Day 1: Istanbul Airport
Transfer from Istanbul Atatürk or Sabiha Gokcen Airport to your hotel. After you've checked in, the evening is yours to spend as you wish. Perhaps enjoy dinner at the hotel or any of the city’s tempting array of restaurants. Overnight in Istanbul
Day 2: Istanbul
(B, L)
After breakfast, meet your guide at your hotel and set off on a city tour to see Istanbul’s Ottoman and Byzantine highlights. Drive into old Sultanahmet, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site for its mosques, palaces and relics that date back to these two, powerful empires, when Istanbul was known as Constantinople. Take in Topkapi Palace, seeing the precious treasures of what was the Ottoman seat of power between the 15th and 19th centuries, and admire the spectacular Hagia Sophia, once the greatest church in Christendom before it was converted to a mosque in 1453. See its dome and golden Byzantine mosaics and listen as your guide recounts its turbulent history. After a delicious lunch at a local restaurant, head inside the Blue Mosque to view its vast expanses of blue Iznik tiles, and pose for photos at the Hippodrome, a city park that once staged ancient chariot races. Then, head into the Grand Bazaar to peruse its massed ranks of souvenir, carpet and trinket stalls. In the late afternoon, enjoy a drop-off at your hotel in time for dinner (own expense).
Overnight: in Istanbul
Day 3: Istanbul – Kayseri – Cappadocia
(B, L)
After an early hotel breakfast, travel by minibus to the airport for your flight to Kayseri in central Turkey. After your 1.5-hour flight, meet your guide and drive to the north Cappadocia region in an air-conditioned minibus, your transport for the duration of your Cappadocia tour. Start at the Devrent Valley, where volcanic cones and ‘fairy chimneys’ — mushroom-shaped pinnacles — crowd the hillsides. Discover from your guide how wind and water erosion shapes the formations, and then visit Monks Valley, whose conical rocks once offered seclusion for monks and hermits. After a stop at the pottery town of Avanos and lunch at a local restaurant, admire the hand-carved dovecotes of Pigeon Valley and visit Göreme Open-Air Museum. Roam the rock-cut chapels of this UNESCO-listed gem to see the vivid Byzantine frescoes on their walls, and continue to Uchisar Castle, a stunning natural rock castle riddled with tunnels and chambers. Later, travel to your boutique cave hotel and enjoy dinner (own expense) and the evening at leisure.
Overnight: Mevlana Cave Hotel or similar in Cappadocia
Day 4: Cappadocia
(B, L)
If you’ve upgraded, begin your day with an unforgettable hot air balloon ride. Enjoy a tasty buffet breakfast at the balloon station and then take in breathtaking aerial views on a 1-hour ride. Drift high over the sunrise-lit mountains and take photos of the rock villages, canyons and caves below. Following your flight or — if you haven’t opted for the balloon ride — breakfast at your hotel, travel to south Cappadocia to scout out more natural wonders. Begin at Derinkuyu Underground City, an incredible cave-city dating back to Hittite times that is the deepest of its kind in Cappadocia. Explore its courtyards, tunnels, rooms and even its cemeteries, where the dead were buried until they could be taken above ground. Continue through the stunning, 10-mile (16-km) gorge of the Ihlara Valley and visit Selime Monastery, an astonishing monastery-fortress complex hewn in the 13th century and consisting of a vast, hollowed-out cathedral, monastic quarters and secret passageways. See the cliff-face caves and houses at Yaprakhisar as your guide reveals how they featured in several Star Wars movies. Then, visit the gigantic Agzikarahan Caravanserai, a 10th-century stone compound complete with refectories and chambers that provided much-needed shelter for the caravan trains that traveled the ancient Silk Road. Return to your hotel by minibus and spend the evening as you wish. Overnight: Mevlana Cave Hotel
Day 5: Cappadocia – Kayseri – Istanbul
(B)
After breakfast at your hotel, transfer to Kayseri airport for your return flight to Istanbul. Upon arrival in Istanbul, conclude your tour with a drop-off at Istanbul Atatürk Airport, Sabiha Gokcen Airport, or your original starting point in Istanbul.
Inclusions
- Istanbul airport or Istanbul hotel pickup and drop-off
- Transport by air-conditioned Minibus
- Local guides
- 4 nights' accommodation in 'S' Class or 4 Star Hotel hotels
- Return economy class flights between Istanbul and Cappadocia
- Meals as per itinerary (B= breakfast, L= lunch, D= dinner)
Exclusions
- Food and drinks, unless specified
- Gratuities
- Travel Incurance
GROUP BOOKING DISCOUNTS
Please ask for special group discount if you are a group more than 8 people.
We kindly request our guests to be ready 5 minutes before departure time
Tour Reservation Policy:
A 30% deposit is required on the total tour price to reserve the tour and obtain tour confirmation. The remaining balance on the total tour price can be paid in cash upon arrival in İstanbul. A credit card may also be used to pay the remaining balance. However, an additional bank processing fee of 4% on the remaining balance will have to be paid by the clients. If applicable, domestic flight / bus tickets will only be purchased after a deposit has been made on the total tour amount.
Cancellation / Refund Policy:
If tour cancellation is within 10 days of the start of the tour, a refund will be made of the total paid amount minus the cost of domestic flight and / or bus tickets and the cost of first night hotel stay. Once deposit payment form has been signed by clients and received by ISTANBUL EXPRESS TRAVEL, domestic flight and /or bus tickets and cost of first night hotel stay will NOT BE REFUNDED.
If cancelled within 48 hours of start of any tour, NO REFUNDS will be made to clients by ISTANBUL EXPRESS TRAVEL
IMPORTANT INFO:
• This is a regular group tour, but if requested at cost can be provided as a private tour
• The regular group tour has shopping stops included in the tour
• You can swim in the Antique pool in Pamukkale. However, please note that there is an extra charge that you will have to pay directly at your own expense before entry to the pools. This entrance fees to the pools is not covered as part of your tour. as Please note that you must bring your own towel, swimsuit etc. if you need to use the pools.
• The hot air balloon ride operates in optimum weather conditions. The decision for the flight to take off on any given day is decided by the local government at the last minute depending on weather conditions to ensure passenger safety. If your paid and scheduled hot air balloon ride gets cancelled by the tour company at the last minute for weather conditions, we will provide you with a refund of USD 219.00 for the hot air balloon ride if you have it booked with us.
WHEN TO BOOK?
• Book as soon as possible to guarantee availability, especially during public holidays and festivities.
• You can book up to 4 days before (Istanbul local time) if there are still places available. If less than 2 days before start of your requested tour date, please contact us by email or phone as it would be a last minute booking that will need to be checked for availability before your tour reservation is confirmed.
