10 Days Istanbul, Gallipoli, Troy, Pergamon, Ephesus, Pamukkale, Konya and Cappadocia Tour

Day 1: Arrival in Istanbul, Airport pick-up

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 OR Ayasultan Hotel OR Deluxe Golden Horn Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 2: Istanbul Byzantine and Ottoman Relics Tour

Breakfast at the hotel, and your tour guide will pick you up and lead you to explore this charming city, which separates Europe and Asia. The first stop of your best Turkey tours is the ancient Hippodrome, which is now a public square, and only three monuments still stand there. Then we move to the nearby Blue Mosque, one of Istanbul’s landmarks. The origin of its name is because its walls used more than 20,000 pieces of blue and white İznik tiles. Next, we will visit Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya in Turkish), which is a masterpiece of religious architecture that combines Christian and Islamic styles. After lunch, we will continue to visit the Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar. The bazaar has 65 streets and houses more than 4,000 shops. There are tea sets, spices, porcelain, carpets, gold and silver ornaments, lamps and lanterns, paper art gadgets, and so on. Some shops also serve local Turkish delicacies such as barbecued meat and burritos. This is a must-visit spot in Istanbul for tourists. After the trip, we will return to the hotel around 5:00 pm.

• Overnight in Istanbul
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: Muyan Suites OR Antea Hotel OR Ayasultan Hotel OR Deluxe Golden Horn 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 a 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 the tour transfer to Canakkale for check-in to your hotel.

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

Day 4: Troy and Pergamon Tour

After breakfast at the hotel, your guide will pick up you from the hotel to departure for the Troy tour, today we will visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Troy, see a replica of the Trojan horse that you can climb for a photo and the fortification walls of Troy Vl with its tower and gateway entrance. After Troy, we will be driving to an important Greek-Roman ancient city Pergamum with its Acropolis and Altar of Zeus which is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. At the end of 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 you complete the tour, you will be returned 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

After breakfast around 7:30 am, you will be picked up from your Kusadasi hotel and taken to the meeting point in Selcuk to join the full group. You will then be driven by road for approximately 3 hours starting around 8:30 am to travel from Selcuk to Pamukkale. 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 taken to have lunch and after lunch at around 1:00 pm, the group will begin a 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.

• Overnight in Pamukkale
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
• Accommodation: Adempira Thermal & Spa Hotel OR Colossae Thermal Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 7: Private Transfer to Pamukkale via Konya (649 km)

Breakfast & check out the hotel in Pamukkale. Our driver will pick you up from your hotel in Pamukkale in a private car and drive you to Konya. After arrival in Konya, the driver will drop you off at the city center where you can visit Konya on your own for 2 – 3 hours. The driver will not be with you during this time. Lunch is not included in the tour service.

Recommended Sites you can see on your own:

* Mevlana Museum is a holy site for Muslims because it is the former lodging for the whirling dervishes. The architecture and turquoise tiles are beautiful sites for all.
* Karatay Medrese houses an outstanding collection of ceramics and tiles. The eight-hundred-year-old building was once a Selcuk Islamic theological seminary.

At the end of the 2 – 3 hours, the driver will pick you up at the same place where he dropped you off in the Konya city center and transfer you to your hotel in Cappadocia.

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

Day 8: 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 be able to visit the natural castles of Uchisar. After the visits, transfer back to the hotel around 4:00 pm. Time at leisure.

• Overnight in Cappadocia
• Meals included today: Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: Dedeli Konak Cave Hotel OR Holiday Cave Hotel OR Heaven Cave House or similar (Standard quality)

Day 9: South Cappadocia Tour – Fly back to Istanbul

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 taken to either Kayseri or Nevsehir airport for your late evening flight back to Istanbul. Upon arriving in Istanbul, you will be welcomed at the airport and provided with a transfer to your hotel, where you will stay overnight.

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

Day 10: 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 bus tickets as per the itinerary.
• English-speaking guide during the tours.
• 3 nights accommodation at a 4-star hotel with breakfast in Istanbul.
• 1 night accommodation at a 3-star hotel with breakfast in Canakkale.
• 2 nights accommodation at a 4-star hotel with breakfast in Kusadasi.
• 1 night accommodation at a 4-star hotel with breakfast in Pamukkale.
• 2 nights accommodation at a cave hotel with breakfast in Cappadocia.
• Meals as per itinerary (B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner)
• 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.