Total 2 weeks holidays: Istanbul 3 nights & Cappadocia 4 nights & Beach holiday 7 nights
Our most popular 3 centre holiday: combining Cappadocia, truly one of Turkey’s most fascinating and scenic regions, with imperious Istanbul and a relaxing coastal resort of your choice. Connections between resorts on this 3-centre holiday will be made using internal flights.
Day 1: UK to Istanbul
Fly to Istanbul and will be met by our representative for private transfer to your hotel for overnight.
Day 2 - 3: Istanbul
Choose to explore the city independently or book a sightseeing tour through in advance.
Day 4: Istanbul to Cappadocia
Pick up from your hotel and private return transfer to Istanbul airport and fly to Cappadocia and meet by our local representative at Kayseri or Nevsehir airport for transferring to your hotel in Cappadocia (private transfer).
Day 5: Cappadocia Fairy Chimneys & Göreme Tour
After breakfast our tour guide will pick you up around 9 am from your hotel for a full day small group tour which includes a visit to the Devrent Valley to see the unique ‘fairy chimneys’ and Pashabagi to see the fascinating mushroom shaped Pinnacles. After lunch (included in price) at Avanos visit the ancient rock-cut churches and Christian settlements of the Göreme Open Air Museum before finally heading to see the natural castle of Üçhisar. Drop off at your hotel at approximately 17:00pm.
Day 6: Rose Valley and Kaymakli Underground City Tour
After breakfast our tour guide will pick you up from your hotel around 9 am. You will enjoy another full day small group tour that includes a visit to the Red Valley to explore the famous rock-cut churches and hike 5km through the Gulludere Valley. Visit Cavusin with its famous houses and churches of the Christian clergymen. After lunch (included in price) visit Pigeon Valley and then the underground city of Kaymakli, which was home to the early Christians, and finish the day with a visit to the natural castle of Ortahisar. Drop off at your hotel at approximately 17:00pm.
Day 7: Ilhara Valley and Derinkuyu Underground City Tour
After breakfast our tour guide will pick you up from your hotel around 9 am and enjoy a third small group tour, this time visiting the huge underground city of Derinkuyu carved out of the rock by the early Christians, continuing to the beautiful Ihlara Valley where you will hike 4km through the valley exploring the hidden churches. After lunch (included in price) finish with a visit to the Selime Monastery, than return to your hotel at approximately 17:00pm.
Day 8: Starts Southern Turkey Part – Mount Nemrut
Our representative will pick you up from your hotel in the morning and you will join a small group of people heading towards Southern Turkey. If you would like to join to small group you need to travel on Wednesdays or Sundays. However, we can tailor made just for you and you can travel same trip alone just for your party any days of the week. Drive early morning to Mt Nemrut, Karatay Caravansaray , we cross the Tekir plateau towards Adiyaman and Mt Nemrut. Along the way our first stop will be the Seljuk Karatay Caravansaray. The next stop will be Pinarbasi for a short tea break. From here we continue onto the ancient Severus (Cendere) Bridge and the Karakus Tumulus where members of the royal family were buried. This evening we will go to Mt Nemrut, ascend the mountain, watch the magical sunset over the plateau, and visit the massive ancient rock statues. After the sunset we return to Adiyaman. Overnight Adiyaman 4 star White Star Hotel (D)
Mount Nemrut 134-metre-high (7,001 ft) mountain in south-eastern Turkey notable for the summit where a number of large statues are erected around what is assumed to be a royal tomb from the 1st century BC. It is one of the highest peaks in the east of the Taurus Mountains. It was added to the Unesco World Heritage in 1987. The entry states: The mausoleum of Antiochus, who reigned over Commagene kingdom founded north of Syria and the Euphrates after the breakup of Alexander’s Empire, is one of the most ambitious constructions of the Helenistic Period.
Day 9 - Gobekli Tepe, Sanliurfa, Harran
Today we drive to Sanliurfa, visiting Ataturk Dam, Turkey's largest, along. After short break we drive to Gobekli Tepe, predating Stonehenge by some 6,000 years, some believe it is the site of the world's oldest temple. We then visit the Harran, a village of Mud-Brick "beehive" houses mentioned in the book of Genesis where Abraham spent the last years of his life. We will visit the ruins of Harran including city walls, oldest Islamic university and the castle dated to eighteen century. We then drive back to Sanliurfa where we will stay and you will have chance to see Mevlid-i Halil Mosque, where you can see the Prophet Abraham Cave and the Pools of the Holy Carp surrounding it, then wander around oriental covered bazaar. Overnight Sanliurfa (Urfa) 4 star Hotel Harran (B, D)
Gobekli Tepe: Dated to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic between c. 9500 and 8000 BCE, the site comprises a number of large circular structures supported by massive stone pillars – the world's oldest known megaliths. Many of these pillars are richly decorated with figurative anthropomorphic details, clothing, and reliefs of wild animals, providing archaeologists rare insights into prehistoric religion and the particular iconography of the period. The site was first used at the dawn of the Southwest Asian Neolithic period, which marked the appearance of the oldest permanent human settlements anywhere in the world. Prehistorians link this Neolithic Revolution to the advent of agriculture, but disagree on whether farming caused people to settle down or vice versa. Göbekli Tepe, a monumental complex built on the top of a rocky mountaintop, with no clear evidence of agricultural cultivation produced to date, has played a prominent role in this debate.
Day 10: Sanliurfa , Gaziantep
Leave in the morning from Sanliurfa for Gaziantep where you can see the famous Mosaic Museum, the largest in the world and home to the famous 'Gypsy Girl' mosaic. This museum exhibits superb mosaics discovered at the roman site of Belkis - Zeugma before Birecik Dam flooded most of the site. In the afternoon we will walk around Gaziantep famous for it’s authentic Turkish cuisine. Well known dishes, variety of kebabs, but most famous one is Baklava where it’s originated. Visit one of the best Baklava shop for original taste . Drive to Hotel and rest of the day free to try a nice authentic Turkish Restaurant. Overnight in Gaziantep.
Day 11: Flying back to the home.
Depending your flight time, we will drive you to airport and drop you off at the airport and our tour concludes. (B) (B - Breakfast, L - Lunch, D - Dinner)
