Hotel Information
| Treasures of Turkey |
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| Tour Info |
Day 1 Istanbul at Leisure Welcome to Turkey! Upon arrival at the airport, you are transferred to your hotel. In the evening, you will meet your Tour Director for a Welcome Drink. Day 2 Istanbul – Cappadocia
The tour starts with a flight from Istanbul to Kayseri, where you will meet your tour guide and check in to your hotel in Cappadocia. After check-in, get a first peek into this unique region of volcanic landscape with an orientation tour between the fairy chimneys.
Day 3 Cappadocia – Göreme Excursion
Visit Göreme’s rock-carved churches decorated with ancient frescoes, and stroll through the Zelve valleys where you can see fairy chimneys and cave houses everywhere you look. Visit the underground city of Kaymaklı which served as a refuge to early Christians running away from the Romans, and see the cone of Uçhisar. Enjoy dinner at the hotel and watch a colorful folklore show in an underground cave featuring dances from the different regions of Turkey.
Day 4 Konya – Antalya
Visit the caravanserai of Sultanhanı before driving to Konya, the city of mystic and poet Mawlana Jalaladdin Rumi and the Sufi sect of Whirling Dervishes. Apart from its religious significance, Konya is also the capital of Anatolian Seljuk Empire, the forebearer of the Ottoman Empire. In Konya, visit the Rumi Museum with its fluted turquoise dome, the Karatay Madrasah, which now hosts a museum featuring examples of Seljuk tiles, and İnce Minaret. After our visits in Konya, transfer to Antalya and check-in at the hotel.
Day 5 Antalya
Our first stop in Antalya is the ancient city of Aspendos which hosts the best preserved Roman theatre anywhere in the world. We then drive to the Hellenistic and Roman city of Perge to visit the ruins of the ancient capital of Pamphylia and see its great theatre, stadium, and its gate-towers leading into a street where ancient chariot ruts can still be seen. As the night falls, enjoy a walking tour of Antalya’s Old Town.
Day 6 Fethiye
After breakfast, we will drive to Fethiye and check-in to our hotel. The day is yours to relax and enjoy one of the best beaches of the Mediterranean: The Blue Lagoon. You can alternatively explore the city known for its natural beauty and heritage as well as its ancient history as a flourishing harbor of the Lycian Empire. Overnight stay in Fethiye.
Day 7 Kaunos – Pamukkale
Start the day with a visit to Kaunos and see the tombs of Lycean kings carved on the mountain slope. We then hit to road for Pamukkale, going past the pine forests of the Taurus Mountains. Check-in to our hotel in Pamukkale.
Day 8 Pamukkale
We continue to Pamukkale, a unique site which derives its Turkish name (meaning “Cotton Castle”) from its dazzling white cascades of mineral-covered limestone. We visit the natural beauties of Pamukkale and the ancient Roman spa Hieropolis where we will see one of the largest necropolises of the ancient world.
Day 9 Kuşadası
Going from Pamukkale to Kuşadası, visit Aphrodisias, the city that became famous in the ancient world with its school of sculptors. Among the ruins of the ancient city that is dedicated to the Greek goddess of love Aphrodite, the most prominent features are the Temple of Aphrodite and the stadium. After Aphrodisias, we continue to our beach hotel in the lively coastal town of Kuşadası.
Day 10 Kuşadası - Izmir
The day is dedicated to the legendary Ephesus – one of the world’s richest acheological sites. Visit the Amphitheatre and walk along the Arcadian Way to view the splendid façade of the Library of Celsus. After the ancient city, visit the House of the Virgin Mary, situated above the ruins. Overnight stay in Izmir.
Day 11 Izmir – Çanakkale
We visit Pergamon, one of the most prominent health centers of the ancient world and the capital of the Attalid dynasty. Highlights include the Acropolis with ruins of the agora, temple, palace, the podium on which the Altar of Zeus stood, and the Asclepion, a sanctuary and healing centre dedicated to the god of healing, Asclepius. We then drive to Homer’s Troy to see the ruins of nine cities built on top of each other, and an enormous reconstruction of the famous wooden horse. Overnight stay in Çanakkale.
Day 12 Çanakkale – Istanbul
Cross the Dardanelles Strait by ferry and continue to the Gallipoli Peninsula where the War of Dardanelles took place during WWI. We visit the battlefields, trenches and memorials that commemorate the soldiers who tragically lost their lives. Pay your respects at the Anzac Cove and visit the Lone Pine Cemetery before returning to Istanbul.
Day 13 Byzantine Istanbul
Our first stop is Hippodrome where chariot races were held during the Byzantine era. We then visit the magnificent Hagia Sophia, the largest cathedral of the Christian world for 1000 years and historically the focal point of Eastern Christianity. The last stop of the day is the Yerebatan Basilica Cistern, a 9800 m2 structure built in the 6th century to provide water for the Byzantine Palace.
Day 14 Ottoman Istanbul
Our day starts with a visit to the Blue Mosque, a 17th century masterpiece of Ottoman religious architecture. In the afternoon, we visit the Topkapi Palace - home of the Ottoman Sultans for four centuries which boasts the opulent imperial Treasury, an invaluable collection of Chinese porcelain, weapons and works of calligraphy. The Grand Bazaar where you can test your haggling skills is the last stop of the day. In the evening, consider an optional dinner-out with belly-dancing show.
Day 15 Return
The tour ends after breakfast with transfers to the airport.
All tours can be tailored according to the needs of our guests. Beynar Tourism also reserves the right to make modifications to programs according to the availability of aforementioned touristic and other places. |
| Included Services |
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| Not Included |
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| Tour Date | 05.05.- 17.05.2009 ve 19.05.- 31.05.2009 |
