Turkish Civilizations

Day 1 (Friday): ISTANBUL
Arrival in Istanbul, reception and shared transfer to the hotel. Accommodation for 3 nights, with breakfast.

Istanbul, cut in half by the Bosphorus Strait, extends for 30 km, connecting the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and separating Asia from Europe. The European side concentrates the center of commerce and business, while the Asian side is predominantly residential.


DAY 2 (Saturday): ISTANBUL
Breakfast at the hotel. Full-day shared tour, with guide in Spanish, to the Topkapi Palace (Topkapi Palace, admission included), the residence of the Ottoman sultans for centuries, the historic district of Pera, famous for its unique architecture, and the Galata neighborhood, known for the Galata Tower.

Stop for lunch (without drinks) at a local restaurant. Then, visit Taksim Square (Taksim Square), the Süleymaniye Mosque, one of the largest in Turkey, and the Grand Bazaar, considered the first and largest shopping mall in the world (closed on Sundays and religious holidays).


DAY 3 (Sunday): ISTANBUL
Breakfast at the hotel. Full-day shared tour, with guide in Spanish, to the Egyptian Bazaar (Spice Market), famous for its variety of spices, herbs, Turkish candies and local products.

Stop for lunch (without drinks) at a local restaurant.

Then, visit Sultanahmet's historic neighborhood, including the Blue Mosque, built between 1609 and 1616, with an interior decorated with 21,000 blue Iznik tiles, and the Hagia Sophia (Hagia Sophia), recognized as a masterpiece of Byzantine architecture.


DAY 4 (Monday): ISTANBUL - ANKARA
Breakfast and hotel check-out. Half-day shared tour, with a guide in Spanish, to the Grand Bazaar, which has more than 4,000 stores, followed by a visit to the historic neighborhoods of Balat, important for the Jewish, Greek and Armenian communities, and Fener, known for the marked presence of the Greek Orthodox community. Both stand out for their authentic atmosphere and colorful architecture.

During the tour, stop for lunch (without drinks) at a local restaurant.

Travel of about 5 hours to Ankara. Accommodation for 1 night, with half board.


DAY 5 (Tuesday): ANKARA - Cappadocia
Breakfast and hotel check-out. Half-day shared tour, with a guide in Spanish, to the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations and the Ataturk Mausoleum (Anıtkabir), dedicated to the founder of the Turkish Republic.

Land trip of approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes to Cappadocia, with a stop to visit an underground city, an ancient shelter structure for Christian communities. The place preserves stables, common rooms, meeting areas, and small family rooms.
Arrival and accommodation for 2 nights, with half board.

Optional activity suggestion (not included):

• Shared tour in a 4x4 vehicle through the hidden valleys of Cappadocia, with stops for photos of fairy chimneys and ancient volcanic formations. The tour ends with a glass of sparkling wine enjoying the panoramic view.
  
  
  

DAY 6 (Wednesday): CAPPADOCIA
Breakfast at the hotel. Shared tour, with a guide in Spanish, to the Goreme Valley, home to fairy chimneys and rock churches, with paintings from the tenth and eleventh centuries.

Stop in the village of Uçhisar, visit the Derbent Valley, with its curious rock formations, followed by artisanal workshops on carpets and semiprecious onyx stones in silver jewelry.

Suggested optional activities (not included):

• Shared balloon ride over rock formations, fairy chimneys, natural formations and lunar landscapes;
• Folk and belly dance performance, with selected local alcoholic beverages.
  
  
  

DAY 7 (THURSDAY): CAPPADOCIA - PamukKale
Breakfast and hotel check-out. Travel of about 7 hours and 30 minutes to Pamukkale. Along the way, stop to visit the medieval Caravanserai, typical of the ancient Silk Road routes.

Arrival and free time to explore the “Cotton Castle”, unique in the world with its natural calcareous thermal pools and petrified travertine waterfalls.

Accommodation for 1 night, with half board.


DAY 8 (FRIDAY): PAMUKKALE - EPHESUS - IZMIR OR
KUŞADASI Breakfast and hotel check-out. Journey of approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes to Ephesus (Ephesus).

Visit to the Odeon, Hadrian's Temple, the House of Love, the Library of Celsus, the Agora, the Marble Street and the Grand Theater, the largest ancient theater, in the archaeological city dedicated to Artemis.

Then, visit the House of the Virgin Mary, supposed home of the Mother of Jesus, and stop at a leather production center.

Continue to Izmir for about 1 hour. Accommodation for 1 night, with half board.


DAY 9 (SATURDAY): IZMIR OR KUŞADASI - PERGAMON - TROY -
ÇanAkkale Breakfast and hotel check-out. Journey of approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes to Pergamon, now Bergama, for a shared tour with a guide in Spanish to the ruins of Asklepion, considered the most important hospital in Asia Minor, with its therapeutic center.

Then, transfer of approximately 3 hours and 20 minutes to Troy to visit the famous archaeological city, known for the legendary Trojan Horse of mythology.

Continuation to Çanakkale and accommodation for 1 night, with half board.


DAY 10 (SUNDAY): ÇANAKKALE - BURSA -
ISTANBUL Breakfast and hotel check-out. Shared transfer of approximately 4 hours to Bursa, the first capital of the Ottoman Empire, to visit the Green Mosque (Yesil Camii), the Silk Market (Koza Han) and the Green Mausoleum (Yesil Türbe).

Continue for about 3 hours to Istanbul. Accommodation for 1 night, with breakfast.


DAY 11 (MONDAY): ISTANBUL
After breakfast and hotel check-out, shared airport transfer.