Experience the Best of Turkey on a 18 Day Tour From Istanbul

Experience the Best of Turkey on a 18 Day Tour From Istanbul

This beautifully constructed 18-day tour ensures you see all the significant sites by a professional guide in comfort; this is an exceptional tour!

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival Day

Stop At: Istanbul Airport, Tayakadın, Terminal Caddesi No:1, 34283 Arnavutköy/İstanbul, Turkey
Arrival Day
Duration: 30 minutes

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

Day 2: Istanbul City Tour

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: 2 hours

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.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Hotel in Istanbul

Day 3: Istanbul Tour with Bosphorus Cruise

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

Stop At: Beylerbeyi Palace, Abdullahaga Cad., Istanbul Turkey
Discover the absolute best of Istanbul by sea for a memorable Bosphorus Cruise between two continents Asia and Europe.

Cross over the Bosphorus Bridge to Asia where you will visit Beylerbeyi Palace, which was once the summer address of the Ottoman Sultans.
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Camlica Hill, Turistik Camlica Cd. Uskudar, Istanbul Turkey
Then finally on to Camlica Hill for a fantastic view of Istanbul.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Hotel in Istanbul

Day 4: Half day Tour with a Option of a Turkish Bath

Stop At: Dolmabahce Palace, Visnezade Mahallesi Dolmabahce Cd, Istanbul 34357 Turkey
Once you meet your professional guide at your hotel in Istanbul and are aboard your air-conditioned vehicle, you will travel to Dolmabahçe Palace.

Discover how this palace was one of the last castles built by the Ottoman Empire. Admire the excellent mixture of European and Ottoman architecture that are along the banks, overseeing the Bosphorus Strait. Enter the palace and discover mesmerising rooms that once hosted sultans and their royal guests. Walk into pristine marble rooms and gaze up at the sparkling crystal chandeliers.
Duration: 3 hours

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

Stop At: Istanbul, Istanbul
For the second half of your day choose to do a traditional Turkish Bath (optional charge)

You’re taken to a steamy, humid room surrounded with marble-lined seating and marble wash-basins running hot and cold water.

In the centre is a raised marble platform “gobektasi” (navel stone). This is a hot platform for you to relax and work up a sweat. You will get a rub of your body with a coarse loofah to remove any layers of dead skin.

Then you will get a soap massage where the Masseuse will cover your head to toe with creamy white frothy bubbles, using a cloth bag. Then they will massage all over your body with pressure on your bones. You will have eased muscles you never knew you had.

Finally, you will take a shower, and you will be given a thick cotton towel to cover yourself and be left in a cold room for relaxation.
Duration: 3 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Hotel in Istanbul

Day 5: Istanbul – Cappadocia

Stop At: Istanbul Airport, Tayakadın, Terminal Caddesi No:1, 34283 Arnavutköy/İstanbul, Turkey
Check out from the hotel and catch a flight to Kayseri.

Transfer to your hotel in Goreme for the rest of your day at leisure.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Hotel in Cappadocia (Goreme)

Day 6: Cappadocia Tour

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
Visit 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: Uchisar Castle, Uchisar Turkey
Continue to Uchisar Rock-Castle to have a panoramic view of the valleys of Cappadocia.

(Optional) Evening at caravanserai to see a Whirling Dervish ceremony.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Dervis Evi Whirling Dervishes, Goreme Kavsagi Ortahisar Kasagasi, Goreme 50650 Turkey
(Optional) Evening at caravanserai to see a Whirling Dervish ceremony.
Duration: 3 hours

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

Day 7: Cappadocia Tour

Stop At: Göreme Balloons, Sivritaş, koyun yolu sokak No:5, 50400 Ürgüp/Nevşehir, Turkey
Morning Optional: Sunrise balloon flight in Cappadocia.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Red Valley, Nevsehir Ortahisar, Nevsehir 50650 Turkey
Today you will have breakfast in a village house with a Turkish Style breakfast.

See 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: 3 hours

Stop At: Derinkuyu Yeralti Sehri, Derinkuyu Turkey
Tour the Derinkuyu Underground City, one of the fascinating underground settlements in Cappadocia.

We can also choose to stop at the carpet cooperative where people from the village make carpets.
Duration: 2 hours

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

Day 8: Cappadocia, Ihlara Valley

Stop At: Ihlara Valley, Guzelyurt 68500 Turkey
Today you will visit Ihlara Valley near Mount Hasan and Mount Melendiz (two of the three volcanoes of Cappadocia) and is a canyon with a depth of around 100m and was formed by the Melendiz River thousands of years before. It starts at Ihlara village and ends at the Selime Monastery at Selime village after making 26 bends along 14 kilometres.

It is thought that the valley once housed over four thousand dwellings and about a hundred cave churches that were decorated with frescoes. Approximately eighty thousand people once lived in Ihlara Valley.

There are 4 entrances to Ihlara valley. The first one is at the start of the valley in Ihlara Village and the second one opens at the 4th kilometre of the valley and is the most popular entrance.
Duration: 6 hours

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

Day 9: Cappadocia – Izmir

Stop At: Kayseri Saat Kulesi, Cumhuriyet Meydani, Kayseri 38180 Turkey
Check out from the hotel and drive to Kayseri for a morning flight to Izmir.

Transfer to your hotel in Kusadasi for the rest of your day at leisure.
Duration: 1 hour

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

Day 10: 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: 1 hour

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: 1 hour

Stop At: The Basilica of Saint John, Isa Bey Mahallesi, 2013. Sk. No:1, Selcuk 35920 Turkey
We will continue with Saint John Church where Apostle John spent his final years and was buried
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: The Temple of Artemis, Ataturk, Park Ici Yolu No:12, Selcuk Turkey
Visit the temple of Artemis to see the remains of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Duration: 1 hour

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

Day 11: Priene, Miletus and Didyma

Stop At: Priene Antik Kenti, Soke/aydIn Güllübahçe mahallesi, Gullubahce Turkey
Ephesus may be the creme-de-la-creme of the ancient ruins but Priene, Miletus and Didyma though less frequently visited are still significant ancient settlements.

Priene sits on a dramatic position overlooking the Meander Valley and plain. Miletus preserves a spectacular theatre, and Didyma has a Temple of Apollo vaguely reminiscent of the magnificent temples at Karnak in Egypt.
Duration: 5 hours

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

Day 12: Pamukkale

Stop At: Hierapolis & Pamukkale, Pamukkale 20280 Turkey
Drive to the travertine terraces at Pamukkale which 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

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

Day 13: Izmir - Antalya

Stop At: Izmir, Izmir, Izmir Province, Turkish Aegean Coast
After breakfast transfer to İzmir airport for a flight to Antalya.

Transfer to your Hotel and the rest of your day is at your leisure.
Duration: 1 hour

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

Day 14: Aspendos and Perge

Stop At: Perge Ancient City, Aksu, Antalya 07110 Turkey
We will see Perge, which was initially settled by the Hittites around 1500 BC. Visit the impressive collonaded street, baths, nymphaeum, and agora and the fountain of the River God, where waters once poured down the centre of the city.

We continue to Aspendos to see one of the best-preserved amphitheatres in the world.
Duration: 4 hours

Stop At: Aspendos Ruins, Serik Turkey
We continue to Aspendos to see one of the best-preserved amphitheatres in the world.
Duration: 1 hour

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

Day 15: Antalya

Stop At: Kursunlu Waterfalls, Antalya Turkey
After breakfast, we will visit the waterfalls of Antalya Kursunlu and Duden waterfalls.

After the tour, a transfer will take you back to your hotel.
Duration: 4 hours

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

Day 16: Relax Day

Stop At: Antalya, Antalya, Turkish Mediterranean Coast
Today is a relaxing day in Antalya where you can use your hotel’s facilities or choose to explore Antalya some more.
Duration: 4 hours

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

Day 17: Antalya – Istanbul

Stop At: Istanbul Airport, Tayakadın, Terminal Caddesi No:1, 34283 Arnavutköy/İstanbul, Turkey
After breakfast transfer to Antalya airport and fly to Istanbul and transfer to your hotel.


Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Basilica Cistern, Alemdar Mahallesi, Yerebatan Caddesi, No:1/3, Istanbul 34410 Turkey
In the afternoon enjoy a half-day tour to the Underground Cistern of Yerebatan
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Galata Koprusu, Kemankes Karamustafa Pasa Mahallesi Beyoglu, Istanbul 34425 Turkey
Have a walk to Galata bridge to see the fishermen of Istanbul.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Hotel in Istanbul

Day 18: Departure Day

Stop At: Istanbul Airport, Tayakadın, Terminal Caddesi No:1, 34283 Arnavutköy/İstanbul, Turkey
After check out from the hotel we will transfer you to Istanbul airport for your international flight.
Duration: 1 hour

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