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This tour takes us from Istanbul to Ephesus, Pamukkale, Antalya, and Cappadocia within 9 days. This tour is a combination between culture, history, nature as well as the experience of Turkey regions.
Arrive at any time. Upon your arrival in Istanbul, you will be met with our company representative in the arrivals area of the airport who will be holding a signboard with your name on it. After meet and greet, you will then be transferred from the airport to your hotel in Istanbul. Rest of the day will be at leisure.
After breakfast at approximately 8:30 am, you will be picked up from your hotel to begin the full-day tour. Today on the tour you will visit Hagia Sophia Museum, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Grand Bazaar, and Topkapi Palace. Lunch will be at a local restaurant. After the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel. (Note that Topkapı Palace is closed Tuesday, and Hagia Sophia is closed Monday).
After breakfast approximately around 8:30 am you will be picked up from your hotel to visit the Spice Bazaar (or Egyptian Bazaar). Filled with spices, dried fruits, nuts and seeds, lokum (Turkish delight) and other edibles, Spice Bazaar has a smell of the fragrance of the exotic East. Then join a boat excursion on the Bosphorus on a shared tour. Enjoy viewing Ottoman palaces, Bosphorus bridge, citadels, centuries-old mansions and the European and Asian shorelines at the same time. At the end of the tour, you will be dropped back to your hotel at approximately 12.45 pm.
You will be picked up from your hotel for your transfer to the airport to catch your early morning flight to Izmir. Upon arrival at the airport, you will be transferred to Selcuk where you will meet your professional tour guide to begin your full-day tour. You will first visit the Temple of Artemis which was once one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Next you will visit the world-famous ancient Greco-Roman City of Ephesus, the most well-preserved example in the world. After visiting this impressive site, you will have a break for lunch. After lunch, you will visit the House of Virgin Mary, where it is believed she spent her last days. This is a holy place for both Christians and Muslims. Afterwards you will visit the Isabey Mosque. After the tour, you will be transferred to your hotel in Kusadasi for check-in.
After breakfast around 8:00 am you will be picked up from your Kusadasi hotel and taken to the meeting point in Selcuk where the full group will first meet. You will then begin the Pamukkale tour with a drive from Selcuk starting at 8:30 am to Pamukkale which will be around 3 hours. En route to Pamukkale after 1.5 hours, there will be a 10 minute stop for a restroom break. Upon arrival around 11:45 am the group will be first taken to have lunch and after lunch, at around 1:00 pm you will begin your guided tour of the Pamukkale and Hierapolis area with a professional licensed tour guide. In Pamukkale, you will see the Cotton Cliffs, one of the natural wonders of the world formed by deposits of calcareous salts. Also, you will visit the ancient ruins of the City of Hierapolis with its basilica, theatre, and Roman Baths. At the end of the guided tour, you will have some free time to explore the area on your own. As an option, you may choose to swim in the Pamukkale antique pools (at your own expense) during this free time. The tour guide will inform you about the exact meeting point and time.
At the end of the tour around approximately 4:00 pm, you will be transferred to your hotel in Pamukkale for check-in.
After breakfast in the morning, you’ll be transferred to Denizli main bus station. From here you will board the intercity day coach to Antalya (duration 4 hours). You will be met on arrival in Antalya and transferred to your hotel.
In the morning, you will be picked up from your hotel to travel to Perge, an important city of ancient Pamphylia. St. Paul visited Perge on his first missionary journey. In Perge, the theatre stage has finely carved marble reliefs while other carvings from around the city are displayed in the stadium. You will then travel on to Aspendos, which bears one of the best-preserved Roman theatres in Asia Minor. After lunch, you will visit Manavgat Waterfalls and then continue to Side which is one of the best-known classical sites in Turkey. Once an ancient harbor, Side today is a pretty resort town with its ancient ruins, two sandy beaches & many souvenir shops. The magnificent theatre of the ancient city, built on colonnaded arches, is the largest in the whole area. After the tour, you will travel overnight to Cappadocia in a non-smoking, fully air-conditioned local bus departing the bus station at approximately 8:00 pm. The total duration of travel will be 11 hours. There will be four breaks on the way to Cappadocia for your personal needs.
Upon your arrival at the Goreme bus station in Cappadocia, you will be met at the bus station and transferred to your Cappadocia hotel. At the hotel, you can have your breakfast and be ready to meet your tour guide around 09:30. Your tour will start with a visit to the Devrent Valley to see the unique fairy chimneys. Next you will visit the Pasabag Monk’s Valley to see the mushroom-shaped pinnacles. After this visit, you will drive to the city of Avanos. After lunch, you will visit the beautiful open-air museum of Goreme where the remains of rock-cut churches and Christian settlements date back hundreds of years. Finally towards the end of the day tour before returning to your hotel, you will be able to visit the natural castles of Uchisar. At the end of the tour, you will be dropped back at your hotel in the evening.
After breakfast at the hotel around 9:30 am you will be picked up and met by your tour guide to begin your full-day tour of South Cappadocia. Your tour guide will brief you on the day’s activities. Your tour will begin with a visit to the Red Valley where you will be able to explore the famous rock-cut churches and hike approximately 5 km through the Güllüdere (Rose) Valley. Next you will visit Çavusin village which is famous for its houses and churches of the Christian Clergymen. We will take a break for lunch around noon. After lunch, you will drive to the Pigeon Valley. In the afternoon you will visit the Kaymakli underground city where early Christians lived. This will be the end of your full-day tour. At the end of the tour around approximately 4:00 pm, you will be transferred to Kayseri airport for your late evening return flight around 7:00 – 8:45 pm (1-hour flight duration) to Istanbul. END OF OUR SERVICE and TOURS.
Important Notes :
When To Book
Included in the Tour Price :
You will stay in 4-Star, Boutique and Cave hotels throughout your tour. You will stay for three nights at the Muyan Suites OR Midtown Hotel Taksim OR Grand Oztanik Hotel OR Deluxe Golden Horn Hotel, or similar, in Istanbul, one night at the Derici Hotel or Efe Boutique Hotel, or similar, in Kusadasi, one night at the Colossae Thermal Hotel, or similar, in Pamukkale, one night at the Alp Paşa Boutique Hotel, or similar, in Antalya, and one night at the Holiday Cave Hotel or Heaven Cave House or similar in Cappadocia.