21/07/2019
Day 1 - Istanbul - Arrival Day –
Dinner included
Welcome to Turkey! Meet at the airport, transfer to your hotel. You will be given your room key and the rest of the day is yours to explore Istanbul. Dinner and Overnight in Istanbul.
Please note that; Our arrival airport transfer services will be available between 07:00am to 22:00pm from Istanbul Airport.
Day 2 - Istanbul City Tour - Izmir
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner included
After breakfast, at 09.00 am depart for Istanbul City Tour at 10.00. Visit to TOPKAPI PALACE The great palace of the Ottoman sultans from the 15th to the 19th centuries housing an exquisite collection of cyrstal, silver, and Chinese porcelain, robes worn by the sultans and their families, the famous jewels of the Imperial Treasury, miniatures, the Holy Mantle; enshrining relics of the Prophet Mohammed. SULTANAHMET IMPERIAL MOSQUE Across from St. Sophia built in the 16th century by the architect Mehmet, is known as the BLUE MOSQUE because of its magnificent interior decoration of blue Iznik tiles. HIPPODROME Ancient Hippodrome, the scene of chariot races, with the three monuments; the Obelisk of Theodosius, the bronze Serpentine Column and the Column of Constantine.Lunch at restaurant After the lunch, we will visit the unique Leather Factory‘s leather fashion show. Murti’s Tour will then take you to the GRAND SPICE BAZAAR The air here is filled with the enticing aromas of cinnamon, caraway, saffron, mint, thyme and every other conceivable herb and spice.Upon completion of our tour, we depart for Istanbul airport for our flight to to Izmir. Dinner and Overnight in Izmir.
Day 3 - Kusadasi - Ephesus Tour - Turkish Village Sirince
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner included
08.30 Departure from hotel fully guided tour of Ephesus, one of the best preserved ancient sites in the world en - route, visiting the Temple of Artemis, Curetes street, famous Roman baths, Celsus Library, Grand theatre and House of the Virgin Mary. Lunch break around 13:00pm. After the lunch, we will visit a place which continues to perform one of the oldest arts of Turkey; a carpet weaving centre. After Lunch we will do a Turkish Village Tour. Sirinces construction style today belongs to Anatolian Greeks. The houses on the slope are all Orginal with their white paints. Sirince Village also has a fantastic reputation for making some of the best wines in Turkey - especially fruit wines. We will visit the vineyards and it is time to learn how to make fruit wine with Turkish wine makers. In the evening you will be tested about your knowledge of making fruit wine. On the way we will visit one of the famous leather production centers of the region, where you will have the opportunity to get a good factory rate. On this guided tour, you will avoid the constant nagging and sometimes bullying that is well known in the markets of Turkey. Enabling you to enjoy the shopping experience whilst gaining the knowledge of the ancient craftsmen Dinner and Overnight in Izmir.
Day 4 - B2B Holy Land
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner included
Breakfast between 09.00 am – 11:00 am. Full day city tour with Lunch. Dinner and Overnight in Izmir.
Day 5 - Pergamon - Thyatira - Izmir
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner included
After breakfast, we drive to Pergamum, actually called Bergama. It is one of the sites of the Seven Churches of Asia [Rev. 1:11; 2:12]. Here we explore the impressive Acropolis, the steepest theatre in the world, the Asklepieion, famous medical centre of classical times, see the Altar of Zeus which is mentioned as the «Throne of Satan» in the book of Revelation, the marble columns of the Temple of Trajan and the Library which was foremost in the world and was long a rival of the equally famous Library of Alexandria in Egypt. Its wealth of volumes was estimated at over 200, 000. It inspired the invention of parchment. We also visit the Red Basilica (St. Johns Church). Buffet lunch is provided at a local restaurant. Then we continue our visit to Thyatira, now called Akhisar, another one of the Seven Churches of Asia [Rev. 1:11; 2:18 - 24; Acts 16:14]. It was a city famous for purple dyes. We visit the remains of a basilica and some architectural fragments from the Roman period. Lydia, the seller of purple in Philippi, was from Thyatira. Before we check in at the hotel in Izmir, we enjoy a panoramic ride of Smyrna, the third largest city in Turkey and one of the sites of the Seven Churches of Asia [Rev. 2:12 - 17]. Smyrnas is a city scarred with a bloody history of trade and warfare. We ascend to Mount Pagus where we visit the Citadel of Lysimachos, commander of Alexander the Great, erected in the 4th century BC. We will also see the Clock Tower. Check in at the hotel for dinner. Dinner and Overnight in Izmir.
Day 6 - Izmir - Sardis - Philadelphia - Hierapolis
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner included
Today we depart early in the morning to one of the most picturesque areas of any of the Seven Churches of Asia [Rev. 1.11; 3,1 - 4], Sardis, presently Sart. This was the capital of the ancient Lydian kingdom of the 6th century BC, portrayed as a dying church. We visit the great Temple of Artemis and the Temple of Cybele, which became a Byzantine Church. We will also visit the restored gymnasium and reconstructed Synagogue. We also see the last several meters of the royal Persian Road from Susa to Sardis built by Cyrus the Great and the «golden» river Pactolos. Lunch en route. Then we continue our journey to Philadelphia, nowadays called Alasehir, another church of the Seven Churches of Asia [Rev. 1.11; 3,7], and the only church not censured. There we see the remains of a Byzantine basilica built of brick, with a bit of high arch and some 11th century frescoes. We drive to the healing city of Hierapolis, actually Pamukkale, the white «cotton fortress» where hot mineral water bursts from the earth and cascades over steep cliffs forming pools, channels and stalactites. The therapeutic waters were known to the founders of Hierapolis and of Laodicea in 190 BC. In Hierapolis [Col. 4.13] we visit the Martyrium of the Apostle Philip where he was martyred during the persecutions ordered by Domitian. We visit the Gate of Domitian, the Arcadian Way, the 2nd century AD Theatre, the Nymphaion, the Temple of Apollo, the Plutonium and the Necropolis. Dinner and overnight in Pamukkale.
Day 7 - Laodicea - Aphrodisias - Kusadasi
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner included
We depart for Laodicea (present name Denizli) yet another of the Seven Churches of Asia Minor [Rev. 1:11; 3:14; Col. 2:1; 4:13 - 16]. We see the ancient theatre, the remains of basilica and ancient stone water pipes. Aphrodisias is our next stop. We visit the best - preserved ancient stadium ever excavated where the seating capacity was 30, 000. We see the odeon with its extraordinary blue marble stage, the Temple of Aphrodite that marks the site of ancient veneration, Hadrian’s Bath and the Bishop’s Palace, part of a building christened by the archaeologists. Drive to Izmir. Dinner and overnight.Izmir.
Day 8 - Izmir to Istanbul - End of Tour
Breakfast included
After breakfast you will have free time in Izmir. Today we depart for Izmir Airport for our domestic flight to Istanbul and then back to home.
