TREASURES OF TURKEY – FROM ISTANBUL TO ISTANBUL

Day 1 – ARRIVAL IN ISTANBUL

Arrival at Istanbul Airport. Meet and transfer to the hotel (most hotels accept check-in only after 2:00 PM). Accommodation.

Breakfast. Your guide will be waiting for you at 08:00 AM (local time in Turkey) in the hotel lobby. Please be punctual to make the most of your day. Transfer to the historic center of Istanbul. Free day for activities of your choice. Return to the hotel on your own, at your preferred time. Accommodation.

Check out the optional tours for the day: Classic Istanbul (visit to the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, and Grand Bazaar), with lunch included.

Breakfast. Depart from the hotel for a panoramic tour of the Taksim area, the heart of modern Istanbul, including a walk down Istiklal Avenue, one of the city's most famous streets. Free time for lunch. Continue the journey to Ankara (450 km). Arrival in the Turkish capital. Dinner at the hotel. Accommodation.

Check out the optional tours for the day: Bosphorus Cruise, with lunch included.

Breakfast. Visit the mausoleum erected in honor of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Turkish Republic in 1923. Depart for Cappadocia (290 km). Arrival and lunch at a local restaurant. Stop for photos at the beautiful Avcilar Valley and then in the village of Uçhisar, one of the most typical villages in the region. Next, visit a jewelry center to discover the country’s typical stones. Continue to the hotel in Cappadocia. Dinner at the hotel. Accommodation.

Check out the optional tours for the day.

Breakfast. Day dedicated to discovering this unique region, starting with the Göreme Open-Air Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984. It contains the best collection of rock-cut churches in Cappadocia. Lunch at a local restaurant. Stop at the charming Red Valley (Devrent). Free time in Ortahisar, a picturesque agricultural village. The tour continues with a visit to an artisan center, famous for its carpets. Before returning to the hotel, time to explore a historic underground city, known for its secret houses and tunnels, used as a refuge by various communities over the centuries. Dinner at the hotel. Accommodation.

Check out the optional tours for the day: Hot Air Balloon Ride.

Breakfast. Visit to the fascinating Love Valley, a place of natural wonders with incredible "fairy chimneys". Lunch at a local restaurant. Depart for Konya (250 km), capital of the Seljuk Turks. Along the way, see remnants of a Seljuk caravanserai, located on the ancient Silk Road. Arrival and visit to the Mevlana Museum, a mystical poet and one of the world's early humanists who preached humility, wisdom, and love. Continue to the hotel in Konya. Dinner at the hotel. Accommodation.

Breakfast. Depart for Pamukkale (420 km). Popularly known as the "Cotton Castle", it is a stunning formation of white limestone terraces formed by mineral springs. Lunch at a local restaurant. Visit the impressive white travertines and the ruins of the nearby Greek city of Hierapolis. Arrival at the hotel in Pamukkale. Dinner at the hotel. Accommodation.

Breakfast. Depart for Ephesus (180 km). Lunch at a local restaurant. Visit the archaeological site of Ephesus, the second largest city of the Roman Empire. Continue with a visit to the House of the Virgin Mary, a Catholic and Muslim sanctuary located on Mount Koressos. During visits to this region, you will attend a fashion show at a leather export center. Continue to the hotel in the Kusadasi or Izmir area (between 30 km and 110 km). Dinner at the hotel. Accommodation.

Breakfast. Depart for Bursa, former capital of Turkey (between 300 km and 430 km). It was the major silk trading center during Byzantine and Ottoman periods. Visit the Green Mosque and the Green Mausoleum, named for the green Iznik tiles covering their interior walls. Lunch at a local restaurant. Continue to Istanbul (160 km). Arrival and check-in at the hotel. Free dinner. Accommodation.

Hotel services end with breakfast (the room may remain occupied until 10:00 AM or 12:00 PM, depending on the hotel's policies). Free time until transfer to Istanbul Airport. Return to your country. End of the trip.