Anatolian & Pamphlia Civilizations Tour - 8 Days/7 Nights

Our representatives will meet you after the customs and baggage claim to hold a sign with “Your Group Name” on it. Transfer and check-in at your hotel in Ankara. You’ll have free time for the rest of the day. You can explore Ankara and go shopping in Kızılay, the center of Ankara, or enjoy a cup of Turkish coffee at a nearby cafe. Dinner and overnight stay in Ankara. ( Dinner )

We’ll start our tour of the day after breakfast. First, we will head for the Gordion Ancient City that was the capital of Phrygians, which is 95 km outside of Ankara. Here, we’ll see the Tumulus of King Midas, discovered in 1957. The city is famous for its story of the Gordion’s Knot which was cut by Alexander the Great. The artifacts found in the Gordion Ancient City and Midas Mound are exhibited in the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations and the Midas Museum.
After our visit, we will drive back to Ankara and visit the Mausoleum of Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey. After our visit, we will have lunch at a restaurant. Next, we will visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, an incredible museum that offers many interesting artifacts from the ancient past of Anatolia. 
Afterward, we’ll view the whole city from Ankara Castle, which has been the symbol of Ankara for centuries, and explore the old Ankara at Kurşunlu Han, Mahmutpaşa Bedesten, and Sulu Han. ( Han means Inn ) 
Later, we will visit the Hacıbayram Mosque and the Temple of Augustus, built by the Phrygians in the 11th century BC. Then, we will see the Column of Julian, Roman baths, and head to Hamamönü neighborhood to observe its old Ottoman architecture and visit its authentic bazaar. Here, you can shop in many gift shops and enjoy a cup of  Turkish coffee or tea in the cafes.
Finally, we will have a sightseeing tour in Çankaya and Kavaklıdere districts where foreign embassies, consulates, Prime Ministry, and parliament buildings are located. We will complete our tour with a cup of coffee at the Panora shopping mall.
Dinner and overnight stay in Ankara (Breakfast - Dinner.)

Early departure from Ankara to Alacahöyük at 08:00 am (approx. 200 km - 3 hrs) Hattusa (Boğazköy) was the capital of the Hittite civilization 3700 years ago and it houses many ruins from the Hatti, Assyrian, Hittite, Phrygian, Galatian, Roman, and Byzantine periods. Here, you’ll learn about the history of Hittites and Phrygians, one of the most mysterious civilizations of Central Anatolia, and see historical artifacts such as statues, jewelry, and household items belonging to civilizations that once lived here.
We will continue on our way to Yazılıkaya, which is thought to be a holy place of worship and an important open-air temple of the ancient world. Here, we’ll see fascinating depictions of gods and goddesses carved on rocks.

Next, we’ll be visiting Hattusa and seeing the Great Temple, and the city ruins including Lions Gate, King’s Gate, The Tunnel, Summer Palace, and Hattusa City Walls. Lastly, we will visit the Hattusa Museum and take a lunch break. 
After lunch, we will visit Alacahöyük Ancient City and the Alacahöyük Museum. In Alacahöyük, which occupies an important place in the Hittite history and contains the ruins of the first dam in Anatolia, 14 settlement layers dating from four different cultural phases were identified. The most important finds of Alacahöyük, which provides information about Hittite architecture and art are its  13 royal tombs that belong to the ancient Bronze Age, and the jewelry and items made of gold, silver, bronze, and precious stones. 
At the end of our tour, we will drive to Yozgat city (approx. 110 km). Arrival and overnight stay in Yozgat city  (Breakfast - Dinner.)

After breakfast, we will depart early for Cappadocia (approx. 290 km). Our first stop is in Sarıkaya town, the Roman bath. This ancient bath known as Basilica Therma Bath is a public bathroom from the Roman period. Built-in central Anatolia in the 2nd century, this bath is still being used by the local people. 
We’ll have lunch at a local restaurant, and continue on our way to Cappadocia (approx. 130 km - 1,5 hrs). We’ll be passing through beautiful mountains, plateaus, villages, and towns of the Central Anatolia region. 
Upon our arrival, we will visit Kaymaklı Underground City, built for protection against foreign attacks. Afterward, we will visit Pigeon Valley and the Uçhisar Castle. End of the tour.
Check-in and overnight stay in Cappadocia hotel. ( Breakfast - Dinner )

Optional Events  in Cappadocia    
Hot Air Balloon Tour: Per Person 150 - 350 USD
* Prices are not fixed, they may vary according to the season. (4:30 am to 9:00 am.)
Turkish Night Per Person 65 USD  
* Upon your request, we can make reservations in the evening for an amazing Turkish Night in a great music hall in a cave with traditional dance shows.
Whirling Dervishes Show :Per Person  30 USD

We’ll start our Cappadocia tour after breakfast. First, we’ll visit Göreme Open Air Museum which is home to fantastic monasteries and chapels like Dark Church, Apple Church, Serpentine Church, and Saint Barbara Church. You will see the sceneries and figures from the Old and New Testament on well-preserved frescos from the tenth to the thirteenth century. 
Next, we will see the Paşabağı Valley, located on a vineyard on Zelve road. Some of the mushroom-shaped rock formations here are several meters high. Fairy chimneys shaped by erosion for many years were used as houses by various religious groups, therefore it is also known as the Monks Valley. 
Afterward, we will visit Devrent Valley, which offers a reddish moon view and is known for its rock formations resembling different animal figures. Most of these formations have distinctive shapes such as large camels, seals, and dolphins. There is even a boulder that resembles the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus. Let your imagination roam free and try to liken the formations to other creatures yourself. 
After our visits, we’ll take a lunch break at a local restaurant. 
Then, we’ll go to a pottery shop to see how made beautiful ceramics are made and visit a carpet workshop to learn about this traditional Turkish art and its origins from the silk route. 
We’ll then go to the Göreme city center and visit the fairy chimneys known as the Three Beauties.  End of the tour.
Overnight stay in Cappadocia. ( Breakfast - Dinner )

We will depart for Konya and Antalya after breakfast (approx. 550 km – 8 hrs). Upon arrival to Konya, we will visit the Mevlana Museum, which houses the tomb of the great 13th-century Persian poet and founder of the Order of the Whirling Dervishes, Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi. Popularly known as Rumi in Western countries, Muslims like to call him “Mevlana”, meaning “our master” or Mevlana Celâleddîn-i Rumi. 
We will have lunch at a local restaurant and sample the meat pide particular to the region. Afterward, we stroll in Konya streets for a short shopping expedition. 
Afterward, we will continue on our way to Antalya, passing through the Taurus Mountains enjoying the great views of the Anatolian steppe. At the end of a beautiful journey, we’ll settle in our hotel. Overnight stay in Antalya (Breakfast - Dinner)

We’ll start our Antalya tour after breakfast. First, we will visit the archeological site of Perge Ancient City, a chief city of Pamphylia, that was visited twice by Paul the Apostle and his companion St. Barnabas. We will explore Perge’s extensive ruins, including a well-preserved theatre, the Agora, Roman baths, Great Gymnasium, the Necropolis. 
After we tour the site, we will visit the ancient Greco-Roman city of Aspendos to see the well-preserved theatre of antiquity, the Aspendos Theater. Today, concerts and art events are still organized in this magnificent theater. Visit and relax at Duden waterfall. 
After we tour the site, we will have lunch at a local restaurant. Afterward, we will make a trip to Antalya’s Old Town and the ancient Antalya Harbor, where you’ll see antique Hadrian’s Gate, the Antalya Clock Tower, Fluted Minaret. We will enjoy the narrow street of the old city shop for souvenirs from the local shops in the Old Town (Kaleiçi). 
End of the tour. Return to our hotel. Overnight stay in Antalya. (Breakfast - Dinner.)

You are free until your transfer to the airport. Our tour concludes with your airport transfer for your departure flight. We hope to see you on another Turkey tour. (Breakfast.)

Customized Tours
We can create a tour program on your request and offer an itinerary that suits your personal, educational, cultural, and budgetary requirements. Please contact us with your requests.