EURORIENTE: TURKIYE AND THE PEARLS OF THE AEGEAN (11 Days)

Day 1: ISTANBUL

Upon arrival, you will be welcomed and transferred to your chosen hotel. Accommodation

Day 2: ISTANBUL / SULEYMAN THE MAGNIFICENT (B)

Breakfast. Departure at 08:00 am to visit the mosque of Suleyman the Magnificent located on the third hill of Istanbul with one of the most famous panoramas of the city. Built by the order of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent, it was constructed by the famous imperial architect Sinan. After the visit, free time to explore the city on your own or Optionally hire a Full Day tour to the Historic part of Istanbul where you can visit Hagia Sophia (exterior), the culmination of Byzantine art, and the pearl of Istanbul, the famous Topkapi Palace, the residence of the Ottoman sultans for four centuries. Enjoy a typical lunch at a local restaurant in the Sultanahmet area, admire the Blue Mosque, a prodigy of harmony, proportion, and elegance; and the Hippodrome which preserves the Obelisk of Theodosius, the Serpentine Column, the Emperor's Fountain, and the Egyptian Obelisk. In the late afternoon, visit the famous Grand Bazaar where you will enjoy free time to wander among its 4,000 shops. Accommodation.

Day 3: ISTANBUL / BOSPHORUS CRUISE / SPICE BAZAAR (B)

Breakfast. Departure for one of the most famous activities in Istanbul, a boat trip on the Bosphorus, the channel that separates Europe and Asia. During this journey, you will see the palaces of the Sultans, ancient and typical wooden houses, and enjoy history in a different way. Next, we will make one of the star visits, the Spice Bazaar, established by the Ottomans 5 centuries ago and used ever since. Our included visit ends at the bazaar where you can enjoy its atmosphere and variety of shops. In the afternoon, you can Optionally take a tour with lunch to the Asian part of the city, visiting the "Beylerbeyi" Palace located on the Asian side of the Bosphorus. The former summer residence of the sultans of the Ottoman Empire, we will also see the famous suspension bridge of the Bosphorus that connects the European part with the Asian part of the city. After lunch, we will visit Camlica Hill Located in the undervalued district of Üsküdar, on the Asian side, one of the seven hills of Istanbul and the highest point in the city. At 268 meters above sea level, Camlica Hill offers panoramic views of both sides of the city. At the end of the day, return to the hotel. Accommodation

Day 4: ISTANBUL / ANKARA (B - D)

Breakfast. Departure on route to Ankara passing through the Bolu mountains. Upon arrival, we will take a panoramic tour with our bus to get to know the capital of the Turkish Republic and the second most populous city in Turkey (Ankara), a modern and cosmopolitan city steeped in history and ancient culture. Later we will visit the Anitkabir Mausoleum, a symbol of Ankara, as it is the place where the founder of the Turkish Republic lies. At the end of the afternoon, arrival at our hotel Dinner and Accommodation.

Day 5: ANKARA / CAPPADOCIA (B - D)

Breakfast. Departure for Cappadocia. En route, we will see the second largest lake in Turkey, Lake Tuz, and a 13th-century caravanserai (medieval inn). Arrival in Cappadocia. Optionally, you can book a Jeep Safari tour in Cappadocia, one of the most exciting adventures in Cappadocia that allows you to explore the region in an off-road vehicle, where you can reach unique landscapes of the formations and valleys of this region. Dinner and Accommodation.

Day 6: CAPPADOCIA (B - D)

Breakfast at the hotel. Visit to this fascinating region and its original landscape, formed by lava thrown by the Erciyes and Hasan volcanoes 3 million years ago. We will visit the Göreme Valley, an incredible Byzantine monastic complex consisting of churches carved into the rock with beautiful frescoes. Next, we will visit the Avcilar Valley and the Pasabagi and Güvercinlik Valleys where you can admire the best view of the volcanic formations called "fairy chimneys." We will visit typical carpet and Onyx and Turquoise stone workshops. Dinner at the hotel and Accommodation

Day 7: CAPPADOCIA / PAMUKKALE (B - D)

Breakfast at the hotel. Early departure to Pamukkale. Arrival and Visit to Hierapolis, ancient Hellenistic city now in ruins. Visit to the famous Cotton Castle, a natural wonder of gigantic white waterfalls, stalactites, and Natural Pools formed over centuries by the passage of water loaded with calcareous salts from thermal springs. Arrival at the hotel Dinner and Accommodation.

Day 8: PAMUKKALE / EPHESUS / KUSADASI (D – C)

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure in the morning to Ephesus, a Greco-Roman city, ancient capital of Asia Minor and one of the best-preserved in antiquity where you can find the Temple of Hadrian, the Temple of Trajan, the theater, and the Library of Celsus. Visit to the House of the Virgin Mary, where she spent the last years of her life. Continuation to Kusadasi or Izmir. Dinner at the hotel and accommodation. During the summer months from May to October, accommodation could be in Izmir and its surroundings instead of Kusadasi.(Izmir planned hotels)

Day 9: KUSADASI (D – C)

Breakfast. Free day with the possibility of taking an optional full-day excursion to the Greek island of Samos: beaches, villages, and more. Samos is one of the largest, leafiest, and most beautiful islands in the Aegean Sea. Dinner and accommodation.

Day 10: KUSADASI (D – C)

Breakfast at the hotel. Free day to enjoy the beaches offered by the hotel. Or stroll through the center of Kusadasi and enjoy its atmosphere. Dinner and accommodation

Day 11: KUSADASI / IZMIR AIRPORT (D)

Breakfast at the hotel. At the indicated time, transfer to Izmir airport. End of services.