13-Day Grand Turkey Tour: Istanbul, Cappadocia, Konya, Antalya, Pamukkale, Ephesus, Pergamon, Gallipoli & Troy

Day 1: Arrive in Istanbul

Arrive at any time. 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 Oldcity OR Ayasultan Hotel OR Deluxe Golden Horn Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 2: Walking tour of Istanbul including the Blue Mosque

After breakfast at approximately 8:30 am, you will be picked up from your hotel. Today you will head on a full-day tour of Istanbul with a visit to the Topkapi Palace, the former residence of the Ottoman Sultans between 1453–1852 (excluding the harem). Visit the Hippodrome (Sultanahmet Square), which was once the center of life where chariot racing and other public events took place. Take a tour of the Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Mosque), which was built between 1609 and 1616 and is famous for its blue ceramic tiles. Next, you will see Hagia Sophia, a church built in the 6th-century Byzantine capital, which was converted to a mosque by the Ottomans. Now, Hagia Sophia is a museum and one of the greatest architectural wonders in the world. Your last stop will be the famous Grand Bazaar — the world’s largest and the oldest covered market with over 60 streets! After the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel around 5:00 pm.

Join an optional Bosphorus dinner cruise with belly dancing entertainment.

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

Day 3: Bosphorus Cruise — Fly from Istanbul to Kayseri

After breakfast at around 8:30 am, you will join the Half-day Morning Bosphorus Cruise. At the start of this tour, you will enjoy a drive to the pier in Eminonu for a short visit to the historical Spice Market (Egyptian Bazaar). Following this, you will join a shared boat tour and cruise along the Bosphorus which is a narrow strait between the continents of Europe and Asia connecting the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara. You will be able to view the Dolmabahce Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace, Bosphorus Bridge, citadels, centuries-old mansions, and the European and Asian shorelines while onboard the boat. At the end of the tour, you will be dropped back to your hotel to pick up your luggage and then will be transferred to the Istanbul domestic airport for your flight to Kayseri which is approximately 1 hour and 25 minutes in duration. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel in Cappadocia. Check in to your hotel in Cappadocia and the rest of the day is free.

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

Day 4: North Cappadocia Tour

After breakfast around 9:30 am, you will be picked up from your hotel to join the full-day tour of North Cappadocia. 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 at approximately 4:00 pm. The rest of the day will be at leisure.

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

Day 5: South Cappadocia Tour

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. After the tour, you will be transferred to your hotel at around 4:30 pm.

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

Day 6: Konya, home to the Whirling Dervishes en route to Antalya (573 km)

After breakfast check out from your hotel in Cappadocia. Leaving Cappadocia at around 7:00 am this morning today is one of our longest days. Our first stop is the 13th-century Sultanhani Caravansarai – once the largest roadside inn in Turkey, supporting the flow of commerce between the East and the West. We then drive for a further two hours to Konya – Turkey’s holiest city and the home of the Mevlana sect, better known as the Whirling Dervishes. Here, we will visit the Mevlana Museum to learn more about Sufism and the Whirling Dervish tradition. After lunch, we head back onto the open road driving to Antalya, the gateway to Turkey’s southern Mediterranean. On arrival, we will head into the delightful old town of Antalya much of which dates back to Roman and Byzantine times. Wander around the narrow cobblestones streets and head to the historic harbor which hosts a good selection of restaurants, cafes, and bars. In total today we drive for approximately seven hours, but our journey is broken up by the stops we make along the way.

• Overnight in Antalya
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: 1207 Boutique Hotel OR Kosa Boutique Hotel OR Alp Pasa Boutique Hotel OR Aspen Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 7: Full Day Tour to Perge, Aspendos, Side & Waterfall (73.5 km)

Breakfast at the hotel. You will be picked up from your hotel around 8.00 am. First place you will visit is Perge, which was originally settled by the Hittites around 1500 BC and was one of the largest ancient cities in the Pamphylia region. Then you will depart for the Aspendos Ancient Theatre. This incredibly well preserved ancient theatre was built in the 2nd century A.D., it has a capacity of 15,000 people and it is still being used for festivals and music concerts.

We will have a lunch break at a restaurant on a nearby river then depart for Side (pronounced Seeday). Side is one of the best classical ancient cities in Turkey, it was a port city that served the largest slave market in this region. During Roman times much construction took place in Side including a large theatre, Roman Baths, and the Temple of Apollo.

Guests will have 1 hour of free time here to enjoy the sea and the city. You will stop at the Manavgat Waterfall on the way back, then drive back to Antalya where you will be transferred back to your hotel around 6:00 pm.

• Overnight in Antalya
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: 1207 Boutique Hotel OR Kosa Boutique Hotel OR Alp Pasa Boutique Hotel OR Aspen Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 8: Travel by intercity bus from Antalya to Pamukkale (240 km)

After breakfast in the morning, you’ll be transferred to Antalya’s main bus station. From here you will board the intercity day coach to Pamukkale (duration 4 hours). On your arrival at the Pamukkale bus station, you will be picked up and transferred to the hotel in Pamukkale. The rest of the day is on your own to explore Pamukkale.

• Overnight in Pamukkale
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and dinner
• Accommodation: Colossae Thermal Hotel OR Pam Thermal Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 9: Visit the ancient sites of Pamukkale and Hierapolis; arrive in Kusadasi (188.5 km)

After breakfast at the hotel around 10:30 am start the full-day tour of Pamukkale & Hierapolis. In Pamukkale, you will see the Cotton Cliffs, one of the natural wonders of the world formed by deposits of calcareous salts. Also visit the ancient ruins of the City of Hierapolis with its basilica, theatre, and Roman Baths. At the end of the tour around approximately 4:00 pm, you will begin your drive to Kusadasi (approximately 3 hours). We will drop you at your hotel in Kusadasi.

Note: You can swim in the Antique pool in Pamukkale. However, please note that there is an extra charge that you will have to pay directly at your own expense before entry to the pools. This entrance fee to the pools is not covered as part of your tour. Please note that you must bring your own towel, swimsuit etc. if you need to use the pools.

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

Day 10: Visit the historic site of Ephesus (20 km)

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 back to your hotel around 4:00 pm.

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

Day 11: Pergamon Tour – Depart by Bus to Canakkale (424 km)

After breakfast, you will be picked up around 9:00 am from your hotel in Kusadasi to travel to Pergamon. After the lunch break, the tour will start a fully guided Pergamon Acropolis Tour. At Pergamon, the ancient world’s major power, you will visit the Acropolis, the ruins of Zeus Altar, the 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. At the end of the tour, you will be transferred to your hotel in Canakkale.

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

Day 12: Troy and Gallipoli Combination Tours – Depart by Bus to Istanbul (307.2 km)

After breakfast, you will check out of the hotel in Canakkale and will be picked up from your hotel in Canakkale at around 8:30 am. Today in the morning, we will begin with the Troy Tour where you will visit the Trojan Horse, Sacrificial Altars, 3700-year-old City Walls, Houses of Troy I, 3000 B.C. – 2500 B.C., Bouleuterion (Senate Building), Odeon (Concert Hall), and the Remains of the various cities from Troy I through to Troy IX. At the end of the Troy Tour at around 11:30 am, you will be taken to Eceabat and will have free time in Eceabat until 1:00 pm. Lunch will be at a local restaurant in Eceabat. After lunch, we will begin the Gallipoli Tour. You will visit Brighton Beach; the intended landing place, Beach Cemetery on the southern tip of Anzac Cove; the landing place of the first wave of Australian and New Zealand troops and home to up to 30,000 troops during the campaign, Ariburnu Cemetery, Anzac Commemoration Site, Lone Pine Australian Memorial; site of the successful attack and capture of Turkish trenches by the Australians during the August offensive, Johnston’s Jolly where you will visit the original Allied and Turkish trenches and tunnels, 57th Regiment Turkish Memorial, The Nek, and the Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial. At the end of the tour around 6:00 pm, you will travel to Istanbul. You will arrive in Istanbul around 11:00 pm and will be transferred to your hotel.

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

Day 13: 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:

• All transfers as mentioned in this itinerary.
• Domestic flights and intercity bus tickets.
• Professional licensed English-speaking guide during the tours.
• 3 nights accommodation at a 4-star or special-class hotel with breakfast in Istanbul.
• 3 nights accommodation at a cave hotel with breakfast in Cappadocia.
• 2 nights accommodation at a 4-star or special-class hotel with breakfast in Antalya.
• 1-night accommodation at a 4-star hotel with breakfast in Pamukkale.
• 2 nights accommodation at a 4-star hotel with breakfast in Kuşadasi.
• 1-night accommodation at a 3-star hotel with breakfast in Çanakkale.
• Meals as per itinerary (B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner)
• Visits and entrances fees as indicated in 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.
• Drinks with meals.
• Escorting tour guide.
• Services not mentioned in the program.
• 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.