Tour Style : Small Group Tour
Duration : 8 Days / 7 Nights
Departures : All year round – Guaranteed Departure
Highlights : Istanbul, Topkapi Palace, Avanos, Goreme, Uchisar, Monk’s Valley

DAY 01:Arrival to Istanbul airport and meet for transfer on to your hotel. Rest of the day at leisure (as per your flight arrival time). Overnight in Istanbul.

DAY 02 Istanbul – Sultanahmet (B/L)
08:30 You will be picked up from your hotel for Full day tour of Old City. In this day you will be able to see:

ST SOPHIA :Byzantium largest cathedral, converted to mosque 1453 by the Ottoman Empire and today open as a museum to see both religion remains.

SULTANAHMET IMPERIAL MOSQUE: This mosque complex, containing Istanbul’s only mosque with six minarets was built by Sedefkar Mehmet Aga for Sultan Ahmed 1st. early 17th century.

HIPPODROME : Center of sport activities and political events of the Eastern Roman Empire.

GRAND COVERED BAZAAR : Famous shopping center worldwide. Shopping possibilities for carpet, jewellery, leather etc.

Topkapi Palace : Built between 1475 and 1478 by Mehmet II, Fatih, the conqueror of Istanbul, served as the residence of the sultan and administrative seat of the Ottoman Empire for 400 years. (excludes: extra entrance to Harem & Treasury rooms).

After tour, return to hotel with the evening then at leisure. Overnight in Istanbul.

DAY 3 – Bosphorus cruise & Dolmabahce Palace Tour
08:30 You will be picked up from your hotel for Full day tour of Two Continents . In this day you will be able to see:

Spice Bazaar Spice bazaar Istanbul: Mystical smells of various spices. Shops selling fruits, vegetables, flowers, caviar and dry fish etc…

BOSPHORUS Boat Cruise : On the waterway separating the two continents, Asia and Europe. Opportunity to take photographs of marble palaces and ancient wooden villas of Ottoman architecture, besides modern residences and luxurious apartments.

BOSPHORUS BRIDGE: Unique chance to go from one continent (Asia) to another (Europe) in two minutes.

BEYLERBEYI PALACE : The summer residence of Ottoman Sultans with its original furniture and magnificent gardens with the harem on the Asian side.

CAMLICA HILL Camlica Hill view of Istanbul: Offers a panoramic view of Istanbul and Bosphorus from the highest point of the city.

Evening plane to Cappadocia. Overnight in Cappadocia.

DAY 4 –Fairy Chimneys Tour at 09:30am

In this day you will be able to see:
DEVRENT VALLEY: Devrent is situated on the northern slopes of Aktepe, 1km from Pasabaglari (Monks’ Valley) and 5 km from Avanos. The ruins at Devrent are spread over three valleys, which also house several pointed fairy chimneys with large stems.

LOVE VALLEY: The best place to see three-headed fairy chimneys. Pasabag, the Pasha’s Vineyard, is surrounded by incredible natural rock formations; a spectacular scene.

AVANOS: A center of terra cotta work of art since 3000 BC, it is a town where you will be invited to visit a traditional pottery workshop, which is possibly set deep into the hillsides. The clay, which comes from the Red River passing through the town, gives life both to the land and to the local economy.

UCHISAR: Uchisar is a troglodyte town situated right in the middle of Cappadocia. It is named after the enormous piece of rock in the center of the town, which was once used as a castle. This extraordinary rock is the highest peak of the area with the view of whole Cappadocia and Erciyes (Argeus) Mountain.
After the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel.

Overnight in Cappadocia.

DAY 5 –Rose Valley & Underground City Tour at 09:30am

You will be picked up from your hotel for Full day tour of South Cappadocia. In this day you will be able to see:
KIZILCUKUR: is an isolated valley behind Urgup. It has beautiful rock formation with some great hidden rock-carved churches. The most interesting part of this area is the countless tracks connecting the small villages and towns through vineyards and gardens like a spider net. It is always possible to see villagers working in the area and offering grapes, apples or apricots to you.

CAVUSIN: One of the oldest settlements in the area, Cavusin is situated 2km from Goreme, on the Göreme-Avanos road. The Church of St.John the Baptist offers a panoramic view of the village. This church and its paintigs date back to the 5th century, making the oldest church in the region. It had a large courtyard which is unusual for Cappadocia, this has been eroded away
however.

PIGEON HOUSE: Visit the pigeon houses and rock formations.
DAY 6: Soganlı Tour
Pick up time: 09:00 A.M
First we will visit Mustafapaşa, an old and charming Greek Village. Then we will go to the Keslik Monastery located in the middle of a bizzare landscape. In the heart of the monastery is the Church of St. Michael with frescoes from the 13/14 Century. From Keslik we will go to Taskinpaşa Village. Here we find an old Medrese (religious seminary) which is not in use anymore. Later we will see the working archaeological site of the ancient ruins of Sobesos with its mosaics and the outer buildings which are the first traces of a Roman and Christian settlement mix in Cappadocia. Our next stop will be the churches of Soğanlı Valley, where we will enjoy our lunch
Returned hotel at 17:00 P.M

DAY 7:Ihlara Valley & Derinkuyu Underground City Tour

Tour Style : Small Group Tour
Our tour starts at 09:30 by pick-up from your hotel. After our guide’s introduction to Cappadocia at the Goreme panoramic view point, we drive about 1 hour and visit the most spectacular gorge of Turkey: Ihlara. The 6 km hike in the Ihlara Valley will be the highlight of our day. The Melendiz River has carved an impressive canyon through the verdant valley and we will walk about two hours along the river, passing Byzantine rock chapels decorated with frescoes. Especially the first half of the hike where we will be the only tourists walking, is totally peaceful. We end the hiking portion of the tour near Belisirma village, where we will have lunch in a quaint riverside restaurant.
After lunch, we stop at the biggest rock-cut monastery of Cappadocia, Selime Monastery and Cathedral. Selime is the biggest rock-cut cathedral of Cappadocia and located at the end of Ihlara Valley. It has has been used as a fortress by both Byzantine and Seljuk armies during 10th to 12th centuries.
Derinkuyu Underground City. Previously known as Melagobia, Derinkuyu was one of the biggest settlements in Cappadocia and its 8 level underground city is the deepest of the region today. We will explore the caves of this interesting city and your guide will explain about the way of life here. With its floors extending to a depth of approximately 60 m, it was large enough to shelter approximately 20,000 people together with their livestock and food stores. It is the largest excavated underground city in Turkey and is one of several underground complexes found across Cappadocia. Derinkuyu itself connects to Kaymaklli via an 8 km tunnel.
We will then drive back to your hotel and finish the tour around 17:00.

Evening flight to istanbul
Overnight in Istanbul

DAY 8 – Princes Islands Tour
Departure from European side and accross the Bosphorus by the first bridge. Drive along the Asian side through Kadiköy all the way to Bostanci admiring the different facets of Istanbul.

Once we reach Bostanci you’ll have a chance to see one of the most beatiful districts of Istanbul. After having little time in Bostanci, embark the boat going to Princes’ Islands. Disembark at Büyükada which is the largest and the most famous of this chain of islands. There are several small hotels where people stay for the weekend. Some of the historical buildings are Aya Yorgi Church and Monastery from 6th century, Ayios Dimitrios Church, Hristos Church and Monastery and enjoy the lunch in a nice waterfront restaurant. After a small tour in the town centre, listening to the history of this lovely island, you’ll have free time to enjoy the beautiful island shores by renting a phaeton (horse-drawn carriage) or bycle until the departure time. As there are no cars allowed on the island, this promenade will be an unforgettable memory for you. Overnight in Istanbul

DAY 9 – Departure from Istanbul (B)
After breakfast check out from hotel (before 12:00), transfer to Istanbul Ataturk Airport regarding your flight details. End of tour and services. (If you would like, you can extend your trip by adding extra
nights in Istanbul, please advise.