Travel Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival to Istanbul.
Welcome to Istanbul. Arrival in Istanbul and transfer (optional) to your hotel. İf transfer needed We meet you at Istanbul Airports and transfer you to your Hotel located in the Old City area-Sultanahmet. According to your arrival time you can either check in to the hotel and relax /or check out the old city.
Overnight in Istanbul
Day 2 : Istanbul – Old City (B,L)
We start our day trip around 09:00 in the morning. you will see how old meets new when you visit Istanbul's five "must-see" historic sites.The sites include :The Hippodrome (At Meydani) ,Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia Museum, and Lunch , Topkapi Palace & Grand Bazaar.
Tour Starts from the heart of the old city Turkish: Sultanahmet Meydanı, At Meydanı, was a horse-racing track that was the sporting and social centre of Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire and the largest city in Europe. Obelisk of Theodosius, Serpentine Column, German Fountain of Wilhelm II are visited .
Blue Mosque
One of the most famous monuments in both the Turkish and Islamic worlds, the Sultan Ahmet Mosque (also known as the Blue Mosque) is a superb creation in the classical Ottoman style. The mosque has six towering minarets and 260 windows illuminating its vast main chamber, which is decorated with more than 20,000 Iznik tiles.
Hagia Sophia
Now a museum, Hagia Sophia was built in the 6th century by the Emperor Justinian, and was one of the largest basilicas in the Christian world. After the Ottoman conquest, it was converted to a mosque and is today one of the most magnificent museums in the world. Take a moment to linger here to admire the fine Byzantine mosaics.
Lunch in Old city
Grand Bazaar
In operation since the 14th century, the Grand Bazaar is one of the world's largest covered markets, with 58 streets and over 4,000 shops. The bazaar is specially known for its jewelry, leather, pottery, spices and carpets.Visit of Carpet Center and art demonstration
Topkapı Palace
The largest and oldest palace in the world, Topkapi is the crown jewel of the Ottoman Empire. With its harem (additional cost), treasury and exotic buildings overlooking the Golden Horn, your visit to Topkapi promises to be a truly fascinating experience.
Overnight in Istanbul.
Day 3 : Bosphorus Cruise tour - Hald day (B)
After having breakfast at the Hotel, Our guide meets you we join a Bosphorus Cruise tour visiting the Shores of Golden Horn, The spice Market & a Boat trip through the Bosphorus seeing ancient palaces, castles ,old mansions with two bridges connecting Europe to Asian side of Istanbul. About the sites:
Golden Horn is an inlet of the Bosphorus dividing the city of Istanbul and forming a natural harbor.One can see the old city and Galata tower panoramicly while cruising from
Spice Bazaaris located close to water front nearby the New Mosque. This is a bazaar where you can find numerous kind of spices, dried fruits, nuts and seeds and also many other things.
Bosphorus Cruisethrough the waterway separating the two continents, Europe and Asia, with a possibility to take photographs of marble palaces, ancient wooden villas of Ottoman architecture besides modern residentials and luxurious apartments.
Rumeli Fortressis a fortress located on a hill at the European side of the Bosphorus just north of the Bebek district . It was built by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II between 1451 and 1452, before he conquered Constantinople. There are three great towers dominant to the Bosphorus is one of the most popular highlights of Istanbul. Beautiful settings and the plesant breeze adds to the pleasures of a boat trip. Bosphorus, also known as the Istanbul Strait connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara.
End of Tour ,return to Hotel.
Overnight in Istanbul
Day 4 : Cappadocia and Volcanic area Tour (B,L)
We take a morning flight from Istanbul to Cappadocia . Our driver and guide meet us at the airport. We continue our journey in a comfortable van or bus to Cappadocia. we visit ;
Goreme Open Air Museum,It’s the most famous attraction, for good reason, a complex of several painted cave-churches carved out by Orthodox monks between 900 and 1200 AD.
Uchisar CastleThe naturalrock citadelofUçhisar is the tallest point inCappadocia, visible for a great distance from the region's other towns such as Urgup and Avanos
Avanos on the banks of the Red River inCappadocia is all aboutpottery-making. You can see pottery being made, and even take a pottery-making class and make some yourself.
PasabagiThe best place to see three-headed fairy chimneys. Pasabag, the Pasha's Vineyard, is surrounded by incredible natural rock formations; a spectacular scene.
Devrent Valley, The ruins at Devrent are spread over three valleys, which also house several pointed fairy chimneys with large stems.
Lunchin a local restaurant
End of tour , return to Hotel.
Overnight in Cappadocia
Day 5 : Cappadocia Underground City & Ihlara Canyon Tour (B,L)
We leave the hotel after breakfastat 09.30 and visit :
Pigeon Valley
It is near the village of Uchisar and named for the thousands of pigeon houses carved into the rocks. The rock formations, combined with awe inspiring views are not to be missed.
Kaymaklı Underground City
It is contained within the citadel of Kaymaklı. First opened to tourists in 1964 . The houses in the village are constructed around the nearly one hundred tunnels of the underground city. Each space is organized around ventilation shafts. The tunnels and underground rooms are still used today as storage areas, stables,winery, living areas, cellar and cave churches.
Ihlara Valley
It is a 16 km (10 mi) long gorge cut into volcanic rock in the southern part of Cappadocia following several eruptions of Mount Hasan Through the valley flows Melendiz Stream
What is unique about this valley is the ancient history of its inhabitants. The whole canyon is honey combed with rock-cut underground dwellings and churches from the Byzantine period.
Due that the richness of the watering possibility and its hidden form and easily to hide structure it was the first settlement place of the first Christians escaping from the Roman soldiers. In the Ihlara Valley there are hundreds of antic churches caved in the volcanic rocks. The most known churches are Ağaçaltı Church with cross plan, Sümbüllü Church, Pürenliseki Church, Kokar Church, Yilanli Church, Karagedik Church, Kirkdamatli Church, Direkli Church, Ala Church, Kemerli Church and Egritas Church.
Belisirma
It s a very small village situated in the very middle of the Ihlara Valley.Most of the Rock houses abondened by locals and moved to the new town on top of the valley hills. It has nice small restaurants with local food on Meskendir River flows through the Valley.
it is also the village of Belisirma, an ancient center of medicine before Selçuk Sultan Kiliçarslan II transferred the school to Aksaray. The process of mummification was extensively practiced in this part of the valley; a mummy of a woman found here is on display in the Nigde Archaeological Museum.
Selime Castle
The ancient settlement Selime is located at the northern opening of the Ihlara (Peristrema) Valley in western Cappadocia. The complexes were carved into volcanic rock outcroppings in Byzantine period.
The Selime Castle is the largest and most elaborate in design and decoration of all the examples in this ancient settlement. At Selime Castle, rooms (the kitchen, formal halls, bathing area, church with side chapel etc.) are arranged around two courtyards.
The tour ends about 18:00 PM , take a transfer to the Airport for return flight to Istanbul with unforgettable memories in your mind.
Overnight in Istanbul
