10 Days Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale, Ephesus, Priene, Miletus & Didyma Tour

Day 1: Arrival in Istanbul & Transfer to Hotel

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 Midtown Hotel Taksim OR Grand Oztanik Hotel OR Deluxe Golden Horn 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 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.

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

Day 3: Bosphorus Cruise & Two Continents Tour

After breakfast, around 8:30 am you will be picked up from your hotel to visit the Spice Bazaar (Egyptian ), Bosphorus Tour on Boat, Beylerbeyi Palace, Bosphorus Bridge, Camlica Hill. 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 Midtown Hotel Taksim OR Grand Oztanik Hotel OR Deluxe Golden Horn Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 4: Fly to Kayseri/Nevsehir from Istanbul – North Cappadocia Tour

You will be picked up from your hotel for your transfer to the airport to catch your early morning flight to Kayseri or Nevsehir. Upon arrival at the airport, you will be transferred to Cappadocia where you will meet your professional tour guide to begin your full-day North Cappadocia Tour. 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. After the tour, you will be transferred to your hotel in Cappadocia for check-in.

• 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 – Fly to Izmir

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 09:30 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. Next, you will visit Çavuşin 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. In the afternoon you will visit the Kaymakli underground city where early Christians lived. This will be the end of your full-day tour. After the tour, you will be transferred to Kayseri airport for your flight to Izmir through Istanbul. When you arrive in Izmir, you will find our employee holding your name for transfer to Kusadasi for the overnight stay in Kusadasi hotel.

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

Day 6: Pamukkale and Hierapolis Tour

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 at around 7:00 pm.

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

Day 7: 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. Your tour guide will brief you on the day’s activities. 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-the 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 back to your hotel.

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

Day 8: Priene, Miletus & Didyma Tour – Fly back to Istanbul

Enjoy your breakfast & then check out of your hotel in Kusadasi. You will be picked up from your hotel at around 8:30 am. Today you will visit Miletus, one of the oldest cities of Ionia, and the ancient cities of Priene and Didyma. First, you will see Priene which in its time was one of the most spectacular of all the ancient Ionians cities. Then we will lead our way to Miletus to see Miletus with its magnificent theatre and the Byzantine fortress on the acropolis above. Our last stop will be Didyma. Here you will find the largest Ionic Temple in the world, that of Apollo. Also in Didyma lies the huge, cracked head of Medusa which long ago fell from the freeze. At the end of the tour, you will be transferred to Izmir airport for your return flight to Istanbul. Upon arrival, you will be picked up from the airport and transferred to your hotel.

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

Day 9: Free day at leisure

Full day free to wander around Istanbul, and do shopping on your own.

• Overnight in Istanbul
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast
• Accommodation: Muyan Suites OR Midtown Hotel Taksim OR Grand Oztanik 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:

• Pick up and drop-off between airport & hotel
• Domestic flight tickets as per the itinerary
• 5 nights in Istanbul at Special Class or 4-star Hotels including breakfast
• 1 night in Cappadocia at a cave hotel including breakfast
• 3 nights in Kusadasi at a 4-star 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 airfare & airport taxes
• Visa to enter Turkey
• Hot Air Balloon Ride
• Any optional tours
• Services not mentioned in the program.
• Optional tours mentioned in the program, they will be provided at an additional cost.
• 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
• Please advise your arrival details at time of booking
• 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.
• 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.

WHEN TO BOOK?

• Book as soon as possible to guarantee availability, especially during public holidays and festivities.
• You can book up to 2 days before (Istanbul local time) if there are still places available. If less than 2 days before start of your requested tour date, please contact us by email or phone as it would be a last-minute booking that will need to be checked for availability before your tour reservation is confirmed.