Classic Turkiye

Discover Istanbul, the capital of three empires, on today’s privately guided tour. Start your sightseeing at the ancient Hippodrome, where you will admire the exterior of the Sultanahmet (Blue) Mosque and visit the magnificent Hagia Sophia – one of the most important religious buildings ever built. Next, explore the Topkapi Palace, the seat of Ottoman power for four centuries and the location of the Sultan’s harem and dazzling treasury, before descending into the city’s atmospheric Underground Cisterns dating from the Roman area. Complete the day with a tour of the world’s largest covered market: the Grand Bazaar.

A morning at leisure in Istanbul to relax or explore independently. You might like to take a private cruise along the Bosphorus, visit a royal hammam for a traditional Turkish Bath, or embark on a food-themed tour. Cultural enthusiasts will be falling over themselves with things to do – just ask us for recommendations! Mid-afternoon, you will be met and transferred to Istanbul Airport for your flight to the moonscape and fantastically shaped towering ‘fairy-chimneys’ of Cappadocia.

This morning there will be an optional opportunity for a dawn hot-air balloon flight drifting over Cappadocia’s beguiling lunar landscape (supplement applies) – a magical experience. Your privately guided Cappadocia sightseeing will begin with a scenic drive along the winding roads and through the breathtaking landscapes that make Cappadocia such a unique and special place. Explore the Devrent Valley and Pasabagi – one of the finest of Cappadocia’s valleys – before arriving at the rabbit-warren-like rock of Old Cavusin. Next, visit the extraordinary Goreme Open Air Museum, with its painted churches and troglodytic monastic dwellings. A walk (optional) through the stunning Rose Valley (about 2 hours) will enable you to experience the beauty of the Cappadocian landscape before your tour concludes at Uchisar with a climb up through the tunnels of the rock ‘castle’.

Today is dedicated to discovering a Cappadocia that lies off-the-beaten-track. Ortahisar’s ‘Hospital Monastery’ will be your first stop. Then, continue to Mustafapasa, and visit the recently renovated Monastery of St. Nicholas. Outside Urgup, you’ll see the Keslik Monastery, Cappadocia’s most expansive cave monastery. A drive will take you to the 13th-century Taskinpasa madrasa and the recently discovered 4th-century BC ancient city of Sobestos. Continue to Mazi village, where you’ll descend underground and discover eight layers of an underground city complete with warehouses, churches and cellars. The charming town of Avanos, known for its traditional pottery and ceramics, will be your final destination.

There will be an early start today for Kayseri Airport this morning and your flight to Izmir on the Aegean coast. On arrival, you will be met and transferred to the picturesque Ottoman village of Sirince, where you will stay in a converted traditional house overlooking the surrounding olive groves in the hills above ancient Ephesus. After check-in, the afternoon will be free to relax and enjoy the views or discover Sirince’s charming lanes under your own steam.

Drive to ancient Ephesus to discover one of the finest classical ruins in the Western World – including the famed Library of Celsus and the superbly preserved Roman villas known as the Terrace Houses. Ephesus was visited by St. Paul and was home to the great Temple of Artemis one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Then, after visiting the Ephesus Museum and Basilica of St. John you’ll be driven across the ancient Ionian plain to Bodrum – Turkiye’s most sophisticated coastal resort.

Today will be at leisure to relax and explore independently in Bodrum, enjoy the restaurants, browse through the shops and gaze over the Aegean Sea. The Castle of Peter dominates the whitewashed town and is a mecca for yachting, while the surrounding wooded peninsula offers beautiful Mediterranean vistas, quiet bays, sleepy villages, and crystal-clear waters as well as some beautiful beaches.

Private transfer to Bodrum-Milas International Airport and check in for your onward flight.