10 Days Best of Turkey – Cappadocia, Pamukkale & Ancient Ruins

Trip Highlights:

• Istanbul – old city, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, Hippodrome, Topkapi Palace, Caferaga Medresesi, Egyptian Bazaar & Sprice Market
• Cruise along the Bosphorus, Dolmabahce Palace
• Cappadocia region, UNESCO World Heritage listed Goreme Valley, Derinkuyu Underground City, Uchisar Castle, Hot air balloon (optional)
• Pamukkale thermal pools and Roman Hierapolis
• Aegean Coast – Kusadasi
• Roman ruins of Pergamum and Ephesus
• House of the Virgin Mary’s
• Miletus ancient Greek city
• Didyma ancient Greek sanctuary

*This itinerary includes 3 domestic flights which minimise long drives to enhance travel comfort.

Upon arrival in Istanbul (Ataturk Airport), a Divine representative will meet you & transfer to the hotel. (Check-In after 13:00pm) and check in to hotel. Rest of day is leisure and Overnight in Istanbul.

Breakfast, visit to the ancient Byzantine Hippodrome where you will tour the Egyptian Obelisk, Serpentine Column, Fountain of Wilhelm II, the elegant Blue Mosque famous with its heavenly six minarets and the Hagia Sophia Museum, built during the reign of Emperor Theodosius and burned down in the fire of Nika Revolt in 532 A.D.

Just before lunch break, you will visit the Caferaga Medresesi. After lunch break at local restaurant, you will visit the Topkapi Palace (excluding harem), residence and administrative center of the Ottoman Sultans. Day tour will finish with the visit of Grand Bazaar. Overnight in Istanbul.

05:00 am pick up from hotel and transfer to Istanbul domestic airport for flight to Kayseri at 07:00 am

08:30 am Arrival Kayseri, meet and transfer to hotel in Cappadocia. The departure time is 9:30 AM as you will be picked up from your hotel, we visit Goreme Open Air Museum consisting of five Byzantine Orthodox churches. And visit Uchisar to take pictures of “The Castle” and sightseeing.

A break for lunch in Goreme. You can enjoy Turkish cuisine in restaurant.And visit Avanos which is famous for its potteries. You can see their demonstration and you can try to make it. After that a visit to the valley of fairy chimney, the name is Pasabagi. And then we see Cavusin (Rose Valley) which has amazing beautiful red rock formations. Next is the Devrent Valley and Urgup afterwards. Overnight in Cappadocia.

Optional: Whirling Dervishes can be arranged in Cappadocia at extra cost.

Optional: This morning An hour hot-air balloon ride available with extra cost.

Breakfast, Pick up from hotel at 9:30 am. The tour begins with a visit to Goreme Panorama which is large panorama valley continuing to Uchisar. Still pigeons live in the holes of caves. Some part is called as Pigeon Valley. And then visit the Derinkuyu Underground City that is the deepest underground city with 8 levels in Cappadocia.

Then drive to Nar Lake which is volcanic lake. Then to the Ihlara Valley which is the largest, deepest and the longest canyon in Cappadocia.The valley is like a paradise with its beautiful nature and rocks. We hike about 3km beside the river in Ihlara Valley. After hiking, Lunch in Belisirma. And continue to Selime Monastery which is the biggest cave monastery in Cappadocia.

Breakfast, check out from hotel and transfer to Kayseri airport for a direct flight to Izmir at 08:50am. 10:20am arrival to Izmir, meet and transfer to hotel. Rest of day is leisure. Overnight in Kusadasi.

Breakfast, 09:00am pick up from hotel for daily Ephesus Tour; First stop, Ephesus Ancient City – Enter through the Magnesia Gate and begin a slow, downhill walk with your guide into the ruins of this Roman provincial capital. Your route takes you past the Odeon, the Celsus Library, the Temple of Hadrian, the Fountain of Trajan. The Grand Theatre, where Saint Paul preached, is the largest theatre is antiquity with capacity of 24.000 seats.

Next we will visit the ruins of the Temple of Artemis (one of the seven wonders of the world). After Lunch we will visit the House of the Virgin Mary’s. Then we drive up to the pretty old Turkish Sirince Village in Greek architectur located on the top of a mountain, where anyone will enjoy the impressive wine yards, peach trees, olive groves, tangerine and fig lands and the rocky cliffs covered with pine trees. Overnight in Kusadasi.

Breakfast, 08:00am Drive to Pamukkale, Discovery of Travertine terraces and Hierapolis. The travertine terraces at Pamukkale are one of the most spectacular natural wonders we ever have seen from various mineral springs in a vast white cliff side.

Walk along the Hierapolis ancient city ruins, see the huge Necropolis, and feel the warmth of the natural spring as you go barefoot on the Travertens. Then If you like to swim in the Ancient Pool which is also called Cleopatras Pool they charge extra entrance fee. The Cleopatra Pool is warmed by hot springs and littered with underwater fragments. Overnight in Kusadasi.

After breakfast depart for Priene which in its time was one of the most spectacular of all the Ancient Ionians Cities. After the visit here we then travel on to Miletus with its magnificent theatre and the Byzantine fortress on the acropolis above. Last, but not least, visit Didyma. Here you find the largest Ionic Temple in the world, that of Apollo. Also in Didyma lies the huge, cracked head of Medusa which long ago fell from the frieze.

After tour transfer to Izmir airport for flight to Istanbul at 20:00 pm. Arrival in Istanbul at 21:00 pm, meet at the airport and transfer to hotel. Overnight in Istanbul.

Meet your guide at hotel lobby for a short drive to Spice Market, Egyptian Bazaar heaped with various sweets & spices is one of the world’s largest spice bazaars since 1665. Soon after, you will visit the Rustem Pasha Mosque. Then embark on the Bosphorus ferry for an unforgettable cruise along the Bosphorus, the beautiful strait that divides Europe from Asia.

After lunch break, day tour will continue with driving across the first Bosphorus Bridge & head for the summit of Camlica Hill, which offers 360° panoramic views of Istanbul overlooking the Sea of Marmara. Driving back to Europe over the Bosphorus Bridge, you will visit Dolmabahce Palace (excluding harem), the imperial residence of the last six Sultans, with more than 340 rooms & 8 Turkish baths. Overnight in Istanbul.

Breakfast, check-out from hotel (before 12:00pm), we will arrange transfer to Istanbul Ataturk Airport.

Package Includes:

• All private A/C transportation & round-trip airport transfers
• All hotel accommodations on twin/triple share basis
• All tours with professional English speaking tour guide
• All main entrance fees to sights as per itinerary
• All meals as per itinerary
• All required domestic flight tickets

Package Excludes:

• International airfare
• Visa
• Travel insurance
• All alcoholic and other beverages
• All personal expenses
• Optional activities
• Resort/hotel facilities and activities
• Tips