21/03/2022
7 DAYS / 6 NIGHT BUDGET TRAVEL ISTANBUL, CAPPADOCIA AND ANTALYA
HIGHLIGHTS
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* Old City and Museums in Istanbul
* Highlights of Cappadocia Region
* Perge, Side, Aspendos in Antalya
DAY 1
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ISTANBUL
* Arrival to Istanbul airport and transfer to your hotel.
* Overnight in Istanbul.
DAY 2
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ISTANBUL: Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, Sultanahmet Square
* We will pick you up in the morning at 08:15 to take you to visit St. Hagia Sophia. St. Hagia Sophia is one of the greatest surviving examples of Byzantine architecture because of its magnificent artistic value and its interior is decorated with mosaics, marble pillars and colourful coverings. The temple itself was so richly and artistically decorated that Justininian proclaimed 'Solomon, I have outdone thee'. Justinian himself had overseen the completion of the greatest cathedral ever built up to that time and it was to remain the largest cathedral for 1,000 years more up until the completion of the cathedral in Seville, Spain. Just across from St. Sophia is the Blue Mosque which is famously recognizable for its grand scale with having its 6 minarets that were built between 1609 and 1616. Sultan Ahmet had decorated the inside with 21,043 tiles from Iznik in a dominant blue colour. Because of its magnificent interior decoration of blue Iznik tiles it received the name of Blue Mosque.
* We will continue the tour visiting the Ancient Hippodrome which was the scene for the chariot races, there is also 3 monuments grounded here which are named the Obelisk of Theodosius, the Bronze Serpentine Column and the Column of Constantine. We will continue the tour to the Topkapi Palace, the great palace of the Ottoman sultans dating from the 15th to the 19th centuries and hosts an exquisite collection of crystal, silver and Chinese porcelain. You will also find the robes that were worn by the sultans here and their fasilies, famous jewels of the Imperial Treasury and the Holy Mantle of the Prophet Mohammed.
* To conclude the day, there will be a short drive to the exotic Grand Bazaar, which is one of the most colourful institutions of Istanbul.
* Todays tour will finish around 18:00 where you will be transferred to your hotel for the evening.
DAY 3
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CAPPADOCIA
* Pick up at your hotel and transfer to the airport for your flight to Kayseri. Arrive in Kayseri or Nevsehir airport and transfer to Cappadocia for your tour to start.
* We will visit Devrent Valley which was under water 20 million years ago. It rose up above the water after volcanic eruptions. After many years, the rocks formed in a variety of different shapes.
* Later we will go to Pasabagi, also named Monks Valley (Rahipler Vadid) where we can see some special housing designs and experience the unique living area.
* After lunch in Avanos, we will visit the Goreme Open Air Museum.
* We will continue to Esentepe where you can enjoy the panoramic views of the Goreme valley and the Goreme village with fairy chimneys, different rock formations and cave houses.
* Finally we will visit the natural rock castle in Uchisar which has many rooms connected to others with stairs, tunnels and passages.
* At the end of the tour you will be transferred to your hotel in Cappadocia and stay overnight.
DAY 4
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CAPPADOCIA:
* After breakfast, we depart from your hotel the visit the Red Valley and explore the famous rock-cut churches and walk 4 to 5km through the Galludere Valley.
* We will then visit the Cavus Village which is famous for its houses and churches of the Christian clergymen.
* After lunch you will enjoy a drive to the Pigeon Valley.
* You will visit the Kaymakli underground city in the afternoon where early Christians lived in fear and faith.
* After the visit you will be transferred back to the hotel around 17:00.
* Overnight in Cappadocia
DAY 5
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ANTALYA
* As we arrive to Antalya we will transfer you to your hotel so you can freshen up before we start our day exploring Antalya's treasures.
- The tour will begin at 08:15, where we will make our first visit of the day to Perge, the ancient city, where we will experience in great detail by visiting the Stadium, the Roman Gate, Nymphaeum, the Roman Bath, the Hellenistic Gate, the Colonnaded Main Street and of course Agora.
* We will then stop for lunch at the Koprupazari stream which is near to the Aspendos Theatre.
* After lunch our journey continues and we visit the Aspendos Theatre and the historical Aqueducts.
* Once our tour around Perge is completed, you will have some leisure time to do some relaxation or walk around shopping.
DAY 6
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ISTANBUL
* Transfer to the airport according to flight times to Istanbul.
* Meets at the port with the staff and transfer to your hotel.
* Overnight in Istanbul.
DAY 7
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* Transfer to the airport 5 hours before your international flight.
INCLUTIONS
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* 3 star hotel accommodation
* Domestic flights and public bus tickets
* Services of professionally licensed guides on local group tours
* Hotel with breakfast
* Lunch during excursions mentioned.
* Transportation is a fully air conditioned minivan on local group tours
* Inbound and outbound airport transfers to/from your hotel.
* All taxes, entrance fees and museum fees, baggage handling.
EXCLUSIONS
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* International airfares
* VISA needed for Turkey
* Tips to guide, driver, hotel staff etc (optional)
* Items of a personal nature
* Travel Insurance and medical services
* Harem and Treasure room entrance fees at the Topkapi Palace.
NOTE:
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This program may contain some walking tracks which is not suitable for senior and disabled people.
PACKAGE PRICE
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R20,849 p/p sharing
INCLUTIONS: *3 star hotel accommodation *Domestic flights and public bus tickets *Services of professionally licensed guides on local group tours *Hotel with breakfast *Lunch during excursions mentioned. *Transportation is a fully air conditioned minivan on local group tours *Inbound and outbound ai...
