12-Day Istanbul - Gallipoli -Troy - Pergamum - Ephesus - Pamukkale- Cappadocia - By Bus and Plane
Tour Itinerary
DAY 1 - Arrival to Istanbul
Arrival at the airport. Pick up and transfer to the hotel. Overnight at the hotel.
DAY 2 - Byzantine and Ottoman Relics Tour Meals: Breakfast, Lunch)
08:30 You will be picked up from your hotel for Full day tour of Old City. In this day you will be able to see:
HAGIA SOPHIA: Byzantium largest cathedral, converted to mosque 1453 by the Ottoman Empire and today open as a museum to see both religion remains.
BLUE MOSQUE: This mosque complex, containing Istanbul's only mosque with six minarets was built by Sedefkar Mehmet Aga for Sultan Ahmed 1st. early 17th century.
HIPPODROME: Center of sport activities and political events of the Eastern Roman Empire.
GRAND BAZAAR: Famous shopping center worldwide. Shopping possibilities for carpet, jewellery, leather etc
TOPKAPI PALACE: Built between 1475 and 1478 by Mehmet II, Fatih, the conqueror of Istanbul, served as the residence of the sultan and administrative seat of the Ottoman Empire for 400 years.
After the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel at around 17:30. Overnight in Istanbul.
DAY 3 - Bosphorus cruise and Dolmabahce Palace or Beylerbeyi Palace Tour (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch)
08:30 You will be picked up from your hotel for Full day tour of Two Continents . In this day you will be able to see:
SPICE BAZAAR: Mystical smells of various spices. Shops selling fruits, vegetables, flowers, caviar and dry fish etc...
BOSPHORUS BY BOAT: On the waterway separating the two continents, Asia and Europe. Opportunity to take photographs of marble palaces and ancient wooden villas of Ottoman architecture, besides modern residences and luxurious apartments.
BOSPHORUS BRIDGE: Unique chance to go from one continent (Asia) to another (Europe) in two minutes.
BEYLERBEYI PALACE: The summer residence of Ottoman Sultans with its original furniture and magnificent gardens with the harem on the Asian side.
OR
DOLMABACHE PALACE: With more than 340 rooms & 8 Turkish Baths the Imperial Residence of the last 6 Sultans, is sure to fascinate its visitors.
Note: You can choose to either visit the Dolmabache Palace or the Beylerbeyi Palace on this tour itinerary. However, due to time limitations, it will not be possible to visit both these Palaces. Please choose one.
CAMLICA HILL: Offers a panoramic view of Istanbul and Bosphorus from the highest point of the city.
After the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel at around 17:30. Overnight in Istanbul.
DAY 4 - Istanbul - Gallipoli Battlefields Tour (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch)
Depart early morning for afternoon tour of Gallipoli. The World War I battlefields of Gallipoli are now a serene site. Visit the Lone Pine Australian Memorial and Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial, ANZAC Cove, Johnston's Jolly. Overnight Canakkale or Eceabat.
DAY 5 - Troy, Pergamum - Kusadasi (Meals: Breakfast)
Tours of Troy and Pergamum, continue onto your choice of Selcuk or Kusadasi. Visit the ancient city of Troy, famous for the legendary Trojan horse from the times of Beautiful Helen, Queen of Sparta, and Paris, the Trojan Prince. The ancient town of Pergamum with its magnificent acropolis with one of the steepest amphitheatres in the world. Its impressive temples, library and medical facilities made it a renowned cultural and political centre in its time, Tour ends around 8:00 pm, transfer to hotel after the tour and overnight in Kusadasi.
DAY 6 - Ephesus Tour (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
08:30 You will be picked up from your hotel for Full day tour of Ephesus & The House of Virgin Mary. First you will visit The Temple of Artemis, which once was one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Then you will visit the world famous ancient Greco-Roman City of Ephesus, the most well preserved example in the world. After visiting this impressive site, you will have a lunch break. After lunch, you will visit The House of Virgin Mary, where it is believed she spent her last days. This is a holy place for both Christians and Muslims.
After the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel at around 17:00. Overnight in Kusadasi.
DAY 7 - Pamukkale Tour / Bus to Cappadocia (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch)
Breakfast & check out the hotel.
08:30 You will be picked up from your hotel for Full day tour of Pamukkale. In Pamukkale, you will see the Cotton Cliffs, one of the natural wonders of the world formed by deposits of calcareous salts. Also visit the ancient ruins of the City of Hierapolis with its basilica , theatre and Roman Baths.
After tour overnight bus to Cappadocia with non smoking, fully air-conditioned bus at 21:00. (duration 10 hours). There are three breaks on the way for your personal needs.
DAY 8 - Cappadocia Tour 1 (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch)
07:00 Arrive Urgup or Goreme. Met on arrival & transfer to hotel.
You will have some time to relax and fresh up.
09:30 You will be picked up from your hotel for Full day tour of North Cappadocia. In this day you will be able to see:
DEVRENT VALLEY: Devrent is situated on the northern slopes of Aktepe, 1km from Pasabaglari (Monks’ Valley) and 5 km from Avanos. The ruins at Devrent are spread over three valleys, which also house several pointed fairy chimneys with large stems.
MONKS VALLEY: The best place to see three-headed fairy chimneys. Pasabag, the Pasha's Vineyard, is surrounded by incredible natural rock formations; a spectacular scene.
AVANOS: A center of terra cotta work of art since 3000 BC, it is a town where you will be invited to visit a traditional pottery workshop, which is possibly set deep into the hillsides. The clay, which comes from the Red River passing through the town, gives life both to the land and to the local economy.
GOREME OPEN AIR MUSEUM: Goreme was an important Christian centre in the early years of the Middle Ages, was a bishopric administered by Mokissos near Aksaray in the 11th and 13th centuries. Despite the vast numer of monasteries, churches and chapels in the vicinity of Goreme, there are not many inscriptions bearing dates. For this reason, these religious buildings are mainly dated according to the iconography or architectural features.
UCHISAR: Uchisar is a troglodyte town situated right in the middle of Cappadocia. It is named after the enormous piece of rock in the center of the town, which was once used as a castle. This extraordinary rock is the highest peak of the area with the view of whole Cappadocia and Erciyes (Argeus) Mountain.
After the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel at around 17:30. Overnight in Cappadocia.
DAY 9 - Cappadocia Tour 2 (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch)
09:30 You will be picked up from your hotel for Full day tour of South Cappadocia. In this day you will be able to see:
KIZILCUKUR: is an isolated valley behind Urgup. It has beautiful rock formation with some great hidden rock-carved churches. The most interesting part of this area is the countless tracks connecting the small villages and towns through vineyards and gardens like a spider net. It is always possible to see villagers working in the area and offering grapes, apples or apricots to you.
CAVUSIN: One of the oldest settlements in the area, Cavusin is situated 2km from Goreme, on the Goreme-Avanos road. The Church of St.John the Baptist offers a panoramic view of the village. This church and its paintigs date back to the 5th century, making the oldest church in the region. It had a large courtyard which is unusual for Cappadocia, this has been eroded away however.
HOSPITAL MONASTRY: One of the oldest monastries in Cappadocia.
KAYMAKLI: Kaymakli and Derinkuyu underground cities are the two largest and deepest of the 40 others in Cappadocia. They both have eight floors, although not all are open to the public.
PIGEON HOUSE: Visit the pigeon houses and rock formations.
After the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel at around 17:30. Overnight in Cappadocia.
DAY 10 - Flight to Istanbul (Meals: Breakfast)
Breakfast & check out the hotel.
Pick up from your hotel and transfer to Kayseri A/P to take a flight to Istanbul. Upon arrival, meet and transfer to your hotel. Rest of the day is free to explore Istanbul by your own. Overnight in Istanbul.
DAY 11 - Istanbul (Meals: Breakfast)
Free day at leisure. Overnight in Istanbul.
DAY 12 - Istanbul / Departure (Meals: Breakfast)
After breakfast check out from hotel (before 12:00), transfer to Istanbul Ataturk Airport regarding your flight details. End of tour and services. (If you would like, you can extend your trip by adding extra nights in Istanbul, please advise.
Please contact us for more information: info@allistanbultours.com
Tour Code : ADN-2614
