Go on a breathtaking journey to Turkey and discover the many treasures of this country. Visit historic cities, explore breathtaking landscapes, and immerse yourself in the fascinating culture of this destination that combines the best of East and West. Begin your journey in Istanbul, a multi-faceted city that has seen the rise and fall of several empires throughout its history. From there, depart for Cappadocia, a unique region in the world with its strange rock formations and underground cities. Explore the ruins of the magnificent ancient city of Ephesus. Turkey is a country full of legends and fascinating stories, and our trip will allow you to immerse yourself in this captivating universe. Join us for this unforgettable experience, which will remain etched in your memory forever.
Day 1: Istanbul
Arrival at Istanbul International Airport. Meet our driver or guide according to your arrival time and private transfer to your hotel. Meet with your guide at the hotel around 8 pm and go out for dinner and night out to get the magic Istanbul city's feeling. Overnight in Istanbul. [D]
Day 2: Istanbul (Old City)
You will first visit the Hippodrome, the Byzantine city's social center, used as a horse racing track. Next, you will visit the Blue Mosque, the Ottomans' Grand Mosque for 3 centuries, followed by the Hagia Sophia. This extraordinary building served as an Eastern Orthodox cathedral and seat of the Patriarchate of Constantinople for more than 7 centuries. After visiting the Underground Cistern of Yerebatan, you will have lunch nearby and rest with a Turkish coffee, enjoying the view of Hagia Sophia. After lunch, you will visit the Topkapi Palace, the Ottomans' imperial palace, reflecting the Ottoman Empire's splendor. Your tour will finish with a Turkish coffee on the terraces of the Palace before you return to your hotel. Overnight in Istanbul. [B/L]
Day 3: Istanbul (Bosporus Cruise and the Oriental Bazaars)
Your day will start with a stroll from the old city of Istanbul to the Golden Horn to catch a regular Bosporus cruise in between the Asian and European continents. For an hour and more, you will be floating through the real history channel. Big mansions located by the water will take you to the 19th Century of Istanbul. Your return will give amazing opportunities to take pictures of the Old City of Istanbul, once the capital of Byzantine and Ottoman empires. You will embark by the Spice market and stroll in and around the bazaar where the Spices from India were sold to the Ottoman merchants before they sailed to Europe. The spice market is now hosting several Turkish delight shops allowing you to taste various kinds of them and Turkish Viagra. Nearby the market, a hidden gem, Rustem pasha mosque, is located housing the best Ottoman tiles, making the Blue mosque jealous. Suleymaniye Mosque, built by the Ottomans' Grand Architect to the most powerful Sultan, Soliman the Magnificent, will be visited before returning to your hotel. Overnight in Istanbul.
Day 4: Istanbul, Cappadocia
Pick up from your Istanbul hotel in the early morning for your flight to Cappadocia. Our guide and driver will be ready at Nevsehir airport's domestic arrival gate to pick you up for your 2 days of Cappadocia escape. After a 30-minute drive from Nevsehir airport, you will arrive at Cappadocia's poetic land, the land of beautiful horses. The first stop will be the Pigeon Valley viewpoint to see the region's surreal landscape and take amazing pictures of the Uchisar citadel. This citadel is the highest point in the Cappadocia region. After climbing on top of it, you will feel like Cappadocia's rulers once resided in Uchisar town in the ancient ages. After lunch, you will check in to your hotel for a good rest for the next day... [B/L]
Day 5: Cappadocia
Our guide and driver will be awaiting you at the hotel at the determined time. Your first stop will be the Imagination Valley, locally called 'Devrent,' to see the region's most interesting geological formations. The next stop is the Monks Valley that we call Pasabag... amazing formations of fairy chimneys will make you think that you are on a different planet. Before lunch, you will be visiting the Goreme Open Air Museum, a UNESCO heritage site housing late Byzantine churches carved into the volcanic rock cliffs and decorated with religious-themed frescoes by Christian monks in the late 10th century. After lunch in the world-famous Goreme village, you can enjoy a rest and a hot cup of Turkish coffee while overlooking stunning landscapes at a major viewing point in the Cappadocia region. Then a 20-minute drive will take you to another UNESCO heritage site, Derinkuyu underground city. This complex tunnel and cave system in the underground will take you the ancient times, and you will be able to hear pretty well-organized Cappadocians to shelter and defense against any attack of their enemies. [B/L]
Day 6: Cappadocia, Izmir
Private transfer to Kayseri airport in the morning for your Izmir flight. You will meet with our driver at the domestic arrival gate of Izmir airport and will be driven to your small hotel in Sirince village. The rest of the day is at leisure in this small old Greek village. [B]
Day 7: Izmir (Ephesus)
Your guide will be ready to pick you up from your hotel at the desired time for the last tour of your golden triangle tour of Turkey. Your first stop will be the Temple of Artemis, just one of the World's Seven Wonders in Turkey. After a photo with only one column left from this huge structure, you will continue to the ancient city of Ephesus. Excavations are run in the city for more than the last 140 years and look like they will never be completed. Thanks to the proximity to the Aegean Sea's calm waters and the fertile lands nearby, Ephesus once became the Hellenistic world's biggest city. Enormous trade created a society of art that can be seen in the architecture of the ancient site. The Library of Celsus, Terrace houses, The Odeon, Trajan Fountain, and Hadrian’s temple are among the best monuments to see in the ancient city, along with the magnificent theater that once overlooked the ocean. Your tour in this city will be followed by a visit to the Museum of Selcuk to see the century-old excavations' relics. After lunch in Selcuk town, you will drive up to a significant shrine of the Christian and Muslim world. The House of Virgin Mary is located on a hilltop with beautiful views of the Aegean waters and is believed to be the final resting place of the mother of Jesus Christ. The shrine was visited by several Popes and was announced as a pilgrimage spot by Pope Leo XIII in 1896. You will drive in between the olive trees and grape wines after a visit to the Virgin's shrine and explore the village of Sirince. This old Greek village has amazing stone and wooden houses attracting tourists from all over the world, and a stroll in the village and a break in a café will make you relax before going back to your hotel. Overnight in Sirince Village. [B/L]
Day 8: Izmir, USA
Private transfer to Izmir airport for your next destination. [B]
[B] = Breakfast | [D] = Dinner | [B/D] = Breakfast and dinner | [B/T] = Breakfast & Tasting
