Turkey 2 Week Itinerary

Turkey Itinerary 14 Days

Day 1: Arrival to Istanbul

• Arrival to Istanbul. Your driver will meet you at the airport and transfer you to hotel.
• Overnight stay in Istanbul

Day 2: Istanbul Old City Tour

• Guide will meet you in your hotel lobby after breakfast, and take you to a full day walking tour in Istanbul.
• You will visit the well known historical sights:
• The museum of Hagia Sophia (St. Sophia) architectural masterpiece which used to be the biggest church in the worldVisit St. Sophia;
• After you visit the Underground Byzantine Cistern (Yerebatan), guide will show you the remians of the Hippodrome of Istanbul, and the famous Blue Mosque (The Sultan Ahmed Mosque), famous for its tiles.
• After lunch, you will visit the Topkapi Palace, which was the main palace of Ottoman sultans for centuries; the Harem section is one of its most interesting sections.
• Before you return to hotel, you will have chance to walk in the Grand Bazaar, the biggest and the oldest open market in the world.
• Overnight stay in Istanbul.

Day 3: Istanbul City Tour and Bosphorus Boat Trip

• Guide will meet you in hotel lobby and take you to another sightseeing in Istanbul.
• You will visit Suleymaniye mosque, one of the masterpieces of the famous Ottoman achitect Sinan.
• Another stop during this tour is the Church of the Holy Savior in Chora and Pierre Lotti Hill, one of the nicest viewpoints in Istanbul.
• You will have also have a Bosphorus boat trip on a private yacht and see the bridges of Istanbul, Dolmabahce Palace, Beylerbeyi Palaces, Anadolu and Rumeli fortresses and beautiful houses along the strait.
• At the end of the tour you will visit Spice Market, the 17th century structure that housed the majority of the city’s spice trade.
• Overnight stay in Istanbul.

Day 4: Troy and Assos

• Early departure from Istanbul and 5 hours driving to Troy.
• You will visit Homer’s legendary Troy and see the replica of the wooden horse; after you get idea about this famous place
• We will drive for about 1 hr to reach Assos. In Assos you can see The Temple of Athena, and enjoy the spectecular seaview from there.
• Overnight stay in Assos.

Day 5: Pergamon and Asklepion

• After we leave Assos, we will drive about 3 hrs to Bergama, to visit Asklepion, the ruins of one of the first hospitals in the world.
• After a short break for lunch, we will proceed to the ancient city of Pergamon where we usually spend about two hours.
• You will have chance to see the Temple of Hadrian, one of the steepest Hellenistic theaters in the world, Zeus altar and the 2nd biggest library of ancient time. Pergamon is also an important Biblical site in Turkey, as it was one of the Seven Churches of Revelation.
• After the sightseeing we will drive for 2 and half hours to Kusadasi.Overnight stay

Day 6: Ephesus Tour

• We will leave hotel after breakfast and drive 20 minutes to Ephesus area.
• We will first visit Ephesus, one of the most visited sights in Turkey which definitely belongs among the most significant examples of Roman ruins.
• Another place to visit is the House of Virgin Mary. It is believed that the mother of Jesus came to the area with Apostle John.
• After local lunch, we will spend some time in Sirince village, and then stop for short at the place of the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of ancient world.
• Return to Kusadasi and overnight stay.

Day 7: Priene-Miletos-Didyma

• During this daily tour in the Aegean region, you would visit three ancient cities: Priene (one of the best preserved Greek cities in the world), Miletos (city famous for Thales and his philosophy school) and the Temple of Apollo in Didyma, the second biggest oracle center in antiquity.
• After a nice local lunch we will return to Kusadasi for another overnight stay.

Day 8: Aphrodisias and Pamukkale

• Departure from Kusadasi and 2 and half hour driving to Aphrodisias, the city of Aphrodite famous for its well preserved stadium and pool.
• After we finish our lunch, we will drive for another 1 hour to Pamukkale. In Pamukkale, the famous “Cotton Castle”, you will have chance to see thermal pools, to swim in one of them and and to see some of the remains of the ancient city of Hierapolis.
• After the tour you will spend 1 night in a local hotel.

Day 9: Saklikent - Tlos - Xanthos - Kas

• After breakfast we will drive for about 3 hrs to Saklikent so see the second largest, spectacular gorge in Europe.
• We will also make a quick photo stop in not so famous but very interesting ancient city of Tlos, and see some examples of the Lycian Tombs.
• Another stop during this tour is Xanthos, the most unique architectural example of the ancient Lycian Civilization, and Patara, Lycian city close to one of the longest beaches in Turkey.
• After the tour, overnight stay in Kas.

Day 10: Kekova – Demre – Antalya

• Departure from hotel after breakfast.
• We will first drive to a small fishing town of Kekova (about 2 hr driving) and have a boat tour there to see the sunken city.
• Afterwards, we will drive to Demre. The road we will use is beautiful and known as Turquoise cost.
• The first place we would visit in Demre is the St. Nicholas church - it is believed that he was born in Demre and burried in that church.
• Another place to visit is the ancient city of Myra.
• We will then drive to Antalya (about 2hr 30 min), making stops on the way to see some of the nice, small coastal towns.
• Arrival to Antalya and overnight stay.

Day 11: Perge - Aspendos - Konya

• Departure from Antalya after breakfast.
• During this daily tour you will first visit the Greco - Roman city of Perge, where Paul gave his first speech on Christianity in the area.
• We will then visit one of the world’s best preserved Roman theaters in Aspendos.
• Then we will drive for 3 hrs to Konya, the ancient Iconium.
• Upon arrival to Konya, we will visit Mevlana Mausoleum, the spiritual center of whirling dervishes.
• At the end of the tour we will leave you in hotel; overnight stay in Konya.

Day 12: Ihlara Valley - Cappadocia

• Departure from Konya and transfer to Cappadocia.
• On the way, you would visit Ihlara valley – popular place for hiking and visiting Byzantian cave churches, one of the most interesting stops in Cappadocia.
• We will then proceed to the Kaymakli Underground City, used by early Christians to hide from the Roman persecution – one of 36 underground cities in Cappadocia, the widest and the most visited one.
• Arrival to a hotel in Cappadocia and overnight stay.

Day 13: Cappadocia Tour and Istanbul

• Optional Hot-Air Balloon flight: early morning pick up from your hotel (04.30-05.00 am, we will be able to send you the exact pick up time few days before your arrival).
• After 1 hour hot-air balloon ride, you will receive a certificate, and will be transferred transfer back to your hotel for breakfast.
• After breakfast your guide and driver will meet you and take you to the sightseeing.
• You will first visit Goreme Open-Air Museum, which is an essential stop in Cappadocia and a unique monastery complex.
• We will then proceed to the Troglodyte Village of Avcilar and Ortahisar Castle.
• After lunch, we will visit Avanos Village, both historical and modern pottery production center of the area.
• At the end of the tour you will have chance to see the fairy chimneys and the St. Simeon church at Pasabag (Monks Valley).
• After the tour, transfer to airport to fly to Istanbul; arrival to Istanbul, transfer to hotel and overnight stay flight

Day 14: Farewell

Transfer to airport for your return flight.