AMAZING WESTERN TURKEY

Our team will meet you at Istanbul Airport. Transfer to your hotel and check-in. overnight at the hotel.

You will be driven by the shores of the Golden Horn, to reach the first stop of the day: The St. Saviour in Chora, a former Byzantine church, a magnificent museum of golden mosaics and frescoes with biblical images, then visit the Mosque of Soliman the Magnificent, one of the best works of the famous Ottoman architect, Sinan. After the lunch, you will visit the Grand Bazaar, the largest and most attractive covered bazaar in the world then walk through the pulsating streets of Beyoğlu district from ‘Tunnel’ area to Taksim square, discovering, fish market, flower passage, catholic, Greek and Armenian churches, markets and coffeehouses. Overnight at the hotel. (B,L)

You will start your journey with a discovery of Istanbul's historical heart. You will first visit The Topkapı Palace, the court and the residence of Ottoman Sultans, and home to the imperial treasury, then visit the Hagia Sophia ‘The Church of Holy Wisdom’, the marvelous basilica built in the 6th century, as the masterpiece of Byzantine architecture. It was the largest church in the world for 1000 years; and its interiors are decorated with stunning golden mosaics. After the lunch you will visit the Blue Mosque, with six elegant minarets and a striking indoor with blue Iznik tiles and intricate patterns. You will then take a take a stroll through the ancient Hippodrome, significant for being the center for sports and entertainment in the old Constantinople as well as very important political spot. The last visit of the day will be the visit the Basilica Cistern, impressive underground water reservoir from 6th century. (B,L)  

In the morning indulge yourself at the Spice Market with its exotic aromas then you will do a boat tour along the European and Asiatic shores of Bosphorus. You will just relax and let the beauty of forests, palaces, mosques, picturesque Bosphorus villages, Ottoman summer mansions, fortresses carry you away. After the lunch, you will depart for Ankara, the modern capital of Turkey. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. (B,L,D)

Departure in the morning and visit to the Anatolian Civilizations Museum at which numerous remnants from Stone Age, Neolithic Age, Hittites, Urartians, Phrygians and many others are on display; and then you will visit the Mausoleum of Ataturk, the burial place of the national hero who founded modern Republic of Turkey. After the lunch, drive through Cappadocia. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. (B,L,D)

You will have two full days for discovering the beautiful landscapes and thrilling cultural sites of the region. Cappadocia has a unique terra formation, with tuff coned and lunar landscape shaped by forces of nature over millions of years. For ages, men have dug into this soft, but firm tuff to create dwellings, homes (locals call them 'fairy chimneys', monasteries, churches and underground cities. The first visit in Cappadocia visit will be the Goreme Valley which is home to magnificent rock-hewn churches decorated with Byzantine frescoes (The Apple Church, The Serpent Church, The St. Barbara Church, The St. Basil Church...) After the lunch, you’ll stop at the Red Valley (Derbent) and the breathtakingly beautiful Avcilar Valley. Last, but not least, will be the Uçhisar that provides some of the most dramatic panoramas of the astonishing Cappadocia. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. (B, L, D)

Cappadocia was once home to a beautiful breed of war horses, hence the name meaning 'land of beautiful horses'. The horses are long gone today, so are the mighty Hittite warriors who once rode them, but the area continues to be a global attraction for its amazing nature and immaculate cultural legacy.   In you second day, in this very special land, and early in the morning, you will have a choice to join an optional early morning ballooning tour of the region to witness the beauty of Cappadocia from the sky. This is arguably the best ballooning tour in the world. The regular program continues with the visit of Paşabağ Valley (Valley of Monks – where monks used to live in seclusion). Next, you will drive to Avanos, famous for pottery making since Hittites, and for rugs that are among the best examples of Turkish carpet making heritage. Here, you will learn about these regional crafts and see demonstrations performed by local craftsmen. After the lunch, we’ll have free time in Ortahisar village. Ortahisar remains a quaint farming village which has a fortress- like rock rising above its center. You may visit them or simply take a seat at village’s cafes with their friendly and relaxed atmosphere and talk with local people. We will finish the day with a visit of an underground City. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. (B, L, D)  

After the breakfast at the hotel, you will depart for Konya city, the capital of the Seljuk Turks. En route visit the Caravanserail Sultanhani. After the lunch in Konya, we visit the Monastery of the Whirling Dervishes and the shrine of Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi, the founder of the order. Sufi is an exceptional poet and humanist, who preached humility, wisdom and love. His philosophy is best summarized in these verses he wrote, "Come, as you are, whoever you are". His tomb has been converted into a museum which houses relics that belonged to him and his disciples. After driving through magnificent pine and cedar forests of the Taurus Mountains, you will reach Antalya along Mediterranean coast. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. (B, L, D)

In the morning, you will visit Aspendos, the best preserved Roman theater of the ancient world, still in operational status. Built at the time of Marcus Aurelius, Aspendos could accommodate 15,000 spectators and was dedicated to the gods and the imperial. After the lunch, you will wander in the narrow streets Antalya old city with its charming cafes, Hadrian’s gate and ancient harbor. Then you will visit a jewelry shop to appreciate Armenians magnificent handmade pieces made since centuries for Ottoman Palaces. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. (B, L, D)    

After the breakfast, drive to Aphrodisias, one of the most impressing ancient cities of Anatolia with its well-preserved buildings and numbers of magnificent sculptures from the Roman period. Being built near a marble quarry, the city was also an important center in the past with its famous sculpture school, its bouleterion and stadium. After the lunch, through the famous Pamukkale, popularly known as the ‘Cotton Castle’, the dazzling formation of white calcium cascades formed by mineral springs and the ruins of Roman health spa of Hierapolis. Dinner and overnight at a SPA hotel in Pamukkale. (B, L, D)

After the breakfast, drive through the ancient site of Ephesus, the holy city of Artemis, the Roman capital of Asia Minor, and one of the most attractive archaelogical sites in the world. You will see the Odeon, the Hadrian Temple, the Celcius Library, Fountain of Trajan, brothel, latrines, baths, Curetes and Marble streets and we’ll sit in the same immense Theatre where St. Paul preached and roman dramas were performed.  Then we will visit a leather shop where we will attend to fashion show and appreciate leather goods. Lunch then you will visit the House of St. Mary. After these visits, you will continue to Izmir, known in Turkish as ‘Beautiful Izmir’ that lies at the head of a long and narrow gulf furrowed by ships and yachts. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. (B, L, D)

  This morning, you will drive from Izmir to the ancient site of Pergamon. In Pergamon you will visit the ancient Medical Center in Asclepion. Lunch at Pergamon and you will proceed to Troy to visit the site of one of the most famous wars of the ancient times. The legendary city of Troy is immortalized in Homer’s Iliad and ‘rediscovered’ in 1871 by Heinrich Schliemann. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Çanakkale, at the shores of the Dardanelles straight. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. (B, L, D)

After the breakfast, ferry across the Dardanelles Straight and we visit the battlefields of Gallipoli with Anzac Cove, Lone Pine where in 1915, one of the bloodiest battles of the modern history took place. Yet, the Gallipoli battles are known as "The Gentlemen's War", for a sense of mutual respect and camaraderie was developed among the rival armies over the course of fire exchanges. Next, you will continue to Istanbul, lunch on the way. Overnight at the hotel. (B, L)  

Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to Istanbul International Airport for your return flight home.(B)