FROM BYZANCE TO MEDITERRANEAN

Our team will meet you at Istanbul Airport. Transfer to your hotel and check-in. Overnight at your 5* hotel in Istanbul.    

  After the breakfast you will start your journey with a discovery of Istanbul's historical heart. You will first visit the Topkapı Palace, the court and the residence of Ottoman Sultans and home to the imperial treasury, then visit the Hagia Sophia ‘The Church of Holy Wisdom’, the marvelous basilica built in the 6th century, as the masterpiece of Byzantine architecture. It was the largest church in the world for 1000 years; and its interiors are decorated with stunning golden mosaics. After the lunch you will visit the Blue Mosque, with six elegant minarets and a striking indoor with blue Iznik tiles with intricate patterns. You will then take a take a stroll through the ancient Hippodrome, significant for being the center for sports and entertainment in the old Constantinople as well as very important political spot. To finish the day you will visit and have free time in the Grand Bazaar, the largest and most attractive covered bazaar in the world. Overnight at your 5* hotel in Istanbul. (B,D)

After the breakfast the you will visit the Spice Bazaar where you can taste dried fruits, caviars, foodstuffs, Turkish delights and of course spices then the  Mosque and the Tumb of  Abu Ayyub Al-Ensari, one of the first supporters of Prophet Muhammad and a friend of the Prophet's who fell in battle outside the walls of Constantinople. Then you vvisit the Mosque of Soliman the Magnificent, one of the best works of the famous Ottoman architect, Sinan. After the lunch transfer to the Airport for your flight Istanbul/Cappadocia. Dinner and Overnight at your 5* Hotel in Cappadocia. (B,L,D)  

You will have two full days for discovering the beautiful landscapes and thrilling cultural sites of the region. Cappadocia has a unique terra formation, with tuff coned and lunar landscape shaped by forces of nature over millions of years. For ages, men have dug into this soft, but firm tuff to create dwellings, homes (locals call them 'fairy chimneys') monasteries, churches and underground cities. After the breakfast, the first visit in Cappadocia visit will be the Göreme Valley which is home to magnificent rock-hewn churches decorated with Byzantine frescoes (The Apple Church, The Serpent Church, The St. Barbara Church, The St. Basil Church...) After the lunch, you’ll stop at the Red Valley (Derbent) and the breathtakingly beautiful Avcilar Valley. Last, but not least, will be the Uchisar that provides some of the most dramatic panoramas of the astonishing Cappadocia. Dinner and overnight at your 5* hotel (B,L,D)  

Cappadocia was once home to a beautiful breed of war horses, hence the name meaning 'land of beautiful horses'. The horses are long gone today, so are the mighty Hittite warriors who once rode them, but the area continues to be a global attraction for its amazing nature and immaculate cultural legacy. In you second day, in this very special land, early in the morning, you will have a choice to join an optional early morning ballooning tour to witness the beauty of Cappadocia from the sky. This is arguably the best ballooning tour in the world. The regular program continues with the visit of Paşabag Valley (Valley of Monks – where monks used to live in seclusion). Next, you drive to Avanos, famous for its pottery making since Hittite times and rugs which are the splendid representations of the Turkish carpet making tradition. Here we learn about these regional crafts and see demonstrations performed by local craftsmen.   After the lunch, we’ll have free time in Ortahisar village. Ortahisar remains a quaint farming village, which has a fortress- like rock rising above its center. You may visit them or simply take a seat at village’s cafes with their friendly and relaxed atmosphere and talk with local people. We will finish the day with a visit of an underground city. Dinner and overnight at your 5* hotel (B,L,D)

After the breakfast at the hotel, you will depart for Konya city, the capital of the Seljuk Turks. On the road, you will visit the  Sultanhani Caravanserai. After the lunch in Konya, visit of the Monastery of the Whirling Dervishes and the shrine of Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi, the founder of the order. Sufi is an exceptional poet and humanist, who preached humility, wisdom and love. His philosophy is best summarized in these verses he wrote, "Come, as you are, whoever you are". His tomb has been converted into a museum which houses relics that belonged to him and his disciples. After driving through magnificent pine and cedar forests of the Taurus Mountains, you will reach Antalya along Mediterranean coast. Dinner and overnight at your 5* hotel in Antalya (B,L,D)  

In the morning, you will visit Aspendos, the best preserved Roman Theater of the ancient world, still in operational status. Built at the time of Marcus Aurelius, Aspendos could accommodate 15,000 spectators and was dedicated to the gods and the imperial. After the lunch, we visit a jewelry shop to appreciate Armenian’s magnificent handmade pieces made since centuries for Ottoman Palaces. After then, you will visit a leather shop where you will attend to fashion show and appreciate leather goods.  Then you will wander in the narrow streets Antalya old city with its charming cafes, Hadrian’s Gate and Ancient Harbor. Dinner and overnight at your 5* hotel in Antalya. (B,L,D)

Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to Antalya International Airport for your return flight to Istanbul. (B)