9 Days Wonders of Turkey - Cultural Tour

Day 1: ISTANBUL 

Upon arrival in Istanbul, you will be greeted by our representative and transferred to your 5* hotel. 

Day 2: ISTANBUL (B&L) 

Breakfast will be at the hotel. Start the day with the visit of imperial Blue Mosque which dominates Istanbul’s majestic skyline with its elegant composition of ascending domes and six slender soaring minarets. The careful choreography of more than 20,000 Iznik tiles rise from the mid-sections of the mosque and dazzle the visitors with their brilliant blue and turquoise hues which lend the mosque its popular sobriquet. Next, take a stroll through the once glorious Roman Hippodrome which accommodates the ancient Egyptian Obelisk and the Serpentine Column. Besides being an arena of chariot races, it was employed for public events such as parades, meetings and festivals as well. Next discover famous Grand Bazaar, the oldest shopping mall of the world, wander through its peculiar oriental ambiance and colorful mazy lanes. Following lunch at a traditional restaurant, explore Balat District, one of the oldest and most spectacular neighborhoods in the city. After some free time to enjoy especially its traditional colorful houses and the Orthodox Patriarchate, you may take the opportunity of joining an optional cruise along the Bosphorus to enjoy by your private chartered boat the view of the scenic landscape of the strait adorned with ottoman palaces, forts, and fine old wooden houses on the shores of the water. End the day soaking up the unique energy and the spirit of Istanbul at its most organic, the Istiklal Street. Late Ottoman period stylish buildings, churches, coffee-houses, shops, pubs and the nostalgic tram along this pedestrian street expose the harmonious existence of the contemporary and traditional multi-cultural features of the city. Return to your 5* hotel for overnight. 

Day 3: ISTANBUL – BOLU (B&L&D) 

Breakfast will be at the hotel. Your initial stop will be a leather outlet, get entertained by a fashion show to recognize latest modern designs. Then visit the main residence of the Ottoman dynasty, the magnificent Topkapi Palace which is the standing witness of glorious but secret and intriguing lives of the Ottoman sultans. It is now a museum notable not only for its architecture and collections but also for the history and the culture of the Ottoman Empire that it recalls. After lunch, drive to the city of Bolu for dinner and overnight in your 5* hotel. 

Day 4: BOLU - ANKARA – CAPPADOCIA (B&L&D) 

Breakfast will be at the hotel. Depart for Ankara, the modern capital of Turkey. Upon arrival visit the Mausoleum of Ataturk, one of Turkey's most notable examples of modern architecture. Sitting on a hilltop in Ankara, it was designed by a Turkish architect and constructed between 1944 and 1953 to be the final resting place of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder and the first president of the modern Republic of Turkey. Following lunch at a local restaurant, continue to the wonderlands of Cappadocia, which has a unique lunar landscape of terra and tuff cones, shaped by forces of nature over millions of years. For ages, men have dug into this soft but firm turf to create dwellings, monasteries, churches and underground cities. Head to your 5* hotel for dinner and overnight. 

Day 5: CAPPADOCIA (B&L&D) 

You may choose to participate in an optional early bird hot air balloon ride over the otherworldly scenery of Cappadocia, which offers a lifetime experience. After breakfast at the hotel, discover Göreme Valley, which used to hold Cappadocia’s best collection of cave churches. Cappadocia witnessed the penetration of Christianity in Anatolia. The first Christians escaping from the persecution in Jerusalem came to settle down in natural grottoes of the region, where they carved out rock churches, adorning their walls with frescos of biblical and apocryphal episodes in brilliant colours. Then, visit a traditional rug weaving centre to learn about the three-thousand-year-old tribal art of the Turks. You will be delighted to see the full procedure of silk cocoons and hand-spun wool yarns being transformed into extremely fine carpets by magical fingers. Followed by lunch at a traditional cave restaurant, explore an underground city, famous for its subterranean dwellings and secret tunnel passages that various peoples utilised for shelter across the centuries. Admire the picturesque views of the lunar landscape region having photo stops at famous Hunters’ Valley and Pigeon Valley. Later, take a break at the natural fort of Uchisar to enjoy cone-like formations and well-preserved fairy chimneys around it. The final attraction of the day is a local pottery workshop in the town of Red River, Avanos, where the mud has found its functional and decorative forms in the rough but skilful hands of the townsmen since the Hittites. You will be thrilled at the demonstration of a local master on his millennia-old kick-wheel. Move back to the hotel for dinner and overnight. It is possible to join an optional show that will take place in a traditional cave restaurant to enjoy folkloric dances and famous belly dancing. 

Day 6: CAPPADOCIA – PAMUKKALE (B&L&D) 

Breakfast will be at the hotel. Today, you will have a distant journey to Pamukkale via the city of Konya. On the way, initially drop in at a typical caravanserai constructed in the 13th century. This kind of Seljuk caravanserais was used as accommodation by the merchants and other travellers on the Silk Road. When you arrive in Konya, have lunch at a local restaurant and next, hit the road to Pamukkale for sightseeing of the unique open-air museum also known as Cotton Castle. This spectacular natural phenomenon was created by deposits of thermal waters that cascaded down the mountainside over thousands of years, forming myriad pools and terraces. Get entertained by wandering around the fantasy land of cotton-white carbonate travertines. The ruins of the neighbouring Greek city of Hierapolis, founded by the second king of Pergamon in 190 BC, is well worth discovering, particularly the theatre with a breathtaking view and the necropolis that is in a great state of preservation. Have a short drive for dinner and overnight at your 5* hotel. 

Day 7: PAMUKKALE - İZMİR (B&L&D) 

Breakfast will be at the hotel. Set off to visit the sacred city of Artemis, Ephesus, one of the leading Roman sites in the world. Being a prominent cultural and commercial centre, it was the most influential capital city of Asia Minor. The Temple of Artemis, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Celsus Library, which was the third largest of its time and the grandest theatre of this part of the world, are tangible evidence of its significant glory. Following lunch at a traditional restaurant, stop by a jewellery store to admire worldwide renowned traditional Turkish designs. Continue to İzmir for dinner and overnight at your 4* hotel. 

Day 8: İZMİR - BURSA – İSTANBUL (B&L) 

Breakfast will be at the hotel. You will depart for the charming city of Bursa, which was the first official capital of the Ottoman Empire. Upon arrival, first taste the signature dish of Iskender Kebab at lunch in a local restaurant. Then, continue to visit first the Green Mosque exemplifying the transition from the Seljuk hypostyle to the great domed mosques of Edirne and Istanbul. The mosque displays technical mastery with its distinctive inverted Tplan and high level of aesthetic blueish - green tiles decorating its walls. Later, proceed to the nearby mausoleum of the fifth Ottoman Sultan Mehmet I, the Green Tomb that has a heavenly ambience thanks to the eight windows of its dome. Head to your 5* hotel in İstanbul for an overnight. 

Day 9: DEPARTURE DAY (B) 

Breakfast will be at the hotel. You will be transferred to Istanbul Airport within the day, subject to your outbound flight time.