9-Day Turkey Culture and Heritage Tour from Istanbul with Cappadocia

• Meet your guide at the airport after you land at Istanbul Ataturk Airport.

• Enjoy a full day at the Bosphorus Cruise and Spice Market before heading to the hotel.

• Cruise on a private boat through the waterway separating the two continents, Asia and Europe, with the opportunity to take photographs of marble palaces.

• Return to the harbour to have lunch and relax.

• Visit the Egyptian Market, a large bazaar famous for spices and sweets, as well as Turkish artefacts and handmade gifts.

• Transfer to your hotel. Overnight in Istanbul.

(Optional: Kumkapı Evening Programme: Dinner + Music + Entertainment, on request. We will transfer you to the famous corner of Istanbul, Kumkapı, a place of non-stop entertainment all night with many restaurant options and Turkish traditional music. Late in the evening, you will be transferred back to your hotel.)

• After breakfast, meet your guide in the hotel lobby for a full-day Old City tour. The first stop will be the Old City, where you will visit the Hippodrome, where chariot races once took place, and the Blue Mosque.

• Visit the spectacular Topkapı Palace. Built on one of the seven hills of İstanbul, this massive complex commands views of the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus, and the Golden Horn. It was the seat of government for the Ottoman Empire for many centuries (1453-1852), and you will see the extravagant Treasury and the priceless Chinese porcelain.

• After lunch, shop at the Grand Bazaar, the most attractive shopping centre and one of the biggest souks in the world, with nearly 4,000 shops selling antiques, jewellery, gold, carpets, and leatherwear.

• Transfer back to your hotel. Overnight in Istanbul.

(Optional: Evening Programme: 1001 Turkish Night Dinner + Music + Entertainment. Following your return to the hotel for a quick rest and change, you can enjoy the 1001 Night of Istanbul with dinner. We will proceed to welcome the evening with dinner and a night spot featuring live music, a spectacular floor show of belly dancers, Anatolian folklore groups, and entertainment.)

• Early in the morning, depart for Istanbul Ataturk Airport for your domestic flight from Istanbul to Ankara.

• You will meet the bus in Ankara and arrive at the restaurant for breakfast.

• After breakfast, the tour programme will begin with the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, located in a restored bazaar. The museum houses a unique and priceless collection dating back to the prehistoric era.

• The Mausoleum of Atatürk is the next stop. This magnificent structure serves as a tribute to the founder of modern Turkey.

• On the way to Cappadocia, there will be photo stops in the valleys.

• Lunch will be provided en route at a typical regional restaurant. (Extra)

• Dinner and overnight stay will be at the hotel in Cappadocia.

• After breakfast, make your way to the Underground City of Kaymaklı, which Christians in the 7th century used as a place of retreat to escape persecution.

• Then visit Avanos Village.

• Lunch will be provided en route at a typical regional restaurant. (Extra)

• Visit Pasabag Valley and see the traditional handwork arts in the afternoon.

• Dinner and overnight stay will be at the hotel in Cappadocia.

• Optional: Folklore Night with dinner, music, and entertainment.

• There is also the possibility to enjoy the Folklore Night in a cave restaurant for EUR 70 per person or the Ceremony of the Whirling Dervishes for EUR 50 per person. (Extra)

• Depart early in the morning for Konya.

• Visit the authentically maintained 13th-century Caravanserai of Sultanhan.

• The next stop will be Konya, the capital of the Selcuk Turks in the 13th century. This city, which hosts the Mevlâna Museum, is also known for its theological school of whirling dervishes.

• Lunch will be provided en route. (Extra)

• Arrive in Pamukkale late in the afternoon.

• Dinner and overnight stay will be at the thermal hotel in Pamukkale.

• After breakfast at the hotel, the visits will begin early with Hierapolis. The morning starts with the ruins of the ancient city of Hierapolis.

• After that, see the fascinating Necropolis and drive through the Taurus Mountains toward Kusadasi.

• On the way to Kusadasi, you will also visit Aphrodisias.

• Lunch will be taken en route at a typical restaurant. (Extra)

• Then drive to Kusadasi.

• Dinner and overnight stay will be at the hotel in Kusadasi.

• Go on a morning tour of Ephesus, the best-preserved and most frequently visited of all sites in Turkey. It is dedicated to Artemis, the Virgin Goddess of Chase.

• The visit will then continue to the world-famous House of Virgin Mary.

• Lunch will be provided in Selçuk, followed by the drive to Kusadası. (Extra)

• After lunch, visit St John. Built by Emperor Justinian over the tomb of St John the Apostle, the basilica, now in ruins, once rivalled St Sophia in size. You can still see graceful columns, mosaics, and frescoes.

• Dinner and overnight stay will be at the hotel in Izmir.

• Enjoy a free leisure day to spend your time in Izmir, or on request, your tour guide can offer some sightseeing and daily tours for you.

Overnight stay in Izmir.

• After breakfast, meet your local guide at the reception.

• After checking out, you will go to Izmir Airport for your domestic flight. Your tour guide will say goodbye to you at the airport.