5-Day Ancient Cities Tour in Turkey with Istanbul and Ephesus

• Arrive in Istanbul and transfer from the airport to the hotel with comfort and convenience.

Stay in Istanbul and soak in your first night in an exotic land.

• Visit St. Sophia (Hagia Sofia) and let its majesty astound you.

• Walk in the Underground Byzantine Cistern (Yerebatan) and discover flashes of older eras.

• Have a sojourn at the Hippodrome of Istanbul and the Blue Mosque (the Sultan Ahmed Mosque), as you understand the deep relevance blue holds for the Byzantine Empire.

• Walk through Topkapi Palace, including the Harem section, and the Grand Bazaar to feel like a prince or princess of another era.

• Visit the Old Spice Bazaar and rediscover your love for the smells and textures of various spices.

• Ride on the Bosphorus cruise by ferry to see Anadolu Hisari and Rumeli Hisari (interior excluded) and relive their grandeur.

• Traverse past old mansions, waterfront wooden houses, imperial palaces, hunting lodges, and modern villas on both the European and Asian shores of the strait while cruising, and feel the amalgamation of east and west.

• Walk through Taksim and Istiklal Street and imbibe the local culture.

• Take a detour driving through the lush environs of Ephesus.

• Walk through the House of Mother Mary and relive the famed birth of Jesus.

• Visit the Basilica of St John and understand the depths of the Bible.

• Walk through Sirince village and feel the vibe of eclectic living thrive.

• Have lunch in a local house and meet local people to be a part of their world.

• Drive down to the port town of Kusadası, taking in the scenic beauty along the way.

• Undertake a beautiful 2-and-a-half-hour drive to Aphrodisias, the city of Aphrodite.

• Get lost in this well-preserved ancient city, discovering the essence of Aphrodite.

• Breeze through a thorough itinerary of Pamukkale and Hierapolis sightseeing, taking in their biblical grandeur.