Highlights of Turkey Tour: 8 Days Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus, Pamukkale

Day 1 - Arrival Istanbul/Turkey   Any time   Istanbul   Upon your arrival to Istanbul International Airport, you will be met by our hostess hostess in front of  GATE 8 (Outside) and transferred to your hotel. Before dinner, you can take a walk through the  historical Sultanahmet district of Istanbul, having a look at the Hippodrome and the famous Blue  Mosque. Overnight stay in Istanbul.   

Day Tour: --   Meals: --   Overnight: Istanbul   

Day 2 - Istanbul Old City Tour  

 Pick up 08:00   Istanbul   After having breakfast at the hotel, you will explore the wonderful sites of Old Istanbul, the only city  in the world straddling two continents, Europe and Asia. You will visit the Blue Mosque, with its six  graceful minarets and famed blue Iznik Tiles, the Hippodrome, ancient Roman arena for chariot  racing and Grand Bazaar with its more than 4,000 shops. You will then visit The Topkapi Palace,  which from the 15th to the 19th Century was the principle residence of the Ottoman Sultans. You  will visit the fabulous Imperial Treasury and the Baghdad Kiosk. Topkapi Palace is now a museum  and has unrivaled collections of jewelry, including the Spoonmakers Diamond, the 3rd largest  diamond in the world, Ottoman court costumes and ceramics, notably one of the world's finest  collection of early Chinese ceramics, much of it gifts from other rulers. Interestingly, some of the  ceramics have a special glaze that was said to change color in the presence of poison. You also  visit the Imperial Armory, displaying centuries of Ottoman weaponry. But perhaps the loveliest  features of Topkapi Palace are its courtyards with their ancient trees, and it is easy to imagine the  sultan strolling here far from the cares of state and empire. Finally, visit the museum of Haghia  Sophia* and the Church of The Divine Wisdom. After the tour, you will be dropped back to your  hotel. Overnight stay in Istanbul.   

Closed  

- Hagia Sophia Museum and Blue Mosque closed on Friday due to Friday Prayer / No replacement  

- Grand Bazaar on Sunday / Replaced with the Handicraft Store  

- Topkapi Palace closed on Tuesday / No replacement   

Day Tour: Full Day Istanbul Old City Tour   

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch   

Overnight: Istanbul   

Pick-up Time: 08.00am (approximately)   

Day 3 - Bosphorus Tour  

Pick up 08:00  

Istanbul - Pamukkale   After having breakfast at the hotel, you will start your half day Bosphorus tour and visit the 17th  Century Egyptian Spice Bazaar* and embark on an unforgettable cruise along the Bosphorus, the  beautiful strait that divides Europe from Asia. Winding between wooded hills, it is lined with  mosques, castles, 19th Century mansions, picturesque villages and the extravagant baroque  places of the late Ottoman Sultans. Our tour concludes with a drive along the Istanbul Bosphorus to visit the Rumeli Fortress, built by Mehmed the Conqueror. After the tour, you will be transferred  back to your hotel. We will pick you up again approx 03.00pm and transfer to Istanbul airport for  your flight to Denizli. Upon your arrival to Denizli airport, you will be transferred to your hotel where  you will have the evening at leisure. Overnight stay in Pamukkale.   

Day Tour: Half Day Bosphorus Tour   

Meals: Breakfast   Overnight: Pamukkale   

Flight: Istanbul to Denizli   

Pick-up Time: 08.00am (approximately)   

Day 4 - Pamukkale Tour  

 Pick up 09:30   

After breakfast at hotel, you will meet with your guide and then continue on to the UNESCO World  Heritage Site of Pamukkale. Also known as Cotton Castle in Turkish, this natural wonder is a sight  to behold. The rock formations contain hot springs with terraces of carbonate minerals that are  relaxing to bathe in. If you wish, take a dip in one of its many pools, or just admire them and stay  dry. From Pamukkale, continue on to the ancient city of Hierapolis where you will visit the Roman  Amphitheatre, a historical museum, the Basilica of St. Philippe, the Necropolis and Cleopatra pool  (own expense). Then have lunch at a local restaurant and enjoy a display of locally handcrafted  ONYX goods before transfer to your hotel where you will have the evening at leisure. Overnight  stay in Kusadasi.   

Day Tour: Full Day Pamukkale & Hierapolis Tour   

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch   Overnight: Kusadasi   

Pick-up Time: 09.30am (approximately)   

Day 5 - Ephesus Tour   

Pick up 08:30   

Kusadasi - Ephesus - Cappadocia   

Absorb yourself in history today with a guided tour of the site of one of the Seven Ancient Wonders  of the world, the site of the Temple of Artemis and the ancient city of Ephesus. Feel the mystical  atmosphere of the city and stadium where chariot and horse races were once held. You will also  have the chance to experience some Turkish handicrafts and visit the pilgrimage point claimed to  be the last home of the Virgin Mary. At the end of the tour, you will be transferred to Izmir airport  for your flight to Cappadocia. After you arrived to Cappadocia airport, you will be transferred to  your hotel. Overnight stay in Cappadocia.  

Day Tour: Full Day Ephesus Tour   

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch   

Overnight: Cappadocia   

Flight: Izmir to Cappadocia   

Pick-up Time: 08.30am (approximately)

Day 6 - Cappadocia Green Tour   

After breakfast at hotel, you will meet with your guide and depar for full-day tour of Cappadocia.  We will start the day visiting the Red Valley, where we will have the opportunity to take a walk  through the orchards and vineyards, among the fairytale chimneys and houses carved into the  rock. We will continue the walk through the valley. We will also visit the old Cappadocia Panorama  and Pigeon valley, named for the hundreds of small windows carved into the rock to attract  pigeons, so they can nest in them. Then we will visit the Underground City whose main function  was to shelter the inhabitants of the region in case of invasions. We will also visit the Ortahisar  Castle and the city of Mustafapasa, an ancient Greek settlement, also known as Sinasos. After the  tour, you will be dropped back to your hotel. Overnight stay in Cappadocia.   

Day Tour: Cappadocia Green (South) Tour   

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch   

Overnight: Cappadocia   

Pick-up Time: 09.30am (approximately)   

Hot air balloon ride over the valleys of Cappadocia   (Optional - Extra Cost , You may choose Hot Air Ballon Tour included Package on Standart group tour packages)   

Get ready for a wonderful experience unique to Cappadocia! We will pick you up from hotel at early  morning (depending on the location of your hotel) and transfer you to the balloon site where you  will have the opportunity to watch the balloon being prepared for your flight as you enjoy a light  breakfast snack; preparation time is generally 15-20 minutes. Your flight will begin at sunrise,  where your pilot will climb to a comfortable altitude of about 700 to 1000 meters above ground  level. It is from this elevation that you will marvel at the beauty of Cappadocia below you. During  certain segments of the flight our pilots are also capable of flying as low as 1 meter above the rock  formations which will allow you perfect photo taking opportunities. The Standard Flight is a total of  60 fascinating minutes. There will be a champagne celebration at end of the flight and you will be  presented with a Flight Certificate, signed by your pilot, as a souvenir reminder of this magnificent  experience. Transfer to hotel, have breakfast, and then you can continue on with your full-day  Cappadocia tour.   

Day 7 – Cappadocia Red Tour   

Pick up 09:30   

Cappadocia - Flight Back to Istanbul   

After breakfast at hotel, you will meet with your guide for another full-day tour of Cappadocia. The  first stop on today's tour is Uchisar Castle. Then you walk through the Valley of the Love to  Cavusin, where you stop for lunch and learn about handmade pottery in Avanos Town. You will  then visit the Fairy Chimneys (Mushrooms Valley), followed by Devrent Valley and Open Air  Museum in Cappadocia. At the end of the tour, you will be transferred to Cappadocia airport for  your flight to Istanbul. After you arrived to Istanbul airport, you will be transferred to your hotel in  Istanbul.   

Day Tour: Cappadocia Red (North) Tour   

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch   

Overnight: Istanbul   

Flight: Cappadocia to Istanbul   

Pick-up Time: 09.30am (approximately)  

Day 8 - Leave Turkey   

Transfer to Istanbul Airport  

 After breakfast check out from the hotel and private transfer to Istanbul Airport for your flight back  home or any other destination.   

Meals: Breakfast   

Pick-up Time: It depends your flight time.