13-Day Turkey Discovery Tour: Istanbul, Ephesus, Pergamon, Pamukkale, Antalya, Ankara, Cappadocia & Konya Tour

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: Istanbul Byzantine and Ottoman Relics Tour

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, which was once the center of life where chariot racing and other public events took place. Take a tour of the Blue 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 oldest covered market with over 60 streets! After the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel around 5:00 pm.

• 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: Fly to Izmir – Ephesus Tour

You will be picked up from your hotel in Istanbul around 4:00 am and will be transferred to the domestic airport for your flight from Istanbul to Izmir between 6:00 – 7:30 am. Upon arrival at Izmir airport, you will be picked up and transferred to Selçuk. In Selçuk, you will meet your professional tour guide to begin your full-day tour of Ephesus.

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 the 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. 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 for check-in.

• 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 4: Pergamon Tour

After breakfast, around 08:30 am you will be picked up from your hotel for Pergamon. You will visit the Acropolis which was once the cultural center of the Hellenistic Period. It had a very famous library, as big as the one in Alexandria. It also had a famous school of architecture, perfect government buildings, and monuments, including the world-famous Zeus Altar. It also played an important role during the beginning of Christianity in the Roman Period, and one of the Seven Churches of the Revelations is located here. After the Acropolis, you will visit the Ascelepion, which was dedicated to the God of Good Health, “Asklepios”. This was an important medical center where people received medical treatments such as massages, mud baths, drinking of the sacred waters, and the use of herbs and ointments. The diagnosis was often by dream analysis. After the tour, you will be transferred to your hotel at around 5:30 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 5: Pamukkale Tour – Travel from Pamukkale to Antalya by Bus (238.8 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 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, After the tour, you’ll be transferred to Pamukkale main bus station. From here you will board the intercity day coach to Antalya (duration 4 hours). Met on arrival & Transfer to your hotel. Overnight in Antalya.

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

Day 6: Full Day Tour to Perge, Aspendos, Side and Waterfall

Breakfast at the hotel. You will be picked up from your hotel around 8.00 am. The 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.

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

Day 7: Fly from Antalya to Ankara

After breakfast check out of the hotel in Antalya. You will be picked up from your hotel and transferred to Antalya airport to take your flight to Ankara. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Check into your hotel in Ankara and the rest of the day is free.

• Overnight in Ankara
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast
• Accommodation: Best Western Plus Center Hotel OR Holiday Inn Ankara OR The Wings Hotels Neva Palas or similar (Standard quality)

Day 8: Ankara Tour – Travel from Ankara to Cappadocia (299.4 km)

After breakfast at the hotel, you will visit the city and some of its most interesting landmarks, such as the Mausoleum of Ataturk, dedicated to the founder of the Turkish Republic, and the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations with exhibitions from the Palaeolithic, Neolithic, Hittite, and Phrygian Urartu past of central Anatolia. In the afternoon you will depart for Cappadocia. Upon arrival at your destination, you will check in at your hotel.

• 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 9: North Cappadocia Tour

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 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 have the opportunity to visit the natural castles of Uchisar. Please note that the interior of the Uchisar castles is not accessible for visits. After the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel at around 4:00 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 10: 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. After the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel at around 4:00 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 11: Cappadocia to Istanbul via Konya

After breakfast check out from your hotel in Cappadocia. Our driver will pick you up from your hotel around 7:30 am in Cappadocia in a private car and drive you to Konya. After arrival in Konya, you will meet your professional tour guide to begin your half-day tour of Konya.

Visiting first the Tomb of Rumi in the glittering Mevlana Museum, an important place of pilgrimage for Muslims and indeed all lovers of Rumi. Next door, we visit the Ottoman-era Sultan Selim mosque before having lunch in a traditional Turkish restaurant. We drive along Mevlana Caddesi, Konya’s main avenue, to reach the age-old Alaettin Hill (a prehistoric tumulus) to visit the 1000-year-old Alaaddin Mosque, where Rumi often prayed. In its courtyard are the tombs of many of the Seljuk Turkish sultans who ruled during Rumi’s lifetime, and who consulted him for spiritual guidance. Walking down the north side of the Alaettin Hill we pass the remains of the Seljuk sultan’s palace, then cross the street for a view of the elaborate portal of the medieval Great Karatay Medrese theological college, after which we walk to the Mosque and Tomb of Sems-i Tabrizi, Rumi’s closest companion, spiritual mentor, and inspiration for many of his poetic works.

At the end of the tour, around 2:00 pm we will drop you off at Konya city center for free time. The tour guide will let you know the exact meeting time and departure place to meet in Konya for a transfer to Konya airport for your late evening return flight to Istanbul around 8:25 pm (flight duration is approximately 1 hour 25 minutes). Upon your arrival in Istanbul, you will be met at the airport and transferred from the airport 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 12: Bosphorus Cruise

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, the 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 at your hotel around 12:30 pm and the rest of the day for leisure in Istanbul.

• Overnight in Istanbul
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast
• 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.
• English-speaking guide during the tours.
• 4 nights accommodation at a 4-star or special-class hotel with breakfast in Istanbul.
• 2 nights accommodation at a 4-star hotel with breakfast in Kuşadasi.
• 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 Ankara.
• 3 nights accommodation at a cave hotel with breakfast in Cappadocia.
• 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:

• 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.
• The order of the itinerary is indicative and subject to change, but all visits described will take place.
• 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.