SAFRANBOLU & HIGHLIGHTS OF TURKEY TOUR – 13 DAYS (ISTANBUL-SAFRANBOLU-ANKARA-CAPPADOCIA-KONYA-PAMUKKALE-EPHESUS)

The tour including Safranbolu, a well preserved and non-touristy Ottoman town located in North Central Anatolia. The tour continue with visits to the highlights of Turkey : Ankara, Cappadocia, Konya, Pamukkale and Ephesus. The transportation during most of the trip is provided by major bus companies with air-conditioned buses. Return to Istanbul from Ephesus to Istanbul at the end of the trip will be with flight. All local transfers and tours are private.

1st Day – Arrival to Istanbul
You will be met at the airport by our meet&greet staff and transfer to your hotel with a private van. Stay in Istanbul.

2nd Day – Istanbul Old City Tour
You will be picked up from your hotel by your guide at 09.00 am to visit the Byzantine and Ottoman Relics found in Sultanahmet area. The tour is on foot as the places of visit are walking distance to eachother. You will visit Hagia Sophia Museum, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Harem of the Palace and Basilica Cictern. The tour ends with Grand Bazaar tour, the most popular historical shopping center of Istanbul. Stay in Istanbul. Breakfast and lunch included.

3rd Day – Dolmabahce Palace & Bosphorus & Pera Tour

Departure from your hotel at around 09:00 and start the day by visiting Dolmabahce Palace, the last residence of Ottoman Sultans located on the shores of Bosphorus.  It was home to six sultans from 1856, when it was first inhabited, until 1922. The construction of the palace cost five million Ottoman Mecidiye gold coins, the equivalent of 35 tons of gold. The design contains eclectic elements from Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical styles. The Museum-Palace has golden gilded ceilings, crystal staircases and the largest Bohemian and Baccarat Crystal Chandelier collection in the world. After visiting this magnificent palace, you will get on a public boat for your Bosphorus tour of about 2 hours. Bosphorus is a 33 km long strait and is a natural border between Asia and Europe. The boat will go up to the narrowest part where Rumeli and Anatolian Fortresses are. During the cruise, you will see the most impressive sights along the shores of the Bosphorus including Ciragan Palace, Maiden´s Tower, Bosphorus bridges, Rumeli and Anadolu fortresses and million dollars seaside mansions. The lunch is served at a nice local restaurant. In the afternoon, you will visit Istiklal Street and Pera District packed with music shops, bookstores, movie theaters, cafes, restaurants and bars. You will also visit Galata Tower offering a gorgeous view of Old City and Pera districts. At the end of the tour, you will be dropped of at your hotel. Stay in Istanbul. Breakfast and lunch included.

Please note that Dolmabahce Palace is closed on Mondays and Thursdays. Stay in Istanbul. Breakfast and lunch included.

4th Day – Golden Horn Tour
Departure from your hotel at 08.30 am and drive to Suleymaniye Mosque, the imperial mosque of Ottoman Empire constructed by Architect Sinan. The next visit is to Chora Church Museum, a small but impressive building dating to 11th century and unique with Christian frescoes and mosaics inside. The best spot looking over the Golden Horn is Pierre Loti Hill where there is a tea house today for breaks. The tour will go on with a short boat tour in Golden Horn to see the site from the sea. After the lunch, the tour ends with shopping at Egyptian Market (Spice Bazaar), the most popular place in the city for spices, Turkish delights and coffee. Stay in Istanbul. Breakfast and lunch included.

5th Day – Bus to Safranbolu
You will be transferred to the bus station for a morning bus to Safranbolu. Arrival to Safranbolu in the  early afternoon and transfer to your hotel. Stay in Safranbolu. Breakfast included.

6th Day – Safranbolu
Free day in Safranbolu, enjoy the town and surrounding area on your own. In summer time, you can use the public buses to get to Amasra city located on Black Sea Coasts suitable for swimming. Stay in Safranbolu. Breakfast included.

7th Day – Bus to Ankara
You will be provided an early morning bus to Ankara with arrival about before lunch time. You will be met at the bus station and make a guided tour to visit Anatolian Civilizations Museum where you can see the objects discovered mostly in Hitit ancient cities of Anatolia like Hattusas. The lunch will be served at one of the traditional Ankara Houses by the Castle serving as a restaurant today. Afterwards, you will be transferred to the bus station for an afternoon bus to Cappadocia. Transfer to your hotel. Stay in Cappadocia. Breakfast and lunch included.

8th Day – Northern Cappadocia Tour
The tour starts about 09.30 am from your hotel in the morning, you’ll drive to Devrent Valley where the geografical formations remind a place of another planet. Then in Pasabagi, you’ll take a stroll among the amazing fairy chimneys of Cappadocia. From there driving to Avanos to have lunch. Cappadocia is also famous with traditional pottery producument where you will also attend a work shop. The next visit is to Goreme Open Air Museum keeping the best preserved Byzantine cave churches in the area. Then return to the hotel about 17.30. Stay in Cappadocia. Breakfast and lunch included.

9th Day – Southern Cappadocia Tour
Depart from your hotel at 09.30 am and the day starts with a 4km hike through the Rose Valley visiting the churches. The next visit is to Christian&Greek village of Cavusin. We will have the lunch in Pigeons Valley unique with small niches curved in the rocks. Cappadocia has several underground cities used by the residents to escape from their enemies and Kaymakli Underground City is among the famous ones being on our visiting list. The tour ends with a visit to the Ortahisar Natural Rock Castle offering a beautiful view over the valley. At the end of the tour, transfer to the bus station for the bus to Konya taking about 4 hours. You will be met at the bus station and transfer to your hotel. Stay in Konya. Breakfast and lunch included.

10th Day – Konya Tour
You will be picked up by your guide after the breakfast for Konya city tour. Konya was the capital city of Seljuk Empire founded by Turks and has been the residence of Rumi Dervishes. Mevlana Rumi spent his life in Konya where he wrote his famous books about Sufi and his ideas spread over the world after his death from here. Following transfer from the bus station to Konya city center, you will make a guided tour in Konya to visit Mevlana Museum and his tomb, Karatay Medrese, Alaaddin Hill, the old bazaar and the other remaining belonging to Seljuk architecture. At the end of the tour, transfer to the bus station for the bus to Pamukkale taking about 6 hours. You will be met at the bus station and transfer to your hotel. You will be guested in one of the thermal&spa hotels at night to enjoy the hot water pools. Stay in Pamukkale. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

11th Day – Pamukkale Tour
Departure from your hotel after the breakfast for the guided tour in Pamukkale. Pamukkale is famous with white colored rocks formed by thermal waters containing calcium bicarbonate. The ancient city Hierapolis at site was a famous healing center and the hotels are site still preferred for thermal water pools in present day. The Roman Pool (Cleopatra Pool) at site is still in use. You may use the ancient pool by paying the entrance fee at site on your own. (35 TL per person. Please have your towels and slippers with you). At the end of the tour, transfer to the bus station for the afternoon bus to Kusadasi taking about 3.5 hours. Transfer to your hotel. Stay in Kusadasi. Breakfast and lunch included.

12th Day – Ephesus Tour
After breakfast, you will picked up from your hotel at 09.30 am for the tour. Ephesus is the most splendid ancient city in Turkey and requires about 2 hours to visit. After the lunch, the next visit is to Virgin Mary’s House where it is believed she spent the last years of her life and burried. The last visit of the day is to Ephesus Museum where the objects discovered in Ephesus are exhibited, Diana Temple which was one of the 7 wonders of ancient world, St. John Castle and the remains of Church situated at the top of Ayasoluk Hill and Isa Bey Mosque being the most important structure belonging to Turkish heritage. At the end of the day, you will be transferred to the airport for the afternoon flight to Istanbul. You will be met and transfer to your hotel. Stay in Istanbul. Breakfast and lunch included.

13th Day – Departure from Turkey
You will be transferred to airport for your internatinal flight.

The tour ends with the last night accommodation in Istanbul. Further arrangements provided upon request.

The tour cost is as follows :

All prices are per person including taxes.

All hotels are subject to availability at the time of definite confirmation and may changed with a similar one with advance notice.

You will be requested a down payment to confirm the tour. There is 5% discount over the balance payment if you pay it in cash.