DESCRIPTION:

One of the most visited countries in the World, Turkey is a place where the continents of Asia and Europe get connected and become as one. There are many historical and wondrous sites to see and enjoy. Starting from guided tours in the rich city of Istanbul to riding hot air balloons above the unique "moon-like" fairy chimneys of Cappadocia.

 

Details and Sample Itinerary:

We select the best priced flight for you with the least connections, arriving at an ideal time, with the highest probability of being on-time. We also select the best priced hotels in the ideal location that is not only within the service region for tour pickups but is convenient for other nearby activities such as shopping.

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We can arrange to add a Turkish Hamam (Bath and massage) experience to any night of your stay. It is a unique experience not to be missed.

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Day 1 & 2 (Friday Night and Saturday):

We can usually arrange a direct flight from major US cities that leaves the night before and arrives before sunset the next day. We will arrange for you to be picked up from the airport and transferred to your centrally located hotel.

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Day 3 (Sunday): Tour of the old city. The tour starts at Hippodrome Square and continues to the Blue Mosque as one of the landmarks of the city. Then, a visit to the Aya Sophia. We continue to Topkapi Palace, the imperial residence of the Great Ottoman Empire; today a museum holding large collection of porcelains and displaying holy relics. We then proceed to Little Hagia Sofia and the Grand Bazaar, tempting souvenir-hunters with its rich collection of precious handmade carpets, jewellery and leather, where the tour ends. Lunch will be served in a local restaurant during the tour.

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Day 4(Monday): After your pick up from the hotel, your tour today starts with a visit to the Egyptian Spice Bazaar, which is full of the mystical aromas of various spices and colorful shops selling fruit, vegetables, flowers, fish etc. Next we board our boat for a cruise along the Bosphorus from/to Eminonu Pier, the waterway separating the two continents of Europe and Asia. As we travel, you will have the chance to see the European style palaces of the Ottomans and the palaces of Dolmabahce and Beylerbeyi, in striking contrast to some of the modern villas that line the shores. Lunch will be served in a local fish Restaurant. After lunch, proceed the tour of Dolmabahce Palace, a blend of various European architectural styles, was built between 1843 - 1856 by Karabet Balyan, the court architect of Sultan Abdulmecid. The three –storied palace built on a symmetrical plan has 285 rooms and 43 halls. The palace has survived intact with its original decorations, furniture and the silk carpets and curtains. It surpasses all other palaces in the world in wealth and magnificence. At the end of the tour, we transfer you back to your hotel.

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Day 5(Tuesday): A day on Prince's Island.  Take a step back in time and exchange the hustle and bustle of the city for a day of tranquillity on Princes’ Islands. Just a short ferry ride from Istanbul you will find the Princes’ Islands, a chain of small islands in the Sea of Marmara. These motor-free charming and unique islands offer an oasis of peace and quiet to all. Begin the day after being picked up from your hotel and transferred to the ferry terminal for a cruise on the Sea of Marmara heading for Büyükada, the largest of the nine islands making up the archipelago. On the way you'll be able to enjoy great views of the Topkapi Palace, Leander's Tower and Üsküdar on Istanbul's Asian shore. Büyükada is a popular resort for the locals in the summer with its white sandy beaches and fragrant pine forests, but it was once a place of exile for Byzantine Emperors (and Leon Trotsky) as well as a popular retreat for wealthy Istanbulites in the first half of the 20th Century. You'll be enchanted by this small slice of traffic-free paradise. When you explore some of the islands' quiet back streets, you will feel as if you have found your way back to the late 19th century and an Istanbul that no longer exists on the mainland. Why not have lunch in one of the island's many pleasant restaurants if you fancy it. Return to Istanbul in the afternoon. This full-day tour includes a return boat ride to the island of Büyükada with a guided tour.

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Day 6  (Wednesday):  Cappadoica tour. The travel services will start with a departure transfer from your hotel to the airport. Your driver will meet you at the reception of your hotel and then transfer you to Istanbul airport for your flight to Cappadocia. Uchisar Castle Region, is the highest point of Cappadocia and the view from the top is just brilliant. In the first destination you will be informed about unique formations of Cappadocia. Then on to the Goreme Open-Air Museum which is the monastery, including the rock cut churches, kitchens, wineries, storages and living rooms left from Anatolian Christians. Goreme Open Air Museum is listed as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Then on to Avanos the town of traditional pottery art. You will visit one of the family work-shops in Avanos to have some information about the pottery and have a kick-wheel-pottery demonstration. Also, you will take your lunch in one of the traditional restaurants in Avanos. Then you will be taken to Devrent Valley, which is also known as Imagination Valley. The valley contains many animal shaped rocks which are mostly in red color. Some of the most frequent shapes looks like a Camel. You will meet the most famous family of fairy chimneys: Three beauties. These are the official symbol of both Urgup and Cappadocia.At the end of the day, you will be transferred to your hotel in Cappadocia. You hotel stay will be inside a unique carved out cave room with all of the added amenities of a hotel room.

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Day 7 (Thursday): Hot air baloon and additional tours of Cappadocia.  Get ready for a wonderful experience unique to Cappadocia! We will pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to the balloon site where you will have the opportunity to watch the balloon being prepared for your flight. The flight will begin at sunrise, where your pilot will climb to a comfortable altitude of about 700 to 1000 meters above ground level. It is from this elevation that you will marvel at the beauty of Cappadocia below you. During certain segments of the flight our pilots are also capable of flying as low as 1 meter above the rock formations which will allow you perfect photo taking opportunities. After breakfast at your hotel, we will pick you up from your hotel on 09.30am (Approx) and depart for the Green Tour of Cappadocia. Goreme Panaroma ; A fascinating panoramic view point where you can see the Old Goreme Village with its surroundings. You will get general information about the Göreme and Cappadocia. Derinkuyu Yeralti Sehri is the biggest and deepest underground city of Cappadocia. It has 8 levels and connected with narrow tunnels. You will visit Stalls,Storages,Church,Vinery, Kitchen and the other sections which are open for visitors. Selime Monastery is the biggest rock-cut Monastery of the region. And the landscape of the town which contains the Kathedral is keeping some similarities about Star Wars movies. You will visit the Ihlara valley/canyon after your lunch (approx 1 hour for lunch time). The total Canyon is 14 km but you will see the best part of it which is around 4 km and will take almost 1 hour. Ihlara Canyon contain more than 100 churches and approximately 10,000 caves which are carved by early christian Monks. Pigeon Valley is located in Uchisar town to have one of the best panaromic viev of the region. That site also covers lots of pigeon houses which were built by the ancient inhabitants of the region. At the end of tour, you will be transferred to Cappadocia airport for your flight back to Istanbul. Upon your arrival Istanbul, we will drop you to your hotel in Istanbul.

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Day 8 (Friday): Taksim Square and Istiklal. Your hotel for your final days in Istanbul will be located in the Taksim/Istiklal area. Istiklal street provides many shopping opportunities as well as a trolley and nice restaurants. It will be nice to spend your final full day exploring the area at your leisure.

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Day 9 (Saturday): We will arrange for you to be picked up from your hotel and transferred to the airport for your flight back home.

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Customization:

We offer tours starting from a one day stop over extending to a multi-week tour of Turkey plus neighboring Greece and everything in between. Just let us know your timeline and budget and we can customize a unique experience for you. For as little as around $1,000 Per person plus airfare we can show you the highlights of Turkey in a 7 day tour package. It will be hard to find a better deal on your own or through another agency. We can also add more customization than is typically offered.

 

Next Steps:

To have us customize a tour of Turkey for you, fill out and submit the form below to request a quote or let us know your interests.