OPERATION BETWEEN APR 15 AND OCT 15 EVERYDAY

CAPPADOCIA SECTION GROUP TOUR

NEMRUT URFA WILL BE PRIVATE

Day 1 – Bus Istanbul to Cappadocia
Overnight bus to Cappadocia. Departure at around 19.30 o’clock from a point near our offices in Sultanahmet. The departure time may change slightly depending on season but you will be informed of exact departure time after you your reservation is completed.

Day 2 – Cappadocia
(Breakfast & lunch included)
Your bus will arrive to Cappadocia next day early in the morning. Full day Northern Cappadocia tour including transfers, guide and entrance fee. This tour will cover the most famous parts of the region such as Goreme Open Air Museum, Zelve, Urgup and Devrent Valley. Lunch will be served during the tour in a local Turkish Restaurant. Transfer back to your cave hotel.

Cappadocia is considered to be one of the wonders of the world and for centuries it has sheltered churches, frescoes, mosaics and paintings of Byzantine art. We explore the lunar landscape of Cappadocia: the beautiful 13th-century painted churches of the Goreme Valley, decorated and used by Byzantine Orthodox monks during the Seljuk Empire and Rumi’s lifetime. We continue to the labyrinth of Zelve Valley, with its troglodyte (“cave-dweller”) houses; and the “fairy chimneys” of Pasabag.

Day 3 – Cappadocia – Nemrut
(Breakfast, lunch and dinner included)
Departure in the morning from Cappadocia. After passing Kayseri visit the 13th century Seljuk Caravanserai on the way. The next stop will be in Pinarbasi for a short tea break, than drive to Tekir Valley for Lunch. Take a picture of the beautiful scenery of the Tekir Valley. Drive to Kahraman Maras to have world famous ice-cream, than drive to Kahta town near the mountain slope. Transfer to hotel.

(Nemrut Mountain): At the junction of the East and West civilizations, Nemrut Dagi (Mount Nemrut) is one of the most astounding sites in Turkey: A collection of colossal statues on a remote mountain 2150m high on top of the mountain, adorning the temple and tomb of King Antiochus. The western terrace contains a large slab with a lion, showing the arrangement of stars and the planets Jupiter, Mercury and Mars on July 7 62 BC, the possible time when construction began on this monument.

Nemrut is a significant attraction, with thousands coming at sunrise and sunset to see the stones in the best possible light. In addition to the statues, the entire site includes art from the Commagene (Komagene) civilization, the Eskikale (Old Castle), Yenikale (New Castle), Karakus Hill and Cendere Bridge. Most people use the nearby towns of Malatya, Kahta or Adiyaman as a base, and the road to the summit is only open from mid-April to mid-October because of heavy snow the rest of the year.

Day 4 – Nemrut & Commagne – Urfa – Harran
(Breakfast, lunch and dinner included)
Nemrut Mountain Sunrise Tour: Very early morning (before sunrise) departure up to the ruins, After get off the minibus twenty five minutes climbing on foot to the top where you will watch the beautiful sun rise between the colossal size statues and heads of the kings and Gods. After sun rise you will have time to walk around and take pictures. Then drive back to the hotel for breakfast, on the way visit the ruins of the Arsemia, Roman bridge of Cendere and Royal Tomb of Karakus. Tea break in Kahta.

Drive to Sanli Urfa visiting Ataturk Dam on the way which is the biggest dam in Middle East. Check in to hotel in Sanli Urfa, after lunch visit Abrahams Cave and the Pools of Holy Carp surrounding it, than walk around oriental covered bazaar of Urfa. Urfa the birth place of our Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) where he contemplated his place in the Universe. Then drive to Harran, a village of spellbinding Mud-Brick “beehive” houses mentioned in the book of Genesis where the prophet Abraham spent the last years of his life. Visit the ruins of Harran including city walls, oldest Islamic university and the castle dating back to eighteen century. After the sun set drive back to the hotel, dinner.

Day 5 – Return to Cappadocia
(Breakfast and lunch included)
You will return to Cappadocia via Adana province, shortly visiting Brecik town on the way. Birecik is the well-known with its Kelaynak (bald-ibis) birds. These birds are endemic to this region, living only in Birecik in the whole world, There is a breeding farm of these birds which are in danger of extinction. After lunch, drive up to the Taurus Mountain. Tea break and drive back to Cappadocia, expectedly arriving by 5-6 pm.

Day 6 – Cappadocia
One day is never enough to see the wonders of the vast Cappadocia region. You have many more things to see on your second tour of Cappadocia, with your eyes wide-opened from amazement. The last day’s itinerary will be like this:
Full day Southern Cappadocia Tour including transfers, entrance fees and lunch.
This tour will cover wonderful Rose Valley, either Derinkuyu or Kaymakli underground city, as well as a caravanserai of Seljuk period, which was the great Turkish Empire founded in Anatolia even before Ottomans.
Lunch included in a typical Turkish Restaurant during the day tour.
Overnight bus to Istanbul, arriving next morning. (of Day 7)