CAPPADOCIA, NEMRUD, ANTALYA BOAT CRUISE, FETHIYE, EPHESUS TOUR FROM ISTANBUL

TOUR ITINERARY 

DAY 1 : ISTANBUL

DAY 2 :CAPPADOCIA

Your bus will arrive to Cappadocia next day early in the morning at around 06:00 am.
You will be transferred to your hotel. After you settle up at your hotel and rest a little you will be picked up from your hotel for the below tour:
Full day Northern Cappadocia tour including transfers, guide and entrance fee. This tour will cover the most famous parts of the region such as Goreme Open Air Museum, Zelve, Urgup and Dervent Valley.
Lunch will be served during the tour in a nice Turkish Restaurant.
Transfer back to hotel.
Dinner at your 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. 

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 3 :CAPPADOCIA

One day is never enough to see the wonders of the vast Cappadocia region. You have so many things more to see on your second day that will keep your eyes wide open with amazement.

The second day's itinerary will be like this:

Breakfast at your hotel included
Full day Southern Cappadocia Tour including transfers, entrance fees, guide
This tour will cover Underground city of Derinkuyu or Kaymakli, wonderful Ihlara Valley as well as a caravanserai of Seljuk period, which is the great Turkish Empire before Ottomans.
Lunch included in a typical Turkish Restaurant during the day tour.
Dinner at your hotel included.
Hotel accommodation in Cappadocia. Private rooms with air condition and bath/WC.
 

DAY 4 :CAPPADOCIA-NEMRUD

Departure in the morning from Cappadocia. After passing Kayseri visit the 13th century Seljuk Caravanserai on the way. The next stop will be in Pinarbasi for a short tea break, than drive to Tekir Valley for Lunch. Take a picture of the beautiful scenery of the Tekir Valley. Drive to Kahraman Maras to have world famous ice-cream, than drive to Kahta town near the mountain slope. transfer to hotel.
Lunch and dinner at hotel included.
Hotel accommodation in Nemrud. Private rooms with air condition and bath/WC. Possible hotel is Kommagene Hotel. If not available similar quality and location hotels will be reserved. 

Huge statues built on on top of this 2150 meters high mountain thousands of years ago is incredible and watching the sunrise at the top of the Nemrut (Nemrud) Mountain is a unique experience.

NEMRUD (Nemrut Mountain): At the junction of the East and West civilizations, Nemrut Dagi (Mount Nemrud) is one of the most astounding sites in Turkey: A collection of colossal statues on a remote mountain 2150m high on top of the mountain, adorning the temple and tomb of King Antiochus. The western terrace contains a large slab with a lion, showing the arrangement of stars and the planets Jupiter, Mercury and Mars on July 7 62 BC, the possible time when construction began on this monument.

Nemrud is a significant attraction, with thousands coming at sunrise and sunset to see the stones in the best possible light. In addition to the statues, the entire site includes art from the Kommagene civilization, the Eskikale (Old Castle), Yenikale (New Castle), Karakus Hill and Cendere Bridge. Most people use the nearby towns of Malatya, Kahta or Adiyaman as a base, and the road to the summit is only open from mid-April to mid-October because of heavy snow the rest of the year.
 

DAY 5 :NEMRUD

Breakfast at your hotel included
Nemrud Mountain Sunrise Tour: Very early departure up to the ruins, After getting off the minibus twenty five minutes climbing on foot to the mountain top where you will watch the beautiful sun rise between the colossal size statues and heads of the kings and Gods of Kommagene Kingdom. After sun rise free time to walk around and taking pictures. Then drive back to the hotel for breakfast. Free day in Kahta.
Note: Nemrud tours are not possible in winter time because the mountain road is closed by snow fall, usually after the 1st week of November until the mid/end of April.
Overnight bus to Antalya departing at around 20:00
 

DAY 6 - 7 - 8 : OLYMPOS-ANTALYA, STARTING 3 NIGHTS-4 DAY BLUE VOYAGE

07:00 Arrival to Antalya, Transfer to Demre.
10:00-12:00 Check in to the boats from Demre marina near Olympos, starting 3 nights 4 days blue voyage, covering the most beautiful coasts, islands and bays near Antalya. You will have time for swimming, diving, snorkeling, fishing and free activities. These cruise available everyday are not very luxury, but the route is like a paradise on Earth.

3 breakfast, 3 lunch and 3 dinner included during the blue cruise

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

Note: This cruise is available between April-October.


Click here for the details of this blue cruise

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

DAY 9 :END OF BLUE CRUISE IN FETHIYE - BUS TO KUSADASI

Free time in Fethiye after check-out from the boat until bus time.
Evening bus from Fethiye to Kusadasi, arrival late in the evening

Hotel accommodation in Kusadasi. Private rooms with air condition and bath/WC. Possible hotels are Atinc Hotel or Polat Beach Hotel in Kusadasi. If they are not available similar quality and location hotels will be reserved. Hotel Upgrade is possible upon request. 

Fethiye and Blue Lagoon	Market street in old Fethiye	Fethiye Mosque

Fethiye is one of the most popular resorts of Turkey located on a wide bay, strewn with many islands. Fethiye is 135 kms southwest of Marmaris and has an outstanding and busy marina. The ancient name of the city is Telmessos and you will see a fortress on the hill overlooking the city which was built by Knights of Rhodes Island. Fethiye is also known for its rock tombs carved into the faces of the high cliffs by the Lycians. Among these tombs especially remarkable one is the tomb of Amnytas dating from the 4th century BC, elaborately carved in Doric architectural style. It is worth well visiting. Other historical places around the town are the Sarcopaghi and the Fethiye Tower.

Olu Deniz is 14 km (9 mi) south of Fethiye. The town is a beach resort, and remains one of the most photographed beaches on the Mediterranean. It has a secluded sandy bay at the mouth of Olu Deniz, a blue lagoon. The lagoon is legally recognized as a natural reserve and constructing buildings is strictly prohibited. Olu Deniz is famous for its shades of turquoise and aquamarine, and is an official blue flag beach frequently rated among the top 5 beaches in the world by travelers and tourism journals alike. The resort is also famous for its paragliding opportunities. It is regarded as one of the best places in the world for paragliding due to its unique panoramic views, and the Baba Dag mountains exceptional height
 

DAY 10 :EPHESUS

Breakfast at your hotel included
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 Odeon, 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
 

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 11 - 12 :KUSADASI-ISTANBUL

Free day in Kusadasi
Overnight bus to Istanbul (Non-smoking new model long distance coaches with air-condition and flexible seats suitable for sleeping)
Arrival in Istanbul early in the morning of 12th day.
End of our service with your arrival to the main bus station.

KUSADASI: Kusadasi is a resort town in the province of Aydin on the Aegean coast of Turkey, 90 km (56 mi) south of Izmir, and 71 km (44 mi) from the inland provincial capital of Aydin.

Besides being a summer resort with many neighborhood beaches and small islands, the town is also a tourism base for visiting ancient city of Ephesus and to other places of interest including Miletus, Dydima and Pamukkale, and a short distance across from Kusadasi lies the island of Samos connected to Kusadasi with regular ferryboats in Summer. The town is a popular holiday destination for local tourists as well and has a considerable night life.

 

TOUR PRICE

PAYMENT AND RESERVATION