Day 1: Flight to Kayseri/Nevsehir, Full Day North Cappadocia Tour with overnight stay in Cappadocia
You will be picked up from your hotel in Istanbul around 4:30 am and will be transferred to the domestic airport for your flight from Istanbul to Kayseri or Nevsehir between 6:00 – 7:30 am. Upon arrival at Kayseri or Nevsehir airport, you will be picked up and transferred to Cappadocia. In Cappadocia, you will meet your professional tour guide to begin your full day tour of North Cappadocia.
Your tour will start with a visit to the Devrent Valley to see the unique fairy chimneys. Next, you will visit the Pasabag Monk’s Valley to see the mushroom-shaped pinnacles. After this visit, you will drive to the city of Avanos. After lunch, you will visit the beautiful open-air museum of Goreme where the remains of rock-cut churches and Christian settlements date back hundreds of years. Finally towards the end of the day tour before returning to your hotel, you will be able to visit the natural castles of Uchisar. After the tour, you will be transferred to your hotel in Cappadocia for check-in
Overnight in Cappadocia
Included Meal(s): Lunch
Day 2: Full Day South Cappadocia Tour, Flight to Izmir with overnight in Kusadasi
You may add an optional Hot Air Balloon Ride over picturesque Cappadocia to your tour at an extra cost of USD 219.00. With an early morning pick up around 5:00 am from your hotel you can join an early morning Hot Air Balloon ride for approximately 60 minutes. If interested, please request at the time of booking your tour with us and we can make all necessary arrangements on your behalf!
After breakfast at the hotel around 09:30 you will be picked up and met by your tour guide to begin your full day tour of South Cappadocia. Your tour guide will brief you on the day’s activities. Your tour will begin with a visit to the Red Valley where you will be able to explore the famous rock-cut churches and hike approximately 5 km through the Güllüdere (Rose) Valley. Next, you will visit Çavusin village which is famous for its houses and churches of the Christian Clergymen. We will take a break for lunch around noon. After lunch, you will drive to the Pigeon Valley. In the afternoon you will visit the Kaymakli underground city where early Christians lived. This will be the end of your full day tour. After the tour, you will be transferred to Kayseri or Nevsehir airport for your flight to Izmir through Istanbul. Upon your arrival at the Izmir airport, a representative will be present holding your name sign to pick you up and transfer you to your hotel.
Overnight in Kusadasi
Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
Day 3: Full Day Pamukkale & Hierapolis Tour with overnight in Kusadasi
After breakfast around 08:00 you will be picked up from your Kusadasi hotel and taken to the meeting point in Selcuk where the full group will first meet. You will then begin the Pamukkale tour with a drive from Selcuk starting at 8:30 am to Pamukkale which will be around 3 hours. En route to Pamukkale after 1.5 hours, there will be a 10 minutes stop for a restroom break. Upon arrival around 11:45, the group will be first taken to have lunch and after lunch at around 13:00 you will begin your guided tour of the Pamukkale and Hierapolis area with a profession licensed tour guide. In Pamukkale, you will see the Cotton Cliffs, one of the natural wonders of the world formed by deposits of calcareous salts. Also, you will visit the ancient ruins of the City of Hierapolis with its basilica, theatre and Roman Baths. At the end of the guided tour, you will have some free time to explore the area on your own. As an option, you may choose to swim in the Pamukkale antique pools (at own expense) during this free time. The tour guide will inform you about the exact meeting point and time. At the end of the tour around approximately 4:00 pm, you will be transferred to your hotel at around 19:00.
Overnight in Kusadasi
Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
Day 4: Full Day Pergamum Tour with overnight in Kusadasi
After breakfast, around 08:30 am you will be picked up from your hotel for Pergamon. You will visit the Acropolis which was once the cultural center of the Hellenistic Period. It had a very famous library, as big as the one in Alexandria. It also had a famous school of architecture, perfect government buildings and monuments, including the world famous Zeus Altar. It also played an important role during the beginning of Christianity in the Roman Period, and one of the Seven Churches of the Revelations is located here. After the Acropolis you will visit the Ascelepion, which was dedicated to the God of Good Health, “Asklepios”. This was an important medical center where people received medical treatments such as massages, mud baths, drinking of the sacred waters and the use of herbs and ointments. Diagnosis was often by dream analysis. After the tour, you will be transferred to your hotel at around 5:30 pm.
Overnight in Kusadasi
Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
Day 5: Full Day Ephesus Tour, Flight to Istanbul, End of Services
After breakfast at the hotel around 08:30 you will be picked up and met by your tour guide to begin your full day tour of Ephesus. Your tour guide will brief you on the day’s activities. You will first visit the Temple of Artemis which was once one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Next, you will visit the world famous ancient Greco- Roman City of Ephesus, the most well-preserved example in the world. After visiting this impressive site, you will have a break for lunch. After lunch, you will visit the House of Virgin Mary, where it is believed she spent her last days. This is a holy place for both Christians and Muslims. Afterwards, you will visit the Isabey Mosque. Next, you will be taken to the Sirince Village; which is an old Greek village and is well-know for its quaint beauty and wine tasting and production. Here you will have one hour free to explore on your own without a guide the different foods and wines of the area and visit various small traditional village shops. At the end of the tour around approximately 4:00 pm, you will be transferred to Izmir airport for your late evening return flight around 7:00 – 9:00 pm (1-hour flight duration) to Istanbul. Upon arrival, you will be picked up from the airport and transferred to your hotel in Istanbul. END OF OUR SERVICE and TOURS.
Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
INCLUDED in the Tour Price:
• Pick up and drop off to your hotel (on the European side of Istanbul only) & Istanbul cruise port
• Domestic flight tickets as per the itinerary
• 1 night in Cappadocia at a cave hotel including breakfast
• 3 nights in Kusadasi at a 4-star hotel including breakfast
• Professional licensed English speaking guide during the tours
• Meals as per itinerary (B=breakfast, L=lunch)
• Entrance fees mentioned by the itinerary
• Local taxes and service charges
NOT INCLUDED:
• Hot Air Balloon Ride
• Tips to staff, items of a personal nature
• Drinks with meals (except the drinks served with breakfast)
• Travel insurance
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
• Vegetarian lunch option available upon request
• 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.
• The normal arrival time in Istanbul is between 8:00 – 9:00 pm. If you are planning on reserving your plane back home that same day, we recommend you book a plane ticket from 11:30 pm onwards, to avoid missing your flight.
WHEN TO BOOK?
• Book as soon as possible to guarantee availability, especially during public holidays and festivities.
• You can book up to 2 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.
