Istanbul & The Anatolian Experience

1st Day: You will arrive in Istanbul, the biggest city of modern Turkey. We will welcome you and you can rest in your hotel.

2nd Day: We will have an extensive tour of Istanbul. Istanbul is the only city located in 2 continents and was the capital city of 3 empires. Our first visit will be to the legendary St. Sophia which was built 1.500 years ago as the first cathedral of the world. It was the biggest and last construction of The Roman Empire. Following that we will visit the famous Blue Mosque. After lunch you will have free time in one of the oldest shopping places in the world, the Grand Bazaar. Overnight in Istanbul.

3rd Day: In the morning we will have a Bosphorus cruise tour and you will see the beauty of Istanbul. Next we will visit the Topkapi Palace and famous Spice Bazaar. In the afternoon you will visit the Underground Cistern. Overnight in Istanbul.

4th Day: You will fly from Istanbul to Izmir Airport and after driving for 45 minutes, you will reach the spectacular ancient site of Ephesus. We will have an extensive tour of this ancient site where you will see the Hadrian’s, Trajan’s and the Domitian’s Temples, the huge Roman bath, the Celcus Library and the biggest amphitheater of Turkey. After lunch you will visit the Ephesus museum where the finds of excavations in the site are displayed. Overnight in Izmir.

5th Day: Today you will fly from Izmir to Cappadocia and see dreamlike Cappadocia, Goreme open air museum, monasteries and churches with the most beautiful frescos inside founded by St. Basil. Overnight in Cappadocia.

6th Day: Before the breakfast you have an opportunity to take a fascinating balloon tour and have a chance to view the unforgettable view of Cappadoccia. Later we will see Uchisar, Urgup, Avanos, Zelve and the famous underground city where early period Christians were living and hiding. After dinner watch the whirling dervishes show, representing the Sufism from the 13th C.AD Overnight in Cappadocia.

7th Day: Today our bus will drive on the historical Silk Road and will stop at the biggest Caravanserai situated on that road. After having our lunch in Konya we will visit the museum of Mevlana who was a very famous philosopher who lived in the 13th century A.D. After dinner you will see the whirling dervishes show. Overnight in Konya.

8th Day: Transfer to the airport for your homebound flight via Istanbul.