CENTRAL TURKEY TOUR
Tour Name: Central Turkey Tour
Duration: 7 Days, 6 Nights
Transportation: Domestic Flights
Visited Places: Istanbul, Cappadocia
ITINERARY
Day 1 (Istanbul - Half day Bosporus Cruise)
After your arrival to Istanbul airport, we will transfer you to your hotel in Sultanahmet area (old Istanbul). You will have free time until noon. Around 13:30, half day bosporus cruise will start by the city walls in Sultanahmet and then we will take the cable car to cafe Pierre Loti. This cafe, located behind the Eyup Mosque at the top of the hill, is a small wooden building, typically oriental in its architecture. The cafe is named after the famous French writer Pierre Loti (1850-1923), who came here to work and contemplate the lovely panorama. After here, we will enjoy a boat cruise from Eyup all the way to Eminonu which forms the Goldenhorn.
During the cruise your guide will give information about Jewish and Orthodox Heritage. The cruise will continue to Bosporus. On our private boat, we will let you see the marvelous monuments and districts of the European and Asian shores like Maiden Tower (Kiz Kulesi), Dolmabahce Palace, Ciragan Palace, Ortakoy, Fethi Ahmet Pasa Mansion, Ortakoy Mosque, Beylerbeyi Palace, Kuleli Military School, Arnavutkoy, Bebek and more. We will also see the Rumeli Fortress (Rumeli Hisari), which was built by Mehmet the Conquerer in 1452, for preparation of his planned siege of Byzantine Constantinople.
After the cruise, we will transfer you back to your hotel.
Day 2 (Istanbul full day tour, flight to Cappadocia)
After your breakfast at the hotel, we will start a full day Istanbul tour. This guided tour will include Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya, Church of Divine Wisdom), Blue Mosque, Hippodrome and Obelisks, Grand Covered Bazaar, lunch, Topkapi Palace, The Treasury and Suleymaniye Mosque. After the tour, we will transfer you to hotel and than airport for the late Kayseri flight. Our representative will be waiting you at Kayseri Airport and you will come to Goreme in 1 hour. You will stay in a cave hotel in Goreme
Day 3 (Cappadocia full day tour)
After your breakfast at the hotel, we will join a full day Cappadocia tour starting with Rose Valley Hike. Then we will take pictures of Cavusin village and take a shorter walk in Pasabag (Monks Valley). We will have lunch in Goreme or Ibrahimpasa villages. Kaymakli Underground City will be your second Unesco World Heritage Site in Turkey after historical parts of Istanbul and it dates back to Hittite times and penetrates five layers deep in the soil. Our tour will finish in the afternoon with picture stop at Uchisar Castle and you will rest at your hotel. Optional whirling dervishes ceremony can be viewed in the evening. Overnight in Goreme.
Day 4 (Cappadocia full day tour)
On your fourth day, you may have an optional hot air balloon flight with sunrise. After the breakfast, you will join a full day Cappadocia tour. We will start by pausing at Esentepe to enjoy the panoramic view over the Goreme Valley. Then we will drive to Ihlara Valley to see the most spectacular valley of Turkey which used to be a monastic center until 15th century. We will hike about 6km in the valley. After our lunch at a river by restaurant in the middle of the valley, we will drive to Selime Monastery and climb to this 8th century rock-cut monastery. Then we will drive you to your hotel at the end of the day.
Day 5 (Cappadocia half day tour, flight to Istanbul)
On your last day in Cappadocia, we will visit the undiscovered parts of the region. Our tour will start after breakfast again and we will visit Mustafapasa (Sinassos) Village, Keslik Monastery and Sobessos Excavation with mosaics from Roman empire. We will then walk in Soganli Valley which used to be a remote monastic center. After having our lunch in the valley we will see the deepest underground city of Cappadocia: Derinkuyu. This settlement dates back to the 13th century BC and goes eight levels underground. In the eveningwe will transfer you Kayseri Airport and you will fly to Istanbul. Our driver will be waiting you in Istanbul Airport to transfer you to your hotel. Overnight in Istanbul
Day 6 (Half day Istanbul Tour)
The day begins with a pick up at your hotel around 08:30. Our first stop is the Yedikule Dungeons (also known as the Seven Towers) – located within the City Walls, this site was used as a prison, a dwelling for lions and a gunpowder factory before becoming a museum. We continue our tour with a drive along the City Walls – the 6.5 Km (4 miles) city walls were breached only twice in 1600 years. At the end of the City Walls we will visit one of the oldest and most important churches in Istanbul, The Church of Chora. Originally built in the early 5th century, the Chora Church (or Church of St. Savior in Chora) houses Byzantine mosaics and murals depicting the life of Christ.
Our next stop is a tea-coffee break at one of the most picturesque points over the Golden Horn. Inspired by the French poet, Pierre Loti – the Pierre Loti café. From here you can either take the cable car down to the Holy Eyup Sultan Mosque, or walk the path which takes you through a Muslim cemetery featuring tulip-carved gravestones. The Eyup Mosque is a place of pilgrimage for Muslims and has beautiful views of the city. We drive along the shores of the Golden Horn, through the towns of Fener and Balat – old Greek and Jewish villages. Our final stop is at the Orthodox Patriarchate in Fener. The drive continues to the Old City with views along the way of the Golden Horn Bridge. We reach the Old City and end our journey at 13:00.
You will have free afternoon Istanbul for last-minute visits and optional shoppings.
Overnight in Istanbul.
Day 7 (Flight back to home)
After your breakfast we will transfer you to Istanbul airport for flying back home.
The rate of Central Turkey tour is 740 Euro including;
Istanbul Apricot Hotel (Deluxe Room, 3 Nights) with breakfast, Cappadocia Kelebek Pension (Deluxe Room, 3 Nights) with breakfast, Professional guiding and all entrance fees in the tours, lunches in full day tours,2 domestic flights (Istanbul - Kayseri and Izmir - Istanbul) and airport transfersAccommodation costs are based on per person on double room. Single Supplement cost is 75 Euro.
| Optional Hotel Upgrade Packs: | |
| Istanbul Blue House Hotel | 40 Euro per night per person |
| Istanbul World Park Hotel (5 stars) | 35 Euro per night per person |
| Cappadocia Sultan Cave Suites | 20 Euro per night per person |
| Cappadocia Kelebek Boutique Hotel | 25 Euro per night per person |
| Cappadocia Anatolian Suites (Deluxe) | 110 Euro per night per person |
This tour can be expanded with Nemrut Excursion or Gulet Cruise between Olympos and Fethiye.
Please send us an email (info@goreme.com) for booking and further information
