Splendid Turkey

Upon arrival in Istanbul, our representative will meet and assist you with the transfer to your hotel. Overnight in Istanbul.

After breakfast at the hotel, take a guided stroll through Sogukcesme Street with traditional wooden houses, (Yali) that are now landmark buildings of Ottoman architecture. Your stroll will take you to the Topkapi Palace, the largest and oldest of the remaining Ottoman Sultans’ palaces. You will tour the harem, gardens, kitchens, treasury, and terraces with a breathtaking view overlooking the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn. After a brief stop at the Fountain of Sultan Ahmet the 3rd, stop and admire from the outside one of Istanbul’s most famous UNESCO World Heritage site and a masterpiece of Byzantine architecture dating back to the sixth century, Hagia Sophia. Make a stop to enjoy lunch and after, visit the Blue Mosque covered by more than 20,000 Iznik tiles and continue to the Roman Hippodrome, where chariot races used to take place. Your last stop of the day is the Grand Bazaar. One of the oldest markets and best places to buy souvenirs in Istanbul. After the tour continue exploring the city on your own and return to your hotel independently. Overnight in Istanbul.

After breakfast, you will be picked up for your half-day Bosphorus Tour. Walk along the Golden Horn, the waterway that divides the European part of Istanbul, to the Egyptian Bazaar. You will have some time at leisure to enjoy this lively market full of aromas and bustle, whose streets give off all the flavor of the East. Continue to the pier for a cruise on the Bosphorus, which connects the Black Sea with the Marmara Sea. During the cruise, you will see the beautiful European and Asian shores of Istanbul with its palaces, fortresses, and beautiful wooden residences. After the tour continue exploring the city on your own and return to your hotel independently.
In the afternoon, you will be transferred to the airport for a flight to Cappadocia. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel. Overnight in Cappadocia.

After breakfast at the hotel, you will spend the entire day enjoying the natural beauty and the cultural depth of this unique region. You will explore the frescoed interiors of Goreme Open-air Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, preserving an impressive set of churches, chapels, and monasteries dating from the 8th century. Continue to Goreme Valley and immerse yourself in its surreal landscape of carved-out towering rock formations (fairy chimneys) that change color with every sunset; take a walk in Avcilar, and Pasabagi. You will also tour the red Valley of Dervent, where pink-hued rock formations, eroded by centuries of wind and rain, give rise to a spectacular landscape defined by spikes, cones, & obelisks. You will have a brief photo stop at Uçhisar before returning to the hotel for dinner. Optional Tour (At an extra cost) Hot Air Balloon Flight Over Cappadocia. You have the option to locally book an early morning hot air balloon flight (weather permitting) to admire the breathtaking moonlike landscape of Cappadocia over the Fairy Chimneys, orchards, and vineyards. Overnight in Cappadocia.

After breakfast, transfer to Cappadocia's airport for your flight to Izmir. Upon arrival in Izmir, you will be driven to your hotel in Kusadasi. Overnight in Kusadasi.

After breakfast in the hotel, set off for your full-day tour of the ancient city of Ephesus. You will explore the antique city by wandering along its 2,000-year-old marble streets and seeing famous sites such as the Grand Theatre and the Celsus Library. In the afternoon, visit the home of the Virgin Mary and stop by the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, where only a column remains as a reminder of where it once stood. Dinner & overnight in Kusadasi.

After breakfast, you will be picked up from the hotel and depart to Pamukkale, known as the “Cotton Castle” and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You will discover the immense cascading tiers of white limestone and enjoy the beauty of pure white terraces dotted with clear turquoise pools. After lunch, visit Hierapolis with its magnificently preserved Necropolis, the main street & gates, the Thermal Baths, the Devil’s Hole, and Masterpiece Theater. Return to your hotel for dinner & overnight.