Itinerary

1. Day 1: Arrival in Istanbul

   • Meet your tour guide at the airport and transfer to the hotel.

   • Rest of the day is at leisure. (Optional Dinner Cruise Tour, can also be scheduled for another night in Istanbul)

2. Day 2: Sightseeing in Istanbul

   • Enjoy breakfast in the hotel. Be picked up from the hotel and enjoy a full-day tour including lunch.

   • Begin the tour with a visit to Hagia Sophia Museum, which is considered one of the Eight Wonders of the World, and occupies a unique place in the history of architecture. 

   • Visit the Blue Mosque, which takes its name from the world-famous exquisite blue Iznik tiles decorating its interior. It is the only imperial mosque in the world that was originally built with six minarets.

   • Continue to the Hippodrome Square, the sporting and social centre of old Byzantium held 100,000 spectators and featured objects from all corners of the empire such as the Egyptian Obelisk and the Serpent Column. 

   • Visit Grand Bazaar, the largest and oldest covered bazaar in the world. It is the centre of trade and commerce in Istanbul with more than 4000 shops. After Grand Bazaar, have lunch. 

   • Stop by the Valide Mosque also called New Mosque. This was the last imperial mosque built in the classical style and is situated at one of the centres of the crowded city life, next to both land and sea traffic.

   • Proceed to the Topkapı Palace, the residence of early and mid-era Ottoman Sultans. It was the principal residence of the Ottoman Sultans and the centre of administration of the Ottoman Empire from the 15th to 19th century. See the fabulous Imperial Treasury, the Baghdad Kiosk, Holy Relics and the Kitchen Section, including one of the world’s finest collections of Chinese celadon ceramics. The Harem is also located inside the palace which was forbidden to anyone except the Sultan.

   • Return to the hotel at the end of the tour.

3. Day 3: Enjoy a cruise in the Bosphorus

   • Breakfast in the hotel. Be picked up from the hotel.

   • Visit the Spice Bazaar, the second largest covered bazaar in Istanbul after Grand Bazaar. It is well-known for its herbalists; the Egyptian Bazaar offers traditional natural medicines, spices, flower seeds, roots and shells of rare plants along with dried nuts and fruits, deli products and various Turkish Delights.

   • After the Spice Bazaar, drive along the shore of Golden Horn, which is an inlet of the Bosphorus and it is the natural harbour of Old Istanbul.

   • Embark on a boat for an unforgettable cruise on the Bosphorus. The strait runs through the unique Istanbul that stands up on two different continents between Asia and Europe. During the cruise, you will have a chance to view the peerless sights ornamenting the Asian and European shores such as 19th-century wooden mansions, Rumeli Fortress built only in 3 months by Mehmet the Conquerer, Anatolian Fortress, fanciful Dolmabahce and Beylerbeyi palaces and hunting lodges. 

   • Return to the hotel at the end of the tour. The rest of the day is at leisure.

4. Day 4: Sightseeing in Cappadocia

   • Check-out and drive to the airport for the flight to Cappadocia.

   • Meet your tour guide at the Cappadocia Airport.

   • Start with a visit to Devrent Valley, which is noted for its many strange-shaped rock formations, with which a little imagination can be likened to seals, kneeling camels and various other animals. Walkthrough this amazing valley.

   • Continue to Pasabagi (Monk's Valley) with multiple stems and caps, peculiar to this area.

   • After visiting Pasabagi, proceed to Avanos, which attracts great attention for its locally produced red earthenware pots and jugs.

   • Enjoy your lunch and drive to the Goreme Open Air Museum to visit the churches, chapels and monasteries that were completely carved into rocks from the 10th to the 13th centuries with frescos painted on the walls.

   • Before returning back to the hotel, take an orientation tour around the region to take the photos of the unforgettable landscape of Cappadocia. 

   Overnight in the hotel.

5. Day 5: Visit various places in Cappadocia

   Take an Optional Balloon Tour

   • Enjoy your breakfast at the hotel. Drive to Rose Valley, which is the best route for trekking in Cappadocia and discover the rock-cut churches while hiking through the valley.

   • Go to Cavusin, an old Greek village, known for its Christian houses and churches. 

   • Enjoy your lunch, visit Ortahısar Castle, which was used as a settlement during the ages. 

   • Visit Kaymakli, an underground city, designed and built over many generations as a shelter against threats and invasions in both pre-Christian and Christian eras. 

   • On the way back to the hotel, visit panoramic Pigeon Valley, a picturesque maze of exceptional rock formations, cave dwellings and a distant volcano. 

   • Return to the hotel at the end of the tour.

6. Day 6: Cappadocia to Istanbul

   • Breakfast in the hotel. 

   • Check-out and drive to the airport for the flight to Istanbul.