Three Beauties of Turkey Tour (6 Day)

Istanbul
Ephesus
Cappadocia

Day – Arrival

Welcome to Turkey!

You will be met at the Istanbul airport just outside the arrivals gate with a sign depicting your name before being conveyed to your hotel. Overnight in Istanbul.

Day – Istanbul City Tour

Breakfast is served at the hotel. After meeting your guide in the lobby, your tour of the Sultanahmet district, the heart of ancient Istanbul, will commence at Hagia Sophia. The cathedral, constructed by Emperor Justinian in the early sixth century AD and designed by Anthemius of Tralles and Isodore of Miletus, is one of the architectural wonders of the globe. It became a mosque in 1453 and is now a museum. Its massive cupola still dominates the ancient Istanbul skyline. The Blue Mosque derives its name from the magnificent mosaics that decorate its interior. The stadium of ancient Byzantium, the Hippodrome, housed one hundred thousand spectators and displayed objects from all corners of the empire. The Grand Bazaar was the economic center of the old city, and its 4,000 stores are filled with treasures such as carpets and kilims, silks, jewelry, ceramics, icons, and leather products. While exploring the Grand Bazaar, indulge in some Ottoman-style purchasing.

After lunch, we’ll visit Topkapi Palace, the official palace of Ottoman sultans from the 15th through the 19th centuries. Both the Baghdad Kiosk and the magnificent Imperial Treasury are on our itinerary. The former Topkapi Palace is now a museum with some of the world’s finest collections of jewels on display, including the third biggest diamond in the world, known as the Spoonmaker’s Diamond. Among its many other treasures are exquisite Chinese celadon ceramics that were presents to the Ottoman court and one of the greatest collections in the world. Some of the ceramics include a unique glaze that is claimed to alter its color when exposed to poison. The Imperial Armory, housing Ottoman weapons from across the empire’s history, is another site we explore. It is easy to envision the sultan wandering here free from the burdens of state and empire amid Topkapi Palace’s lovely courtyards shaded by old trees. Overnight in Istanbul.

Day – Ephesus Tour & Flight to Cappadocia

We will meet you and transfer you to Istanbul Airport (IST or SAW) for your departure to Izmir very early in the morning. Your vehicle will drop you off at the airport, where you will self-check in and fly to your destination using the provided airline tickets. Upon arrival at the terminal’s exit, our staff will hold a sign bearing your name, and we will proceed to the tour’s starting point.

Ephesus Ruins
Temple of Artemis
Virgin Mary’s House

Starting at the city’s upper gate, our tour of Ephesus’s ruins will take us to the 25,000-person capacity Ephesus Antic Theatre, the Hadrian Temple, and the renowned Library of Celsus.

The Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, is our next destination. After that, we’ll visit the home where the Virgin Mary spent her last years.

We’ll drive you to Izmir Airport so you can catch your flight to Cappadocia after the tour is over. When you get to Cappadocia, we’ll be there to pick you up and take you to your accommodation. In Cappadocia for the night.

Day – Cappadocia (North) Red Tour

Goreme Open Air Museum
Devrent Valley
Cavusin Village
Avanos

The Goreme Open Air Museum seems like a huge monastery complex with dozens of refectory monasteries standing side by side, each with its own spectacular cathedral. Because of its convenient location in the middle of Cappadocia, it is the first stop for visitors coming from any direction. It’s home to some of the most impressive rock-cut cathedrals, along with stunning frescoes (wall paintings) whose vibrant hues have been carefully preserved.

The distance between Devrent and Zelve Valleys is only one kilometer. Several tall, pointed fairy chimneys may be found among the ruins at Devrent, which are distributed across three valleys.

Cavusin Village is a very historic community in the region. The settlement is seen in its whole from the churct of st. John Baptist. This is the oldest church in the area, with paintings that date back to the 5th century.

Avanos has been the center of terra cotta art since 3000 BCE. Clay from the Red River, which flows through the city, nourishes both the land and the local economy. Overnight in Cappadocia.

Optional Balloon Tour: Flying in a hot air balloon is an incredible and incomparable experience that you will never forget. You will be taken up from your hotel and transferred to our balloon site very early in the morning. While you are registering for your flight, you will be offered a light brunch. After meeting at the launch site, you will observe the preparation of our balloons for your expedition. After taking to the air, you will see a magnificent sunrise over Cappadocia. You will be amazed by the variety of hues and forms. We will ascend to a height of 3000 feet, at which point you will almost be able to touch the magical chimneys. After we touch down, your pilot will hand you flight certificates while you have a champagne toast (or soft drink). When the balloons have deflated, you’ll be taken back to the launch site so you can get on with your day.

Day – Cappadocia (South) Green Tour

Kaymakli Underground City
Pigeon Valley
Ortahisar Rock Castle
Esentepe Panorama
Rose Valley

Kaymakli Underground City was constructed beneath the elevation known as the Citadel of Kaymakli in 1964 and opened to the public. The inhabitants of the village of Kaymakli (Enegup in Greek) have built their homes around nearly one hundred passages of the underground city. Accessible from their courtyards, the residents of the region continue to utilize the caverns’ most convenient spaces as cellars, storage areas, and livestock. The passageways of the Kaymakli Underground City are low, narrow, and inclined. Today, only four of the subterranean city’s eight levels are accessible to the public, and their spaces are organized around ventilation passages.

Pigeon Valley is a moderate hike through a green valley with numerous rock formations and hundreds of fairy-chimney-shaped pigeon dwellings.

Uchisar, home to the town and stronghold of the same name, is where you’ll find Uçhisar Rock Castle. This stronghold, which stands at an impressive 60 meters (200 feet) in height, was hewn from a natural hill and commands an incredible panorama of the surrounding Cappadocian landscape.

There is no better vantage point in all of Goreme than the Esentepe Panorama.

Beautiful rock formations and excellent secret rock-carved churches may be found in Rose Valley. The area’s greatest charm lies in the web of trails that crisscross vineyards and gardens to link the many hamlets and towns.

Day – Flight Back to Istanbul

We’ll meet you in the lobby of your hotel and convey you to Cappadocia Airport for your departure to Istanbul. At Istanbul Airport, proceed to the international terminal for your departure back home.

Price Includes