8-Day Turkey Highlights Tour with Istanbul, Cappadocia and Ephesus

• Meet us at Istanbul International Airport Transfer to your hotel. 
• Free leisure time, the rest of the day is yours to explore Istanbul. 
• Overnight in Istanbul.

• Visit Topkapı Palace. The great palace of the Ottoman sultans from the 15th to the 19th centuries housed an exquisite collection of crystal, silver, and Chinese porcelain, robes worn by the sultans and their families, the famous jewels of the Imperial Treasury, miniatures, the Holy Mantle; enshrining relics of the Prophet Mohammed. Sultanahmet Imperial Mosque. 
• Across from St. Sophia built in the 16th century by the architect Mehmet, is known as the "Blue Mosque" because of its magnificent interior decoration of blue Iznik tiles. Hippodrome Ancient Hippodrome, the scene of chariot races, with the three monuments; the Obelisk of Theodosius, the bronze Serpentine Column, and the Column of Constantine. We will continue to Hagia Sophia to admire its wonderful Byzantine mosaics. 
• Imagine you are entering 1500 years one of the oldest and once the biggest Cathedrals in the world built by Byzantines that housed Christians and Muslims for years. In many aspects, it’s unique in the world. 
• Today became a serving mosque again. 
• We will then take you to the Grand Bazaar. 
• Overnight in Istanbul.

After breakfast: Transfer to Istanbul Airport for our inbound flight to Cappadocia. After arrival, drive to Cappadocia. The first stop in Cappadocia, Pigeon Valley earned its name from the countless man-made dovecotes (Pigeon Houses) that have been carved into the soft volcanic tuff. Since ancient times Pigeons have been used in the Cappadocia region for food and fertilizer for the infertile soil. Avanos rests on the banks of the longest river in Turkey, the Kizlirmak, River. The name of the Red River comes from the large amounts of clay deposits, which have been used for centuries in the town for pottery. The pottery trade in Avanos dates back to the Hittites and you can still visit Avanos now and view the workshops in action. Unlike other valleys in the Cappadocia region, Devrent Valley was never inhabited by humans. There are no rock-hewn churches or ancient castles, nor are there any troglodyte caves or pigeonholes. Instead what draws visitors to Devrent Valley is the incredible pink-hued rock formations and geological anomalies that have been formed by centuries of erosion. Overnight in Cappadocia

• After breakfast depart to know the Cappadocia region, a volcanic area in which the geological formation started 10 million years ago. As a result of these formations, phallic-like pillars have come to life. The beautiful horse country Katpatuka, (as the Persians called her) is an unbelievable strip of land, enchanting and mysterious. 
• Zelve Open Air Museum (Pasabag) Center of the Fairy Chimneys; Life in the Zelve Valley, which was one of the important settlements in the region from the fourth until the thirteenth centuries, continued until 1952. It is generally acknowledged that the variety of large, small, conical, pyramid-shaped, pointed, or blunt fairy chimneys in Zelve are the most beautiful in the region. Zelve presents a picture of the abandonment of a village that still existed until a short time ago, with a Seljuk-type Mosque and adjacent homes carved from the rock, some of which still resist the ravages of time. 
• One of the most interesting and exciting cultural activities in Cappadocia is to visit an underground city. The underground cities of Cappadocia were built by carving the rocks down on volcanic tuff land. We still don’t know how they managed to carve this deep underground considering there was no technological equipment. Love Valley is a hidden valley with scenic formations, to say the least. Despite the resemblance to manhood, these amazing rock formations are far from man-made. They are ancient structures that sit at over a thousand meters altitude. There is generally no rainfall in the area but the Cappadocia does have really hot, dry summers and cold, snowy winters. Overnight in Cappadocia

• After breakfast: Transfer to Cappadocia Airport for our inbound flight to Izmir. 
• After arrival, we depart from the hotel to visit the ancient City of Ephesus - one of the world’s finest archaeological sites, where we visit the Arcadian Way, the splendid facade of the library of Celsus, and see the Amphitheatre, which is still used for concerts. 
• Afterward, join an in-depth guided walking tour of Sirince Village which is located next to the city of Ephesus. 
• Stroll through the pretty old orthodox village Sirince, (which means “Cute one”) which was called once Cirkince ("ugly"). 
• Indeed, its inhabitants gave this name on purpose as they did not want to be bothered by foreigners nor to share the beauty of their village. 
• Overnight in Kusadasi.

• After Breakfast we are driving to Pamukkale; the Ancient City of Hierapolis - located on hot springs in classical Phrygia in southwestern Anatolia. 
• Calcareous Thermal Springs descending over cliffs have created fascinating travertine in the form of white terraces and basins also known as the Cotton Castle. 
• Overnight in Kusadasi or Izmir.

• After breakfast: Transfer to Izmir Airport for our inbound flight to Istanbul. 
• After arriving in Istanbul explore the city highlights; Walk Istiklal Street; the heart of Istanbul is undoubtedly Istiklal Street. This street, which is in the middle of a thousand years of history, has hosted people from tens of nationalities and has kept a part of the culture of these nations for hundreds of years. It contains dozens of local and global brands and historical monuments of different cultures. 
• At the end of the program join the Bosphorus Cruise tour, while sailing along the Bosphorus, you will see the most important landmarks of Istanbul, including The Golden Horn, The Spice Bazaar, Dolmabahce Palace, Topkapi Palace, Cıragan Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace, Rumeli Fortress, Anatolian Fortress, Ortakoy Mosque, The Galata Tower, Ortakoy neighborhood, Ortakoy Mosque, Uskudar and Maiden Tower. 
• All these iconic places will be seen from the water during the Bosphorus tour. 
• Overnight in Istanbul.

• After beakfast, check out from the hotel and transfer to Istanbul aiport.