Welcome to Turkey. Arrive at Istanbul Airport, get picked up and transfer to your hotel. Check-in,

Free day,

First overnight stay at your hotel in Istanbul,

Breakfast,

Full day tour of Iconic Istanbul - pick up by 08:30, drop off by 18:00;

You can take in some of the most iconic sights of Istanbul in this morning tour that commences with a visit to the Blue Mosque.  This magnificent mosque which was designed by Sinan and completed in 1616 is known for its majesty and superb iznik ceramic tiling.

Continue outside to stroll along the Hippodrome.  This vast public space was built by the Romans in the 3^rd and 4^th centuries AD to accommodate events such as chariot races and gladiator fights.  It is also home to the Column of Constantine, an Egyptian obelisk and the Serpentine Column.

Next to the Hippodrome we will visit the Hagia Sophia (only from outside view, no interior visit). Originally built in 537AD as a Greek Orthodox church, this breath-taking building was converted to a mosque by the Ottomans and is now a museum.  Inside there are two floors built around a central nave.  It is adorned with superb decorations and has an enormous dome that soars overhead.

Finish the morning with a walk through the Grand Bazaar for some shopping or just to absorb the sights, sounds and historic architectural beauty of this bustling market.

Lunch,

Come on a tour to the famous Topkapi Palace and skip the queues that flock to see this magnificent and historically significant site. Built in the middle of the 15th century, the walled complex comprised of the palace and its buildings dominate a small raised peninsula. The buildings are nestled within beautiful grounds that sweep down to the sea. For centuries, the palace was the political centre of the highly influential Ottoman Empire and although it is now purely a museum, as you visit its parts including courtyards, the Treasury, various pavilions, the holy relics, weapons and the Harem you will see how great it was.

Originally meaning “sacred peace”, the Hagia Irene is located in the outer courtyard of Topkapi Palace and it is the oldest church of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine). The building reputedly stands on the site of a pre-Christian temple. It ranks as the first church completed in Constantinople, before Hagia Sophia, during its transfiguration from a Greek trading colony to the Eastern capital of the Roman Empire. It was also the second largest church in Istanbul after Hagia Sophia.

Second overnight stay at your hotel in Istanbul,

Breakfast,

Noon transfer to Istanbul Airport and flight to Kayseri/Nevsehir. Arrive and transfer to your hotel in Cappadocia following the flight, check-in.

First overnight stay at your hotel in Cappadocia,

Breakfast,

Full day Regional Tour - pick up by 09:30, drop off by 16:00;

Cappadocia is known for its stunning conical rock formations (fairy chimneys), colourful landscapes and ancient homes that were carved into the rock formations. This tour takes you through the beautiful Devrent (Imagination) Valley where fairy chimneys tower overhead before moving into Pasabag (Monk Valley) nearby, where the fairy chimneys have strange double and triple-headed caps.

After lunch at Avanos, you will visit the Goreme open air museum that has churches and frescoes from the 10^th and 12^th centuries. The day finishes at Uchisar Castle, a fortress that was cut from a large and tall fairy chimney.

Second overnight stay at your hotel in Cappadocia,

Breakfast,

Afternoon bus to Pamukkale,

Arrive in Pamukkale, get picked up and transfer to your hotel to relax a few hours. Have breakfast,

Full day Pamukkale (Cotton Castle) tour - pick up by 09:30, drop off by 15:30;

This tour starts in the village of Karahayit and a visit to its red, green and white travertines and thermal pools of red water due to its iron content.  Then on to Pamukkale to visit the expansive and magnificent ruins of the ancient city of Hierapolis that was founded in the 2^nd century BC to take advantage of the thermal pools nearby.

Hierapolis sits atop a hill and features an enormous necropolis, baths, theatre, temples, an agora and antique pool.  You will have time to yourself to wander the site before walking down the hill on the sparkling white travertine and enjoying lunch at a local restaurant.

Entry to Cleopatra’s Pool in Hierapolis is not included in the cost of the tour.

Drive to Kusadasi following the tour. Arrive at the hotel and check in,

Overnight stay at your hotel in Kusadasi,

Breakfast,

Free day at Kusadasi

Second Overnight stay at your hotel in Kusadasi,

Breakfast,

Full day Ephesus Tour - pick up by 08:30, drop off by 16:30;

The day starts with a visit to the House of the Virgin Mary that is significant to both Christians and Muslims and currently serves as a chapel. From here, the tour continues to Ephesus - one of the most important harbour cities of the antique world. The ruins are magnificent and highlights include the Celsus Library, Gate of Augustus, the beautifully-decorated terrace houses, a huge amphitheatre and the Temple of Hadrian.

Enjoy lunch at a local Turkish restaurant and afterwards, a trip to Isa Bey Mosque (1375) and the ruins of the Artemis Temple which was one of the Seven Wondders of the World.

Evening transfer from your tour to Izmir Airport and flight to Istanbul, arrive and transfer back to your hotel following the flight,

Third overnight stay at your hotel in Istanbul,

Breakfast,

Full day Green Bursa Tour - pick up by 08:30, drop off by 22:00;

Across the Marmara Sea from Istanbul and nestled on the slopes of Mt Uludag is the beautiful city of Bursa known as the birthplace of the Ottoman Empire.  Join us for a long day tour to visit the city’s many UNESCO world heritage listed sites, magnificent mosques, the covered bazaar and the silk market. The day’s tour also takes you to Mt Uludag where you are free to wander on your own or you may prefer to go on a quad bike safari or snow ski during the winter.

Fourth overnight stay at your hotel in Istanbul,

Breakfast,

Transfer to Istanbul Airport 4 hours before your flight. End of our services here. Thank you for choosing us for your travel in Turkey.