20/05/2022
Day 1 Welcome to Turkey
Welcome to Istanbul! You will be transferred to your hotel located in the heart of the old city,
Sultanahmet and the remainder of the day is yours free to explore at your own pace. Most
short-stay visitors spend all their time in Sultanahmet, home to Istanbul’s main sightseeing
attractions. The monumental architecture, attractive parks and gardens, street-side cafés, and
the benefits of a relatively traffic-free main road combine to make this area pleasant for both
sightseeing and staying.
Dinner Cruise on the Bosphorus River
A great night out where four course dinner, made from local seasonal ingredients and
unlimited alcoholic or soft beverages are included in the price. The show features belly dancers,
cultural-folkloric dance groups and performance of a whirling dervish!
Bosphorus is way much more than you might expect. It
boasts a fascinating double identity – poised delicately
between east and west, mosques co-exist with churches
and remnants of ancient cultures crumble alongside
modern culture.
From the resurrected buildings of great empires, to eye
opening wonders of nature, this adventure encompasses
the best of Istanbul. Includes hotel pick-up and dropoff, Bosphorus dinner cruise is a great option, if you are
short of time! Overnight Istanbul.
Day 2 Best of Istanbul
Perfect introduction tour by walk in the footsteps of Byzantine and Roman Emperors and
Ottoman Sultans as you hear interesting facts about Istanbul’s history from your guide. Your
first stop here is the Hippodromme Square sporting and social centre Byzantine Empire for
1000 years and of Ottoman life for another 400. Blue Mosque famed for it’s blue tiles,
boasting magnificent curves and six towering minarets sees countless worshipers pass through
its main doors every day. A short walk to enjoy an extensive tour of the royal residence of the
legendary Ottoman Sultans, now converted into a museum, Topkapi Palace Museum. The
royal quarters where the sultan, his family and, yes, many concubines lived are there, but be
sure not to miss the Chamber of Holy Relics, which has King David’s sword, a fragment of
Moses’ staff, and John the Baptist’s arm and a section of his skull. Relics of Mohammed are
also on display.After lunch, we check out the labyrinthine and chaotic, Grand Bazaar. Starting as a small
covered marketplace, today, the bazaar has 16 hans, 64 lanes, mosques, banks, a police station,
restaurants, workshops and more than 2000 shops, making it a world within itself. Before
long, it became the center for trade in the entire Ottoman Empire. At its prime, the market was
locked down and guarded by more than a hundred soldiers every night, like a fortified castle.
Before tour’s end, discover Hagia Sofia Mosque, built by Emperor Justinian. Once a church
and a mosque, then a museum, today it is a mosque and Soğuk Çeşme Street for its
magnificently-looking mansions with Ottoman-style architecture. Overnight Istanbul. (B, L, D)
Day 3 Rest of Istanbul
Today we visit Istanbul’s most iconic sites outside the old town. See Istanbul’s minarets,
mansions, mosques and palaces from the water as you sail between two continents on this
Bosphorus boat cruise. It’s way much more than you might expect. It boasts a fascinating
double identity – poised delicately between east and west, mosques co-exist with churches and
remnants of ancient cultures crumble alongside modern culture. Then we visit Spice Bazaar
and stock up on bargain spices, dried fruits, nuts, seeds and Turkish baklava and delight here
before the Shrine of Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari is perhaps the most sacred place of pilgrimage
in the Islamic world; indeed after Mecca and Jerusalem. One of the leaders of the first Arab
siege of Constantinople from 674 to 678.
Unique chance to step from one continent (Europe) to another (Asia) and visit Camlica Hill
and enjoy the breathtaking views of Instanbul before you visit the Camlica Mosque, an
incredible building with a capacity of sixty thousand.
Tour the heart of modern Istanbul, Taksim square – situated in the European part of
Istanbul, a major tourist and leisure district famed for its restaurants, shops and hotels with
the central station of the Istanbul Metro network. Entering the popular Istiklal Avenue before a
short stop at Independence Monument, commemorates the Turkish Republic's founder,
Kemal Ataturk, in both his roles, as military commander-in-chief and as statesman.
Istiklal Avenue or Grande Rue de Péra, visited by nearly 3 million people in a single day
over the course of weekends. The avenue, surrounded by late Ottoman era buildings (mostly
from the 19th and early 20th centuries) that were designed with the Neo-Classical, Neo-Gothic,
Renaissance Revival, Beaux-Arts, Art Nouveau and and First Turkish National Architecture
styles; as well as a few Art Deco style buildings from the early years of the Turkish Republic,
and a number of more recent examples of modern architecture; starts from the medieval
Genoese neighbourhood around Galata Tower and ultimately leads up to Taksim Square.
Overnight Istanbul. (B, L, D)
Day 4 Nation’s capital of Ankara, Great Salt Lake
After breakfast, we leave Istanbul behind and drive to the nation’s capital, Ankara, to visit the
Mausoleum of Ataturk. The burial place of the Turkish army officer in the Ottoman
military, revolutionary statesman, and the first President of Turkey. His surname, Ataturk, was granted to him in 1934 and forbidden to any other person by the Turkish parliament. Stopping
en-route to visit the Great Salt Lake, the largest saltwater lake in Turkey and the one of the
largest flammable gas storage source.
Tonight, don’t miss the optional traditional Turkish folklore evening and performance of a
whirling dervish, which includes unlimited entertainment and all the food and drink you can
handle! Overnight Cappadocia (B, L, D)
Day 5 Comprehensive Cappadocia
This morning you have the option of taking a hot-air balloon ride in a region famed for being
one of the best places in the world for ballooning.
Optional Hot Air Ballooning – USD 199.00
05:00 Start the day with a balloon ride over the moonscapes of Cappadocia. Discover the
stunning landscape of the region from a hot-air balloon! Admire Cappadocia’s beautiful
scenery of tall, volcanic rock spires and high plateaus from the air on a 1-hour flight. Toast to
your unforgettable experience with a glass of champagne during the post-flight celebration and
receive a souvenir medal. Your Cappadocia hot-air balloon flight includes a complimentary
pre-flight buffet breakfast and convenient round-trip hotel transportation.
Start the tour by visiting Esentepe, a hillside with spectacular views over the Goreme Valley.
Here, take photos of the magnificent, lava-formed landscapes as a taster of what’s to come, and
then set off with your guide to explore properly. Visiting Devrent Valley, where mushroomshaped pinnacles cover the hillsides. Drive to the pottery town of Avanos where the longest
river Kizilirmak in Turkey passes through. Have the chance to view the pottery making
demonstration and even try your hand at making your own unique pot.
Day 6 Konya, Seven Lakes Region, Lake of Egirdir
After breakfast, we set off with our guide and driver westward along the ancient Silk Road
toward Konya, stopping for a look at the huge Sultan Han caravanserai and Seven Lakes
Region for a look at the tremendous lush green and sky blue nature en route.
Day 7 White calcium formations of Pamukkale and Turkish Maldivies: Salda
Driving east, we arrive at Pamukkale - home of the famous gleaming white calcium terraced
pools. Known locally as the Cotton Castles, they are a natural phenomena and gift of Mother
Nature. Pamukkale was formed when warm, calcium rich mineral water cascaded over the cliff
edge, cooling and depositing in the process. The calcium built natural shelves and pools on the
cliffs, known as travertines. Today, many of the pools are closed to tourists. However, areas of
the travertines can be walked upon, albeit in bare feet. We can also opt to enjoy a unique and
very pleasant dip in the warm waters at the Pamukkale Thermal, with its submerged fragments
of fluted marble columns near the centre of the ruined spa town of Hierapolis.
Day 8 Capital of Turkish Mediterranean: Antalya
Welcome to sun-kissed Turkish Riviera of Antalya! The capital of Turkish Mediterranean Coast
– lush green and turquoise blue city of Antalya. It’s a sprawling modern city with a small,
charming historic center, a good archeology museum, long sunny beaches to east and west, the
Turquoise Coast’s busiest airport, good hotels, lots to see and do and dramatic sea and
mountain views. Antalya was founded by King Attalos of Pergamum as "Heaven on Earth," that
has become a prime destination in Turkey. Long popular among yachters, the city also offers
the liveliest nightlife on the southern coast, fantastic
Day 9 Bursa via Söğüt and Ertuğrul Gazi’s Shrine and Museum
Relaxing morning before we leave Antalya behind and driver north towards the inland town of
Sogut, birthplace of the legendary Ottoman Empire and its mentor Ertugrul Gazi. Our tour
centers around the life of Ertugrul Gazi, the father of Osman I, who was the founder of the
Ottoman Empire. In Sogut, we visit the tombs of Ertugrul Gazi, Halime Hatun, Dundar Bey,
Abdurrahman Gazi, Savci Bey, Akcakoca and Alps as well as the Ertugrul Gazi Mescid or
known as Kuyulu Mescid believed that Ertugrul and his followers did their first
congregational friday prayer ceremony.
Ertugrul Gazi - (1198-1281) was the son of Suleyman Shah (1178-1236)
Day 10 Lush Green Imperial City of Bursa
Bursa - First capital of the Ottoman Empire - inspired and sustained by Islam, and Islamic
institutions. It replaced the Byzantine Empire as the major power reached its height under
Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, when it expanded to cover Turkey, Middle East, parts of
Arabia, much of the coastal strip of North Africa, Eastern Europe, the Balkans and reached the
gates of Vienna. It subsequently came under Roman, then Byzantine rule before it became the
first capital of the Ottoman Empire in 1326 under the command of Orhan Gazi. The city's
historic contributions to Islamic development have given it an austere reputation and
beneficiary of the finest mosques, theological schools (medreses), humanitarian
centers (imarets), and social services (hans, hamams, and public fountains). The city was
awarded Unesco World Heritage status for being the birthplace of the Ottoman Empire.
Day 11 Good-bye Turkey!
You are free to depart at any time today. After breakfast your tour draws to a close and we say
goodbye to our new friends before being transferred to the airport. Please note that check-out
time from the hotel is normally noon, but luggage storage facilities are available.
We are able to organise extra post-trip accommodation and day tours/activities if you wish to
extend your stay. Happy travels! (B)
(B – Breakfast, L –Lunch, D –Dinne)
