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

TOUR ITINERARY   

DAY 1 : ISTANBUL

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. Possible hotels are Atinc Hotel or Polat Beach Hotel in Kusadasi, Cenka Hotel in Selcuk. If they are not available similar quality and location hotels will be reserved. Hotel Upgrade is possible upon request.
 

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 Possible hotel Besik Hotel. If  not available similar quality and location hotels will be reserved. Hotel Upgrade is possible upon request.
 

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.  These cruise available everyday are not very luxury, but 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-CAPPADOCIA BUS

Last day of the blue cruise.
After breakfast on board disembarking the boat in the harbor near Demre. Transfer to Antalya by bus.
Free time in Antalya until drive time.
19:15 Departure for overnight bus to Cappadocia.

Rock tombs in Myra/Demre	St. Nicholas Church in Demre	Harbor of Kaleici (old city) of Antalya

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.

Olympos : Lying between Kemer and Adrasan is the ancient harbor village of Cirali, the ruins of Olympos and the site of the Chimaera. The history of Olympos dates back to the 2nd century BC when it was an important Lycian city, although it was empty by the 6th century. The Olympians worshipped Hephaestos (Vulcan) the god of fire, probably connected to the eternal flame, or Chimaera, which still emerges from the mountain. Known also as Yanartas (burning stone), the flame is caused by the burning of natural gas emerging from the mountain. Apart from the ruins, Olympos is well known for its simple tree-house camps, where most tourists stay, and a natural environment thanks to forests and vineyards near to a beautiful beach.

Antalya: Because of the archaeological and natural riches of the area, Antalya is also known as the Turkish Riviera. The sun, sea, nature and history combine to form a very popular resort, highlighted by some of the cleanest beaches in the Mediterranean. The 630km shoreline of the province is liberally scattered with ancient cities, harbors, memorial tombs and beaches, secluded coves and lush forests, many of which are easily accessible from the city.
 

DAY 8 :CAPPADOCIA

06:00 Arrival in Urgup - Cappadocia.
Transfer from bus station and check in to your hotel in Cappadocia and rest before tour departure.

09:30-17:00 Full day Northern Cappadocia tour including transfers, entrance fees, guide.
Lunch during the tour is included.
Tour details: Your first meeting with the lunar landscape of Cappadocia will be incredible rock formations in Devrent valley; while walking in Zelve Open Air Museum famous with its troglodyte (cave) houses you will make a journey back in time; while visiting to Pasabag "fairy chimneys" you may hear the voice of wind which is said to be mixing with the songs of the fairies. Lunch in Avanos town, center of terra cotta ceramic art since 3000 BC. A demonstration in a traditional pottery workshop is possible to watch if you are lucky. Afternoon, visit the famous Goreme Open Air Museum and see the best examples of Byzantine art in Cappadocia's rock-cut churches hiding on their inner walls amazing frescoes and paintings from 10th to 13th centuries. At the end of the tour Climb on top of the Uchisar Rock-Castle to watch the panoramic view of the Cappadocian valleys.

Dinner at hotel included
Hotel accommodation in Cappadocia. Private rooms with air condition and bath/WC
Possible hotels are Dedeli Cave or Hisarevi hotels in Urgup. If they are not available similar quality and location hotels will be reserved. Hotel Upgrade is possible upon request.
 

Amazing rock formations	Frescoes in a church	Cave house accommodations

Cappadocia is Turkey’s most visited area on account of its history because of its singularity and the strangeness of its lunar landscape. It is considered to be one of the wonders of the world and for centuries it has sheltered churches, frescoes, mosaics and paintings of Byzantine art. The history of Cappadocia begins with the eruption of two volcanoes Lava covered the entire region changing the landscape. In the course of millennia rain and wind eroded the tufa creating unusual valleys, fissures, canyons and bizarrely shaped cones.  Dwellings were excavated inside the rocks and after the first Christians arrived churches and monasteries were also built. Numerous hermits and ascetics lived in the forgotten valleys. Under the rule of the Byzantines, Cappadocia became a bulwark against attacks by the Arabs, and entire underground cities were built.
 

DAY 9 - 10 :CAPPADOCIA-ISTANBUL

Breakfast at hotel included
09:30 - 17:30 Full day Southern Cappadocia Tour including transfers, entrance fees, guide.
Lunch during the tour is included.
Tour details:  Tour will start will walking down into the center of the earth at the Underground city of Kaymakli which is one of the deepest of the 40 others. Then walking tour up to Belisirma village (ancient Peristrema) in Ihlara Canyon Valley. Rock-cut churches, spread across a wild plantation, will surprise you with their successfully painted biblical frescoes. Lunch in a local restaurant. Visit a caravansary from Seljuk period, the great Empire of Turks before Ottomans. Caravansaries are built on the legendary Silk Road for the accommodation of the traders and their camels.
Transfer to bus station.
19 : 30 Overnight bus to Istanbul. (Non-smoking new model long distance coaches with air-condition and comfortable seats suitable for sleeping)
07 : 00 Arrival in Istanbul (Or to any other city you prefer)


End of our service with your arrival to the main bus station on the 10th day of this package.
 

TOUR PRICE

PAYMENT AND RESERVATION

Payment and reservation: We 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 payments we accept Visa and Master and American credit cards. Various surcharges may apply in case of credit card payments, of which you will be informed in advance.

Although not recommended to avoid last minute inconveniences, it is also possible to make an open-end reservation without sending your card information and making an advance payment if you are able to make the payment minimum 2 days before the date of departure in Istanbul.  Availability and internet prices are not guaranteed in case of last minute bookings.

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