TURKEY TOUR  #8  (8 DAYS /9 NIGHTS)

Independent package tours from the reputable travel agency of Turkey
This package tour is available departing from Istanbul everyday in summer season

EPHESUS, PAMUKKALE, FETHIYE BOAT CRUISE, ANTALYA TOUR FROM ISTANBUL

TOUR ITINERARY  

DAY 1 :ISTANBUL

PS: Mentioned times can change slightly from season to season. Exact times will be informed after reservation process is completed.

20 : 00 Transfer to the bus station from your hotel
21 : 30 Departure to Kusadasi by bus-overnight ride

DAY 2 :KUSADASI-EPHESUS

06 : 00 Arrival in Kusadasi. Check in the hotel
09 : 30-17:00 Full day tour of Ephesus and House of Virgin Mary, including transfers, entrance fees, guide.
Lunch during the tour is included.
Where you visit:
Ephesus - Enter through the Magnesia Gate and begin a slow, downhill walk with your guide into the ruins of this Roman provincial capital. Your route takes you past the Odeum, the Celsus Library, the Temple of Hadrian, the Fountain of Trajan and the Great Theater. The Theater had seating for 25,000, was the site where St. Paul preached to the Ephesians, and is used today for a local spring festival.
House of the Virgin Mary - The Vatican has recognized this small house in the Solmissos Mountains as the final resting place of the Virgin Mary. A small shrine dedicated to St. Mary was found when the ruins of the house were first discovered.
What you see along the way: From Kusadasi, you travel north to St. John’s Basilica, passing the Byzantine fortress at Selcuk and the ruins of the Temple of Artemis. Continue to Ephesus Open Museum then up to the House of Virgin Mary located in Bulbul Mountain. After the visit head for the upper gate of Ephesus. By the end of touring Ephesus, return to Kusadasi.
Special notes: Ephesus requires walking long distances over uneven surfaces

Dinner at hotel included
Hotel accommodation in Kusadasi (or Selcuk). Private rooms with air condition and bath/WC.
 

Library of Celcus	Temple of Hadrian	Virgin Mary's House

Ephesus: This ancient city is one of the best preserved of the Roman cities in the eastern Mediterranean and is a great example of Roman architecture. When the Romans made Ephesus their provincial capital, it became a busy town with great commercial, trading and political importance, A significant Christian community grew, and the city was visited by St John the Evangelist in the 1st century, then by St Paul, who was there between 51-53 AD and wrote some of his epistles. It has also been the gathering point of two Ecumenical Councils in early periods of Christianity.

House of Virgin Mary: This house, where the Virgin Mary is supposed to have lived during her last days, and to have died with Johanna at her side, is situated 7 km south of the antique city of Ephesus in Izmir. The miraculous discovery of the house is as exciting as the place itself. The German Nun Katharine Emmerich (1774-1824) had described the surroundings of the house from her dream, who had never been there. The authenticity of the house as a holly place was also confirm by visits of two previous Popes in 1967 and 1979, and the latest Pope Benedict in 2006.
 

DAY 3 : PAMUKKALE-FETHIYE

Breakfast at hotel included
08 : 30-17:30 Pamukkale & Hierapolis tour including transfers, entrance fees, guide
Lunch during the tour is included.
(Visiting the amazing white colored travertines, hot spring pools and water terraces have been created by nature in millions of years on the mountain slopes of Pamukkale and the ancient city of Hierapolis which has the biggest ancient Necropolis of Turkey with 1200 gravestones)
Transfer to bus station
18 : 00 Drive to Fethiye.
00 : 00 Arrive in Fethiye and check-in hotel for overnight.
 

Bathing in pools is no more allowed	Ancient graves	Agora entrance of the ancient city

Pamukkale (Hierapolis) is one of the most enchanting and remarkable sights in the whole of Turkey with the great dazzling white plateau, almost 400 feet high, rising in a curtain of stalagmites and shallow pools, giving one into another on hundreds of different levels, and ancient city of Hierapolis located on this plateau. The great baths were constructed in the second century and are so well-preserved that they now serve as a museum. The impressive and recently restored theatre, the Martyrium of St. Philip the Apostle of the 5th century – a colonnaded street erected by Domitian, a monumental gate of the same period, another bath stretching on for over a Mile, the necropolis with a fascinating variety of tombs and sarcophagus are the famous monuments of this antique city.
 

DAY 4 - 5 - 6 : FETHIYE- OLYMPOS 4 DAY 3 NIGHTS BOAT TRIP

Cruise boats in Fethiye Harbor

After breakfast transfer to boats in the harbor of Fethiye located at the intersection of the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas; for 3 nights 4 days blue voyage, covering the most beautiful coasts, islands and bays near-by. Fethiye seaport with its sheltered structure is an important stop for yachtsmen, with small islands scattered around at the entrance of beautiful bay called Blue lagoon.  This cruise is available everyday and although it is not so luxury, the route is like a paradise on Earth.

Breakfast,  lunch and  dinner included during the blue cruise

Overnight in the boat cabins
Please bring your own towels and swimming suites

Click here for the details of this blue cruise

Click here for more the map of the blue cruise destinations.

 

DAY 7 : END OF CRUISE IN DEMRE, ANTALYA

Last day of the blue cruise. After breakfast disembarking the boat near Demre. Transfer to Olympos village. Bus to Antalya, lasting roughly 2 hours

Hotel in Antalya, dinner included.
 

DAY 8 : ANTALYA

Antalya is one of the best of Turkish cities perfectly combining historical, natural beauties also known as Turkish Riviera with many neighborhood sandy beaches and vivid night life. There are many well preserved significant ancient sights around the city which you must definitely see if you happen to visit Turkey.

Breakfast at hotel included
Full day tour of Perge, Aspendos, Side and Manavgat/Kursunlu Waterfall, including transfers, entrance fees, guide.
Lunch during the tour is included.
Dinner at your hotel included.
Hotel accommodation in Antalya. Private rooms with air condition and bath/WC.
 

Antalya Aspendos Theater	Perge Hellenistic Gate	Roman columns in Side

DAY 9 : ANTALYA

There are many other world wide famous places of interest near Antalya which you must not miss after coming all the way. The second day's tour covers the most important ones:

Full day tour of Myra, St. Nicolas Church, Kekova including transfers, entrance fees, guide.
Lunch during the tour is included.
Transfer from hotel to bus station.
Overnight bus to Istanbul. (Non-smoking new model long distance coaches with air-condition and flexible seats suitable for sleeping)
End of our service with your arrival to the main bus station in Istanbul, next morning (Day 10)
 

Rock tombs in Myra	St. Nicholas Church	Simena across Kekova Island

MYRA: It is now called Demre it was one of the most important cities of the Lycian civilization. 25km west of Finike and 48km east of Kas, Demre was a place of settlement from the 5th century BC. The city was deserted in 9 AD after the invasions of the Arabs. Rock tombs, theatres and the Church of St. Nicholas (said to be the original Santa Claus) are the most interesting sites in the town today.
ST. NICHOLAS CHURCH: Saint Nicholas giving its name to the church in Demre (Myra) is said to be the original Santa Claus.
KEKOVA ISLAND: It is by the cost of Antalya province between Kas-Demre towns. It is an ancient city submerged and now partly under sea water, but can be seen from outside make the Island one of the most visited destination of the region.
 

TOUR PRICE

This package tour is available everyday from May 1st till September 30th in summer season, because of the boat cruise in it, which is not possible in winter season. Please ask for available dates for April and October a few weeks before you plan to book the package.

Tour Price for May and October
800 Euro per person in single room at hotels, private single cabin in boat (1 pax)
640 Euro per person in double room at hotels, shared double cabin in boat (2 pax)
640 Euro per person in triple room at hotels, 1 double + 1 private single cabin at boat (3 pax)

Tour Price for June-July-August-September
930 Euro per person in single room at hotels, private single cabin in boat (1 pax)
690 Euro per person in double room at hotels, shared double cabin in boat (2 pax)
690 Euro per person in triple room at hotels, 1 double + 1 private single cabin at boat (3 pax)

Prices are not guaranteed in case of last minute bookings. Ask for group discount for big groups.

Above tour prices include:
All taxes. (Various surcharges apply in case of credit card payments of which you will be informed in advance.)
4 nights accommodation in private rooms at 3 star or equal quality special class/boutique hotels.
Mentioned day-tours guided in English. Entrance fees for museums
3 nights/4 days gullet boat cruise with breakfast, lunch, dinner and accommodation in boat cabins,
All mentioned meals above in the itinerary.
Overnight transportation by non-smoking, air-conditioned long distance buses, with comfortable flexible seats.
All connecting transfers in between the tour period. 

Customize this tour package:

Flights
Instead of overnight bus ride on departure:
Day 2: Transfer to Airport + Istanbul-Izmir morning flight + Transfer to Ephesus tour
65-100 Euro extra cost depending on season, early reservation and number of participants.

Instead of overnight bus on return
Day 9: Transfer to airport + Antalya-Istanbul evening flight.
50-100 Euro extra cost depending on season and early reservation and number of participants.

Replace:
Either one or both Ephesus and Pamukkale tours can be replaced by Pergamum, Sardis or Priene + Miletus + Didyma tours: http://www.travelagencyturkey.com/dailytours2.html For Pergamum tour, extra 15 Euro pp required.

Add-ons
Airport transfers from/to hotels in Istanbul for your international flights
Hotel accommodation in Istanbul before or after the tour with special discounts.
Istanbul daily city tours: Istanbul Daily City Tours (Private or Group Tours) with special discounts.
Extra hotel accommodation in Kusadasi, Fethiye, Olympos or Antalya with special discounts.

Hotels can be upgraded to 4 or 5 star or equal quality special class boutique hotels, if you pay the extra cost. You can tell us specific hotels you want to stay in each destination.

Click Here for Other Turkey Tour Packages
 

PAYMENT AND RESERVATION

Payment and reservation: Depending on season we will request 20-30% of the total tour price for guaranteed reservations. We will send you a detailed reservation contract by e-mail after all details are confirmed mutually.

For advance payments we accept Visa and Master and American express credit cards by mail order method or money transfer. After you arrive in Istanbul the balance of payment can also be made in cash in Euros or in other internationally accepted currencies from the cross exchange rates valid on payment day.