Day 1: Day at leisure.

Arrive in the legendary city of Istanbul, you are meet by your representative with a friendly "Merhaba" (hello) and escorted to your hotel.

Day 2: Ottoman & Byzantic

Enjoy a full-day Ottoman & Byzantic tour of Istanbul, including the Blue Mosque, the Basilica of St. Sophia, the covered Bazaar, the world's largest covered market featuring over 58 streets and more than 4000 shops, and the Topkapi Palace, whose Treasury Rooms house 700 years worth of priceless Endurun Treasure, making for the largest national trove in the world. Enjoy the balance of the day at leisure in the "Capital of the Greatest Empires".

Day 3: Bosphorus Cruise & Two Continents

At 08:30am pick up from your hotel to visit Spice Market and followed by a boat cruise through the Bosphorus, the strait dividing the European and Asian continents. Following a lunch break in the afternoon, visit the luxuriously opulent Dolmabahce Palace, the last residence of the sultans. A drive to the Asian part of Istanbul crossing the Intercontinental Bosphorus bridge to visit Camlica Hill, the highest point where you can overlook Istanbul and take nice pictures. End Tour 17:00pm, transfer back to hotel.
Overnight bus to Ephesus with non smoking fully air-conditioned at 21:30pm (duration 10 hours).

Day 4: Bursa
At 08.30am start from your hotel and return around 21.00pm to your hotel. Visit Bursa - the birthplace of modern Turkish culture and the first capital of the Ottoman empire, on this day trip from Istanbul. Travel by ferry to Yalova before joining your coach to continue by road to Bursa. First stop is the early 15th century Green Mosque (Yesil Camii) and the, Green Tomb (Yesil Turbe), both world-renowned for their superb tile decoration, as well as the late 14th century Great Mosque and the Koza Han, which for centuries was the center of the silk trade, where Sultan Mehmet I was buried in 1421. Visit the imperial Great Mosque (Ulu Cami), with its 20 domes and 12 massive pillars built in the Seljuk style in 1399.
After lunch at an elegant kebab restaurant, you will visit the Bazaar and the Koza Han, where merchants from all over the world have meet for centuries to trade silk cocoons.
Travel by cable car to visit Uludag mountain where you can admire panoramic views of Bursa and the fertile plains below. Continue by coach to Cumalikizik Village's beautifully preserved early Ottoman private homes. Bursa city was known as the city of green in Turkey due to the numerous amounts of different tones of this color up on the legendary mountain of Olympos.

Day 5: Edirne

At 08.30am start from your hotel and return around 19.00pm to your hotel. 

Eski Camii, was built of cut stone and brick 1402-14 with fine white marble portal and decorative calligraphy on the interior walls and pillars.

Üç Serefeli Camii, the name of the mosque derived from the three balconies on the southeast minaret. Each balcony is reached by a separate stairway. The decorative tile designs on the minarets are all different. The minarets were the most important development in the structure of the mosque in the fifteenth century.

Selimiye Mosque Edirne's crowning glory, was built for Selim II, (1566-74) by Sinan who was the architect of the Abode of Felicity for 50 years. It was the masterpiece of Sinan's old age. The symmetrical design strongly emphasised by the four minarets and the soaring rise of the central dome.

Semiz Ali Pasa Arasta is also the work of Sinan. Completed in 1589, it is a long tunnel-like building with shops on both sides. Here you may buy one of Edirne's specialities, soap shaped like fruit or vegetables.

Meric bridge (New Bridge) constructed at the junction of Meriç and Arda rivers between 1842 - 1847.

Kule Kapisi (12 C Tower Gate) is all that remains of the tower which once protected the principal gate of the citadel. It was rebuilt by the Byzantine emperor John Comnenus II (1118-43) as part of his repair of the Hadrianic defensive system.

Beyazit Kulliyesi is the largest in Edirne, the complex had a mosque and a hospital which was famous for the skill of its surgeons. In the octogonal, domed timarhane the insane were treated by musical therapy.

A full day to tour the riches of this incredible "moonscape" of Cappadocia including the Goreme open-air Museum, with its dozens of painted cave-churches. The surrealistic geological formation of Cappadocia is one of the wonders of the world. It is the result of the natural forces during the intense volcanic activity. Then we will continue to the pottery making village of Avanos where you will watch clay turning into a form of artwork. Later on we will visit a traditional Turkish hand-made carpet workshop. Dinner and overnight.

Day 7:  South Cappadocia Tour

At 09:30am You will be picked up from your hotel for a full day tour of South Cappadocia. Today we will visit the Kaymakli Underground City, a place early Christians hid from persecutors. Another highlight of the day will be the Soganli Village, a remote community famous for dolls and housing many rock churches. We will have our lunch at the village and spend some time with the locals. You may ride a donkey on the narrow streets of the village or may experience a traditional wedding ceremony, if there is one on that day. After tour overnight bus to Istanbul with non-smoking, fully air-conditioned bus at 21:00pm (duration 11 hours).

Day 8: Istanbul

This is a free day to either go touring, shopping or relaxing on the beach.

Day 9: Istanbul

Back to home or another destination.

Info

This tour must be booked at least 48 hours in advance of your travel date. Confirmation for this product will be received at time of booking. Tour is given in English unless otherwise stated. In the event of any museum closures, an alternative similar museum will be visited. This tour is not suitable for infants 4 years and under. Child prices are applicable for children age. Child Discount: 10%.

Meeting point 

Tour departs from centrally located Istanbul hotels. Please include the details of your hotel at the time of booking. You MUST call the supplier at least 24 hours prior to tour commencement to reconfirm all tour and departure details. If the supplier does not pickup from your hotel, they will advise you of the meeting point when you call. The contact details will be listed on your voucher.

Terms & Conditions Tours
Transportation is provided by mini-buses or buses according to the number of passengers travelling. All tours are escorted by professional bi- or multi-lingual tour and/or driver guides. Depending on the number of passengers booked for a particular departure, tours and/or languages may be combined to operate the tours. Visits, stops and other tour components may be deleted, added and/or substituted from the tour without notice. Meals, or other expenses of personal nature are not included (unless published for a particular tour in Turkey Team Tours brochure).

Responsibility
Turkey Team Travel as an agent for all issued tickets or vouchers and all arrangements for transportation, conveyance or hotel accommodation assumes no liability or responsibility for (1) any injuries, loss, damage, accidents (2) delay, irregularities or inconvenience by any defect in a vehicle (3) traffic conditions, access to sites, additional costs or other conditions beyond its control. Turkey Team Travel reserves the right to cancel or change any tours, schedules, or rates and to cancel or substitute routes and stops on any tour without prior notice & to substitute equipment as needed.