FROM TURKEY TO CYPRUS
per person
ISTANBUL – CAPPADOCIA – ANTALYA – CYPRUS
11 DAYS / 10 NIGHTS 5* HOTELS
TOUR TYPE: HASSLE FREE, CULTURAL, ROMANTIC
Iconic and memorable sites of outstanding Istanbul, the moonlike terrain of Cappadocia with its endless natural artwork, Taurus Mountain’s cedar forests and breathtaking Antalya. You will have time to visit small villages, sit in their coffees, meet the real Turkish people and you will be amazed by Turkish hospitality. We invite you to join to this very well balanced tour. An amazing combination of three magnificent regions of Turkey plus Cyprus with minimum driving.
HIGHLIGHTS
Day 1: Arrival to Istanbul
Day 2: Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Grand Bazaar.
Day 3: Spice Bazaar, Mosque of Soliman The Magnificent, Saint Savior in Chora
Day 4: Goreme Open Air Museum, Red Valley, Avcilar Valley, Uçhisar.
Day 5: Pasabag Valley, Ortahisar Village, Underground City.
Day 6: Caravanserai of Sultanhani, Mevlana Museum.
Day 7: Aspendos, Antalya old city, leather Shop, Hadrian’s Gate and Ancient Harbor, jewelry shop
Day 8: International flight from Antalya to Cyprus (Ercan)
Day 9: Saint Hilarion Castle, Bella Pais Monastery, Kyrenia Ancient Port and Kyrenia Castle
Day 10: Nicosia Green Line, Old Saint Sophia Monastery (Selimiye Mosque), Old Caranserai Buyuk Han, Famagusta, Othello Tower (from outside), Saint Barnabas Icon Museum, Saint Barnabas Tomb, Salamis Antic City
Day 11: Cyprus (Ercan) – Istanbul international flight and return flight
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IncludedFROM TURKEY TO CYPRUS
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Día 1: Arrival to Istanbul
Our team will meet you at Istanbul Atatürk airport. Transfer and overnight at your 5* hotel in Istanbul.
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Day 2: Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Grand Bazaar
After the breakfast 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 with 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. To finish the day you will visit and have free time in the Grand Bazaar, the largest and most attractive covered bazaar in the world. Overnight at your 5* hotel in Istanbul. (B, L)
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Day 3: Spice bazaar, Soliman the Magnificent Mosque, Saint Savior in Chora Church, Istanbul – Cappadocia flight
After the breakfast the you will visit the Spice Bazaar where you can taste dried fruits, caviars, foodstuffs, Turkish delights and of course spices then the Saint Savior in Chora Church, marvellous byzantine basilica ornamented with beautiful mosaics and frescoes. Then you visit the Mosque of Soliman the Magnificent, one of the best works of the famous Ottoman architect, Sinan. After the lunch transfer to the Airport for your flight Istanbul/Cappadocia. Dinner and Overnight at your 5* Hotel in Cappadocia. (B,L,D)
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Day 4: Red valley, Avcilar valley, Uchisar castle, carpet manufactory, pottery workshop, Ortahisar and Cavusin villages (B,L,D)
Today, in this very special land, early in the morning, you will have a choice to join an optional early morning ballooning tour to witness the beauty of Cappadocia from the sky. This is arguably the best ballooning tour in the world.
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.
After the breakfast, you will firs visit the Red Valley (Devrent), then the Uchisar castle that provides some of the most dramatic panoramas of the astonishing Cappadocia. Next, you drive to Avanos, famous for its pottery making since Hittite times and rugs which are the splendid representations of the Turkish carpet making tradition. Here we will visit a carpet manufactory and pottery workshop. 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. The last visit of the day will be Cavusin village. Dinner and overnight at your 5* hotel. (B,L,D)
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Day 5: Goreme open air museum, Pasabag valley, Kılıclar Valley, Kaymaklı underground city (B,L,D)
After the breakfast, the first visit in Cappadocia visit will be the Göreme 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...), then we will stop at the breathtakingly beautiful Avcilar Valley. Lunch. In the afternoon, we will stop at the Paşabag Valley (Valley of Monks – where monks used to live in seclusion).We will finish the day with a visit of anunderground City.
Dinner and overnight at your 5* hotel. (B,L,D
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Day 6: Cappadocia – Konya – Antalya
After the breakfast at the hotel, you will depart for Konya city, the capital of the Seljuk Turks. On the road, you will visit the Sultanhani Caravanserai.
After the lunch in Konya, visit of 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 your 5* hotel in Antalya. (B,L,D)
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Day 7: Antalya
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, we visit a jewellery shop to appreciate Armenian’s magnificent handmade pieces made since centuries for Ottoman Palaces. After then, you will visit a leather shop where you will attend to fashion show and appreciate leather goods. Then you will wander in the narrow streets Antalya old city with its charming cafes, Hadrian’s Gate and Ancient Harbor.
Dinner and overnight at your 5* hotel in Antalya. (B,L,D)
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Day 8: International flight from Antalya to Cyprus (Ercan) (B,D)
Today after the breakfast, we will be transferred to Antalya Airport for our international direct flight to Cyprus. Free time, Dinner and overnight at your 5* hotel in Cyprus. (B,L,D)
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Day 9: Saint Hilarion Castle, Bella Pais Monastery, Kyrenia Ancient Port and Kyrenia Castle (B,L,D)
Breakfast at the hotel and visit the St Hilarion Castle perched high in the Kyrenia Mountain range and overlooking the Mediterranean, St. Hilarion is one of the best preserved Crusaders Castles in the world. Then we will drive to exquisite Bella Pais Monastery, ‘the abbey of beautiful peace’, built at 12th century by Augustinian monks fleeing to Palestine after the fall of Jerusalem to Selahaddin Eyyubi. After then we will continue to the historic harbour of beautiful Kyrenia. Lunch and visit of Kyrenia Castle. Built by the Byzantines, this large rectangular structure that contains a cistern, a dungeon and a chapel, is
also home to one of the world’s most important pieces of marine archaeology, the oldest recorded shipwreck dating back to 300 B.C. Free time in Kyrenia old town.
Dinner and overnight at your 5* hotel in Kyrenia.
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Day 10: Nicosia Green Line, Old Saint Sophia Monastery (Selimiye Mosque), Old Caranserai Buyuk Han, Famagusta, Othello Tower (from outside), Saint Barnabas Icon Museum, Saint Barnabas Tomb, Salamis Antic City (B,L,D)
After breakfast –we will drive to Nicosia. At our arrival, first we will walk along the green line that separates Turkish and Greek parts of Cyprus island. In the old town of Nicosia, we will visit the Selimiye Mosque, old Byzantine Church of Hagia Sofia, old Nicosia’s fascinating symbol, a fusion of French Gothic cathedral and a mosque dating from 13thcentury, then we will discover the Ottoman Caravanserai Buyuk Han and have free time in the old Nicosia. We will continue to famous Famagusta. Lunch and we will stop outside the Othello’s Tower, medieval citadel of Famagusta. Then we will visit the Saint Barnabas Monastery as well as the tomb of Saint Barnabas martyred in 52 A.D. and its Icon Museum that houses beautiful religious paintings. Our last visit will be the ancient city - state of Salamis, built right after the Trojan War, Salamis has an impressive Greek theatre, Roman baths and gymnasium. It was the island’s most important port city. Return to Kyrenia. Dinner and overnight at your 5* hotel in Kyrenia.
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Day 11: Day 11: Cyprus (Ercan) – Istanbul international flight and return flight (B)
After the breakfast, we will drive to Nicosia (Ercan) airport for your return flight to Istanbul. Then, return flight home.
TOUR LOCATION
SERVICES INCLUDED
- 10 NIGHTS ACCOMODATION IN 5* HOTELS IN TURKEY AND IN CYPRUS
- BEST ENGLISH SPEAKING GUIDE SERVICE
- PRIVATE VEHICLE AS REQUESTED AT YOUR ITINERARY THROUGHOUT THE TOUR
- VAT
- ALL MEALS AS MENTIONED (12 BREAKFASTS-9 LUNCHES- 7 DINNERS)
- ALL ENTRANCES AS MENTIONED
- ALL INBOUND AND OUTBOUND TRANSFERS
- PRIVATE EXPENSES
- DRINKS AT HOTELS & RESTAURANTS
- TIPS TO GUIDE AND DRIVER
- ANY INTERNAL AND INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT TICKET