| Highlights of this itinerary:
Istanbul (2 days), Cappadocia (3 days), Nemrut, Urfa (2 days), Urfa to Istanbul (1day).
All our programmes include professional English-speaking tour guides, museum and sights' entrance fees, lunches as mentionned, accommodation, domestic connections and transfers, deluxe minivan with A/C. |
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| | |  Day 1: Istanbul Ottoman and Byzantine relics | | First we visit Hagia Sophia: The Church of the Holy Wisdom, known as Hagia Sophia in Greek, and Ayasofya or Aya Sofya in Turkish, is a former Byzantine church and former Ottoman mosque in Istanbul. Now a museum, Hagia Sophia is universally acknowledged as the supreme masterpiece of Byzantine architecture. |
| | Topkapi Palace served as the residence of the sultan and administrative seat of the Ottoman Empire for 400 years. The Museum boasts an exquisite collection of crystal, silver and Chinese porcelain, as well as the famous jewels of the Imperial Treasury and the Prophet Muhammed's cloak and sword. |
| | After lunch, we visit The Sultanahmet Mosque, better known as the Blue Mosque, is one of the most beautiful mosques in the world and one of very few to have six minarets. Inside, the high ceiling is lined with the 20,000 blue tiles that give the mosque its commonly-used name. Fine examples of 16th-century Iznik design, the overall effect is one of the most beautiful sights in Istanbul. |
| | The site of the original Hippodrome dates back to 196. Constantine the Great turned it into a vast stadium capable of seating 100,000 spectators who watched horse and chariot races, gladiatorial combats, and other spectacles. Nearby are the Obelisk of Theodosius, the bronze Serpentine Column from Delphi, the Column of Constantine and the fountain of Wilhelm II. |
| | Also known as the “Sunken Palace”, The Basilica Cistern, was built as a water reservoir to provide water to the Palace and nearby buildings during the reign of Emperor Justinian I. With a capacity of 900,000 m3 water and covering nearly 1,000 m2 it is the best preserved Byzantine cistern in the world. |
|  | |  | | For your comfort we have chosen the following hotels in Istanbul:
Four Seasons Hotel
The Marmara Hotel
Please let us know if you would like to extend your stay in Istanbul, all our suggested programmes can be adapted to your travel schedule and interests.
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| | Day 2: Dolmabahce Palace & Cruise along the Bosphorus | | Dolmabahce Palace was built by order of Sultan Abdülmecit in 1853. This famous palace was the last residence of the Ottoman Sultans. The ballroom is the largest of its kind in the world. A 4.5 ton colossal crystal chandelier hangs from the 36m high dome. |
| | After our visit of Dolmabahce Palace, we embark for a cruise on the Bosphorus. A leisurely cruise on the famous Bosphorus is the ideal way to see Istanbul, taking you past Ottoman palaces, wooden 19th century waterfront mansions, modern pleasure palaces and fortresses. The perfect opportunity for taking photographs along both shores of this fabled waterway. |
| | To end our day, we explore the Spice Bazaar and the Grand Bazaar. Grand Covered Bazaar: In this labyrinth of streets and passages are over 4,000 shops with each trade having its own area: the goldsmiths' street, the carpet sellers, Turkish arts and crafts, such as handpainted ceramic plates, hand-honed copperware, brassware and trays, water ewers and onyx-ware. Transfer to the airport for your evening flight to Cappadocia. Overnight in a Boutique Cave Hotel in Cappadocia. |
| | Day 3: North Cappadocia | After breakfast leave the hotel to our first stop to see the Urgup Fairy Chimneys and then on to visit the magnificent sites of Cappadocia. The Pigeon Valley, just outside Göreme in Cappadocia, is one of Turkey’s most beautiful landscapes. The unique rock formations known as fairy chimneys, made from wind and water erosion on soft volcanic rock, rise high and are dotted on their tops with dovecotes. The world-famous Goreme Open Air Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Your guide will explain the meanings of the frescos in the cave churches, decorated with scenes of the Old and New Testaments dating back as far as the 10th century. The site has been used as a monastery since the first years of Christianity. Pasabag Valley contains some of the most striking fairy chimneys in Cappadocia with twin and even triple caps. This style is unique even for Cappadocia and these fairy chimneys are named mushroom-shaped fairy chimneys. A chapel dedicated to St. Simeon is built in one of the fairy chimneys. The red, iron-ore bearing clay deposited by the longest river in Turkey, The Kizilirmak, or "Red River" has been used to make pottery in Avanos for thousands of years. Today, the best of the ceramics and tiles on sale in Istanbul and other major cities are made here in Avanos. You can watch potters spinning their traditional potters wheels with their feet, and even try throwing a pot yourself.
Overnight in a Boutique Cave Hotel in Cappadocia.
Optional but Highly Recommended
Hot-Air Balloon Ride, Whirling Dervishes Ceremony, Turkish Night. See details and ask us about horseriding, jeep safari, photosafari, quad/ATV or any other activities that might interest you. |
| | | | | For your comfort we have chosen the following hotels in Cappadocia:
Kayakapi Premium Caves
Museum Hotel
Please let us know if you would like to extend your stay in Cappadocia, all our suggested programmes can be adapted to your travel schedule and interests. |
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| Day 4: Kaymakli Underground City and Ihlara Valley | Carved by the Hittites about 3500 years ago, Kaymakli multi-level underground city was used by early Christians as a main shelter from marauding enemies during the 6th and 7th centuries. Kaymakli is one of the biggest underground cities in Cappadocia with 8 levels including stables, temples and wineries. The magnificent lush Ihlara Valley. Walk alongside the Melindiz river which winds its way through the Ihlara gorge, stopping for lunch in a restaurant on the river in the village of Belisirma. The whole canyon is honeycombed with rock-cut underground dwellings and churches from the Byzantine period. Climb to Selime Monastery, the largest rock-cut monastery in Cappadocia with a large cave cathedral and breathtaking views over the area. Selime Monastery is a three-aisled basilica. It has an apse covered with a semi-spherical dome and two lateral apses. Carpets and kilims from Central Anatolia are world-famous. In Cappadocia, carpets are still handmade on authentic looms using natural dyes for the wool. You have the opportunity to see a free demonstration to watch these centuries-old techniques still in use today.
Overnight in a Boutique Cave Hotel in Cappadocia. |
| | Day 5: South Cappadocia | Drive to Mustafapasa formerly known as Sinasos. Mustafapasa was one of the largest towns in Cappadocia with a Greek-speaking population until the Treaty of Lausanne and the 1924 population exchange. Mustafapasa is famous for its finely carved facades on the Greek mansions and the magnificent frescos of the Church of Constantine and Helen. We then visit Keslik Monastery, which boasts one of the rare examples of iconoclastic Cappadocian frescoes. Our professional guide will show you these exceptional wall paintings and discuss the iconoclastic period (726-843 AD), and how and why these type of were forbidden by the Byzantine Emperors. At Sahinefendi, you can discover the Sobesos Excavation site. Archeologists have discovered Roman baths, tombs, basilica, mosaics and other important artefacts. After lunch, we spend the afternoon exploring the Soganli Valley, once the third largest monastic center in the area and boasts many Byzantine cave churches and a beautiful hiking valley.
Overnight in a Boutique Cave Hotel in Cappadocia. |
| | Day 6: Cappadocia to Urfa | | Drive to Kahta, about a nine-hour drive. Stop for lunch in Kahramanmras. The Kahramanmaraş region is known for maraş dondurması, a variety of icecream which contains "salep", a flour flour made from the root of the Early Purple Orchid, which gives it its distinctive texture. It is sometimes eaten with a knife and fork.. Overnight in Kahta. |
| | Day 7: Nemrut, Urfa, Harran | Very early in the morning we set off for Mount Nemrut to watch the beautiful sunrise. See the magnificent relics of the tumulus of the Commagene king Antiochus Epipanes I atop Mt. Nemrut (2150m above sea-level) located near Adiyaman and Malatya. The amazing statues of the Gods on the Nemrut summit make it a very impressive site. View a fantastic sunrise from the East Terrace. Visit the East and West terraces, fire altar, statues of Apollo, Zeus, Hercules, Tyche and Antiochus Epipanes I. In Urfa you can visit Mevlid Halil Mosque and the cave of the birthplace Prophet Abraham. Halil Rahman Mosque and the sacred fish pool. Further on, the village of Harran is famous for its mudbrick "beehive" houses mentioned in the book of Genesis, where prophet Abraham spent the last years of his life. The World’s First Temple, Gobeklitepe … a pre-historic site, about 15 km away from the city of Sanliurfa, Southeastern Turkiye. What makes Gobeklitepe unique in its class is the date it was built, which is roughly twelve thousand years ago, circa 10,000 BC.
Overnight in Urfa. |
| | Day 8: Urfa to Istanbul | | Transfer to the airport for your flight back to Istanbul |
| | | | | Akresa Travel has years of experience at organising private VIP tailor-made holidays to Turkey, especially designed for those who prefer to travel at their own pace and explore places not included in the brochure itineraries. Our expert tour consultants will be pleased to advise you and organise the most appropriate programme to suit your interests, travel schedule and budget.
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