Overview
This tour is great for those that also wish to include a visit to amazing Mt Nemrut along with Harran & Sanliurfa. Ending your trip through Turkey with a taste of something different. From Istanbul to Sanliurfa you will have the opportunity to discover what makes Turkey such a great destination for travellers of all interests, history buffs to nature lovers. This group tour starts from Istanbul most Tursdays between May to September.
Tour itinerary
Day 01 - Thursday : Istanbul
Upon arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Welcome briefing will be held.
Day 02 - Friday : Istanbul
Enjoy a full day tour including a visit to Topkapi Palace Museum, residence of the Ottoman Sultans between 1453–1852 (excluding harem). Visit the Hippodrome, which was once the center of life where chariot racing and other public events took place. Tour the Blue Mosque built between 1609 and 1616, famous for its blue ceramic tiles. Next see St. Sophia, a church built in the 6th century Byzantine capital, converted to a mosque by the Ottomans, and now a museum and one of the world’s greatest architectural wonders. Your last stop will be the famous Grand Bazaar, the world’s largest and oldest covered market with over 60 streets. Join an optional dinner with belly dancing entertainment.
meals: breakfast included
Day 03 - Saturday : Gallipoli – Dardanelles – Canakkale
In the morning, depart for Gallipoli, the site of many battles during WWI. Visit Anzac Cove, Lone Pine Cemetery and Chunuk Bair, then cross the Dardanelles to Canakkale for overnight.
meals: breakfast & dinner included
Day 04 - Sunday : Troy – Pergamum – Kusadasi
Visit Troy with its famous wooden horse, best known for being the setting of the Trojan War and many cities built on top of each other. Then enjoy lunch with locals in a traditional village. Continue to Pergamum to visit the ancient Medical Center in Asclepion and continue to Kusadasi for overnight.
meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner included
Day 05 - Monday : Ephesus & Virgin Mary’s House
Tour the famous ruins of Ephesus, an important cultural center of the ancient world, and explore 2,000 year-old marble streets, a theater, the Library of Celsius, a gymnasium and Hadrian’s Temple. Take a short drive to see St. Mary’s stone cottage where it is believed Virgin Mary spent her last years accompanied by St. John. Continue to a regional rug production center to have a firsthand experience of this unique art form. Join an optional afternoon tour of Sirince.
meals: breakfast & dinner included
Day 06 - Tuesday : Kusadasi – Pamukkale
Drive through lush valleys to Pamukkale (Cotton Castle) with lime cascades formed by hot mineral springs. Visit ruins of the Roman health spa of Hierapolis and enjoy a swim in the hotel’s thermal pool.
meals: breakfast & dinner included
Day 07 - Wednesday : Pamukkale – Perge – Antalya
In the morning drive to Antalya, arrive midday and pay a visit to the ancient Greek city of Perge, famous for its Temple of Artemis. Also located there is an acropolis dating back to the Bronze Age. It is also notable for being the home of the renowned, ancient Greek mathematician Apollonius. Enjoy a relaxing afternoon by the Mediterranean Coast.
meals: breakfast & dinner included
Day 08 - Thursday : Antalya
Enjoy a day at leisure to relax or explore around the town & old Kaleici area on your own. Optional tour of Phaselis, an ancient coastal city, or a lazy yacht cruise along the Turquoise Coast of the Mediterranean.Dinner at a special local restaurant.
meals: breakfast & dinner included
Day 09 - Friday : Antalya – Aspendos – Konya
After breakfast depart for Konya, en route visit the ancient city Aspendos, known for having the best-preserved theater of antiquity. On arrival to Konya visit the Mausoleum of Mevlana, a Sufi philosopher, and a dervish lodge of the Mevlevi order, better known as the Whirling Dervishes. Continue to the Karatay Koran School, an 800 year-old building, once a Selcuk Islamic theological seminary, which houses an outstanding collection of ceramics and tiles. Overnight in Konya.
meals: breakfast & dinner included
Day 10 - Saturday : Konya – Cappadocia
Morning drive to Cappadocia, the land of the fairy chimneys. En route, visit a 13th century caravanserai and the underground city of Saratli, one of the many underground settlements built for protection and religious reasons. Dinner at local restaurant. Optional: Whirling Dervishes performance.
meals: breakfast & dinner included
Day 11 - Sunday : Cappadocia
Consider optional early morning hot air balloon ride and experience floating over volcanic valleys & fairy chimneys at sunrise.
After breakfast visit Goreme, a historical region of Turkey, located among the rock formations, which was first settled back in the Roman period. Many rock churches can still be seen today, as Christianity was then the prevailing religion in that region. Continue to the town of Avanos renowned for its high quality earthenware. Also visit Pasabagi, Red Valley and attend a brief regional pottery workshop in a cave.
meals: breakfast & dinner included
Day 12 - Monday : Cappadocia – Mt. Nemrut
Depart from Cappadocia and along the way stop by the 13th century Seljukian caravanserai Karatayhan. After lunch continue on to Kahramanmaras and stop there to taste worldwide famous ice-cream in a local cafe. Arrive to Kahta for overnight stay.
meals: breakfast & dinner included
Day 13 - Tuesday : Sanliurfa & Harran
Very early morning (around 3AM) depart to Mt Nemrut and begin the ascent in time to watch the sun rise between the colossal statues of the king and gods. After sunrise visit the ruins of Mt Nemrut and free time to walk around. Then drive back to Kahta, using a different road, to see the ruins of Arsemia as well as the Roman bridge of Cendere and Karakus Tumulusu (Black Bird Tomb). Breakfast then served at the hotel with some time to relax. Then head on to Sanliurfa, Prophet Abraham’s cave and the pools of holy carp surrounding it. Also visit Harran, a village of spellbinding mud-brick beehive houses where Abraham spent the last years of his life, mentioned in the book of Genesis. Overnight in Sanlıurfa city
meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner included
**Please note that there is an approx 25min climb/hike to the top of Mt Nemrut
Day 14 - Wednesday : Sanliurfa
Breakfast, check-out and transfer to Sanliurfa Airport or Gaziantep Airport (flight ticket optional extra)
meals: breakfast included
Note: For the Mt Nemrut to Sanliurfa section it should be noted that the hotel standards here may not be the same as Western Turkey. Hotels on Day 12 and 13 will be standard 3-star properties.