Best of Turkey

Day 1 – Arrival Istanbul

Arrival and assistance. Transfer to the hotel.
Overnight in Istanbul.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Yigitalp Istanbul or similar.

Day 2 – Istanbul (B, L)

Breakfast at the hotel. Visit the Egyptian Bazaar (spice market) and then a boat trip through the Bosphorus, the strait that separates Europe from Asia where we can enjoy the great beauty of Istanbul, its palaces, and the yalı, wooden houses built on both banks. Lunch. In the afternoon visit the Sultanahmet district with the Roman Hippodrome square, the Blue Mosque, unique among all Ottoman mosques to have 6 minarets, and the splendid 6th-century Basilica of Saint Sophia. Back to the hotel.
Overnight in Istanbul.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Yigitalp Istanbul or similar.

Day 3 –  Istanbul – Ankara (B, D)

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure from the hotel to visit the Topkapı Palace, residence and administrative center of the Sultans of the Ottoman Empire, famous for its excellent collections of weapons, jewels, porcelains, and relics (Harem section with supplementary ticket). Continuation for free time in the Grand Bazaar (closed on Sundays, religious holidays, July 15 and October 29), a building that houses more than 4,000 shops inside. Departure to Ankara (450 km), passing through the intercontinental bridge in Istanbul. Arrival in the capital of the country.
Overnight in Ankara.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Hotel Best or similar.

Day 4 –  Ankara – Salt Lake – Cappadocia (B, D)

Breakfast at the hotel. Visit the capital of Turkey with the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations with an exhibition of Palaeolithic, Neolithic, Hittite, Phrygian Urartu, etc … remains and the Ataturk Mausoleum, dedicated to the founder of the Turkish Republic. Departure for Cappadocia (290 km). Along the way, visit the underground city built by Christian communities to protect themselves from Arab attacks. The underground city preserves the stables, common rooms, meeting rooms, and small rooms for families. Arrival in the Cappadocia region.
Overnight in Cappadocia.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Dinler Hotels Nevsehir or similar.

Day 5 –  Cappadocia (B, D)

Breakfast at the hotel. Day dedicated to visiting this fantastic region with its spectacular fairy chimneys, unique in the world Goreme Valley, with its cave churches, with paintings from the 10th and 11th centuries; stop at the troglodyte village of Uçhisar, visit Avcilar which has a spectacular landscape, the Derbent valley with its curious natural rock formations and time for artisan workshops such as carpets and onyx-stones mounted on silver jewelry. Dinner and accommodation at the hotel.
Overnight in Cappadocia.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Dinler Hotels Nevsehir or similar.

Day 6 – Cappadocia – Pamukkale (B, D)

Breakfast and departure for Pamukkale (610 km). On the way, stop to visit the Sultanhan Caravanserai, Seljuk inn from the medieval era. Continuation to Pamukkale. Free time in Pamukkale “Cotton Castle”, unique in the world with its natural pools of limestone hot springs and the petrified travertine waterfalls. Dinner and accommodation at the hotel.
Overnight in Pamukkale.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Tripolis Hotel or similar.

Day 7 –  Pamukkale – Ephesus – İzmir (B, D)

Breakfast at the hotel. Exit for Selçuk-Efeso (200 km). Arrive and visit the archaeological area of ​​Ephesus, a city dedicated to Artemis. The Odeon, the Temple of Hadrian, the House of Love, the Library of Celsus, the Agora, the Marble Street, and the largest Theater of antiquity. Visit the House of the Virgin, the supposed last dwelling place of the Mother of Jesus. Stop at a leather production center and continue to İzmir-Izmir (~ 85 km.), The third-largest city in Turkey. Dinner and accommodation at the hotel.
Overnight in Izmir.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Blanca Hotel or similar.

Day 8 –  İzmir – Pergamon – Troy – Çanakkale (B, D)

Breakfast at the hotel. Depart for Pergamo, the current Bergama (110 km). Arrive and visit to the ruins of Asclepion, which was the most important hospital in Asia Minor, with its therapeutic center. Continuation to Troy (~ 190 km.). Visit the famous archaeological city of history that evokes the poetic name of the Iliad saga of Homer. Continuation to Çanakkale (~ 25 km.) Dinner and accommodation at the hotel.
Overnight in Çanakkale.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Iris Hotel or similar.

Day 9 –  Çanakkale – Gallipoli – Istanbul (B)

Breakfast. We will cross Dardanelles Strait by car ferry and continue to Gallipoli Peninsula. We will visit one of the most emotionally touching places in Turkey, the WWI Battlefields of Gallipoli,  including Brighton Beach, Beach Cemetery, ANZAC Cove, Ariburnu Cemetery, ANZAC Commemorative Site, Respect to Mehmetcik Statue, Lone Pine Australian Memorial, Johnston’s Jolly, Turkish and Allied trenches and tunnels, 57. Regiment Turkish Memorial, The Nek, Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial.  Continuation to Istanbul.
Overnight in Istanbul.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Yigitalp Istanbul or similar.

Day 10 –  Istanbul Departure (B)

Breakfast at the hotel. (if the flight and transfer schedule allow it). Transportation to the airport and the end of our services.