Türkiye Tours
11 days
per person
Meeting point
Istanbul Airport, the first exit door
Included
Breakfast at the hotels and lunch at restaurants
Istanbul, Ephesus, Pamukkale, Antalya, Konya, Cappadocia and Bursa come together in the Grand Türkiye Tour, from imperial capitals and ancient cities to the Mediterranean coast and spiritual centres.
The Grand Türkiye Tour crosses empires, civilisations, landscapes and spiritual traditions. It begins in Istanbul, where mosques, palaces and neighbourhoods carry centuries of exchange between continents. The route continues to Ephesus, one of the best-preserved ancient cities, with marble streets, a monumental theatre and sacred sites. In Pamukkale the white travertine terraces and Hierapolis hold nature and history in the same place. The line then runs through Antalya, Konya, Cappadocia and Bursa.
1
After you land at Istanbul Airport, a Solandra representative meets you at the first exit door and takes you to your hotel. The night is in Istanbul.
2
Visited sights: Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, the Hippodrome, the Obelisk of Theodosius, and the Grand Bazaar. After breakfast the guide picks you up from the hotel for a full day in the Old City. You see the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, once home to the Ottoman sultans and to the first president of Turkey, and the Hippodrome, where the obelisks still stand. The last stop is the Grand Bazaar, the large covered market at the heart of the old city. There is time to walk it. At the end of the tour you are taken back to your hotel. The night is in Istanbul.
3
Visited sights: the Basilica Cistern, the Galata Tower, the Spice Bazaar, the Bosphorus, Rumeli Fortress, Taksim and Istiklal Street, the French Cultural Institute, Hagia Triada Greek Orthodox Church, the Ağa Mosque, and Çiçek Pasajı. After breakfast the guide picks you up. You visit the Basilica Cistern, the largest of the hundreds of ancient cisterns under Istanbul, then the Galata Tower and the 17th-century Spice Bazaar. On the Bosphorus you see the strait that links Europe and Asia, and Rumeli Fortress, built to control the entrance. The day ends on Taksim and Istiklal: the French Cultural Institute, Hagia Triada, the largest Greek Orthodox church in Istanbul, the Ağa Mosque, and Çiçek Pasajı. At the end of the tour you are taken back to your hotel. The night is in Istanbul.
4
Visited sights: Ephesus, the Temple of Artemis, and the House of the Virgin Mary. You are picked up early and taken to the airport for the flight to Izmir. The flight takes about an hour. On arrival a Solandra representative meets you at the first exit door, and the guide and driver begin the Ephesus tour. In Ephesus you see the Temple of Hadrian, the Library of Celsus, the theatre, the baths, and the old harbour. After lunch you visit the House of the Virgin Mary, where she spent her last days, and the Temple of Artemis, counted among the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. At the end of the tour you are taken to your hotel in Kusadasi. The night is in Kusadasi.
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1–16 people
5
Visited sights: the calcium terraces, the Hierapolis museum, the Hierapolis theatre, the Roman bath, the Temple of Apollo, and the Cleopatra thermal pool. Swimming in the pool is optional. After breakfast you drive to Pamukkale and see the white travertine terraces left by the hot springs, the “cotton castle” the town is named for. After lunch you visit Hierapolis, a UNESCO World Heritage site: the museum, the theatre, the Roman bath, and the Temple of Apollo. In antiquity people came here to be healed. Walking the terraces is part of the tour. Swimming in the Cleopatra pool is optional. At the end of the day you are taken to the bus for Antalya. The ride takes about four hours. On arrival a representative meets you at the bus station and takes you to the hotel. The night is in Antalya.
6
Visited sights: Düden Waterfalls, Kaleiçi, the old harbour, Hadrian’s Gate, the Tunektepe cable car, and a boat trip of about an hour from the old harbour. You are picked up at the main entrance of the hotel. The day includes Düden Waterfalls, then Kaleiçi, with its Ottoman houses, the view from the park, the old harbour, and Hadrian’s Gate. A boat leaves the old harbour and runs along the cliffs for about an hour. The Tunektepe cable car is also on the day’s stops. At the end of the tour you are taken back to your hotel. The night is in Antalya.
7
Visited sights: Sultanhan Caravanserai, Alaaddin Mosque, Sultan Selim Mosque, the Mevlana Mausoleum, and the tomb and mosque of Shams-i Tabrizi. After breakfast you are taken to the bus for Konya. On arrival you meet the guide and driver. The road follows the old Silk Road, with a stop at the 13th-century Sultanhan Caravanserai. In Konya you visit the Mevlana Mausoleum. After lunch you see the Ottoman Sultan Selim Mosque and Alaaddin Mosque, on the tumulus of Alaaddin Hill. The last stop is the tomb and mosque of Shams-i Tabrizi. At the end of the day you drive to Cappadocia and are taken to the hotel. The night is in Cappadocia.
8
Visited sights: Devrent Valley, Pasabag (Monk’s Valley), Avanos, Goreme, and the Open Air Museum. After breakfast the guide picks you up. The day covers Devrent Valley and its chimneys, Pasabag, Avanos, the Goreme valley, and the Open Air Museum, where churches and early Christian dwellings cut from the soft rock are still standing. After the tour you are taken to your hotel. The night is in Cappadocia.
9
Visited sights: Red and Rose Valley, Gulludere Valley, Cavusin Village, Kaymakli or Ozkonak Underground City, Ortahisar, Uchisar Castle, Pigeon Valley, and Three Beauties Valley. After breakfast the southern tour begins. In Red and Rose Valley the rock colour changes through the day, and there is a short walk in Gulludere Valley. In old Greek Cavusin you visit the houses and churches linked with Saint John the Baptist and Nikephoros Phokas. After lunch you see Kaymakli or Ozkonak, one of the widest underground cities in Cappadocia. Uchisar Castle is the highest point of the region and the place for a panorama of Cappadocia. Pigeon Valley looks back at the castle, and pigeons still live in the dovecotes. The last stop is Three Beauties Valley, known for its vineyards and the view. At the end of the day you fly from Cappadocia Airport back to Istanbul. You are met at the first exit door and taken to your hotel. The night is in Istanbul.
10
Visited sights: the Green Mosque, the Green Tomb, the Grand Bazaar, and Uludağ. After breakfast you go to the port and take the ferry to Bursa. In the city you visit the Green Mosque, the largest mosque there, and the Green Tomb. After lunch there is time in the Grand Bazaar for local goods such as chestnut, honey, olive oil, and Turkish delight. The last stop is Uludağ, the ancient Olympus, by cable car. If the cable car is not running, the view is from beneath the plane tree, which is more than a thousand years old. At the end of the tour you are taken back to your hotel in Istanbul. The night is in Istanbul.
11
You are taken to the airport four hours before your international flight. Check-in is self-service. That is the end of the service.
100% ticket guarantee
The tickets you need for the experience are delivered to you on time.
100% satisfaction guarantee
If the experience does not happen as promised, you receive a refund.
100% support guarantee
Before, during, and after the trip, support is available in Turkish and English.
