ITINERARY
DAY 1. ISTANBUL
Arrive in Istanbul Atatürk airport where
you will be met and transferred to your hotel. After checking in and
freshening up, we highly reco
mmend that you take a good rest, both
because of the jet lag and also because you will be starting on your
wonderful trip of Turkey early the following morning. Rest of the day is
free at leisure.
Overnight Istanbul
DAY
2. ISTANBUL - CAPPADOCIA
Early morning transfer to the Istanbul airport. Take the morning flight
from Istanbul that will bring us to Kayseri. Upon arrival you will be
transferred to your Hotel in Cappadocia. Then we shall take a full day
tour of Cappadocia (the land of beautiful horses) view some of the
fascinating frescoed and rock carved churches of the Göreme open-air
museum, Visit the historic village of Cavusin, continue to Avanos for
lunch, and visit the pottery artisans in the traditional rock carved
village of Avanos. Stop at the majestic fairy-chimneys of Pasabag, a
gentle stroll among the naturally sculptured rock shapes of Devrent
Valley. Continue to Urgup to sample some of the wine produced in the
area. Enjoy a panoramic view over Göreme from the Red and Rose Valleys,
before returning to your hotel.
Overnight - Cappadocia
DAY 3. CAPPADOCIA
This tour journey starts by a visit to the Uchisar castle, followed by a
panoramic view of the Pigeon Valley. Then we continue across the fertile
plains of Cappadocia, passing through several villages and come to one
of the two largest fascinating multilevel underground cities, namely
Kaymakli or Derinkuyu, a unique feature of this region. The
we proceed
to Güzelyurt, (Gelveri), hometown of St. Gregory Nazianzen. We take a
little tour of this very authentic Turkish village. After having lunch,
we finally go down into the sheer-sided canyon of Ihlara. This deep
canyon is quite lush and a stream runs through it all the way. On the
cliffs on both sides there are a multitude of rock hewn churches. We
enjoy a very pleasant and easy 4 Km hike through the Ihlara canyon and
we arrive in the Belisirma village., a very authentic and unspoilt
village. Then we leave for Selime to visit this surreal ancient
monastic site and several rock hewn churches. Then we take the road back
and return to your hotel.
Overnight - Cappadocia
DAY 4. CAPPADOCIA
This tour is specially designed to discover
the hidden treasures of many out of the way, spectacular, interesting
and realistic sights of Cappadocia. Our first stop is at the fascinating
village of Ortahisar, featuring the naturally sculptured rock fortress.
Then we continue to the Pancarlik valley to admire the famous church (Pancarlik
Church). We proceed to the Gomeda Valley, which is a cave dwelling
centre where the first Cappadocians lived in ancient times. We go on,
passing through typical Anatolian villages such as Ayvali and Mazi and
we finally arrive in the Soganli Valley, with its many Byzantine period
rock tombs, enjoying a leisurely hike and exploring the Armenian
architectural style rock carved churches and monastery ruins. This
valley is also known as the Valley of Dolls. After having lunch in the
village, we continue on our way, passing through the village of
Sahinefendi, and visiting Sobessos, the rather recently discovered late
Roman site, featuring incredible mosaic work. We proceed and pass by
Taskinpasa Caravanserai, which now serves as the village library and
which features a wonderfully carved stone gate. The next stop will be
the Byzantine Keslik Monastery. We continue to Mustafa pasha (Sinasos),
renowned for its excellent Ottoman and Greek architecture. We shall also
visit the very first church that was constructed by the Ottomans for the
Christians here. After an easygoing stroll, exploring this village, we
return to our ho
tel.
Overnight - Cappadocia
DAY 5. CAPPADOCIA - ISTANBUL
Early morning transfer to the Kayseri
airport for your flight to Istanbul. Upon arrival transfer to your hotel
for check-in and fresh
ening up before you start your daily tour of this
magnificient city by visiting the magnificent Haghia Sophia, and then
continue to the marvelous Topkapi palace, that served as the palace of
the Ottoman Sultans between the 16th and 19th centuries. Optional visits:
to the Treasury, where the extensive exhibits include priceless world-class
collections of jewelry, porcelain, textiles and costumes of the Sultans,
as well as to the Harem quarters, which is an absolute highlight. Have
lunch in one of the special traditional restaurants in Topkapi. Then we
continue to visit the famous Blue Mosque, the Byzantine Hippodrome and
the incredible Underground Cistern. Evening free at leisure.
Overnight Istanbul
DAY 6. ISTANBUL
In the morning, we get aboard a ferryboat
for a fabulous cruise up the strait of Bosphorus, passing half a dozen
Ottoman imperial palaces, traditional Yalis (waterside villas) and shore
villages. Disembark at Sariyer for lunch at a seaside restaurant. Then
we drive south, and stop to visit the Castle of Rumeli Hisar, after
which, accompanied by your escorting guide, you explore the Grand Bazaar
(Kapalicarsi), the world's oldest "shopping mall", to look for treasures
in its 4000 shops and then dive into the colorful sights, vibrant sounds
and intriguing scents of the Egyptian Market (Spice Bazaar). Evening
free at leisure
Overnight Istanbul
DAY 7. ISTANBUL
Free morning for last minute shopping; time permitting, before transfer
to Istanbul airport for departure to ongoing destinations.