Western Wonders I

Day 01
Istanbul Arrival
Arrival at Istanbul airport as per your flight. Meet and greet. Transfer to your hotel. The evening is at leisure. Overnight in Istanbul.

Day 02
Istanbul
After having breakfast at the hotel, depart for a full-day classical Istanbul tour. Discover the Byzantine and Ottoman treasures of Istanbul. Visit the Royal Topkapi Palace (home of the Ottoman Sultans), the Blue Mosque (unique with six minarets), the Roman Hippodrome Square, and the St. Sophia Mosque which is considered one of the world’s greatest architectural marvels. Then visit the Grand Covered Bazaar with over 4.000 tiny shops. Continue to the hotel after the tour. Overnight in Istanbul. (B, L)

Day 03
Istanbul
After having breakfast at the hotel, depart for a full-day Bosphorus and Asia tour. Visit the Egyptian Spice Market with numerous and marvelous oriental spices and then embark on a Bosphorus Boat Tour to view the beauty of the European and Asian shorelines on either side. Also, visit the gorgeous St. Chora Museum with its marvelous mosaics and frescoes depicting scenes from the Bible that dates back to the 14th century A.D. Continue to the hotel after the tour. Overnight in Istanbul. (B, L)

Day 04
Istanbul-Izmir-Kusadasi
After having an early breakfast at the hotel, proceed to Izmir. Izmir arrived and proceed to Ephesus. Brief information on Ephesus at the entrance and continue to see the marvelous remains at the ancient site of Ephesus (Ancient Greek Ephesos; Turkish Efes) was an ancient Greek city, and later a major Roman city, on the west coast of Asia Minor, near present-day Selcuk, Izmir Province, Turkey. It was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League during the Classical Greek era. In the Roman period, it was for many years the second largest city of the Roman Empire; ranking behind Rome, the empire’s capital. Ephesus had a population of more than 250,000 in the 1st century BC, which also made it the second-largest city in the world. You will have the chance to observe the marvelous remains dating back to Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine eras. Then proceed to the place known as the House of the Virgin Mary (Turkish: Meryemana or Meryem Ana Evi, “Mother Mary’s House”) is a Christian and Muslim shrine located on Mt. Koressos (Turkish: Bulbuldagi, “Mount Nightingale”) in the vicinity of Ephesus. It is the place where she supposedly spent her last days. Most people believe that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was taken to this stone house by Saint John and lived there until her Assumption (according to Catholic doctrine), or Dormition (according to Orthodox belief). Continue to Kusadasi. Dinner and overnight in Kusadasi. (B, L, D)

Day 05
Kusadasi-Aphrodisias-Pamukkale (Hierapolis)
After having breakfast at the hotel proceed to Aphrodisias, the city of the Goddess of Love. Visit one of the largest ancient Theaters in the world, the Odeon, Bishop s Palace, Stadium, Temple of Aphrodite, and the Museum with the gorgeous reliefs and statues of the sculptors of Aphrodisias. Continue to Pamukkale (Hierapolis) (the cotton castle) one of the most spectacular sites. See the wonderful formations of the travertine and watch cataracts falling into basins at the bottom of the mountain. Walk around the ancient city Hierapolis, the Monument, and the Thermal Baths. See the architectural genius of the Theatre, the magnificently well preserved Necropolis and the world wide famous “Devil’s Hole”. Year-round swimming possibility in the natural hot spring pool and proceed to your hotel after the tour. Dinner and overnight in Pamukkale. (B, L, D)

Day 06
Pamukkale-Konya
After having an early breakfast at the hotel proceed to Konya. Konya’s arrival and visit to the Mevlana (Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi also known as Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi and more popularly in the English-speaking world simply as Rumi (30 September 1207 – 17 December 1273), was a 13th-century Persian Muslim poet, jurist, theologian, and Sufi mystic. Iranians, Turks, Afghans, Tajiks, and other Central Asian Muslims as well as the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent have greatly appreciated his spiritual legacy in the past seven centuries. Rumi’s importance is considered to transcend national and ethnic borders. His poems have been widely translated into many of the world’s languages and transposed into various formats. In 2007, he was described as the “most popular poet in America.”) A museum all together with the 13th-century Whirling Dervish Monastery. Dinner and overnight in Konya. (B, L, D)

Day 07
Konya-Cappadocia
After having an early breakfast at the hotel proceed to Cappadocia. Cappadocia arrives and visits the Devrent Valley to see the unique fairy chimneys. Drive to Pasabagi (Monk’s Valley) to see the most interesting mushroom-shaped pinnacles. In the afternoon visit Open Air Museum in Goreme where the remains of rock-cut churches and Christian settlements date back hundreds of years. (Optional Turkish Night) Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia. (B, L, D)

Day 08
Cappadocia
(Optional hot air balloon tour) After having breakfast at the hotel visit Derinkuyu Underground City and continue to Avanos town where Kizilirmak (River Halys) gently floats and brings red mud used as the raw material of pottery. Continue and stop by Selime, a village with cave houses at the end of the canyon and a “star wars” like landscape. Return back to your hotel after the tour. Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia. (B, L, D)

Day 09
Cappadocia-Haci Bektas Veli-Ankara (Capital City)
After having breakfast at the hotel proceed to Ankara via Haji Bektash Veli or Hajji Bektash Wali (Turkish: Hacı Bektas Veli) was a Persian mystic, humanist, and philosopher from Nishapur in Khorasan, Persia (modern-day Iran). Some sources claim he was of Turkish descent. He lived from approximately 1209-1271 in Anatolia. He was one of the figures who flourished in the Sultanate of Rumi. Continue to Ankara after the visit. Ankara arrives and proceeds to your hotel. Overnight in Ankara. (B, L)

Day 10
Ankara-Istanbul
After having breakfast at the hotel, proceed to visit the award-winning Anatolian Civilizations Museum at which there are numerous remnants from Stone Age, Neolithic Age, Hittites, Urartians, Phrygians, and many others. Then continue to see the Mausoleum of Ataturk, the burial place of the national hero who founded the modern Republic of Turkey. Proceed to Istanbul after the tour. Istanbul arrival and continue to your hotel. Overnight in Istanbul. (B, L)

Day 11
Istanbul Departure
After having breakfast at the hotel, proceed to Istanbul airport for your departing flight back home. Drop off at the airport. End of our services. (B)