Fall in Love with Türkiye and Troya

FALL IN LOVE WITH TURKEY

9 DAYS / 8 NIGHTS

Guaranteed Daily Departures *EXCEPT Sunday

Minimum 2 people

Day 1 - Istanbul

Arrival and welcome by our representative at Istanbul Airport. Transfer to the hotel.

OPTIONAL: Bosphorus Cruise by Night: Includes dinner, 2 local alcoholic drinks, a folklore show, and a DJ.

Day 2 – Istanbul (B)

Breakfast at the hotel. Meet your guide in the hotel lobby to begin the tour, Istanbul between Asia and Europe. Start the day with a visit to the colorful and aromatic Spice Bazaar, also known as the Egyptian Bazaar. Specializing in typical products such as sweets, nuts, and spices. Then, at the Eminönü port, you will board the boat for a cruise through the Bosphorus, the strait that separates the two continents, Asia and Europe. From the sea, you'll enjoy panoramic views of both mainland shores: the beautiful Ottoman villas, the palaces of Dolmabahce, Ciragan, and Beylerbeyi, the Rumeli Hisari fortress, the Maiden's Tower, and more.

Back on land, transfer to the hotel.

Day 3 – Istanbul - Ankara - Cappadocia (B, L, D)

Breakfast. Departure for Ankara, the capital of modern Turkey, passing through the Bolu Mountains. Arrival and visit to the Atatürk Mausoleum, the mausoleum of the founder of the Turkish Republic. Completed in 1953, it is an impressive fusion of ancient and modern architectural styles. Visit to the Independence Museum, which houses a wax statue of Atatürk, his writings, letters, and personal belongings, as well as a photographic exhibition and recordings about important moments in his life and the establishment of the new Turkish Republic. Stop for lunch and continue to Cappadocia. Upon arrival in Cappadocia, visit a pottery workshop. Arrival at the hotel. Dinner and overnight stay.

Day 4 - Cappadocia (B, L, D)

OPTIONAL: At dawn, you will have the opportunity to participate in an optional hot air balloon excursion.

Breakfast. After breakfast, visit this fantastic region with its fascinating and unique landscape formed by lava ejected from the Erciyes and Hasan volcanoes 3 million years ago. We will then stop in Esentepe to photograph the beautiful Göreme Valley. Visit the valleys of Amor, Devrent, Avcilar, and Guvercinlik, which boast spectacular scenery of "Fairy Chimneys." Next, we will visit an onyx and turquoise jewelry workshop. Lunch. Visit a troglodyte town, either Uchisar or Cavusin. Stop in Avanos, famous for its pottery, which has been the town's livelihood. We will conclude at a traditional carpet workshop to learn about the making of this centuries-old Turkish tradition. Dinner at the hotel.

OPTIONAL: Possibility of attending a folk dance performance, the famous "Turkish Night," in a typical cave with unlimited regional drinks.

Day 5 – Cappadocia - Pamukkale (B, L, D)

Breakfast. Early departure via Konya. Stop at an ancient 13th-century caravanserai that was part of the ancient Silk Road. After lunch, we continue to Pamukkale, a spectacular and unique place in the world for its dazzling white waterfalls and natural pools. Its name translates from Turkish as "cotton castle." Nearby is Ancient Hierapolis with one of the largest necropolises of antiquity. Dinner and overnight stay.

Day 6 - Pamukkale – Ephesus - Izmir (B, L, D)

OPTIONAL: Opportunity to take a hot air balloon flight over Pamukkale.

Breakfast. Continue to Ephesus, an ancient Greco-Roman city and one of the best-preserved today, where we will visit the Temple of Hadrian, the Temple of Trajan, the Theater, the fabulous Library of Celsus, etc. Lunch at the Railway Museum restaurant, which can also be visited. Continue to the House of the Virgin Mary, where she spent the last years of her life. Opportunity to visit a typical leather factory. Arrival in Izmir. Dinner and overnight stay.

Day 7 - Izmir – Bursa – Istanbul (B)

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for Bursa, the first capital of the Ottoman Empire. Visit the Silk Bazaar or Koza Han, built in 1491 as a center for the city's silk industry. We will also visit the Great Mosque of Bursa, with its 20 domes, which was the largest mosque in Turkey for over 500 years. Continue to Istanbul. Arrival and transfer to the hotel.

Day 8 – Istanbul (B)

Breakfast at the hotel. Visit the old city, home to the most outstanding Ottoman and Byzantine monuments. We will begin with a visit to the ancient Roman Hippodrome, where highlights include the Obelisk of Theodosius, the Egyptian Obelisk, the Serpent Column, and the German Fountain. Next, we will visit the famous Blue Mosque, the most important mosque in Istanbul and, until 2016, the only one in the world with six minarets. We will continue with a panoramic tour to take photos of the world-famous Hagia Sophia, a symbol of Istanbul and one of the masterpieces of Byzantine art. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.