Day 1

Upon arrival in Istanbul (Ataturk Airport), the city of two continents, you will be greeted by "Turkey Tourkey" representative with Turkish hospitality & accompanied during your transfer to the hotel (Check-In 13:00), where you will be briefed by your travel consultant. Overnight in Istanbul.

Day2

Your day will commence with a visit to the ancient Byzantine Hippodrome where you will tour the Egyptian Obelisk, Serpentine Column, Fountain of Wilhelm II, the elegant Blue Mosque famous with its heavenly six minarets and the Hagia Sophia Museum, built during the reign of Emperor Theodosius and burned down in the fire of Nika Revolt in 532 A.D. Just before lunch break, you will visit the Underground Cistern. After lunch, you will visit the Topkapi Palace (excluding harem), residence and administrative center of the Ottoman Sultans. Day tour will finish with the visit of Grand Bazaar. Overnight in Istanbul.

Day 3

Meet your guide at hotel lobby for a short drive to Spice Market, Egyptian Bazaar heaped with various sweets & spices is one of the world’s largest spice bazaars since 1665. Soon after, you will visit the Rustem Pasha Mosque. Then embark on the Bosphorus ferry for an unforgettable cruise along the Bosphorus, the beautiful strait that divides Europe from Asia. After lunch break, day tour will continue with driving across the first Bosphorus Bridge & head for the summit of Camlica Hill, which offers 360° panoramic views of Istanbul overlooking the Sea of Marmara. Driving back to Europe over the Bosphorus Bridge, you will visit Dolmabahce Palace (excluding harem), the imperial residence of the last six Sultans, with more than 340 rooms & 8 Turkish baths

At the end of the tour overnight in bus.

Day 4

The Explore and Hike Tour visits southern Cappadocia and starts at 09:30 by pick-up at your hotel. After our guide's introduction to Cappadocia, we drive about 10 min and visit the most spectacular gorge of Turkey: Ihlara. 6 km hike in the Ihlara Valley will be highlight of our day. The Melendiz River has carved an impressive canyon through the verdant valley and we will walk about two hours along the river, passing Byzantine rock chapels decorated with frescoes. Especially the first half of the hike where we will be the only tourists walking, is totally peaceful. We end the hiking portion of the tour near Belisirma village, where we will have lunch in a quaint riverside restaurant and then we stop at the biggest rock-cut monastery of Cappadocia, Selime Monastery and Kathedral. Selime is the biggest rock-cut cathedral of Cappadocia and located at the end of Ihlara Valley. It has has been used as a fortress by both Byzantine and Seljuk armies during 10th to 12th centuries.

We will then drive back to hotels and finish the tour around 16:30.

Overnight in cappadocia hotel

Day 5

Our professional guide and the driver will pick you up at your hotel at 9:30. The first stop is Esentepe, the impressive panoramic viewpoint overlooking Goreme. Here your guide will give you information on the history of Cappadocia and the unique rock formations. From here we visit the beginning of Rose Valley for an easy one-hour hike through fairy chimneys, orchards and vineyards. Our next stop is the Goreme Open Air Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Your guide will explain the meanings of the frescoes in the cave churches, decorated with scenes of the Old and New Testaments dating back to the 10th century. The site has been used as a monastery since the first years of Christianity. For lunch we will visit a lovely restaurant in Goreme. After lunch we make several photo stops along the way – includingUrgup’s family fairy chimneys, Devrent’s animal-shaped rock formations and Monk’s Valley with the famous mushroom-shaped fairy chimneys as well as St. Simeon’s monk cell carved into the rock. Day one concludes in Avanos, a picturesque town on river that supplies clay for the 4000 year-old Avanos tradition of pottery. A kick-wheel demonstration by a local potter and your chance at trying this ancient custom brings our day to an end back to hotel.

overnight in Cappadocia

Day 6

We will drive Konya. On the way to Konya, we will visit Sultanhani  Caravanserai whichwas an old trade center and accomadation center on the Silk Road.This is one of the well preserved caravanserai in Anatolia. You will see there resting area of traders, sleeping rooms,stable for animals. After that, we will drive Konya.When we arrive Konya, we will have lunch in Konya. After lunch, we will go toMevlana Museum.Konya was the homeland of whirling dervishes. Mevlana museum was used as an islamic and sufism school during 13’th century. We will see tomb of Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi,books of Mevlana,old costumes of dervishes and instruments of sufi music. Also you can have some informations about life style of whirling dervishes. Then, we will go to Alaaddin Hill which is the highest point of Konya city center and panoramic vista point of Konya. Konya was the capital city of Seljuk Turk between 11’th century to 13’th century. We willwalk around the hill. We will see Alaaddin Mosque which is the one of the well preserved Seljuk Style Mosque in Anatolia. Also we will see some traces of oldSeljuk Palace on the hill. After Alaaddin Hill, we will Karatay Museum. This isthe place Mevlana started to give some islamic lessons and some islamic preaches  to his followers.  Also people use here as an old islamic school. But today, this school use as a “Tile Museum”. You can see different tiles which were brought different part of Konya and different historical places of Seljuks Turks.overnight in Konya

Day 7

Drive to Pamukkale, on the way, visit to Aphrodisias. Aphrodisias was primarily known as a center 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. Discovery of Travertine terraces and Hierapolis. The travertine terraces at Pamukkale are one of the most spectacular natural wonders we have ever seen from various mineral springs in a vast white cliff side. About 200 m overlooking the plain, calcite-laden waters have dripped down over a series of terraced levels and created a fairyland of bizarre solidified cascades and shell-shaped basins. It looks like creations from snow or like balls from cotton, which gave the scenery the Turkish name Pamukkale (cotton castle): “pamuk” for cotton and “kale” for castle. Moreover the water in the basins is changing its color according to how the light enters. Overnight Pamukkale

Day 8

Drive to Ephesus / İzmir and visit to the ancient city of Ephesus. We will spend several hours walking in the footsteps of Alexander the Great, Caesar, Cicero, Apostles Paul and John and many other familiar historical names. The recently opened Terrace Houses (entry included) where the wealthiest Romans lived are an excellent example of sensitive excavation and presentation. The mosaics and frescos are spectacular. Tradition has it that Virgin Mary was brought here by St John after the Crucifixion and lived her final years near the city of Ephesus on an isolated mountaintop. A lovely chapel is constructed on the site tended by Franciscans and open to visitors. It has been designated a pilgrimage site by the Pope. We will continue with Saint John Church where Apostle John spent his final years and he was buried. Visit to temple of Artemis to see the remains of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Overnight Kusadasi near Ephesus.

Day 9

all day drive to İstanbul and overnight in İstanbul.

Day 10

(Breakfast included)
We hope your tour was a memorable one and we would like to see you in the future in one of our tours again.After breakfast check out from the hotel. We make your return airport transfer services. Have a nice trip back home

Includes

- 3 days  accomodation 4 star hotels in İstanbul

- 2 days  accomodation in cave boutique hotels in cappadocia

-1 day accomodation 4 star hotels in Konya

- 1 days accomodation 4 star hotels in Pamukkale

- 1 day accomodation 4 star hotels in İzmir Kusadası

-2 days tour in İstanbul

-2 days tour in Cappadocia

-1 days tour in Konya

-1 day tour inPamukkale

-1 days tour in Ephesus / İzmir

-all licenced tour guide

-air conditinon minivan and driver on tours and transfers

-breakfast and dinner

-all museum entry fee

Excludes

-lunch

Hotels

-3 nights 4 star hotels in İstanbul

-2 nights in cave boutique hotels in Cappadocia

-1 night in 4 star hotels in Konya

-1 night 4 star hotels in Pamukkale

-1 night 4 star hotels in Kusadasi/ İzmir