – Byzantine and Ottoman Relics Tour

Stop At: Sultanahmet District, Istanbul 34122 Turkey
Day 2: Byzantine and Ottoman Relics Tour
8:30am – Picked-up from hotel and met by your tour guide for a full day to discover the city of Istanbul. The tour will include visit to the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, HIPPODROME, Grand Bazaar, Topkapi Palace and the Rustem Pasa Mosque. At the end of the tour, you will be dropped back to your hotel at approximately 5:00 pm.

EVENING FLIGHT TO KAYSERI
STAY CAPPADOCIA
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Overnight in Cappadocia

Day 3: Fairy Chimneys Tour at 09:30am

Stop At: Fairy Chimneys, Goreme Turkey
In this day you will be able to see:
DEVRENT VALLEY: Devrent is situated on the northern slopes of Aktepe, 1km from Pasabaglari (Monks’ Valley) and 5 km from Avanos. The ruins at Devrent are spread over three valleys, which also house several pointed fairy chimneys with large stems.

LOVE VALLEY: The best place to see three-headed fairy chimneys. Pasabag, the Pasha’s Vineyard, is surrounded by incredible natural rock formations; a spectacular scene.

AVANOS: A center of terra cotta work of art since 3000 BC, it is a town where you will be invited to visit a traditional pottery workshop, which is possibly set deep into the hillsides. The clay, which comes from the Red River passing through the town, gives life both to the land and to the local economy.

UCHISAR: Uchisar is a troglodyte town situated right in the middle of Cappadocia. It is named after the enormous piece of rock in the center of the town, which was once used as a castle. This extraordinary rock is the highest peak of the area with the view of whole Cappadocia and Erciyes (Argeus) Mountain.
After the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel.

At the end of the tour, you will be dropped back to your hotel at approximately 5:00 pm. Overnight in Cappadocia. (L)
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Overnight in Dedeli Konak Cave Hotel Boutique category

Day 4: South Cappadocia Tour at 09:30am

Stop At: Rose Valley, Goreme 50180 Turkey
09:30 You will be picked up from your hotel for Full day tour of South Cappadocia. In this day you will be able to see:

KIZILCUKUR: is an isolated valley behind Urgup. It has beautiful rock formation 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. It is always possible to see villagers working in the area and offering grapes, apples or apricots to you.

CAVUSIN: One of the oldest settlements in the area, Cavusin is situated 2km from Goreme, on the Goreme-Avanos road. The Church of St.John the Baptist offers a panoramic view of the village. This church and its paintigs date back to the 5th century, making the oldest church in the region. It had a large courtyard which is unusual for Cappadocia, this has been eroded away however.

Underground cities are the two largest and deepest of the 40 others in Cappadocia. They both have eight floors, although not all are open to the public.

PIGEON HOUSE: Visit the pigeon houses and rock formations.

After the tour you are transferred to Kayseri airport for your flight to Izmir through Istanbul. When you arrive in Izmir, you will find our employee holding your name for transfer to Kusadasi for overnight stay in Kusadasi hotel.(B, L)
Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Overnight stay in Kusadasi hotel.

Day 5: Pamukkale Tour AT 08:15AM

Stop At: Pamukkale Thermal Pools, Pamukkale Turkey
After breakfast we will depart from Kusadasi to Pamukkale , as soon as we arrive we will continue onto guided tour of Pamukkale and Hierapolis.
Pamukkale means cotton castle in Turkish. It is the result of limestone formations built over thousands of years. Warm calcium rich mineral water flowed over the cliffs and as it cooled it deposited the calcium into the formations that are seen today. Pamukkale is now a world heritage site.
Hierapolis was founded as a healing care center in 190 BC, taking advantage of the mineral waters in the area. It was one of the most important intellectual, artistic, religious and commercial centers of the Roman Empire.

EVENING BUS TO ANTALYA
STAY ANTALYA
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Overnight in Antalya Alp Pasa

Day 6: DAY 6: ASPENDOS PERGE SIDE TOUR AT 08:15am

Stop At: Aspendos Ruins and Theater, Aspendos, Serik Turkey
Aspendos: is famous for its best-preserved theater of antiquity built in the 2nd c. AD with a capacity of 15, 000 people. Still used today for performances and festivals, the theater’s galleries, stage decorations and acoustics all testify to its architect Xenon’s success. Next to the stage there is a small room which is used as a small museum where you can see some of the masks and clay tickets. Nearby stand the remains of a basilica, agora and one of the largest aqueducts in Anatolia. Here you can visit also the acropolis of the city with a great view of the river.

Perge: It was settled by the Hittites around 1500 B. C. Kestros (Aksu) river, which runs near acropolis, made Perge like a port because it was possible to navigate. An important trade route starting from Side run through Perge. It is also famous by the fact that when St. Paul started his journeys, he visited Perge in 46 A. D. and preached his first sermon here. That’s why it became an important city for the Christians during Byzantine period.

To understand the importance of the city it is necessary to visit its remains. You can see the ruins of the antique theatre (capacity 12, 000 people), its stage has marble relieves depicting the life of Dionysos; a stadium, which is in a shape of “U” for 12, 000 people; remains of the first church built in Perge, an agora, which has dimensions of 76×76 m. and it’s surrounded by Corinthian columns, in the middle of it there is a round temple of Tyche (2nd century A. D. ); a basilica – another structure from Christian Era with three entrances, a good example of a Roman Bath in the southern part of the city, and Hellenistic gates which later were converted into a court of honor by Plancia Magna.

Side: The furthest city in the east of historical Pamphylia. Situated on a peninsula about 1000 m long and 400 m. wide, it fulfilled its duty as a commercial port. Naturally, Side used to be one of the most important trade centers in the antiquity and now it is one of the most popular holiday resort in Turkey. According to Strabon the ancient geographer, side was first established in the 7 th cen. B. C. as a trade colony of the Aegean city Kyme near Izmir But the merchants took up the local language, Side tan the name “Side” meant pomegranate, the fruit symbolizing abundance and fertility. Like the other Pamphylian cities in general, Side was ruled by Lydia in the sixth cent. B. C. and Persia after 547 B. C. The coins minted in here prove that Side had at least an internal independence. Alexander the Great conquered Side in the first year of the great campaign on Asia in 334 B. C. and was introduced to Hellenistic culture.

Kursunlu Waterfalls: The Kursunlu is a waterfall which is reduced to a mere trickle in the summer months. It is located 19 km from Antalya at the end of a 7 km road branching off to the north of the Antalya-Serik-Alanya highway at a point 12 km from Antalya. The waterfall is on one of the tributaries of the Aksu river and its situation in the midst of a pine forest is of quite exceptional beauty. The countryside around the water forms a lovely picnic and pleasure spot only twenty minutes from the centre of the city of Antalya.

After the tour, you will be transferred from Izmir Airport for your flight to Istanbul. Arrive in Istanbul. Met on arrival & transferred to your hotel.
Overnight in Istanbul. (B, L)
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Overnight in Istanbul Sokullu Pacha

Day 7: Day 7: Departure

Pass By: Ataköy 7-8-9-10, Airport AVM, 34158 Bakırköy/İstanbul, Turkey
After breakfast check out from hotel (before 12:00), transfer to Istanbul Ataturk Airport according to your flight details. End of tour and services. (If you would like, you can extend your trip by adding extra nights in Istanbul, please advise.)

Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.