Historical Tour of Turkey

Please arrive in Istanbul on your own today. We recommend you to travel by flight, which is the easiest and fastest way. Upon landing, our local representative will pick you up at the airport on time and transfer you to the hotel. And he or she will give you a brief introduction about this itinerary on the way. After checking in, you may spend the rest free time of the day relieving the fatigue of the long flight in the hotel room, or exploring the 2,600-year-old city on your own if you feel fine. Istanbul, formerly known as Constantinople, was once the capital of the Eastern Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires, so you can easily find historical relics in the city. 

Accommodation: Yasmak Sultan or similar

After breakfast, this Turkey tour will officially begin in the old city area of Istanbul listed as the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. Our local guide will firstly show you around the Sultanahmet Mosque, whose walls are decorated with more than 20,000 blue-and-white tiles which earns it a more renowned name, Blue Mosque. Next, we are going to visit the Hippodrome, the world’s largest hippodrome back to Roman Empire. Currently, it is has been rebuilt into a rectangular park preserving a few historical leftovers, including the obelisk from Egypt. Then we will visit the Hagia Sophia Museum opposite the Blue Mosque, which served as a church during the Roman Empire and then as a mosque for 481 years before being converted into a museum in 1935. Therefore, it is a rare religious building in the world and an architectural representative integrating eastern and western cultures. 

In the afternoon, we will visit Topkapi Palace and Grand Bazaar. Topkapi Palace was once the residence of Ottoman Sultans from 1465 to 1853 and is now a museum showing the life of the royal family and precious treasures. It has 7 main gates and we will enter through the largest gate, Imperial Gate, which was used by the Sultans only in the past. The Grand Bazaar is a nice place to shop for some unique souvenirs and taste some local snacks. Finally, we will send you back to your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Yasmak Sultan or similar

Today we will firstly drive to Bursa, the first capital of the Ottoman Empire. Till today, it has many Ottoman style mosques and tombs. Arriving there about 2 hours later, the guide will lead you to see the main sites including the Great Mosque of Ulu Camii, Green Mosque, Green Tomb with its amazing Iznik tiles and the famous Bursa Silk Market. Next, we will drive for 25 minutes more to Uludag Mountain. It is the best ski resort in Turkey, also a great destination for hiking. To save you energy, we will considerately book the cable car for you, from where you could enjoy a bird’s eye view of this legendary mountain. Lunch will be served at a restaurant on the mountain. This afternoon will be the free time for you to stroll around on your own. In the late afternoon, send you back to the hotel in Istanbul.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Yasmak Sultan or similar

At the appointed time, the guide will pick you up at the hotel and transfer you to the pier to start a two-hour Bosporus Cruise. Bosporus Strait is the dividing line of Europe and Asia, so a cruise on it is the best way to enjoy the views of the European and Asian at the same time. You can see Dolmabahce Palace, Bosporus Bridge, Camlica Hill and lots of Ottoman buildings along the way. 

After the cruise, the guide will send you to the airport and help you get onboard the afternoon flight to Izmir. When you arrive at Izmir airport, our local driver will pick you up and transfer you to your hotel in Kusadasi, a beautiful and interesting seaside town. The rest time of the day will be left for you to explore Kusadasi freely. 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Double Tree by Hilton Hotel or similar

After breakfast, we will set off to Ephesus, which is the best-preserved ancient Roman city in the world. There, we will visit Marble Street; Celsus Library, one of the three largest libraries in the world in the Byzantine era; Temple of Hadrian, whose most beautiful part is its façade consisting of four Corinthian style columns and a curved arch. Also, we are going to have a look at the Trajan Fountain and Great Theater where Saint Paul once preached.

At noon, lunch will be arranged in a nice Turkish restaurant where you can also take a short break. After, we will go on to visit the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the Ancient World. However, only a stone pillar stands there presently, reminding people of its location. Next, we'll visit the House of Virgin Mary, which is a holy site of Christianity, where the Virgin Mary and the apostle St. John lived in seclusion. After the visit, the guide will send you back to the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Double Tree by Hilton Hotel or similar

Please pack your luggage in advance. After breakfast, the guide and the driver will pick you up and proceed to Pamukkale, which takes around 2.5 hours on the way. Prepare your swim suit by the way because you may have a chance to swim in the hot springs of Pamukkale. Since ancient times, Pamukkale has been famous for its high-quality hot springs. The clean hot springs flows slowly from high to low, and the calcium in the spring water gradually forms the natural pools due to the deposition year after year. Pamukkale, meaning Cotton Castle gets its name from these pools, which are as white as cotton and shape like a castle made of cotton from afar. 

After lunch, we will continue to visit Hierapolis ancient city at the top of Pamukkale, where a number of cemeteries, beautifully carved Roman Columns, amphitheaters and magnificent gates have been remained. 

After finishing today’s sightseeing, we will drive for around 3.5 hours to Antalya and stay overnight at a local hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Adalya Port Boutique or similar

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast, and then we will head to the Duden Waterfalls about 12km (7.5mi) northeast of Antalya. There, the Duden River falls from the high cliff into the Mediterranean directly, very impressive. 

After a classic Turkish lunch, move on to the Old City of Antalya. Then the whole afternoon will be left for you to explore the scenic old town dating back to 2,000 years ago, including Roman Hadrian’s Gate, narrow streets and beautiful harbor. 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Adalya Port Boutique or similar

In the early morning, we will leave for Konya, which is about 300 km (185mi), or 4 hours’ drive away. On the way, feel free to ask for stops to have short breaks or take pictures. 

On arrival in Konya, the guide will escort you to visit the Mausoleum of Mevlana, who is Turkey's most famous saint. He is both the founder of the Turkish Whirling Dervishes and the spiritual leader of Islam, so his mausoleum is a shrine in the heart of all Muslims. 

After lunch at a local restaurant, we will continue driving for about 3.5 hours to Cappadocia, and then check into the cave hotel. 

Tips: You are highly recommended to try Hot Air Balloon Ride, which offers a great perspective to admire Cappadocia. Just remember to book a seat in advance because they are quite limited. If you need any help with the reservation, please let us know in advance. 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hera Cave or similar

Cappadocia is a must-visit destination in Turkey, as the place most similar to the moon surface on the earth, which is formed by the cooperation of volcano eruption 3 million years ago and natural weathering. The rocks here are not that hard and ancient people carved buildings inside, which attract worldwide visitors, too. 

Today's north Cappadocia trip will begin with Goreme Open Air Museum. Located in a steep valley, it has more than 30 grotto churches, some of which still have delicate frescoes. Then we'll go to Avanos, a small town that makes red pottery. Around noon, have lunch at a local specialty restaurant and then go on to Devrent Valley, where you can enjoy various animal-shaped rock formations; Pasabag Monk Valley famous for tall mushroom-shaped natural pillars; and Love Valley, which offers a great angle to overlook Cappadocia. Finally, you will be transferred back to the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hera Cave or similar

After enjoying the hearty breakfast in the cave hotel, we are going to explore the south Cappadocia. First of all, the guide will lead you to Uchisar Castle, the previous commanding point of the Cappadocia region and a former military cavern fortress. Standing on its top, you can enjoy the panoramic views of the entire Cappadocia. Then we will hike for about 2 hours in Red Valley famous for its many cave churches. The ending point of the hike will be Cavusin village, which has two famous churches, Great Basilica and Cavusin Church. After lunch, we'll drive to visit Kaymakli Underground City, the largest Underground City in the Cappadocia region. With more than 100 tunnels, it is like a huge maze, so do not wonder around on your own in case getting lost. 

When today’s sightseeing ends here, the guide will send you to the airport for you to fly back to Istanbul, where our local driver will be waiting for you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel for a good rest. 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Yasmak Sultan or similar

This will be your last day in Turkey. According to the schedule of your leaving flight, our driver will send you to the airport on time. Please pack your luggage and check out from the hotel in advance. We hope you will have been satisfied with our service and we will be looking forward to serving you again!

Meals: Breakfast