Duration
11 Days
Physical rate
Moderate
Starting city
Istanbul
Available
April 2023 / March 2024
Detailed day by day description
Introduction
Dear Traveler: thank you for choosing us to perform this Tour! We hope you enjoy your trip.
Here we give you a guidance on their tour with the information that we believe may be of your interest. The information is indicative, may exist variations on designated hours.
TRANSFER from the airport, if you have it included or purchasing. Our transfer will be waiting for you with a poster on behalf of Europamundo or its name to the output of the custom (after collecting your luggage)..
Remember to inform us by phone if you lost your connection flight or expected delay of their arrival, in your VOUCHER figure the phone of the transfer.
IMPORTANT: If you had additional nights upon arrival the hotel will have your reservation, but his travel guide normally will not be until the night before the start of the tour.
Reception. Transfer to hotel and free time. You will receive information about the start of the circuit during the afternoon, or you can check the informative panels in the hotel reception area.
IMPORTANT - IF YOU REQUESTED ADDITIONAL NIGHTS on arrival at the hotel you will have your booking made but the guide of your trip will normally not arrive until the start of the included activities. YOUR TIME BEFORE THIS MOMENT IS THEREFORE FREE. At your hotel they can help you with all the information you need.
NB: The schedules you will find in this itinerary are approximate. The guide, depending on the situation and in order to improve the development of the circuit, may adjust the schedules.
19.30 hrs.- At the end of the afternoon we will offer a transfer to the neighborhood of Taksim , the most commercial and local area of the city. Time to dine in one of its many restaurants, you can also take the old tram that crosses the area or approach the nearby Galata Tower.
Note: the order of the services included in the city of Istanbul may vary during the stay.
Total Distance: 450 km
07.30 hrs- After breakfast, we will include the entrance and visit to the Topkapi Palace, which was the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire with its magnificent courtyards and pavilions.
Afterwards, we will take a boat trip on the Bosphorus for about two hours. We will do it on a private boat for Europamundo travelers. The Bosphorus is a strait that connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara separating Istanbul into two parts: European and Asian. We will enjoy watching the animation of the strait with all its boats, we will pass under the two bridges that connect Europe and Asia and we will admire the palaces of the sultans, the typical wooden houses, the Ottoman villas.
We will disembark on the Asian side and we will have time to walk through the Uskudar neighborhood , with its large mosques, where Yemi Valide, the maiden´s tower and its quiet streets stand out. Time for lunch.
15.00 hrs- Istanbul Departure. From the Uskudar neighborhood, on the Asian side, we continue our route to the Anatolian peninsula.
21.00 hrs- Ankara- Arrival , dinner included.
Landscapes: Lunar landscapes next to the salted lake.
Note: We will visit the shrine of Hacibecktas, an exciting pilgrimage site rarely visited by tourists. Please wear appropriate clothing and be respectful during the visit.
08.00 hrs- After breakfast we include a visit to Ankara, the cosmopolitan capital of Turkey, with over 5 million inhabitants and a lot of cultural life with its performing arts center, which houses the State Ballet and Opera, the Presidential Symphony Orchestra and many national theater companies. We will visit the impressive Mausoleum of Ataturk , the powerful castle of Ankara , whose first construction was 8 centuries before Christ. We also include the entrance to the Museum of Anatolian civilizations that allows us to understand the different cultures that left their mark on Turkey. At the end of the morning, we will stop at a large shopping mall so that in your food court you can choose the type of food that you like the most.
13.30 hrs.- Ankara, departure-. We continue our route by coach. Arid regions in the interior of Turkey take us to Cappadocia. We travel past the salted lake, with a stop to photograph it.
17.30 hrs- Hacibecktas, arrival at this complex, one of the most important centers of religious tourism in Turkey where the mausoleum of Haci Becktas, a Sufi mystic from Anatolia of the thirteenth century that puts the person at the center of his philosophy. The rituals and symbols of Bektashism are reflected in the sanctuary architecture and interior design.
18.30 hrs- Hacibecktas, departure.
19.30 hrs- Nevsherir / Avanos - arrival, dinner includded .
Note: We recommend comfortable footwear for today’s visits. Sometimes the order of the visits may be changed by the guide to see the different points when they are less crowded.
In the early morning, there is the option of a balloon flight over the Cappadocia region. - A wonderful experience offered at dawn
09.30 hrs.- Avanos - Departure -. We leave for the GOREME VALLEY . We include tickets to see the fantastic open-air museum that houses more than 30 churches dug out of the rocks, some with very beautiful frescoes. After this we visit UCHISAR – A stroll in this village of Cappadocia; you can see its 60-metre rock full of houses in dugout caves. We continue to KAYMACLI. You will see this impressive underground city in Cappadocia. Its tunnels and catacombs can house up to thirty thousand people. Time for lunch.
In the afternoon, we will go to PASABAG , known as the “Valley of fairies” , and we will stroll around this spectacular natural complex. We will also visit a traditional jewellery workshop with stones typical of the region of Cappadocia, Onyx and Turquoise, and we will see some examples of those used by the sultans during the Ottoman Empire.
At around 18 hrs. return to the hotel, where you can enjoy the swimming pool (in the summer months) or go for a stroll around the pleasant commercial town of Avanos/Nevsherir . Dinner included.
Scenery: We continue amid the beautiful landscapes of Cappadocia. Subsequently arid and flat areas.
Notes: Today it is again necessary to wear comfortable shoes as we continue to explore Cappadocia. In Konya, we visit places considered "holy" for the Dervish sect: please wear appropriate clothing.
07:30 hrs - Nevsehir –Departure-. In the morning we go to small characterful towns mark the Ihlara Valley.
09:45 hrs - Ihlara Canyon –Arrival-. Refreshed by the cooler air by the river, we explore churches that are carved into the rock of the canyon.
11:45 hrs - Ihlara Canyon –Departure-.
13:00 hrs. - Sultanhan –Arrival-. Here one of the most beautiful caravanserai is preserved. This magnificent building reminds us of the great caravans of camels that, in the past, marked these lands. Time to explore and have lunch.
14.45 hrs - Sultanhan –Departure-. Landscapes with large herds and arid plains.
16.15 hrs - Konya –Arrival-. In the center of Konya, we explore the MEVLANA MAUSOLEUM , a holy place for Dervishes, the Muslim sect known for their whirling "trance" dancing. Admission to the exhibition is included. Later, we suggest a stroll through the bustling bazaar. Dinner included.
At night, we suggest that you attend the dance performance of the whirling dervishes in the cultural centre.
Scenery: Varied: mountain areas and lakes. Fantastic "cotton mountain" at the end of the day. Notes: We recommend that you also bring shoes that are easy to remove and carry in Pamukkale... and if you wish, bring your bathing costume to this place!
08.00 hrs. - Konya –Departure-. We continue our journey through Turkey´s interior.
11:15 hrs. -Egridir. Located on the shores of a lake with the same name, this is a picturesque town with its walls and mosques where we can walk and have lunch.
13:30 hrs. - Egridir –Departure-.
16:15 hrs. - Pamukkale –Arrival-. Admission included. At the "cotton mountain", our coach will drop passengers at the top of the mountain so that - having admired the ruins that date to the Roman era - you can descend on foot between the hot springs and the "baths". The colours at sunset are fantastic. Our coach will collect you at the area below. Finally you will have time in the hotel at which point you can enjoy its thermal pools. Dinner included.
Scenery: Various: proximity of the sea in region at the end of the stage.
Note: Again, for the Ephesus visit, it is advisable to wear comfortable shoes.
08.30 hrs. - Pamukkale –Departure-.
11:30 hrs. - Ephesus – Arrival-. We now visit a fantastic complex of Roman ruins. 2,000 years ago, this city had a quarter of a million inhabitants. We will discover with our guide the house of the Virgin Mary, the Basilica of Saint John and the impressive ruins at Ephesus (tickets included) . Time for lunch.
16.00 hrs- Ephesus departure. We continue on towards the Turquoise Coast, which has magnificent landscapes.
16.30 hrs.- Kusadasi. Arrival to this popular coastal town with a lot of atmospher, commercial life and a small castle. We will visit a gallery of leather articles where we will learn about the famous production of sheepskin garmets in this region. Free time to enjoy its bazaars and see its small castle. Dinner included.
Note: during the high season, from une to September (both included), accommodation will be given in a town near Kusadasi.
Scenery: Various beautiful sights over the Aegean sea.
08.30 hrs.- Kusadasi- Departure.
10.00 hrs- Lake Bafa- Stop to see the lake, its magnificent nature, history, mystical beauty and serenity is undoubtedly one of the natural wonders to be seen in Turkey.
10.30 hrs.- Bafa Lake, departure.
12.00 hrs.- Bodrum , free time in this beautiful fortified city of Greek origin. You can visit its castle, walk through its streets which are full of life and tourist activity or its leisure marina. Time for lunch.
15.00 hrs- Bodrum, departure.
17.30 hrs.- Marmaris, arrival to another beautiful coastal tourist enclave, with its castle, its marina and its fountains. Dinner and accommodation.
NOTE: On some high difficulty dates (especially in summer), some groups can be accommodated in a nearby town.
Scenery: Coastal sections and sections between high mountains. Contrasts.
08.00 hrs.- Marmaris - Departure -.
09.30 hrs.- DALYAN - Arrival -. An incredible place beside a beautiful navigable river. Free time for a coffee in one on its many restaurants by the river, and we include a boat trip of around two and a half hours to see the LYCIAN ROYAL TOMBS.
11.30 hrs.- Dalyan - Departure -. We continue our route. Mountain scenery. Stop en route to have lunch.
16.15 hrs.- ANTALYA - Arrival -. We will make a brief visit of this great coastal city of more than a million inhabitants, the Adrian door, the Ottoman district and its large waterfall falling straight into the sea. Dinner included.
Note: Remember that check-out time is usually at 10.00 hrs. In most cases, you can leave your luggage at the hotel reception at check-out time so you can enjoy the city and pick it up at the time you require that same day. If you need more time to use your room, please consider booking an additional night at the end of your tour.