Itinerary
Meeting with Aflatoon DMC staff at Istanbul airport and transfer to the hotel for your first night in Istanbul. Overnight in Istanbul.
- Open buffet breakfast is included. At 08:30am, pick up from the hotel for a full day tour of old Istanbul city.
- The tour starts at Hippodrome Square, which was a public arena for chariot races and other events. The German Fountain of Wilhelm II, the Obelisk of Theodosius, the Serpentine Column, and the Column of Constantine are other monuments at the square.
- Sultanahmet Imperial Mosque, built in the 17th century, is known as the Blue Mosque because of its magnificent interior decoration of blue Iznik tiles.
- St. Sophia, an ancient basilica built by Constantine the Great in the 4th century and reconstructed by Justinian in the 6th century, is one of the architectural marvels of all time (exterior visit).
- Grand Bazaar (Covered Market) has more than 4000 shops in a labyrinth of streets and passages, featuring goldsmiths’ street, carpet sellers, and various Turkish arts and crafts.
- Little Hagia Sophia Mosque is one of the oldest standing churches in Istanbul, dating back to the 6th century, and has been used as a mosque since 1497.
- Topkapi Palace, the great palace of the Ottoman sultans from the 15th to 19th centuries, houses an exquisite collection of precious gems, jewelry, thrones, sultans’ robes, miniatures, and the Chamber of Sacred Relics.
- After the old city tour, transfer back to the hotel. Free evening or optional Istanbul night shows or Bosporus dinner cruise including traditional Turkish entertainment and dinner. Overnight in Istanbul.
- Open buffet breakfast and local dinner are included. Pick up from the hotel for a full day tour of Istanbul city at 08:30am.
- City Walls are among the well-known monuments in Istanbul, with their effective surroundings and construction. They were demolished twice in their history: once by the Latin Crusaders in 1204 and again in 1453 by the Ottoman Turks.
- Drive by bus to Golden Horn, a major urban waterway and primary inlet of the Bosporus, which separates the European shore into two sides.
- Spice Bazaar (Egyptian Bazaar) dates back to the 17th century and is one of Istanbul’s oldest covered markets. It is the best place to find spices, herbal teas, and traditional Turkish foods like Turkish delight (lokum).
- Boat trip on the Bosphorus offers an amazing cruise between Europe and Asia, passing Dolmabahçe and Beylerbeyi Palaces, wooden villas, and mansions up to the Rumeli Fortress (the Rumeli Fortress from the sea; no interior visit).
- After lunch, depart for Istanbul Ataturk airport for a domestic flight to Cappadocia. Transfer from the airport and check in to the hotel in Cappadocia. Overnight in Cappadocia.
Open buffet breakfast, local lunch, and local dinner are included.
Visit Devrent Valley to see the unique fairy-chimneys. Drive to Love Valley to see the interesting mushroom-shaped pinnacles. Drive to the city of Avanos.
In the afternoon, visit the open-air museum at Goreme, where the remains of rock-cut churches and Christian settlements date back hundreds of years. Lastly, before returning to the hotel, visit the natural castles at Uchisar. Overnight at Cave Hotel in Cappadocia.
Breakfast is included.
Optional tour: Hot Air Balloon Riding Tour.
After breakfast, enjoy free time for shopping in Cappadocia. Following free time, depart for Kayseri airport for a domestic flight to Istanbul and then back home.