Highlights of Turkey and Blue Escape – 12 Days

Day 1: Arrival in Istanbul

Upon arrival in Turkey, Istanbul SAW Airport, you will be greeted and driven to your hotel. Overnight in Istanbul.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Recital Hotel or Similar. (The 5-Star hotel is available on request.)

The package is available from April to October.

Day 2: Istanbul Sightseeing Tour (B, L)

According to your tour pick-up time meet with your guide and start your full-day tour. Explore Hagia Sophia; was the largest building on earth barring the Egyptian Pyramids or the Great Wall of China. It was the religious center of the city during the Byzantine period. Next; Topkapı Palace; As well as being the imperial residence of the Sultan, the palace was also the seat of government for the ottoman empire. It housed the Ottoman sultans for nearly 400 years. Continue to with Hippodrome; Built by the Roman Emperor Septimus Severus in 203AD, during the Roman period hippodrome was the civil center for the people of the city where once 100,000 spectators could be held. Next, Blue Mosque; Built by the Ottoman Sultan Ahmet I in the year 1616, Blue mosque today is one of the most famous landmarks of the old city with its famous six minarets and magnificent dome.  Next, Grand Bazaar; With 18 entrances and more than 4000 shops, it is one of the greatest bazaars in the World.  At the end of the tour drive you back to your hotel. Overnight in Istanbul.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Recital Hotel or Similar.

Day 3: HD Bosphorus Cruise / Flight to Kayseri (B)

Upon breakfast at the hotel check out, leave your luggage at the lobby. According to your pick-up time meet with your guide and start your half-day tour. Visit Spice Bazaar; It was called Egyptian Bazaar during the ottoman period because shopkeepers used to sell herbs and spices brought throughout Egypt and Asia. Next, Cruising on Bosphorus; where you will enjoy a magnificent view. Great history and beautiful nature. The shore is lined with old wooden villas, palaces of marble, fortresses, and small fishing villages. During the excursion, you will pass the magnificent Dolmabahce Palace, Rustem Pasa Mosque, Rumeli Fortress, and further along with the parks and imperial pavillions of Yildiz Palace. After the tour drives you back to your hotel. Take your luggage and drive to Airport for your 1hour 30min domestic flight to Kayseri. Upon arrival, you wıll be greeted by your driver and driven to your hotel. Check-in. Overnight in Cappadocia.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Heaven Cave Suite or similar.

✈️ Domestic flight from Istanbul to Kayseri is included.

Day 4: Fairy Chimneys Tour (B, L)

According to your tour pick-up time meet with your guide and start your full-day tour. Explore Goreme Museum; which consists of many rock-cut churches from the second half of 9C with beautiful colorful frescoes decorating the walls. Next; is Devrent Valley; famous for its quirky animal-shaped rocks. It looks like a sculpture zoo made by nature. There is even a rock pillar that looks like the Virgin Mary, holding Jesus Christ. Take in the unique lunar landscape of the valley and feel like you’re in another World. Next; Pasabagi which means: the Pacha’s vineyard. This site is also called Monks Valley. The hermitage of Simeon monks was here. A chapel dedicated to St. Simeon (Simon) and a hermit’s shelter is built into one of the fairy chimneys with three heads. Pasabag valley contains some of the most striking fairy chimneys in Cappadocia with twin and even triple rock caps. This style is unique even for Cappadocia and these fairy chimneys are named mushroom-shaped fairy chimneys.
Next Avanos; where you will enjoy typical Turkish Lunch and experience make Potter with local experts. Next, we continue to Goreme Panorama, which has one of the best panoramic views of the fairy chimneys. Next Uchisar the Naturel highest Rock Castle provides a magnificent panorama of the surrounding area. At the end of the tour drive you back to your hotel. Overnight in Cappadocia.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Heaven Cave Suite or similar.

Day 5: Underground Cities Tour / Flight to Izmir (B, L)

Upon breakfast at the hotel check out, According to your tour pick-up time meet with your guide and start your full-day tour. Visit Rose and Red Valley; is an incredibly unique area of Cappadocia with sharp ridges, tinted in pink especially during sunset! the minerals in the sandstone have a pink tinge. This pink becomes more and more evident throughout the day, peaking at sunset when the sun glows directly onto the Rose Valley giving it that fine shade of pink so many people come to see. Next Cavusin; is surrounded by a valley, which becomes gradually wider, called as Red Valley. The houses of the village were cut into massive rock formations. The village is famous for its rock churches. Next; Pigeon Valley; earned its name from the countless man-made dovecotes (Pigeon Houses) that have been carved into the soft volcanic tuff. Pigeon Valley is one of the best spots for walking in the marvelous Cappadocia region.
Next; Underground Cities; once a place of refuge for 15000 Christians. These settlements were of enormous value to the development of Christianity as they provided shelter and worship and were in use until the end of 7C AD. Witness the ancient bedrooms, church, meeting hall, and food storage rooms in this eight-story city connected by 30km of corridors and passageways. Tour continues with Ortahisar; famous for its friendly inhabitants, picturesque stone houses, narrow streets, and lovely churches as well as the castle-like rock formation after which the town is named. At the end of the tour drive you to Kayseri Airport for your 1hour 30min domestic flight to Antalya. Upon arrival, you wıll be greeted by your driver and driven to your hotel. Check-in. Overnight in Kusadasi.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Efe Boutique Hotel or similar.

Day 6: Ephesus Tour (B, L)

According to your tour pick-up time meet with your guide and start your full-day tour. Visit The House of Virgin Mary; a church was built from 6C AD to the top of the foundations of a house from 1C AD and it is declared by the church to be the final house where Mary spent her last days. Your tour continues with the Ancient Ephesus; The best-preserved classical city in Eastern Mediterranean. During the 1C AD, Ephesus was the second-largest city on the planet after Rome with more than 250,000 citizens. Ephesus is also so well preserved that, walking on the ancient streets among the beautiful monuments such as the third largest library of the ancient world or the largest roman theatre on the Asia continent, gives you the feeling of a time traveler.
Next; the Temple of Artemis or Artemision was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Its ancient cult dedicated to Artemis was very famous in antiquity and made Ephesus a much-visited pilgrimage place. After the tour drives you back to your hotel. Overnight in Kusadasi.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Efe Boutique Hotel or similar.

Day 7: Pamukkale Tour (B, L)

Upon breakfast at the hotel check out, According to your tour pick-up time meet with your guide and start your full-day tour. Visit Pamukkale; Pools of Heaven on Earth… Pamukkale has always been a very popular settlement where hot springs were believed to have healing powers so it is considered to be the earliest spa on earth wherein history people traveled long distances in order to find a cure. The unique terraces were formed by running warm spring water at a temperature of 35 C, containing calcium bicarbonate. Today Pamukkale is declared as a world’s heritage site by UNESCO. Visit; the ancient city of Hierapolis which has the biggest Necropolis with 1200 gravestones in Anatolia. Also, The Sacred Pool is one of the highlights of the site. Theır shallow thermal waters ripple over a wonderful scattering of ancient roman ruins that lie beneath. At the end of the tour drive you to Denizli bus station for your 5h coach journey to Fethiye. Upon arrival, greeted by your driver and drive to your hotel. Check-in. Overnight in Fethiye.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Reis Royal Hotel or similar.

Day 8: Fethiye-Turuncpinari (B, D)

According to your pick-up time meet your driver and drive to Fethiye Port for boarding. Once every guest completes boarding, the boat will depart from Fethiye Port to ‘’Turuncpinari cove’’ for swimming and overnight stay. Overnight on board.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Standard Class Gulet Cruise.

Day 9: Merdivenli Cove – Kleopatra Bath Cove (B, L, D)

After breakfast onboard sail to ‘’Merdivenli cove’’ for a swimming break in the crystal clear water, Later sail to ‘Kleopatra Bath Cove’’ where you will have a walk Tea break, and dinner. You can walk to the ancient city, spend time at the beach and swim in crystal clear water.  Overnight on board.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Standard Class Gulet Cruise.

Day 10: Tershane Island-Bedri Rahmi Cove-Yassıcılar (B, L, D)

After breakfast sail to ‘’Tershane Island’’ where you can swim in turquoise water and enjoy walking at the beach. Later sail to ‘’Bedri Rahmi Cove’’ where you will Explore Likya Ancient City. Swim in the turquoise water and enjoy a tea break. Later sail to ‘’Yassicilar cove’’ and overnight on Board.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Standard Class Gulet Cruise.

Day 11: Gocek (B)

After breakfast, sail to Gocek port. Here is our last stop. You will be greeted by your driver and drive to Dalaman Airport for your domestic flight to Istanbul. Upon arrival greeted by your driver and drive to your hotel. Check-in. Overnight in Istanbul.

🏚️ Hotel Option: Recital Hotel or Similar.

✈️ Domestic flight from Dalaman to Istanbul is included.

Day 12: Departure Day (B)

According to your pick-up time meet your driver and transfer to Istanbul Airport. End of our service.