Glories of Turkey Tour - 12 Days / 11 Nights

12 Days Turkey tour starting when you arrive in Istanbul. You will be transferred to your hotel. Explore the area around the hotel and sip Turkish coffee at a nearby cafe. Overnight in Istanbul.

Our tour of Istanbul will begin at 8:45 am, following breakfast. The impressive Hagia Sofia (Saint Sofia), initially built as a church in the sixth century AD by the emperor Justinian and later converted into a mosque, will be our first stop. The Ottoman sultans ruled their vast empire for over 420 years from the enormous walled complex known as the Topkapi Palace, which will be our next stop. After that, we'll go to the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Mosque), a 17th-century Ottoman mosque renowned for its six minarets and magnificent blue tile interior.

 The Hippodrome square, used as a gathering place for chariot races during the Byzantine era, will then be explored. An optional half-day Bosphorus Cruise tour is available in the afternoon. Here, we will see the Serpent Column from Delphi, the Egyptian Obelisk, and the German Fountain of Wilhelm.
Accommodation in Istanbul. (Breakfast)

We will leave early this morning for Çanakkale. You will be picked up from your hotel between 6:15 and 6:45 am. One of the most significant World War I sites is on the Gallipoli Peninsula, which we will travel to for about four hours.
One of Turkey's most significant war memorials is Gallipoli, where 500,000 soldiers' remains are interred. We will tour the Gallipoli battlefield, including the Lone Pine Australian Memorial, the Chunuk Bair Atatürk Monument, Anzac Cove, and Johnston's Jolly Cemetery. We visit the original trenches and tunnels where the bloodiest and most dramatic battles of the Bayonet Wars and the Dardanelles Wars occurred. We'll drive to Canakkale after the tour. 
Overnight stay in Çanakkale. (Breakfast - Dinner) 

After breakfast, we'll travel to Troy, an ancient city that served as the setting for the Trojan War that is famously described in Homer's Iliad. The legendary city of Pergamon, which served as the seat of the Pergamon Kings' Kingdom from 282-133 BC, will be our next stop. We'll go to the Pergamon Acropolis, which serves as the city's administrative hub and see the temples of Zeus, Dionysus, Athena, and Demeter, as well as the renowned Pergamon Library, which houses 200,000 rolls of scrolls. At the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, the Altar of Zeus, discovered during the Pergamon (Bergama) excavations, is now on display. The Great Theatre of Pergamon, located here, is the steepest in the world and once hosted up to 10,000 spectators.
We’ll drive to Kuşadası. Dinner and accommodation in Kuşadası. (Breakfast - Dinner)

Ephesus is a World Heritage site, a legendary ancient city. We'll spend the day learning about the past of ancient Ephesus. The most stunning ancient town in the Ionia region, We'll visit Ephesus after seeing the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. As you stroll down Curetes Street and pass by the ruins of the 25,000-seat Grand Theater, the State Agora, the magnificent Celsus Library, the Odeon, Temesos, Prytaneion, Magnesia Gate, Grotto of the Seven Sleepers, and the Ephesus Harbour, you will get a sense of the fascinating atmosphere of the city. Our next stop will be the House of the Virgin Mary, a Christian shrine where the Virgin Mary spent her final years.
Finally, we will travel to Sirince Village, a former Greek and Ottoman village well known for its fruit wines. Carpet weaving has a long history in Turkey. In this carpet village, we'll discover how the carpets are made by hand and what factors influence their price. The tour is at an end.
Accommodation in Kuşadası. (Breakfast - Dinner) 

Following breakfast, we'll first take in a display of locally-made leather goods. Then make the (220 km) trip to Pamukkale.
After lunch, we'll continue. Visit the ruins of Hierapolis, where we will see the Domitian Gate, the Arcadian Street, the old Roman Theater from the second century, the Nymphaion, the Temple of Apollo, the Plutonium, and the Necropolis. We'll go through the Roman Gate, admire the historic Pamukkale Theater, and tour the hero’s grave monuments. We will then stroll along the travertine terraces and have the option to swim in the Ancient Cleopatra Pools (at an additional cost).
End of the tour. Overnight stay in a thermal hotel in Pamukkale. (Breakfast - Dinner)

After breakfast, drive to Antalya 280 Km. Visit Termessos, one of the Lycian cities,  located 1100 meters in the Taurus mountain range.
Termessos is known as the city that Alexander the Great did not occupy during her Asia campaign.
We'll then travel to Antalya's Old Town and the historic Antalya Harbor, where you can see the landmark Hadrian's Gate, the Antalya Clock Tower, and the Fluted Minaret. We'll take in the Old Town's winding streets while shopping for trinkets at neighbourhood stores in Kaleiçi.
Overnight stay in Antalya   (Breakfast)

After breakfast, we'll begin our Antalya tour. First, we will visit the archaeological site of Perge Ancient City, a chief city of Pamphylia, that was visited twice by Paul the Apostle and his companion St. Barnabas. A well-preserved theatre, the Agora, Roman baths, the Great Gymnasium, and the Necropolis are among the numerous ruins that we will tour at Perge.
Aspendos Theater, a well-preserved ancient theatre, is the next stop on our tour after we leave the ancient Greco-Roman city of Aspendos. Even today, this magnificent theatre still hosts concerts and art exhibitions. Then, visit the Duden waterfall, stay and relax.
 We'll visit a nearby eatery for lunch after our site visit Side. 
The ancient city of Side was Pamphylia's most crucial port city in the archaic period and was built in VII BC. Century, it became a settlement centre. Side is one of Turkey's most critical tourist regions with its modern hotels and long sandy beaches.
Accommodation in Antalya.   (Breakfast)

The Antalya tour ends today; we're going to Cappadocia after breakfast. We'll take a break in Konya along the way for lunch and a visit to the Mevlana Museum, which is home to the tomb of Rumi, a famous 13th-century Persian poet and the creator of the Order of the Whirling Dervishes, as well as the Alaeddin Mosque, which was constructed on Alaeddin Hill during the Seljuk era. We'll also stop by the Sultanhan Caravanserai along the original Silk Road.
Dinner and accommodation in Cappadocia.  (Breakfast - Dinner)

The formation of Cappadocia: Cappadocia is the region where beautiful fairy chimneys were formed by the rain and wind erosion of the lava and ash layers erupted by Erciyes volcano, Hasan Mountain and Güllü Mountain about 60 million years ago.
After breakfast, visit Pigeon Valley;
Pigeon Valley is named after the wild pigeons living in the region from their nests in the volcanic rocks. The farmers in the area carve these rocks and make unique nests for the pigeons, and then collect the pigeon manure accumulated here and use it in agriculture. Afterwards, visit the historical Cavuşin Village, where Turkish and Greek families lived until the beginning of the 20th century. Later, the Greeks went to Greece because of the exchange between the two countries.
We'll then eat lunch in the nearby town of Avanos, close to the River Kızılırmak. We can observe the production process for famous ceramics and pottery right here. You can also enrol in a pottery studio to learn how to use the conventional kick wheels and purchase souvenirs.
End of the tour and transfer to hotel. Accommodation in Cappadocia.  (Breakfast – Dinner )

Optional Events  in Cappadocia 
Hot Air Balloon Tour
Turkish Night in Cave Musichall 
Whirling Dervishes Show

Göreme Open Air Museum is home to unique monasteries and churches like the Dark Church, Apple Church, Snake Church, and Saint Barbara Church. On well-preserved frescoes from the iconoclastic era, you can see scenes and characters from the Old and New Testaments. Next, we will see the Paşabağ Valley. Several meters-high rock formations in the form of mushrooms can be found here. It is also known as the Monks Valley because various religious groups used fairy chimneys shaped by erosion as homes for many years. After that, we'll go to Devrent Valley, also called the Valley of Dreams, which is well-known for having rock formations that resemble various animal figures.
We'll then eat lunch in the nearby town of Avanos, close to the River Kızılırmak. We can observe the production process for famous ceramics and pottery right here.
Cappadocia Underground City: Visit the impressive underground city where people have built eight floors underground to protect against invading enemies and live for a long time.
End of the tour and transfer to hotel. Accommodation in Cappadocia.  (Breakfast)

After breakfast, transfer to Kayseri Airport.  The tour ends with a flight from Cappadocia to Istanbul, arriving at approximately 10:30 am on the last day. Hope to see you on another Turkey holiday.  ( Breakfast )