9-Day Tour of Istanbul, Gallipoli, Troy, Pergamon, Ephesus, Pamukkale and Cappadocia

Day 1: Arrival in Istanbul

Upon your arrival at Istanbul New Airport(IST) or Sabiha Gökcen Airport(SAW), our team will be waiting for you at the exit of the international line of the Airport, holding a sign with your name written on it. After which, you will be transferred to your hotel. The afternoon is free for you to spend at leisure. Alternatively, you can join the Night Cruise on the Bosphorus with Dinner & Show.

• Overnight in Istanbul
• Included Meal(s): No meals are included on this day
• Accommodation: Muyan Suites OR Antea Hotel OR Ayasultan Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 2: Istanbul Byzantine & Ottoman Relics Tour

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, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome (Sultanahmet Square), Topkapi Palace and Grand Bazaar. Lunch will be at a local restaurant. After the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel.

• Overnight in Istanbul
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: Muyan Suites OR Antea Hotel OR Ayasultan Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 3: Gallipoli Tour

Early morning pick up from your hotel and departure for Gallipoli. It will take around 4.5 hours to get to the Gallipoli War Fields. There will be one-stop en route for a short break for personal needs. Once you arrive in Ecebat, lunch will be provided. After lunch around 1:00 pm you will begin the fully guided tour of Gallipoli with visits to the Brighton Beach, Beach Cemetery, ANZAC Cove, Ariburnu Cemetery, ANZAC Commemorative Site, Respect to Mehmetcik Statue, Lone Pine Australian, Memorial, Johnston’s Jolly (Turkish and Allied trenches and tunnels), Turkish 57. Infantry Regiment Cemetery, The Nek and the Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial. After tour transfer to Canakkale for check in to your hotel.

• Overnight in Canakkale
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: Grand Anzac Hotel OR Kervansaray Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 4: Troy and Pergamon Tour – Transfer to Kusadasi (447 km)

You will be picked up around 8:30 am from your hotel in Canakkale to travel to Troy. In Troy, you will visit the model of the Trojan Horse, Sacrificial Altars, the 3700-year-old city walls, Houses of Troy I from 3000 – 2500 B.C., the Bouleuterion (Senate Building), The Odeon (Concert Hall), current excavations, remains of the various cities from Troy 1 through Troy IX. At around 10:30 am, you will finish your Troy tour and depart for Bergama. Around 1:30 pm, you will have lunch in Bergama and then depart for a fully guided Pergamon Acropolis tour. At Pergamon, the ancient world’s major power, you will visit the Acropolis, the ruins of Zeus Altar “Throne of Satan”, the Hellenistic Theatre which had a seating capacity of 10,000 people, the Great Library which held 200,000 books, and Trojan, the Gymnasium situated on terraces, the lower Agora, Temple of Dionysus, Temple of Athena and Temple of Trojan. After the tour, you will be transferred to your hotel in Kusadasi.

• Overnight in Kusadasi
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: Efe Boutique Hotel OR Neopol Hotel Deluxe OR Derici Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 5: Ephesus Tour

After breakfast at the hotel around 8:30 am, you will be picked up and met by your tour guide to begin your full-day tour of Ephesus. You will visit the ruins of Ephesus, the ancient Greek city that became an important centre of this time. Visit the Temple of Hadrian, Great Theater, and Trajan Fountain. After lunch, let’s visit the House of the Virgin Mary, where it is believed she spent her last years. We will pass by the Temple of Artemis; there is little to see of this that was one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. Afterwards, you will visit the Isa Bey Mosque. Next, you will be taken to the Sirince Village; which is an old Greek village and is well-know for its quaint beauty and wine tasting and production. Here you will have one hour free to explore on your own without a guide the different foods and wines of the area and visit various small traditional village shops. After the tour, you will be transferred to your hotel in Kusadasi around 4:00 pm.

• Overnight in Kusadasi
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: Efe Boutique Hotel OR Neopol Hotel Deluxe OR Derici Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 6: Pamukkale and Hierapolis Tour – Overnight Bus to Cappadocia (643 km)

After breakfast around 7:30 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, 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 the bus station for your overnight bus to Cappadocia. The overnight bus departs from Pamukkale to Cappadocia around 9:00 pm. You will have free time at the bus station from the time you are dropped off at the bus station till the time the bus is ready to depart. You can have your dinner around the bus station if you like during this time. You will travel overnight to Cappadocia in a non-smoking, fully air-conditioned local bus. The total duration of travel will be 10 hours. There will be three breaks on the way to Cappadocia for your personal needs.

• Overnight Bus to Cappadocia
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: No accommodation is included on this day

Day 7: North Cappadocia Tour

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 9:30 am. Your tour will start with a visit to the Devrent Valley to see the unique fairy chimneys. Next, you will visit the Pasabag Valley (Monks Valley) to see the mushroom-shaped pinnacles. After this visit, you will drive to the city of Avanos. After lunch, you will visit the Zelve Open Air Museum in Cappadocia. The museum features a series of carved caves and ancient churches, providing a glimpse into the region’s monastic history. Finally towards the end of the day tour before returning to your hotel, you will be able to visit the natural castles of Uchisar. After the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel around 4:00 pm. You will have the rest of the day free to relax, explore the city on your own, or take part in any optional activities that are offered.

• Overnight in Cappadocia
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: Heaven Cave House OR Dedeli Konak Cave Hotel OR Holiday Cave Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 8: South Cappadocia Tour – Fly to Istanbul

For an additional option, you can book an early morning hot air balloon ride and enjoy breathtaking aerial views of the valleys. Please be aware that this activity comes at an extra cost.

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 Rose Valley (Gulludere Vadisi). Next, you will visit Cavusin Village which is famous for its houses and churches of Christian Clergymen. We will take a break for lunch around noon. After lunch, you will drive to the Pigeon Valley (Guvercinlik Vadisi). In the afternoon you will visit the Kaymakli Underground City or Ozkonak Underground City where early Christians lived. This will be the end of your full-day tour. At the end of the tour, you will be transferred to Kayseri or Nevsehir airport for your late evening return flight to Istanbul. Upon your arrival in Istanbul, you will be met by our 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 be transferred to your hotel in Istanbul.

• Overnight in Istanbul
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: Muyan Suites OR Antea Hotel OR Ayasultan Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 9: Departure from Istanbul – End of Tour Service

After breakfast, you will check out from your hotel in Istanbul (hotel check-out is before 12:00 noon) and will then be transferred to the Istanbul International airport according to your flight details. This will be the end of our tour and services.

• Included Meal(s): Breakfast

INCLUDED in the Tour Price:

• Pick up and drop-off between airport & hotel
• Intercity bus tickets as per the itinerary
• Domestic flight ticket from Kayseri to Istanbul only
• 3 nights in Istanbul at a special class or 4-star hotel including breakfast
• 1 night in Canakkale at a 3-star hotel including breakfast
• 2 nights in Kusadasi at a 4-star hotel including breakfast
• 1 night in Cappadocia at a cave hotel including breakfast
• English-speaking guide during the tours
• Meals as per itinerary (B=breakfast, L=lunch)
• Entrance fees mentioned by the itinerary
• Local taxes and service charges

NOT INCLUDED:

• International Flight Tickets.
• Visa to enter Turkey.
• Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Ride.
• Optional tours mentioned in the program, they will be provided at an additional cost.
• Services not mentioned in the program.
• Drinks with meals.
• Travel insurance (recommended).

IMPORTANT INFO:

• The order of the itinerary is indicative and subject to change, but all visits described will take place.
• This is a regular group tour, but if requested at cost can be provided as a private tour.
• The regular group tour has shopping stops included in the tour.
• For 1 traveler: 1 Single Room Accommodation
• For 2 travelers: 1 Double/Twin Room Accommodation
• For 3 travelers: 1 Triple Room Accommodation
• For 4 travelers: 2 Double/Twin Rooms Accommodation
• For 5 travelers: 1 Double/Twin Room and 1 Triple Room Accommodation
• Please note that the Blue Mosque is not open for visitation on Fridays as it is closed for religious prayer services. You will only be able to visit the outside of the Blue Mosque area on tours operated on Fridays. No visitation will be allowed inside the Blue Mosque for tourists on Fridays.
• Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesday, it will be replaced with the Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnici).
• Grand Bazaar is closed on Sunday.
• During religious holidays, the spice market and Grand Bazaar are closed.
• Optional – DAY 6: You can fly from Izmir or Denizli to Cappadocia for an extra USD 170 per person including airport transfer, flight ticket and one extra night hotel stay in Cappadocia.
• On flights luggage allowance is 15 kg per person for checked in luggage. For carry-on, you can take up to 8 kg per person. One carry-on is allowed per person.