Turquoise Mystery

Visit of 8 cities in 21 days (2 nights in Istanbul – 3 nights in Cappadocia –1 Night in Konya -  2 nights in Antalya – 1 night in Çıralı – 2 nights in Kaş – 5 nights in Gocek – 3 nights in Kuşadası – 1 night in Pamukkale).
With this 20-Night & 21-Day program, start with the historical city of Istanbul, travel through the country, witness the surreal landscapes of Cappadocia, visit Konya - the City of Whirling Dervishes, enjoy the beautiful turquoise waters of Mediterranean cost, visit ancient cities and UNESCO World Heritage Sites,  walk in the footsteps of Saints and Legionnaires in Ephesus, explore the natural wonders at Pamukkale and visit Hierapolis.  

Arrive at Istanbul airport, meet your guide and transfer to the hotel. Have a short rest and set off to the Old Town of Istanbul. Visit Topkapı Palace, Sultan Ahmet Square, the German Fountain, the Hippodrome, the Million Stone, the magnificent Hagia Sophia, and Sultan Ahmet Mosque, known as Blue Mosque. Discover Grand Bazaar, one of the world's oldest and largest covered markets, and enjoy strolling in the Egyptian Market known as Spice Market. The daily tour finishes at Galata bridge. Transfer to your hotel. Overnight Istanbul. Overnight Istanbul.  

Breakfast at the hotel, meet your guide in the lobby and set off for an approximately 30-minute drive to Eminönü. Bosphorus Tour's boat departure time is at 10:20 am. You'll get a panoramic view of the Bosphorus, the waterway which separates Istanbul into two parts, the European continent and the Asian continent. During the Bosphorus cruise, you'll see Dolmabahçe Palace's ornate seaside entrance gate, which the sultans used. Maiden tower, Çırağan Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace, the fortress of Rumelihisarı, and old wooden villas (called Yalıs) along the seaside are some of the pearl grains adorning the strait which joins Marmara and the Black Sea. The boat trip will take approximately 90 minutes. You will have two hours in a cozy fisherman village called Kavak to walk around and have lunch. Take the boat, and our trip will end at around 4 pm at Eminönü. Transfer to your hotel. Overnight Istanbul.  

Group visit to Dolmabahçe Palace is organized by reservation; according to our reservation hour, the morning program might switch to the afternoon program.
Breakfast at the hotel, meet your guide in the lobby, and set off for an approximately 30-minute drive to Dolmabahçe Palace, an ornate blend of European and Ottoman architecture that rests along the banks overlooking the Bosphorus Strait. The Armenian architect Balyan family built the palace in the 19th century. You will discover eye-popping rooms that once hosted sultans and their royal guests, stroll into pristine marble rooms, and gaze up at twinkling crystal chandeliers. All the clocks in the palace were set at 9:05 am, the exact time of the death of the first president of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who passed away on the 10th of November 1938 in this palace. Arrive at Taksim Square, the city's heart, and have lunch. Discover the Beyoğlu district, where during the Ottoman period, Jews from Spain, Arabs, Greek, and Armenians settled in communities. The pedestrian street İstiklal Street, once known as Grande Rue de Pera, is lined by late 19th-century apartment blocks and European embassy buildings. It's an impressive variety of grandiose gates and façades with art deco and modern architectural styles. While getting around, you'll see many churches, mosques, the Fish Market, the Mevlevi Lodge, art galleries, cafés, bookstores, shops selling handicrafts, and jazz bars. An old-fashioned tram travels the length of Istiklal Street. The daily tour will end in front of the Tunnel, the underground funicular system. Transfer to the airport. Evening flight to Kayseri (one-hour flight). Dinner at Kayseri and set off to Urgüp (Cappadocia) (65 km – 40 miles, 1-hour drive). Check-in to your hotel. Overnight Ürgüp.

Please note that during your stay in Capadoccia, the daily morning program might switch to the afternoon program.
Strabo, the well-known writer of antiquity, mentioned the Cappadocia region in his 17-volume book Geographika (Geography), written in Rome during the reign of Emperor Augustus. The interesting rock formations are known as "fairy chimneys" formed due to the erosion of the tufa layer, sculpted by wind and flood water running down the slopes of the valleys. Water found its way through the valleys, creating cracks and ruptures in the hard rock. The softer, easily eroded material underneath has been gradually swept away, creating conical formations protected by basalt caps. The fairy chimneys with caps, mainly found in the vicinity of Urgup, have a conical-shaped body and a boulder on top of each vent. The cone is constructed from tufa and volcanic ash, while the cap is made of more complex, more resistant rock such as lahar or ignimbrite. Various types of fairy chimneys are found in Cappadocia. Among these are chimneys with caps, cones, columns, pointed stones, and mushroom-like forms. Fairy chimneys are generally found in the valleys of the Uchisar-Urgup-Avanos triangle, between Urgup and Sahinefendi, around the town of Cat in Nevsehir, in the Sogani valley in Kayseri. Cappadocia cave-like rooms once sheltered Turkey's early Christians from invaders, and vast underground cities in the area housed up to 20,000 people. There are also more than 600 Christian churches carved into the soft rock, some dating to the third century AD. Another characteristic feature of the area is the sweeping curves of the sides of the valleys formed by rainwater. The array of colors seen in some of the canyons is due to the difference in the heat of the lava layers. Such patterns can be seen in Uchisar, Cavusin/ Gulludere, Goreme/ Meskendir, Ortahisar/Kizilcukur, and Pancarlik valleys.
Have breakfast, leave the hotel, and set off to Göreme, the "open-air museum" of ancient rock-cut churches, chapels, and monasteries adorned with Byzantine frescoes dating from the tenth to the 13th centuries. Visit Uçhisar Castle and the Pigeon Valley to learn the importance of pigeons in Cappadocian culture. Have lunch and set off to the underground city Derinkuyu (1-hour drive). Only about ten percent of Derinkuyu's massive compound has been excavated so far, several levels including a cross-shaped church, large rooms with the barrel-vaulted ceiling, surrounded by a series of smaller rooms, storage, toilets, and baths which relate to tunnels fed by a great ventilation system. Their primary purpose was to keep Cappadocia's residents safe from enemies' attacks. Admire the sunset view from the Kızılçukur and then transfer to your hotel. Overnight Ürgüp.

Today early risers can join an optional hot-air balloon ride over Cappadocia's tufa formations, soaring over its amber terrain and fairy-tale chimneys in the soft, rosy light of dawn. You'll leave the hotel around 5 am and have a quick snack before embarking on an approximate hour-long balloon ride. You'll be back at the hotel between 7:30 am and 8 am, in time for breakfast.
Have breakfast and leave the hotel. set off to Devrent Valley, a walking tour through a lunar landscape with unusual rock formations. Visit Zelve Open-air Museum, one of the oldest settlements in Cappadocia and one of the UNESCO Sites in the park. This is a fantastic cave town with dwellings built into the sides of rock formations. Now a ghost town due to unsafe erosion, this place once housed Christians and Muslims in harmony with each other. Visit Paşabağları, where you'll see some more Fairy Chimneys. Visit a small cozy town called Avanos. It's a famous town for its pottery workshops which you may also join. Have lunch and set off to Ihlara Valley (a one-hour drive). Ihlara Valley is a 16 km long gorge cut into volcanic rock in the southern part of Cappadocia, following several eruptions of Mount Erciyes. The Melendiz river flows through the valley. There are 105 churches in stones in the valley, and 16 are open to visitors. Optional hiking activity is available in the canyon, or you can rest in lovely coffee shops along the river. Transfer to your hotel. Overnight Ürgüp.  

Have breakfast and leave the hotel. set off to Konya (a 3-hour drive), where you'll learn about the great Sufi mystic Mevlana Celaleddini Rumi while visiting this sacred city. Konya was the capital of the Seljuks which flourished in Central Anatolia from 1071 to 1275. The Seljuks built numerous caravanserais along the Silk Road between Cappadocia and Konya and beyond. One of the reasons to visit Konya is to see the Mevlana Museum, which shelters the tomb of Celaleddin Rumî (1207-1273), known to his followers as Mevlana (or Rumî), a Muslim poet and mystic and one of the great spiritual thinkers and teachers of all time. Have a traditional lunch and visit the Mevlana Museum, the dervish lodge better known as the whirling dervishes. The dervish lodge (Dergah) was converted into a museum in 1927. The building was decorated with Seljukian motifs as well as Ottoman calligraphy. During your visit to the museum, you'll learn about the legendary "Ritual of Sema," the traditional religious dance wherein dervishes (Muslim religious figures akin to monks) spin faster and faster to summon the divine. Visit the Tropical Butterfly Garden and Museum, a 30-minute drive. Transfer to your hotel and rest before joining the Sufi Ceremony in which the Mevlevi dervishes whirl for a quarter of an hour in their quest for mystical union with the Divine. Overnight Konya.  

Have breakfast and leave the hotel. set off to Antalya. On the route, visit Çatalhöyük, a Unesco World Heritage Site. It's a substantial Neolithic and Chalcolithic proto-city settlement. Arrival to Side, the ancient city located at the eastern part of the Pamphylian coast. Have lunch and a walking tour of the historical site to see the Temples of Apollo and Athena, the Theater and Nymphaeum, which is also known as 'Nine Streams' at the entrance of Side Antique City and whose source is the Manavgat Stream, is a very imposing structure. Stop by Manavgat waterfalls. set off to Antalya, a two-hour drive. Check in to your hotel and rest before dinner. Overnight Antalya.
Antalya, the fifth-most populous city in Turkey, is located on Anatolia's southwest coast, bordered by the Taurus Mountains. The region has an architectural heritage dating back to Hellenistic times and lots of historical architecture dated from the medieval Seljuk period (mosques, madrasahs, caravanserais, Turkish baths, tombs, etc...) Historical architecture is concentrated in the walled city of Kaleiçi, the old Antalya center with narrow cobbled streets of historic Ottoman-era houses.

Have breakfast and leave the hotel. Visit the ancient city of Aspendos (1-hour drive), situated on the banks of the Köprüçay River. Once one of the most critical cities in Pamphylia, Aspendos is now a viral tourist site famous for the Roman amphitheater built in 155 AD. The theatre of Aspendos is one of the best-preserved examples of Roman theatre architecture in the world. set off to Perge, an impressive archaeological site containing a wealth of ancient ruins, mostly dating back to the Roman period. St Paul visited Perge in 46 AD and preached his first sermon there. You'll see the gigantic amphitheater, stadium, Roman gates, city walls, and Roman baths, and will walk through the 500-meter-long main street with numerous columns, fountains, and the acropolis dating back to the Bronze Age. On the way back to Antalya, explore the green environment, fresh air, pine scent, relaxed atmosphere, and spectacular falls while having lunch at the restaurant in the National Park of Kursunlu Waterfalls. set off to the old town, a walking tour in Kaleici which means "within the city walls," and among its myriad highlights is Hadrian's Gate, a triumphal arch built in the name of the Roman emperor who visited Antalya in 130 AD. Transfer to your hotel and rest before dinner. Overnight Antalya.

Have breakfast and leave the hotel. set off to Phaselis, founded in 693 BC, an important port city in history. Phaselis is sometimes referred to be a city of Lycia, sometimes a city of the Pamphylia region, as it is located within the borders of both these areas. set off to Cıralı (30- minute drive), free time about four hours. You may enjoy the 4 km beach or visit the ancient Olympos. Cıralı beach is a nesting area for endangered Caretta Caretta sea turtles. The turtles come to the beach at night from May until August to lay their eggs. The eggs hatch 45 and 70 days after being laid, so baby turtles make their way from the nest to the sea starting in the middle of July. A pleasant 15-minute walk can reach Olympos Ancient Ruins down the beach. set off to Chimera Hill (Yanartaş) and, after 30 minutes of hiking, witness a magnificent sunset. It is one of the most symbolic places in the region. Yanartas has an eternal fire, while the flames burn in the rocks without any fuel or heat source. Your guide will tell you about the monster called Chimaera and the mythical story related to it. Transfer to your hotel and rest before dinner. Overnight Çıralı.

Have breakfast and leave the hotel. set off to Kaş. Visit the Church of St. Nicholas in Demre and the ancient town of Myra, which was one of the six important cities of the Lycian Union. The ancient city of Myra is known for its perfectly preserved Roman-era amphitheater and its tombs carved in the rocks overlooking the amphitheater. This site is known mainly for being the home of Saint Nicholas (Santa Claus). Arrival to Kaş at noontime. Check in to your hotel and have lunch. set off to the ancient Patara, which is famous for its historical ruins and its long sandy beach. According to legend, Patarus, the son of the water nymph Lycia and Apollo, built the city of Patara. One of the most impressive ruins of the ancient town is the Roman Victory Gate, dated to the end of the 1st century AD. Among the other remains that can be seen on the hill are the baths, a Byzantine basilica, a Corinthian-style temple, and the theatre. On the top of the hill, there is the Temple of Athena. Explore the site and enjoy the beach. Transfer to your hotel and rest before dinner. Overnight Kaş.  

Have breakfast and leave the hotel. set off to the marina. Enjoy the daily boat trip over turquoise waters to picturesque Kekova Island. Explore the extraordinary underwater ruins of the sunken city of (Uç ağız) Simena, and swim in the crystal-clear waters. Lunch will be served on board. Arrive at the marina and transfer to your hotel. Overnight Kaş.  

Have breakfast and leave the hotel. Visit the ancient Xantos (1-hour drive); the ruins of Xanthus are on the south slopes of a hill; the ancient acropolis, located on the northern outskirts of the modern city, on the left bank of the Xanthus, which flows beneath the hill. A single road encircles the hill and runs through the ruins. Xanthos is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Arrival at Saklıkent National Park (30-minute drive from Xantos). The entrance of the Saklikent Canyon is on the wooden bridges that span the river. Optional hiking activity (2-hour hiking) in the canyon. Please note that you'll have to walk in the river against the current (appropriate rentable shoes are available at the entrance). The hiking activity is optional; guests not joining this activity may rest at the café along the river. Have lunch at the restaurants along the river. In the afternoon, visit the Greek ghost town with stone houses called Kayaköy (1-hour drive). It is the open-air museum of the ancient city of Karmylassos. The town also has its claim to fame due to its features in Russell Crowe's movie "The Water Diviner." After the entrance, you will pass the lower Church and courtyard and many abandoned homes, schools, and shops. Once you reach the peak, you will be greeted by an old chapel and views of the Mediterranean Sea, overlooking the entire town. Arrive in the cozy town of Göcek (1-hour drive), where you'll spend the next six nights. According to the legends, it is in the Göcek area that Icarus landed in the sea after his famous flight trying to escape from the tower where he was imprisoned. During the Ottoman period, Göcek was used as a harbor for ships loading chrome ore collected from the mines under nearby mountains. Today, Göcek hosts significant marinas serving yacht tourism in the region. It is a tranquil resort town with gorgeous vistas of the sea and mountains where you may enjoy excellent restaurants and cafés. In 1988, the gulf of Göcek, with more than a thousand coves, was declared a Registered Area of Special Protection. Check in to your hotel and rest before dinner. Overnight Göcek.

Have breakfast and leave the hotel. Today you'll have a private boat tour on the gulf of Göcek. Once you embark from the marina, you'll notice the islands (Gocek island, Yassica Islands, Zeytin island, Tersane Island, and Pig Island). Swim in the turquoise water of the isolated creeks around those islands. Lunch will be served on board. Arrival at the marina is expected around 6 pm. Transfer to your hotel and rest before dinner. Overnight Göcek.

Have breakfast and leave the hotel. set off to Olüdeniz (Blue Lagoon) (1-hour drive). It has a sandy bay at the mouth of Olüdeniz, on a blue lagoon. The beach itself is a pebble beach. The lagoon is a national nature reserve. Olüdeniz is also famous for its paragliding opportunities. It is known as one of the best places in the world to paraglide due to its unique panoramic views and stable weather conditions. Babadağ (ancient Mount Anticragus) has a summit of 1,969 meters. The most exciting attraction of this tour is to experience paragliding over the Olüdeniz. You may ask your guide to organize a fly in the blue sky with a skillful coach for about 45 minutes. Have lunch and spend the day at Olüdeniz beach. In the afternoon, visit the Greek ghost town with stone houses called Kayaköy (a 30-minute drive). It is the open-air museum of the ancient city of Karmylassos. The town also has its claim to fame due to featuring in Russell Crowe's movie "The Water Diviner." After the entrance, you will pass the lower Church and courtyard and many abandoned homes, schools, and shops. Once you reach the peak, you will be greeted by an old chapel and views of the Mediterranean Sea, overlooking the entire town. Transfer to your hotel. Rest before dinner. Overnight Göcek.  

Have breakfast and leave the hotel. set off to the marina. Have a private boat tour on the gulf of Göcek, and swim in the turquoise water of the isolated creeks around the islands. Lunch will be served on board. Arrival at the marina is expected around 6 pm. Transfer to your hotel and rest before dinner. Overnight Göcek.

Have breakfast and leave the hotel. set off to Dalyan (a 45-minute drive). Dalyan means "fishing weir" in Turkish. Bass, Mullet, and Sea Bream swim upstream from the sea to Köyceğiz Lake, and when returning to the sea, they are caught in the "dalyan." While you'll having a daily boat tour in the Calbys river (Dalyan River), you'll notice, beyond the reeds, façades of rock tombs of the ancient trading city of Kaunos. Kaunos was a vital seaport Carian city dating back to the 10th century BC. Your guide will give you more explanations about the rock tombs during your excursion to the river. During your boat trip, some sea turtles (Caretta Carettas) may accompany you as their breeding ground; Iztuzu beach lying south of the river along with the sea coast. Have lunch on board and free time for swimming. In the afternoon, visit the mud and sulphur bath on Lake Koycegiz. It is known that the mud baths and the thermal waters have been used since the times of the Kaunos people. Return to Dalyan port, transfer to your hotel (45-minute drive), and rest before dinner. Overnight Göcek.

Have breakfast and leave the hotel for Kuşadası. Stop by a small cozy town, Akyaka, 1-hour drive. Akyaka is known for its old houses. While their gardens and sofas provide an exceptional appearance, the houses are generally two-story structures in stone with wooden ornamentations. Have a boat tour for half an hour and see friendly boutique hotels and restaurants along the river. Have lunch. Visit the ancient site of Laodicia, located in the Hellenistic regions of Caria and Lydia, where you may see the ruins of one of the Seven Churches of Asia mentioned in the Book of Revelation. The archaeological site of Laodicia was inscribed in the Tentative List of World Heritage Sites in 2013. Continue to Pamukkale, a 30-minute drive. Have lunch, and in the afternoon, discover the natural travertine formations. The name Pamukkale means "cotton castle." Pamukkale's terraces are made of travertine, a sedimentary rock deposited by mineral water from the hot springs. In this area, there are 17 hot springs with temperatures ranging from 35 °C (95 °F) to 100 °C (212 °F). Pamukkale is recognized as a World Heritage Site with Hierapolis, the ancient site used as a healing center and thermal spa early in the 2nd century BC. Free time to explore travertines and swim with Roman ruins in the large natural swimming pool at Hierapolis. Overnight Pamukkale.  

Have breakfast and leave the hotel. Visit Aphrodisias,  one of the best-preserved ancient Roman cities in Turkey. The site's central feature is its temple, built in the 3rd century BC to honor the Goddess Aphrodite, after whom the city was named. The archeological site is littered with the gleaming remains of a once-thriving community—from a grand amphitheater built to hold 30,000 spectators to a richly ornamented monumental gate (tetrapylon) and a large public bathhouse. Several examples of marble sculpture work—including finely detailed sarcophagi, reliefs, and life-size Aphrodite figures—can be found in the onsite museum. Continue to Kuşadası. Kuşadası is a resort town on the Aegean coast. The area has been a center of art and culture for many civilizations since being founded by the Leleges people in 3000 BC. Kuşadası was a minor port frequented by vessels trading along the Aegean coast. It was overshadowed by Ephesus in antiquity until Ephesus' harbor silted up. The beach was conquered by Alexander the Great and then became the Hellenistic culture's center. The Roman Empire took possession of the coast in the 2nd century BC and made it their provincial capital in the early years of Christianity. Saint John the Evangelist and the Virgin Mary came to live in the area. St Paul also visited Ephesus three times, as stated in the Holy Book. Arrival at Kuşadası, a walking tour in the city center. See Kaleiçi mosque and Öküz Mehmet Pasha Caravanserai, both built-in 1618, set off to Güvercin Adası ("Pigeon Island") – the peninsula/island in the bay. There is a castle on the island built during the Ottoman admiral Hayreddin Barbarossa's period to prevent any attacks from coming from the sea. The castle walls, 3 m (9.8 ft) in height, surround the island and the castle became a Tentative World Heritage Site in 2020. Transfer to your hotel and rest before dinner. Overnight Kuşadası.

Have breakfast and leave the hotel. set off to the ruins of Ephesus, a 30-minute drive. Visit the archeological site until noon. Ephesus, the capital of the ancient city of Anatolia, is a highly splendid metropolis. This mega ancient city, whose unique architectural monuments have been standing for thousands of years, has entered the World Heritage List. Based on Anatolia's mother goddess (Kybele) tradition, the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, also increases the importance of Ephesus. The Ephesus Archaeological Site has symbols of high-level urbanization, architecture, and religious history belonging to different civilizations, especially Hellenistic and Roman. 
The most famous remains identified with Ephesus Archaeological Sit, "The Library of Celsus, "which is breathtaking with its enormous columns. This library which dates to the 2nd century is one of the essential antique libraries in the ancient world-ranked after Alexandria and Pergamon. The Hadrian Gate and the Temple of Hadrian are among the prominent structures on Kuretler Street, built in the name of Emperor Hadrian. The other ruins worth seeing are; one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, the biggest theatre in Anatolia with its 25,000-seating capacity, stadium, terrace houses, trade and state Agoras (market place), Prytaneum which has Temple of Hestia (Holy fire), 1,800-seating capacity Odeon (assembly hall and concert hall) and the ancient harbor. Ephesus is where Saint John the Evangelist and the Mother of Jesus Mary came together. Have lunch in Selçuk and then visit St John Basilica, the place of pilgrimage for many centuries. Visit the Grotto of Seven Sleepers. Visit Virgin Mary's house, the Church, and the Fountain at Bülbül Mountain. Visit Sirince, the cozy town with old, where you'll admire the stone-and-stucco houses adorned with red-tiled roofs. An example of a blend of Turkish and Greek cultures, several of these traditional homes are open to visitors and provide a glimpse into this shared past. Stop by a local vineyard house and taste homemade fruit wine. Transfer to your hotel and rest before dinner. Overnight Kuşadası.    

Have breakfast and leave the hotel—free time to enjoy the natural seacoast and visit Zeus' Cave. According to Ancient Greek mythology, Zeus, the Olympian ruler of the skies, used to hide in this cave to escape the fury of his brother Poseidon. Visit two ancient Ionian cities, Priene and Miletus, on the road to Didim. See the remaining five columns of The Temple of Athena, founded by Alexander the Great, in Priene. Miletus was an important center of philosophy and science and is known by Milesian School with Thales and the other pre-Socratic philosophers like Anaximander and Anaximenes. Arrive at Didim, a small seaside town, the site of the antique city of Didyma, well known by its ruined Temple of Apollo, and witness the legend of the romance between Apollo and Daphne. Have lunch with the Aegean dishes cooked with olive oil—free time to explore the town. In the afternoon, visit the Oleatrium Olive and Olive Oil History Museum, a one-hour drive. Transfer to your hotel and rest before dinner. Overnight Kuşadası.  

Have breakfast and leave the hotel. Transfer to the Adnan Menderes Airport (2-hour drive) for the Istanbul flight. (Flight duration to Istanbul, 1 hour)