Best of Tantalising Turkey on an Exciting 12 Days Tour

Best of Tantalising Turkey on an Exciting 12 Days Tour

Explore the best that Turkey has to offer on this 12-day tour through Turkey where your journey will take you to many of the best places in this magnificent country.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival Day

Stop At: Istanbul Airport, Tayakadın, Terminal Caddesi No:1, 34283 Arnavutköy/İstanbul, Turkey
Arrival to Istanbul Airport where our driver/guide will meet you and transfer to your hotel for check-in before having the rest of the day at your leisure
Duration: 1 hour

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Hotel in Istanbul

Day 2: Sultanahmet – Old Istanbul

Stop At: Topkapi Palace, Cankurtaran Mahallesi Gulhane Park, Near Sultanahmet Square, Istanbul 34122 Turkey
Go to the Topkapi Palace, which was once used by the Ottoman Sultans from the 15th to 19th centuries and see the magnificent collection of priceless jewels, silver, crystal, and porcelain, robes that were worn by the sultans and the relics of the prophet Mohammed. (Entrance to the Harem is extra).


Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Hagia Sophia Museum / Church (Ayasofya), Ayasofya Square, Sultanahmet, Istanbul 34122 Turkey
Visit the Hagia Sophia, which was built by Emperor Justinian and was the largest building in the world for over 1000 years and has intricate mosaics and a huge central dome.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Blue Mosque, Sultanahmet Mah At Meydani Cad No 7, Istanbul 34122 Turkey
After lunch, we will visit the stunning Blue Mosque that was built for Sultan Ahmet I, and is a unique piece of architecture with its six minarets and features 20,000 beautiful Iznik tiles.


Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Hippodrome, Binbirdirek, Sultan Ahmet ParkI No:2, Istanbul Turkey
Visit the ancient Hippodrome with Obelisk of Theodosius, Snake Pillar and German Fountain of Wilhelm II and visit the hidden Underground Cistern.


Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Grand Bazaar, Grand Bazaar, Istanbul
See the Grand Covered Bazaar with its many shops perfect for your holiday souvenirs.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Hotel in Istanbul

Day 3: Bosphorus Cruise with Haghia Sophia and Beylerbeyi

Stop At: Misir Carsisi (Spice Market), Rustem Pasa Mahallesi, Erzak Ambari Sok. No:92 Eminonu - Fatih, Istanbul 34116 Turkey
Visit the exotic Egyptian Spice Market located on the Golden Horn before boarding your cruise of the Bosphorus where the waterway separates the two continents Europe and Asia.
Duration: 2 hours

Pass By: Rumeli Fortress, Tarabya Yenikoy Cad., Istanbul Turkey
Pass by Rumeli fortress which was built by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1452, so he could prepare for his conquest of Istanbul.



Stop At: Beylerbeyi Palace, Abdullahaga Cad., Istanbul Turkey
Cross over the Bosphorus Bridge to Asia where you will visit Beylerbeyi Palace, which was once the summer address of the Ottoman Sultans, then on to Camlica Hill for a fantastic view of Istanbul.
Time for lunch in a lovely seaside fish restaurant. Cruise is on a public boat unless other arrangements are made.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Hotel in Istanbul

Day 4: Istanbul - Cappadocia

Stop At: Kaymakli Underground City, Derinkuyu Turkey
Fly from Istanbul to Cappadocia, and upon arrival, you will be met at the airport just outside the arrival’s gate and transfer to Cappadocia. 



Tour the Kaymaklı Underground City, one of the fascinating underground settlements in Cappadocia then drive to Sahinefendi (Sobesos) which is newly discovered (01 May 2002) mosaic houses and Archaeological excavation site.

Villages in the valleys are surrounded by the “tabletop” mountains which are spectacular.


Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Keslik Monastery, Urgup Turkey
Continue to the Keslik Monastery close to Cemil, that hides its frescoes behind a thin smoke layer which you can only see by torchlight.


Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Mustafapasa Yeni Cami, Sht. Nadir Kurt Sk. Yukarı, Mustafapasa, Urgup 50400 Turkey
Visit Mustafapaşa (Sinasos), an old Greek town with its spectacular old Greek houses; outstanding examples of late Greek settlements and architecture.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Saruhan Exhibition and Culture Center, Yeni kayseri Yolu 6 km, Nevsehir 50500 Turkey
Visit Saruhan Caravanserai, a roadside inn where travellers would rest and recover from their day’s journey. Caravanserais supported the flow of information, commerce and people across a network of trade routes of North Africa, Asia, and South-Eastern Europe on the legendary Silk Road and the Spice Road.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Red Valley, Nevsehir Ortahisar, Nevsehir 50650 Turkey
Continue with the panorama of the Red Valley, with its fabulous volcanic rock formations and is in the heart of Cappadocia but still away from the tourist crowd.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Hotel in Cappadocia

Day 5: Cappadocia

Stop At: Devrent Valley, Devrent Mevkii No:1 Aktepe Koyu Turkey
Meet at the hotel reception after breakfast, then have your first meeting with the lunar landscape of Cappadocia with some rock formations beyond belief in Devrent valley, walk-in Pasabag near Zelve and wonder at the “fairy chimneys” where the sound of the wind mixes with the “songs of fairies”.
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Avanos Oren Yeri, Kapadokya Cd., Avanos 50500 Turkey
Lunch in Avanos which has been the centre of terra cotta work of art since around 3000 BC and you will get a demonstration in a traditional pottery workshop.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Goreme National Park, Goreme 50180 Turkey
In the afternoon, visit the famous Goreme Open Air Museum and see the best examples of Byzantine art in Cappadocia in rock-cut churches with frescoes and paintings (10th to 13th century).


Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Uchisar Castle, Uchisar Turkey
Continue to Uchisar Rock-Castle to have a panoramic view of the valleys of Cappadocia.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Hotel in Cappadocia

Day 6: Cappadocia – Konya – Pamukkale

Stop At: Sultanhani Kervansarayi, SultanhanI Zafer Mahallesi Sehit Murat Caddesi No 3, Sultanhani 68190 Turkey
Drive to Konya and en route, visit Sultanhani Caravanserai, a roadside inn where travellers could rest from the day’s journey.

Caravanserais supported the flow of information, commerce, and people across a network of trade routes of Asia, North Africa and South-Eastern Europe on the legendary Silk Road and the Spice road.


Duration: 6 hours

Stop At: Mevlana Muzesi, Mevlana Cd. No:1, Konya 42030 Turkey
In Konya centre, visit the Mevlana is the founder of Sufism and whirling Dervishes.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Hotel in Pamukkale

Day 7: Pamukkale – Kusadasi

Stop At: Pamukkale Natural Park, Pamukkale orenyeri kocacukur alani pamukkale kasabasi, Pamukkale Turkey
The travertine terraces at Pamukkale are definitely one of the most spectacular natural wonders that you will be able to see from several mineral springs in a substantial white cliffside.

About 200 m overlooking the plain you can see how the calcite-laden waters have dripped over a number of terraced levels and created a fairyland of unusual solidified cascades and shell-shaped basins and look like creations made from snow or like balls from cotton, which gave the scenery the Turkish name Pamukkale (cotton castle).

Moreover, the water in the basins changes its colour according to how the light enters.


Duration: 5 hours

Stop At: Aphrodisias, 80 km from Pamukkale, Geyre Turkey
Visit Aphrodisias which was primarily known as a centre for the arts, specifically sculpture. The Aphrodisias School of Sculpture had a distinctive style and was very well circulated throughout the Greek and Roman world.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Hotel in Kusadasi

Day 8: Ephesus

Stop At: Ancient City of Ephesus, Selcuk 35920 Turkey
Visit the ancient city of Ephesus and spend a few hours walking in the footsteps of Alexander the Great, Apostles Paul, Caesar, Cicero, and John and many other well-known historical names.
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Ephesus Terrace Houses, Selcuk 35148 Turkey
The recently opened Terrace Houses (entry included) which is where the wealthiest Romans lived and are a great example of sensitive excavation and presentation and the mosaics and frescos are stunning.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Meryemana (The Virgin Mary's House), Selcuk 35100 Turkey
Tradition has it that St John brought Virgin Mary hereafter the Crucifixion and lived her last years close to the city of Ephesus on a secluded mountaintop. A lovely chapel was constructed on the site and tended by Franciscans and open to visitors and has been designated a pilgrimage site by the Pope.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Hotel in Kusadasi

Day 9: Kusadasi – Pergamum – Canakkale

Stop At: Pergamon Antik Kenti, Bergama Turkey
Visit Pergamon that became an important kingdom during the Hellenistic period and had the second-best library in the time of the ancient Greek civilisation, after Alexandria.

When the Ptolemies stopped exporting papyrus because of competitors, and partly because of shortages, the Pergamenes created a new substance to use in codices, called pergaminus or parchment after the city. This was made of calfskin, a predecessor of vellum.

Asclepion that is located to the southwest of the lower city and was a sanctuary dedicated to the god of health. Asclepics that was one of the largest hospitals in history and is located to the west of the city, which was a great centre of culture, art and medicine.

Continue to Canakkale.
Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Hotel in Canakkale

Day 10: Troy – Dardanelles – Gallipoli – Istanbul

Stop At: Troy (Truva), Tevfikiye Koyu, Intepe, Canakkale Turkey
Visit Troy with its world-famous wooden horse before continuing to Gallipoli and then across the Dardanelles to Istanbul for an overnight stay.
Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Hotel in Istanbul

Day 11: Istanbul

Stop At: Istanbul, Istanbul
Free afternoon in Istanbul for the last chance to complete your visits.
Duration: 5 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Hotel in Istanbul

Day 12: Departure Day

Stop At: Istanbul Airport, Tayakadın, Terminal Caddesi No:1, 34283 Arnavutköy/İstanbul, Turkey
Transfer to Istanbul Airport to connect to your international flight.
Duration: 1 hour

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