ALL TURKEY FOR GOOD MEMORIES

You have 3 weeks and if you want to visit beautiful Turkey, this tour is ideal for you. History, nature, different cultures, different places, different food tastes, all in this tour.

Day 1: Arrival to Istanbul: One of our colleagues will be waiting for you at the arrival hall bearing a sign of Efendi Travel. He/she will accompany you to our vehicle and you will be transferred directly to your hotel. Accommodation in Istanbul.

Day 2: Istanbul City Tour: You will be picked up from your hotel at around 08:30. You will visit: Hagia Sophia , Blue Mosque, Roman Hippodrome Grand Bazaar After lunch you will see: Topkapi Palace , Sultan Tombs and the tour ends about 16:30 and back to hotel Accommodation in Istanbul. (breakfast at hotel, lunch on the tour)

Please note that Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesdays and Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays. Blue Mosque will not be visited on Fridays.

Day 3: Dolmabahce Palace Tour & Bosphorus Cruise: (check out from hotel in the morning) You will be picked up from your hotel at around 08:00-08:30 for Dolmabahce Palace & Bezmi Alem Mosque Tour. We firstly visit Dolmabahce Palace, recent residence for Ottoman Sultans. Famous with great collection of European antiquity, furniture and 4.5 tons chandelier, the palace has 285 rooms of 46 halls. After palace the next stop is Bezmi Alem Mosque. Then you will get on the vehicle and drive to Eminonu, where you will get on the boat for a 2-hour Bosphorus Cruise. You will see the most impressive sights along the shores of the Bosphorus including Dolmabahce Palace, Ciragan Palace, Maiden´s Tower, Bosphorus bridges, Rumeli and Anadolu fortresses and Ottoman Residences. After the cruise, you will be dropped off back at your hotel at around 17:00.

Day 4: Ephesus Ancient City and Virgin Mary’s House Tour: You will be picked up from your hotel in Sultanahmet or Taksim at 04:15 to be transferred to Istanbul Airport to take 07:00 flight to Izmir. Upon your arrival, you will be greeted and transferred to Ephesus to meet with your guide and the rest of the group for full-day Ephesus Ancient City Tour. You will visit to EPHESUS which is known to be the Commercial, the Religious and the Social Center of Antiquity, and one of the Highlights of any Visit in Turkey. Ephesus is probably the best combination of Greek, Roman and Byzantine civilisations. You will visit the Fountains of Trajan, Polio, the Temples of Hadrian and Domition, the Library of Celcius, Bouloterion and the Great Theatre with a capacity of 24.000 spectators. After lunch, you will drive to Temple of Artemis (Diana), than drive to the House of the Virgin Mary. After the tour, you will be transferred to Kusadasi and drop-off at your hotel. Accommodation in Kusadasi. (lunch on the tour)

Day 5: Pamukkale Travertines and Hierapolis Ancient City: You will be picked up from your hotel at around 08:15 for the tour of Pamukkale, which is the center of natural thermal spring waters with healing properties. Due to the chemical properties in the water, pure white colored travertine and stepped water terraces have been created on the mountain slope. It is for its resemblance to cotton piles that it is called ´Cotton Castle´ in Turkish. Visit the travertine and the ancient city of Hierapolis which has the biggest Necropolis with 1200 gravestones in Anatolia. The sacred pool also is one of the highlights of the site. There shallow thermal waters ripple over a wonderful scattering of ancient roman ruins that lie beneath. After the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel. Accommodation in Kusadasi (breakfast at hotel, lunch on the tour)

Day 6: Free day & Flight to Cappadocia : (check out from hotel until noon) You will be picked up from your hotel and transfer to airport to take a day flight to Kayseri. Upon your arrival, you will be met at the airport and transfer to your hotel in Cappadocia. Free day. Accommodation in Cappadocia. (breakfast at hotel)

Please note that there are limited direct flights between Kayseri and Izmir. In case there would not be suitable flight for your travel dates, a connecting flight will be arranged for you, which might incur extra costs.

Day 7: First day in Cappadocia: You will be picked up at around 09:00, then you will drive to Devrent Valley where the geographical formations remind a place of another planet. Then in Pasabagi, you will take a stroll between the amazing fairy chimneys of Cappadocia. From there, driving to Avanos to have lunch. After having the lunch you leave from Avanos to see the most beautiful examples of Byzantine art in Goreme Open Air Museum. Then you will drive to Uchisar Castle, the highest point of the region, where you will have a fabulous panoramic view over Cappadocia. You will return back to your hotel at around 17:00. Accommodation in Cappadocia. (lunch on the tour)

Day 8 : Second Day in Cappadocia: You will be picked up from your hotel at around 09:00 for a tour on a 4km hike through the Rose Valley visiting the churches. Afterwards visit the old Christian village of Cavusin. Stop for lunch in Pigeons Valley and then continue on to see the marvel of construction that is the Kaymakli Underground City. You will also visit the Ortahisar Natural Rock Castle. After the tour, you will be dropped off at your hotel at around 17:00. Accommodation in Cappadocia. (breakfast at hotel and lunch on the tour)

Day 9 – Visiting Gaziantep
Departure from your hotel at 08:30. Drive to Karatay Kervansaray on the legendary Silk Road. Stop at Kahramanmaras for lunch and a taste of its famous ice cream. Continue onto visit the world famous Gaziantep Mosaic Museum. This museums becomes after the discoveries from Zeugma. We will also visit the old city castle, copper bazaar and the famous baklava shop (Baklava is originally from Gaziantep). Stay in Gaziantep. Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 10 – First Day in Sanliurfa
Today we drive to Sanli Urfa. On the way we stop at Nizip (soap and olive oil district) to see the remains of the old city of Belkis or (Zeugma) by the River Euphrates. Importance of this settlement which demonstrates an uninterrupted inhabiting since prehistoric ages, is that it is one of the two points allowing the easiest passage across the River Euphrates with a bridge first built by Alexander the Great. Lunch in Urfa and after a walk through the local covered bazaar. Spend the afternoon at leisure or walking through the town to discover the many hidden treasures. Stay in Sanliurfa. Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 11 – Second Day in Sanliurfa
Urfa, the birthplace of the prophet Abraham. Urfa has been occupied since the Babylonians followed by the Hurrites, Hittites, Assyrians, Greeks. We will visit nearby Harran and see the incredible beehive houses. Harran according to the Bible was the site where prophet Abraham spent a few years with his family before moving on to Israel, the promised land. We will also visit the holy sites at the Ainzelha, a lake with millions of domesticated fish. While in Urfa we will visit the cave where the prophet Abraham was born and visit a bustling sheep market as well. There are exceptional photo opportunities in this area. In the afternoon drive to Kahta on the way see the Ataturk Dam, third largest in the world. Stay in Kahta. Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 12 – Visiting Mt. Nemrut
In the morning 03:30 am departure. Hike to the summit of Mt. Nemrut (one of the most popular UNESCO world cultural heritage sites), watching the sunrise, be amazed by the colossal heads and statues of ancient deities as you step into mythology. This extraordinary landmark rests at an elevation of 8000 ft. The mountain top complex is composed of two flattened areas strewn with statues and separated by a false peak of crushed rock. Antiochos built the entire complex approximately 2000 years ago as a monument to his divine ancestry. Also definitely take time to visit the old castle Arsemeia, cross over the still functioning Cendere Bridge (Septimius Severus bridge) dating all the way back to the 3rd century and Tumulus Tomb of Karakus. Then drive back to the hotel for breakfast. We then depart to Mardin with a lovely ferry ride across the dam and lunch in Siverek. We will reach Mardin around 16:00 check into hotel. We will take the time to visit, walk in its busy streets and bazaars, and admire the stonework all around the town. Stay in Mardin. Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 13 – Visiting Mardin
In the morning visit Mardin. Mardin is very unique with lovely old-Arabic style houses. The houses are often decorated with intricate carvings. This is a very lively trading center with people coming from surrounding villages to buy and sell. We will have a fantastic view of the Plain of Mesopotamia. It is a city that played an important role in the early development of Christianity. We will also visit the Monastery of Deyr-az-Zaferan just outside of town, founded in 762 A.D. It was the seat of the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch for almost 800 years.We drive to Hasankeyf, with stop at the beautiful little town of Midyat to see the Monastery and ancient houses on the way. Hasankeyf, with its history that spans nine civilizations, the archaeological and religious The history of Hasankeyf goes back 10,000 years. This is three times longer than the Giza pyraids, 10 times longer than Stonehenge, and makes the glorious civilizations of the Maya and Inca seem as if they were flourishing just yesterday. Some of the city’s historical treasures will be inundated if construction of the Ilisu Dam is completed. These include ornate mosques, Islamic tombs and cave churches. After lunch by the Tigris River we depart to Tatvan, a small village on the edge of Lake Van and watch the sun set over the lake. Stay in Tatvan. Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 14 – Visiting Van
Depart from Tatvan and a beautiful drive around the lake to reach Van city, established 13th century BC. From here, we will take a ferry across the lake to visit the finest Armenian architectural wonder of the Church of Holy Cross on Akdamar Island. Step over to the huge Van Castle from the days of Urartu and see the hieroglyphs as you sense the spirit of the once Urartu capital Tushpa, feel the salty waters of the great Lake Van called as ‘the Sea’ by the locals. Stay in Van. Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 15 – Visiting Dogubeyazit
Drive on the “Silk Road” to Dogubeyazit. At the Iranian border we will see a site known as the Crater Hole. This is a beautiful, yet rugged area. We will have the opportunity to see Mt. Ararat from all sides. It is believed by some to be the resting-place of Noah’s Ark; but to date no one has found anything that has been verified as the Ark – yet the search is still on. We will stop and see the Ishak Pasa Palace. This complex is a combination of a mosque, a fortress, and a palace which originally had a room for every day of the year! Below you can also see the remains of Eski Beyazit, and Urartian City which flourished in 1000 BC. Continue onto Kars. Stay in Kars. Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 16 – Visiting Kars and City of Ani
Departure for a 45-minute drive to the medieval Armenian City of Ani, which lies mostly in ruins. Impressive fortified walls still encircle the ruins of numerous churches, mosques and caravansaries. Enjoy a walk around the ruins and see the beautiful view to the Armenian border imagining it as a city with 200.000 people rivaling Bagdad in its time! This city has experienced the cultures of Urartians, Armenians, Georgians, Mongols, Russians and finally the Turks. Also visit the impressive Kars Castle. Stay in Kars. Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 17 – Visiting Erzurum
Leave Kars after Breakfast and drive southwest to Erzurum. Of great interest will be the villages of stone houses and black sheep on green meadows. Visit the 12th century Medrese (a Seljukian School), 12th century mosque and enjoy the ethnographic museum. Visit an old caravan stop where the local black stone is mounted in silver and gold by the local artists in the most aesthetic art form. Stay in Erzurum. Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 18 – First Day in Trabzon
We begin a beautiful 5 hour drive to Trabzon, winding along the rivers with many photo stops and Karaca Cave along the way. Visit the Sumela Monastery, also known as the Monastery of Virgin Mary. It has been said that it is neither on earth nor in heaven. Carved on the slope of a mountain, it looks like a nine storey high building hanging down from the clouds and sitting on the top of the forest. A short hike through the rain forest will leave no question in your mind about where you are in Turkey. The Black Sea Region ! Stay in Trabzon. Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 19 – Second Day in Trabzon and Flight to Istanbul
Visit the city of Trabzon in the morning. After the crusaders invaded Constantinople in 1204, Trabzon became the capital of the Byzantine Empire for a short time. Longing for the grandeur of Constantinople, in Trabzon, they imitated the churches of their beloved city in a smaller scale. St. Sophia of Trabzon though much smaller will leave with you the same sense of religious devotion as the original one in Istanbul. Fly back to Istanbul. Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 20 – Departure from Turkey
You will be transferred to airport for your internatinal flight.

Price :4500  EUR per person in double/twin room. If you are a single traveller, there will be 75% single supplement surcharge.

Tour Prices Include

Accommodation in 3* hotels or similar boutique hotels
Breakfasts in all hotels
Land transportation by A/C vehicle
All airport transfers mentioned in the itinerary
Domestic flight tickets
Professional licensed guiding services
Entrance fees to the museums during guided tours

Tour Prices Exclude

Personal expenses
Dinner
Tips