Tour overview

Join us for a cooking tour and wine tasting that will teach you the secrets of Turkish cuisine. Our friendly Turkish hosts will guide you through the journey. The itinerary covers Istanbul, Gallipoli, Pergamon, Kusadasi, Pamukkale, and Cappadocia, showcasing the best of Turkish culinary culture.

Highlights

• Gourmet, Turkish Cuisine, Cooking Lessons, Istanbul Old City, Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, Battlefields of Gallipoli, Troy, Pergamon & Olive Oil Factory Visit, Ephesus Ancient City, Wine Tasting, Pamukkale, Underground City, Goreme Open Air Museum, Cappadocia, Shopping.

Itinerary

 Day 1: Istanbul – Arrival Day – Welcome Dinner

(Welcome Dinner included)

Welcome to Turkey! The TSG team will accompany you to the hotel. Tonight, you’ll be treated to a warm welcome dinner where you’ll meet our friendly crew and fellow travelers. Savor traditional Turkish cuisine while taking in the enchanting nighttime atmosphere of Istanbul. Overnight in Istanbul.

VISITED PLACES

 Day 2: Cooking Lesson – Istanbul City Tour

(Breakfast and Lunch included)

After breakfast, you will have an orientation and participate in your first Turkish cooking lesson. Our professional daily cooking tours expose you to the very best professional cooking classes Turkey can offer. The menu will be typical, but vegetarian menus are available upon request. We have lunch with the dishes we prepare to get some energy before the old city tour. 

After the cooking class, the tour will depart for a gorgeous Istanbul City Tour. The first stop is the Topkapi Palace; the great palace of the Ottoman Sultans from the 15th to the 19th centuries. At the same time, it houses an exquisite collection of crystal, silver, and Chinese porcelain, robes worn by the sultans and their families, the famous jewels of the imperial treasury, miniatures, and the holy mantle, enshrining relics of the Prophet Mohammed.

The second stop of the tour is Sultanahmet Square, where the Sultanahmet Imperial Mosque salutes the Hagia Sophia. The Sultanahmet Imperial Mosque, which was built in the 16th century by the architect Mehmet, is also known as the Blue Mosque because of its magnificent interior decoration of blue Iznik tiles. Next, the tour will explore the Hippodrome; the site of ancient chariot races, and the home of three ancient monuments; the Obelisk of Theodosius, the bronze Serpentine Column, and the Column of Constantine. When you reach the other end of the Hippodrome, the Hagia Sophia Mosque will meet you with all its grandeur. Overnight in Istanbul.

Please note: Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesdays, the Bascilica Cistern can be an alternative. Please contact your consultant for details. Remember to bring a headscarf when visiting religious sites such as the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia Mosque. 

VISITED PLACES

 Day 3: Gallipoli Tour

(Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included)

Early in the morning, we will depart for Gallipoli, which was one of the most significant fronts during WWI. After two hours of travel, we will take a 20-minute break at a restaurant. Upon arrival in Gallipoli at noon, enjoy a lunch break before visiting the battlefields. Start with Ariburnu Cemetery and Anzac Cove, the sites where the war began. Continue with stops at Beach Cemetery, Shrapnel Valley, and Plugge’s Plateau. End the tour with a drive to your hotel in Canakkale for dinner and an overnight stay.

VISITED PLACES

 Day 4: Troy Tour – Pergamon Tour and Olive Oil Factory Visit – Kusadasi

(Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included)

Troy is the first stop of our tour after breakfast. It is a famous archeological and mythological site known for the Trojan Horse and Helen of Troy. After exploring Troy, embark on a 3-hour drive to Pergamon. Enjoy a lunch break around 13:00 and later tour the impressive acropolis of Pergamon, one of the most significant cultural and political centers in ancient times, known for its temples, library, and rich production of jewelry, stones, and silver. On the way, you will have the chance to visit a local jewelry center and a local olive oil factory to see the olive oil extraction process. We will reach Kusadasi around 19:00 and spend the night there.

VISITED PLACES

 Day 5: Ephesus Tour and Sirince Village Wine Tasting

(Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included)

The departure to visit Ephesus, one of the best preserved ancient sites in the world, will be early in the morning. In Ephesus, you will visit the Temple of Artemis, Curetes Street, the famous Roman Baths, the Celsus Library, the Grand Theatre, and have a lunch break at a small Turkish restaurant. After lunch, we will visit Sirince Village, which also has a fantastic reputation for local wine production in Turkey, especially fruit wines. Here you will have the opportunity to taste and learn how to make fruit wines. In the evening, you will be tested on your knowledge of making fruit wine. On the way back to the hotel, we will stop at a carpet weaving center where the traditional Turkish art is still practiced. Overnight in Kusadasi.

VISITED PLACES

 Day 6: Daily Pamukkale Tour and Cooking Lesson

(Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included)

Early in the morning, we depart for Pamukkale. You will have your cooking class here. Early in the morning, we will depart for our Pamukkale tour. Pamukkale offers a diverse culinary experience in addition to being well-known for its unique thermal springs and calcium terraces. Denizli Kebab, the ceremonial dish Keskek, and Tavas Baklava are just a few recipes from the local cuisine. You will explore more during the class. Next, we will visit the calcium terraces of Pamukkale (cotton castle), and the ruins of Hierapolis. You will have the chance to walk around this natural phenomenon and lie in the hot, healing waters of the natural springs. After the tour, drop back to your hotel in Kusadasi. Dinner and overnight in Kusadasi.

VISITED PLACES

 Day 7: Kusadasi – Cappadocia

(Breakfast and Dinner included)

After breakfast, we will depart for Izmir Airport for our domestic flight to Nevsehir / Kayseri Airport. After the transportation and check in to your hotel in Cappadocia, the rest of the day is free. Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia. 

Please remember that you can spend the night with one of TSG’s optional tours: the whirling dervish ceremony, Turkish night show, or Turkish bath.

Please Note: Our guests who are wishing to experience the Hot Air Balloon Tour will be picked up from the hotel at about 05:30 by sunrise. On the Hot Air Balloon, the sunrise over splendid fairy chimneys and valleys can be watched. The flight will last about an hour and end with a champagne celebration on the ground.

VISITED PLACES

 Day 8: Cooking Lesson – Cappadocia Tour with Underground City and Goreme Open Air Museum

(Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included)

After breakfast, we have another cooking lesson in which we will cook and enjoy local food from Cappadocia and the center of Anatolia and taste the food we cooked. Then proceed to the Cappadocia tour. 

After breakfast, participants will take part in another cooking lesson in Cappadocia. After that, we will depart for our Cappadocia tour. The Goreme Open Air Museum, “the heart of Cappadocia,” in other words, will be our first stop. The frescoes in the Goreme Open Air Museum, which date to the 10th century and depict the lives of Jesus, and monks, are famous. Next stop is Cavusin, which is an abandoned village with old cave Greek houses. Ozkonak Underground City is on our list before the pottery workshop. Pottery production is one of the oldest crafts in the region. Hence, the tour will visit a pottery workshop, to see how to make pottery. Then we will go to Esentepe, which is one of the best panorama view points in the region. Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia.

VISITED PLACES

 Day 9: Cappadocia to Istanbul – End of Tour

(Breakfast included)

After breakfast, you will have free time to shop in Cappadocia. Today we depart for Kayseri airport for our domestic flight to Istanbul. One of TSG’s adventures comes to an end. However, you can sign up to take advantage of TSG credits, and this is the best way to snag credits and use them for your next trips as a discount, as well as to hear about the hot deals according to your interests. 

Included

 Accommodation

 Guide

 Meals

 Transport

 Other included

 Hygiene protocol

Excluded

 Flights

 Insurance

 Other not included