Day 1 - Arriving in Istanbul
As we say in Turkey, HOS GELDINIZ! Welcome to Turkey. We will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel. After a short briefing about your tour you will have the afternoon free to rest and explore Istanbul on your own. Overnight stay in a centrally located unique hotel.
Day 2 - Istanbul
After breakfast we will continue on a full day tour of Istanbul’s main historical sites.
Sites you’ll see today
*Blue Mosque--World renown for it’s architecture and focal point for worshipping Muslims
*Haghia Sophia--1,400 year old supreme church from Byzantium times which houses famous Byzantine Mosaics *Byzantine Hippodrome--The focal point of the Byzantine Empire during the reign of Constantine. Within it’s center you will see the Egyptian Obelisk and Serpentine Column.
*Topkapi Palace--the residence and leadership center of the Sultans during the Ottoman Empire. It was built in 1459-1465 shortly after the conquest of Constantinople. You will see the Treasury that includes the Topkapi Dagger, the 86 carat Spoon Maker’s Diamond, and the jewel encased bones of St. John the Baptist’s skull and arm bone.
Grand Bazaar and the Suleymaniye Mosque will also be visited during the tour. Breakfast and lunch provided. Overnight stay in ISTANBUL
Day 3 - Istanbul-Gallipoli-Canakkale
Very early in morning we will depart from Istanbul, drive along the northern shores of the Marmara Sea, and as soon as we arrive we will have a break for lunch.
*Gallipoli and The Dardanelles --after our lunch we will stop to visit Gallipoli, a place of fierce WWI fighting between Allied forces and the Turks. At ANZAC Cove thousands lost their lives in one fateful dawn morning. We will also see other famous battle sites of World War 1 in this area, such as Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair. From here we go to a ferry and cross the Dardanelles. For World War 1 buffs, you will know the Dardanelle Straits were a strategic crossing point for the allied armies to cross from Europe to Asia Minor. Over a nine month campaign, more than half a million soldiers lost their lives in the fight to control this strait of water and nearby Gallipoli peninsula.
*Canakkale will be our final destination for today and where we will spend the evening. After dinner, you might want to stroll the harbor walk and experience the local culture. The locals buy sunflower seeds and stroll with their families, gossiping and looking at the sunset. When they reach the harbor's end, they turn around, buy their ice cream and walk the other direction. >Breakfast/Lunch & Dinner provided. Overnight stay in Canakkale.
Day 4 - Canakkale Troy-Kusadasi
We continue our scenic drive along the Aegean, stopping for photo opportunities and perhaps to indulge the taste buds at one of the many farmer road side stands that sell olives, figs, seasonal fruit and pistachios. We then will head east towards our first site of the day.
Sites you’ll see today
*Troy --is the ancient site written about by Homer in the Iliad. It dates back as far as 3000 BC and has been the site of nine different cities through the thousands of years it has existed. As you enter the site a large wooden Trojan horse dominates your view. You will definitely want to climb up and get your picture taken! After the tour we will provide lunch and after that we will depart from Canakkale, drive along the Aegean Coastal line down to Kusadasi, after arrival we will check in the hotel & Overnight stay in Kusadasi ( B/L/D) Provided.
Day 6 - Pamukkale to Ephesus
After breakfast we will depart from Kusadasi and drive inland, and go on a full day tour of Pamukkale
Sites you’ll see today
*Pammukale which means cotton castle, is the result of limestone formations built over thousands of years. Warm calcium rich mineral water flowed over the cliffs and as it cooled it deposited the calcium into the formations that are seen today. Pammukale is now a world heritage site.
*Hierapolis was founded as a healing care centre in 190 BC, taking advantage of the mineral waters in the area. It was one of the most important intellectual, artistic, religious and commercial centres of the Roman Empire. It eventually had a large Jewish and Christian community. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner provided. Overnight stay in Kusadasi
Day 7 - Kusadasi - Ephesus to Istanbul
Breakfast served at the hotel - Sites you’ll see today
*Ephesus is one of the best preserved cities from Roman times. At the time St. Paul lived in Ephesus in the 60‘s AD, it was at it’s Roman heyday with a population around 250,000. When St. Paul lived in Ephesus he would have addressed the Ephesians in the great theatre, that today impresses everyone that walks into it’s stands. Ephesus was a great ancient city and much of it has been preserved for you to see. More than any other site, you can walk the streets, stand in the great theatre, wander in the library, look towards the hill where St. Paul was put into prison, and feel that you are walking back into the time that St. Paul lived. After being here, you will read the book of Ephesians with new eyes.
*The House of The Virgin Mary where it is believed St. Mary came to live with St. John in the last years of her life.
After the tour we will transfer you to Izmir Airport and put you on a 1 hour flight to back to Istanbul, Arrival in Istanbul, Transfer to your hotel, ( Breakfast and Lunch provided ) Overnight stay in Istanbul
Day 8 - Istanbul to Home
Gule, Gule! It is time to go home. We will transfer you to the airport and wish you well, asking that you keep Turkey in your hearts and prayers, and hoping that our paths cross again in this life! If you have extended your time with an additional add-on trip, we will be confirming this day with you your additional schedule. Contact us for additional tour options.
Cost will be € 680 per person in double room and € 790 for single supp.
Price includes
* All Transportations by comfortable vehicles
* 4 star accommodation with breakfast & 3 Lunches
* Domestic flight tickets ( Istanbul - Kayseri & Izmir - Istanbul )
* Proffessional English speaking guides
* Entrance fees to the Ancient sites
* All of the service charges and local taxes
Excludes
* International flight tickets
* Drinks with meals
( This is a customize program and it is available all year around, if you are interested in getting more information about the cost, and hotel name and their websites, then simply send us an e-mail inquiry and let us know the dates you like to travel, then we will get back to you with full on information.
We can also extend your stay by adding more sights like Cappadocia, Fethiye or more days in either in Kusadasi and Istanbul and make the program suitable for your time and interest. |
