ISTANBUL – CAPPADOCIA - EPHESUS (7 Days)

Day 1 (Istanbul - Half day Bosporus Cruise with lunch)
After your arrival to Istanbul airport, we will transfer you to your hotel in Sultanahmet area (old Istanbul). You will have free time until noon. You will feast your eyes on the hightlights of Bosphorus while enjoying a delicious grilled fish, chicken or meatball menu accompanied by fresh salads, Anatolian cheese and special Turkish desert Baklava.
We will depart the cruise from Rumeli Fortress. Situated at the narrowest point of the Bosporus strait, this forrest was built to prevent aid from the Black Sea reaching Constantinople during the Turkish siege of the city in 1453 AD. You will have your lunch on the boat and see Poyrazkoy next. You will see a panoramic view of istanbul, Bosphorus and Black sea from the best point of view. Poyrazkoy is one of the villages nearest to the Black Sea and is located on the Anatolian side of the Istanbul. From the minaret a bridge leads out to the gun emplacements and ammunition stores and a great view. Although the village is located on top of a hill, there is a road leading to the beach just before the village. Poyrazkoy is an excellent place for a break or for shelter while sailing from Istanbul to the Black Sea.
Our cruise will end at Kabatas around 6 pm and you will be transferred to your hotel.
Overnight in Istanbul.
Day 2 (Istanbul full day tour)
We will pick you up from your hotel at around 08:30 and to day begins with a visit to the amazing Topkapi Palace – home to the Ottoman Sultans for almost 400 years. Today, the palace houses amazing artifacts from the Ottoman period as well as many religious pieces and the famous Harem. The next stop is the Sultanahmet Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque – built in the 16th century, this working mosque gets its names from the intricate blue Iznik tiles which adorn the inside. On to the Roman Hippodrome – this Byzantine scene was home to Constantinople's sporting and political life. Today we can see many monuments including a 3500 year old Egyptian Obelisk. Our next destination is a local restaurant for lunch.

After lunch, we continue with our walking tour by visiting the famous Aya Sofia (Hagia Sophia) museum – this architectural wonder was built in 360 A.D. and was used as a house of worship by different religions until finally being converted to a museum in 1935. The Basilica Cistern is our next stop – also known as the Sunken Water Palace, the Cistern has 336 marble columns and was built in 532 A.D. We continue on to the Tomb of Sultan Mahmud and the ancient Ottoman cemetery, the Cemberlitas – known as the Banded Column and finally onto the Grand Bazaar. The Grand Bazaar – the ultimate Old World shopping center with some 4000 shops. Around 4:30pm, we will transfer you back to the hotel.
Overnight in Istanbul
Day 3 (Cappadocia Tour)
Around 5 am, we will transfer you to Istanbul airport and at 07:00 you will fly to Cappadocia. Upon your arrival to Nevsehir airport, we will transfer you to your hotel in Cappadocia. The History and Adventure Tour starts at 10:00 by pick-up from your hotel. After a 5 minute drive we will start our hike in the beautiful Rose Valley which will take slightly more than one hour.

We will see fairy-chimneys, local farms, pigeon houses and cave chapels – as well as take in the wonderful range of rose-colored hues in the valley, changing in intensity depending on the season, time of day and weather conditions. Your guide will give information about the history and the unique formations of Cappadocia during the hike. At the end of the hike, we will have a quick stop at the picturesque old Cavusin cave village.

Our next stop will be Monks Valley (Pasabag), where we will see the mushroom-shaped fairy chimneys and St. Simeon's monk cell. Then, we will drive to Goreme for the lunch.

In the afternoon, we tour the Kaymakli Underground City, the first and most popular underground city in Cappadocia. This complex carved underground is used for hundreds of years by locals to hide from Romans, Persians and Arabs. We will then drive back to your hotel.

Overnight in Goreme.

Day 4 (Cappadocia full day tour)
On your fourth day, you may have an optional hot air balloon flight with sunrise. After the breakfast, you will join a full day Cappadocia tour (at 09:30). To south Cappadocia with an introduction up on the Goreme panoramic view point. Then a one hour drive to Guzelyurt, historically populated with Christians until the 1923 population exchange, and into the Underground City famous for the tandir ovens and the squat toilet!


And now to the most spectacular gorge in Turkey: Ihlara. A one and a half hour walk along the Melendiz River passing Byzantine rock chapels. Our hike concludes at the base of Belisirma Village and lunch on the river. Selime Monastery and Cathedral are next - used historically as a fortress during 10th to 12th centuries being the largest rock-cut settlement in Cappadocia.. We will then drive back to your hotel.

Overnight in Goreme.
Day 5 (Flight to Ephesus)
After your breakfast at the hotel, we will transfer you to Kayseri Airport and you will take direct flight to Izmir.** Our driver will be waiting for you at Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport and will drive you to your hotel in Ephesus area (either Selcuk or Kusadasi). You will have free afternoon. Overnight in Ephesus region.

Day 6 (Ephesus Tour - Flight to Istanbul)
Ephesus Celsius LibraryToday, you will take a full day tour to Ephesus and Virgin Mary's House. During your 2 to 3 hours visit in Ephesus, you will see Odeion, Goddes Rome temple, Hadrian temple, Divine Ceasar temple, Pollia and Trajan fountains, Celsius library, more than thousand year old public toilets, Ephesus Theatre, harbour street and many other highlights of city of Ephesus. After your lunch the tour will continue with Artemis temple which is one of the "Seven Wonders of the World". After the temple you will visit The Virgin Mary's House. The tour will finish at 16:00. Then, we will drive you to Izmir airport for evening flight to Istanbul. Our driver will pick you up from Istanbul airport and drive you to your hotel in Istanbul.
Day 7 (Istanbul)
You will have free time in Istanbul until the transfer to airport for your international flight. Optional activities can be arranged in Istanbul as well.