What To Expect

Day 1: Arrival Day

• 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: 2 hours

  Admission Included: NOT_APPLICABLE

Day 2: Sultanahmet – Old Istanbul
• TopkapI Palace

  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: 1 hour

  Admission Included: YES

• Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque

  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

  Admission Included: YES

• Blue Mosque

  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

  Admission Included: NOT_APPLICABLE

• Hippodrome

  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

  Admission Included: NOT_APPLICABLE

• Grand Bazaar

  See the Grand Covered Bazaar with its many shops perfect for your holiday souvenirs. 


  Duration: 3 hours

  Admission Included: NOT_APPLICABLE

Day 3: Bosphorus Cruise and Beylerbeyi
• Misir Carsisi (Spice Market)

  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: 1 hour

  Admission Included: NOT_APPLICABLE

• Rumeli Fortress

  Pass by Rumeli fortress which was built by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1452, so he could prepare for his conquest of Istanbul.

  Duration: 1 minute

  Admission Included: NOT_APPLICABLE

• Beylerbeyi Palace

  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

  Admission Included: YES

Day 4: Istanbul - Cappadocia
• Kaymakli Underground City

  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: 2 hours

  Admission Included: YES

• Keslik Monastery

  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

  Admission Included: YES

• Mustafapasa

  Visit Mustafapaşa (Sinasos), an old Greek town with its spectacular old Greek houses; outstanding examples of late Greek settlements and architecture.

  Duration: 1 hour

  Admission Included: NOT_APPLICABLE

• Saruhan Culture And Congress Center

  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

  Admission Included: YES

• Red Valley

  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: 3 hours

  Admission Included: YES

Day 5: Cappadocia
• Devrent Valley

  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.

  Duration: 1 hour

  Admission Included: YES

• Pasabag

  Walk in Pasabag near Zelve and wonder at the “fairy chimneys” where the sound of the wind mixes with the “songs of fairies”.

  Duration: 2 hours

  Admission Included: YES

• Avanos

  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: 1 hour

  Admission Included: NOT_APPLICABLE

• Goreme National Park

  In the afternoon, visit the famous Goreme Open Air Museum and see the best examples of Byzantine art that are in Cappadocia in rock-cut churches with frescoes and paintings (10th to 13th century).

  Duration: 3 hours

  Admission Included: YES

• Uchisar Castle

  Continue to Uchisar Rock-Castle to have a panoramic view of the valleys of Cappadocia.

  Duration: 1 hour

  Admission Included: YES

Day 6: Cappadocia – Kahta
• Karatay

  Depart from your hotel in Cappadocia in the morning and 

drive to Karatay Caravanserai and visit the caravanserai.

  Duration: 1 hour

  Admission Included: NOT_APPLICABLE

• Kahramanmaras

  On the way to Kahta (Nemrut) stop at Kahramanmaras for lunch and a taste of its famous ice cream.

  Duration: 1 hour

  Admission Included: NOT_APPLICABLE

• Kahta

  Arrive at the hotel in Kahta city and the rest of the 
evening at your leisure.

  Duration: 5 hours

  Admission Included: NOT_APPLICABLE

Day 7: Mt. Nemrut – Urfa
• Mount Nemrut

  Hike to the summit of Mount Nemrut (one of the most popular UNESCO world cultural heritage sites) and watch the sunset, be in awe of the colossal heads and the statues of ancient deities, as you take a step into mythology. This magnificent landmark sits at an elevation of 8000 ft. The mountain top complex is made up of two flat areas that are strewn with statues and are separated by a false peak of crushed rock. Antiochus constructed the entire complex around 2000 years ago as a dedication to his divine ancestry. Also, you should take time to visit the old castle, Arsemeia, cross over the still functioning Cendere Bridge (Septimius Severus bridge) dating back to the 3rd century and Tumulus Tomb of Karakus. Then drive back to your hotel for breakfast before driving to Urfa on the way visit Ataturk dam, a modern-day wonder. You will also see Gobekli Tepe which is a hilltop sanctuary that is erected on the highest point of a mountain ridge around 15 km northeast of the town of Sanlıurfa.

  Duration: 7 hours

  Admission Included: YES

Day 8: Urfa
• Sanliurfa Archeology and Mosaic Museum

  After breakfast, check-out from your hotel and drive to Sanliurfa which has been occupied since the Babylonians were followed by the Hurrites, Hittites, Assyrians and Greeks. Today we will visit Urfa Archaeological Museum that exhibits a vast collection, founded from Harran and Gobekli Tepe Area. We will also see the holy sites at the Ainzelha, which is a lake that has millions of domesticated fish. We will also visit the cave where the prophet Abraham was born then, walk through the local, covered bazaar of Sanliurfa.

  Duration: 7 hours

  Admission Included: YES

Day 9: Urfa – Antalya

• Take a morning flight from Urfa Airport to Antalya via Istanbul (or Gaziantep- Antalya direct on certain days). Arrive at the airport and meet just outside the arrival’s gate with a sign bearing your name with your driver. Transfer to your hotel and the rest of the day is at your leisure.

  Duration: 4 hours

  Admission Included: YES

Day 10: Antalya
• Perge Antik Kenti

  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.

  Duration: 3 hours

  Admission Included: YES

• Aspendos Ruins

  Visit Aspendos to see one of the best-preserved amphitheatres in the world.

  Duration: 2 minutes

  Admission Included: YES

• Kursunlu Waterfalls

  We will then visit the beautiful Kursunlu waterfalls or Antalya Museum.

  Duration: 1 hour

  Admission Included: NOT_APPLICABLE

Day 11: Antalya – Ephesus
• Ancient City of Ephesus

  Take a morning flight from Antalya to Izmir (direct). Arrive and meet at the airport and visit the ancient city of Ephesus. 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

  Admission Included: YES

• Ephesus Terrace Houses

  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

  Admission Included: YES

• Meryemana (The Virgin Mary's House)

  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

  Admission Included: YES

• St. John The Baptist Church

  We will continue with Saint John Church where Apostle John spent his final years and was buried and visit the temple of Artemis to see the remains of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

  Duration: 1 hour

  Admission Included: YES

Day 12: Pamukkale- Hierapolis- Laodicea (188 km)
• Laodicea

  Drive to Pamukkale and on the way visit Laodicea (present name Denizli) and one of the Seven Churches of Asia Minor. Excavations are still active, and an ancient city as beautiful as Ephesus will soon be uncovered. We will see the ancient theatres, the remains of the basilica which were recently uncovered, ancient stone water pipes, Temple A, agora and the monumental fountain.

  Duration: 2 hours

  Admission Included: YES

• Hierapolis & Pamukkale

  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: 2 hours

  Admission Included: YES

Day 13: Pamukkale – Istanbul

• Transfer to Denizli airport and take a morning flight from Denizli to Istanbul Airport. Arrival and transfer to hotel. Free afternoon for the last chance to enjoy a wander around Istanbul.

  Duration: 3 hours

  Admission Included: YES

Day 14: Departure Day