Charming Turkey – Small Size Group: An 11-day tour from $3,250, starting at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport (IST), discovering Turkey’s enchanting landscapes and history in a small group setting. Highlights include Istanbul’s Topkapi Palace, St. Sophia, and back streets food tasting, Cappadocia’s wine factory and jeep safari, Pamukkale’s lime cascades and ancient Hierapolis, Ephesus and Sirince village, Pergamum’s Asklepion, Troy, and Gallipoli’s Anzac Cove. Includes Istanbul-Kayseri flight, 4-5 star accommodations (with cave hotel upgrade in Cappadocia), select meals, professional guides, entrance fees, tastings, jeep safari, transfers, and taxes; excludes international flights, travel insurance, personal expenses, and tips.

Tour Details

Price Includes

Arrival transfer (Sabiha Gokcen Airport subject to surcharge).
Departure transfer 09:00 and 13:00 shuttles (only Istanbul airport).
Istanbul to Kayseri flight ticket.
Hotel Accommodations as proposed.
Meals are as indicated in the itineraries with code letters: B (Breakfast), L (Lunch), D (Dinner).
Luggage handling in the hotels.
Traditional food and soft beverage tasting in Istanbul.
Jeep safari and wine tasting in Cappadocia.
Professional tour guides throughout Turkey Programs.
Museum entrance fees.
Local taxes.

Price Excludes

International flights.
Travel insurance (Recommended).
Personal expenses.
Customary gratitude to your guide.

Itinerary

Day 1Fri: Istanbul

Upon your arrival, you will be met by our representative before transfer to your hotel.
Spend the rest of the day at your own leisure .

Day 2Sat: Istanbul Full Day

After breakfast at the hotel, a guided tour to Topkapi Palace, St. Sophia, Blue Mosque and the Grand Bazaar will commence. The day ends with an overnight stay in Istanbul.(B)

Day 3Sun: Istanbul - Cappadocia

After breakfast, we will be transferred to airport for our flight to Kayseri. Upon to your
arrival you will visit Turasan wine factory and enjoy tasting beautiful wines of
Cappadocia. Then continue for an exciting jeep safari adventure in Cappadocia.
Driving from Goreme to Cavusin through Love Valley, we’ll make frequent photo stops
en route. Arriving into Cavusin town we’ll walk up to the old city carved on to the rocks
and see the Church of St. John the Baptist, one of the oldest cave churches in
Cappadocia. Next we head to Ortahisar via the Rose Valley. After visiting the picturesque Ortahisar Castle we make our way to Uzengi Valley, our drive takes us along the brook bank, where we’ll be able to see the pigeon houses carved into the rocks. Later we arrive into Mustafapasa Village (Sinasos), a former Greek town that was inhabited by the Greeks until the population exchange in 1924. After some relaxing time in the town we drive back to Goreme via Pancarlik, Pigeons and Babaccik valleys.
After the tour you will be transferred to your hotel. Over night Cappadocia. (BD)

Day 4Mon: Cappadocia Full Day

Early in the morning an optional Balloon tour is available. Then, full day excursion in Cappadocia including visits to the Kaymakli Underground City, Open Air Museum in Goreme and natural fortress in Uchisar. Lunch in a cave rest. to taste famous Pottery Kebap. Here, we will have the opportunity to discover and understand the rich history behind local handicrafts like hand-made carpets, Turkish tiles, onyx and potteries.
Optional night tour with a Turkish show and dinner is avaliable tonight. Overnight stay in Cappadocia. (BL)

Day 5Tue: Cappadocia - Konya - Pamukkale

Early departure for Pamukkale. On the way, visit the 13th century Seljukian masterpiece Sultanhan Caravanserai before arrival in Konya. After visiting the Mausoleum of Mevlana, we continue our drive to Pamukkale for an overnight stay. (BD)

Day 6Wed: Pamukkale - Izmir

After breakfast, visit the ancient Hierapolis with the magnificent Necropolis, graveyard and the lime cascade. Thereafter, we continue our drive to Selcuk to visit Temple of Artemis ”one of the seven wonders of the ancient world” then continue to Izmir for overnight stay. (BD)

Day 7Thu: Izmir - Ephesus - Sirince - Izmir

Morning drive to Ancient city of Ephesus where we will visit its magnificent library, theater and temples. Lunch in nomadic tent in Selcuk to taste Turkish Gozleme.
Continue to marvelous village of Sirince where you be able to experience one of the most beautiful villages in Turkey. You can do shopping and taste delicious wines of the village. Return to Izmirfor overnight stay. (BLD)

Day 8Fri: Izmir - Pergamum - Canakkale

Early departure for Bergama to visit the Asklepion with its well preserved remains before continuing to Troy; the site where the legendary Trojan War took place. Drive to Canakkale for an overnight stay. (BD)

Day 9Sat: Canakkale - Gallipoli - Istanbul

After breakfast, we will cross the Dardanelles then continue to Gallipoli to visit Anzac Cove, Nek, Conk Bair, Lone Pine and 57th Regiment Memorial. Arrival in Istanbul for an overnight stay. (B)

Day 10Sun: Istanbul - Back Streets

We will start our tour from Spice Market area learning about spices which dominated Ottoman cuisine. We will try sherbet (spice juice), Turkish Delight and nuts. We will experience the smells and the colours of Istanbul…Then we will walk through Galata Bridge to Galata area. We will stop to taste ethnic dishes from all regions of Anatolia.
Galata district is coming a cutural center with design shops, heute cuture designers, wine cellars, boutique hotels… We taste Turkish coffee cooked on chacoal, maybe sesamy pretzel and roasted chestnuts on the way to Beyoglu. Beyoglu has little labrinth like streets with hidden tastes of different Greek mezes, Blacksea style Turkish pizza, fried mussels, pickles, tripe soup etc. We will conclude out tour with desert, either mastic rice pudding ot asure or elastic ice cream or Beyoglu chocolate or tasting all of them if you have a sweet tooth.(B)