Turkey Private Tours

DAY 1 : Istanbul - Arrival Transfer

Overnight : Istanbul
Daily Meal Plan : ---
Description : You will arrive to Istanbul / Turkey and transfer to your hotel in Istanbul.

DAY 2 : Istanbul

Tour to Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Grand Bazaar, Hippodrome
Overnight : Istanbul
Daily Meal Plan : Breakfast at hotel, Lunch at tour
Description : After meeting your tour guide at the lobby of hotel, your Istanbul adventure begins with a trip to the majestic Hagia Sophia, the Church of Divine Wisdom. The church, now a mosque and museum, was originally built by Constantine the Great in the fourth century and later rebuilt by Emperor Justinian to be the flagship Church of the Byzantine Empire. St. Sophia is one of the greatest surviving examples of Byzantine architecture and is richly decorated with mosaics, marble pillars, and other magnificent adornments. You will also see the Byzantine Hippodrome, once the heart of Constantinople's political and sporting life, and the scene of many athletic games through the history of the Byzantine Empire. Monuments on the site include the Snake Column from Delphi, as well as an Egyptian obelisk taken from the Temple of Karnak at Luxor. You will also visit another of the city’s most recognizable landmarks; the elegant Blue Mosque with its six graceful minarets and superb interior decorated with more than 20,000 blue Iznik tiles. We will then rest for lunch and you will have the opportunity to taste delicious and healthy traditional Turkish foods. Next on the agenda is the Topkapi Palace, a huge walled complex hugging the Bosphorus that was once the palace of Ottoman sultans and is now a museum that houses an extraordinary collection of Chinese porcelain, art, artifacts and jewels including the radiant Topkapi Diamond. Finally you will explore the famous Grand Bazaar, where you can shop or haggle with local merchants over unusual antiques, colorful spices, beautiful jewelry and richly textured fabrics. Afterwards you drive back to your hotel in Istanbul.

DAY 3 : Istanbul

Tour to Spice Bazaar, Beylerbeyi Palace, Bosphorus Cruise
Overnight : Istanbul
Daily Meal Plan : Breakfast at hotel, Lunch at tour
Description : After beakfast, your Bosphorus adventure begins with a visit to Egyptian Bazaar (Spice Bazaar), it was built in 1664 as a part of the Yeni Cami complex which is located next to it. Misir in Turkish means Egypt and it is called the Egyptian Bazaar because the shopkeepers used to sell spices and herbs which were brought from or through Egypt. During the Ottoman period it was known as a place where shops sold only spices. Today there are only a few spice and herb specialists. The rest sell dried fruit, borek, basket work, jewelry, haberdashery, drapery and suchlike. The bazaar has an "L" shape with six gates. Bosphorus Cruise, Discover the absolute best of Istanbul by sea for a memorable Bosphorus Cruise between two continents Asia and Europe. Beylerbeyi Palace, Beylerbeyi, built by under Sultan Abdulaziz by another member of the talented Balyan family of architects in the Europoean style of Dolmabahce, was the second palace to be built on the Bosphorus and served as a summer residence and guest quarters for visiting dignitaries during thie visits to the city. Bosphorus Bridge, Also known as the First Bosphorus Bridge, the Bosphorus Bridge is just one of the two bridges in Istanbul, Turkey. It spans the Bosphorus Strait and bridges the gap between Asia and Europe. The other bridge across the Bosphorus Straight is the Second Bosphorus Bridge, more formally known as the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge. Camlica Hill. Afterwards you drive back to your hotel in Istanbul.

DAY 4 : Istanbul - Gallipoli - Canakkale

Tour to ANZAC Cove, Lone Pine, Chunuk Bair, Johnston’s Jolly and The Nek
Overnight : Canakkale
Daily Meal Plan : Breakfast at hotel, Lunch at tour
Description : Today we head west along the coast of the Sea of Marmara to the evocative WW1 battlefields of Gallipoli. The guided tour includes ANZAC Cove, Lone Pine (Australian Memorial), Chunuk Bair (New Zealand Memorial), original trenches and tunnels, Johnston’s Jolly and The Nek. Afterwards you drive to your hotel in Gallipoli.

DAY 5 : Canakkale - Troia - Assos

Tour to Troia Ancient City, Trojan Horse, Assos
Overnight : Assos
Daily Meal Plan : Breakfast at hotel, Lunch at tour
Description : This morning we make our way to village of Behram. En route, we visit Troia, home of the famed Trojan Horse and Assos. Assos - A traditional stone house village set upon a mountainside with a beautiful harbour down the bottom, overlooking the island of Lesvos. Here we will tour the Temple of Athena on the highest point of the mountain and have Turkish tea at a local Cay (tea) House which has an extraordinary set of coffee tables to sit at. Afterwards you drive to your hotel in Behram Village.

DAY 6 : Bergama - Kusadasi

Tour to Pergamon, Acropolis, Asclepion
Overnight : Kusadasi
Daily Meal Plan : Breakfast at hotel, Lunch at tour
Description : Pergamon is one of the finest archaeological sites in Turkey. The city was a great center of culture and the capital of East Roman Empire. On the Acropolis there are numerous remains including the celebrated Library, the steepest Theatre of Anatolia, the Temples of Trojan and Dionysos, the place of the monumental Altar of Zeus famous with the relief of God and devils, the Sanctuary of Demeter, the Gymnasium situated on terraces and the lower Agora. Next, Proceed to the Medical Center of the ancient world, Asclepion where the first psychological treatment had been used and which was dedicated to the God of Health, Asklepios. After a delicious lunch with Turkish specialties, you will drive to charming resort town of Kusadasi and visit to Sirince Village (Approx. 150km) on the way. This village of Greek origin used to be called Kirkinca (“With forty”), then Cirkince (“Ugly”) and at last Sirince (“Cute, Nice”). The most interesting of this village are the Greek houses, souvenir of the XIXth center and before the population exchange in 1923. Visitors can enjoy the quiet atmosphere of villages (no traffic, handicrafts, chicken and donkeys over the street...), taste fruit wine and buy hand-decorated house linen. Afterwards you drive to your hotel in Kusadasi.

DAY 7 : Kusadasi – Ephesus

Tour to Ephesus Ancient City, House of Virgin Mary, Temple of Artemis and Isabey Mosque
Overnight : Kusadasi
Daily Meal Plan : Breakfast at hotel, Lunch at tour
Description : After beakfast you will drive to House of the Virgin Mary where it is believed to have spent her last years. On November 29th, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed the House of the Virgin Mary at Ephesus to be sacred. Give a break to taste delicious, healty and traditional Turkish foods. You will visit the premiere Greco-Roman City of the ancient world, Ephesus. Explore the Temple of Hadrian, Domitians temple, Hercules gate, famous Celsus Library, Great theater and other Roman sites. The last visit will be to the Temple of Artemis, which is the one of the seven wonders of ancient world. Afterwards you drive back to your hotel in Kusadasi.

DAY 8 : Kusadasi – Pamukkale – Egirdir

Tour to Hierapolis Ancient City, Travertine Terraces of Pamukkale
Overnight : Egirdir
Daily Meal Plan : Breakfast at hotel, Lunch at tour
Description : After beakfast you will drive to Pamukkale (Approx. 190km) and arrive at North Gate of Pamukkale (Hierapolis). You will see the Necropolis (cemetery) of Hierapolis which is one of the biggest ancient cemeteries in Anatolia with 1.200 graves, Roman Bath, Domitian Gate, and the Main Street, Byzantium Gate. Then, you walk to the natural warm water terraces which were formed by running warm water that contains calcium. The temperature of the water is about 35. You can see the gleaming white travertine terraces of Pamukkale, located next to the ruins of Hierapolis. The extraordinary effect is created when water from the hot springs loses carbon dioxide as it flows down the slopes, leaving deposits of limestone. The layers of white calcium carbonate, built up in steps on the plateau, gave the site the name Pamukkale (cotton castle). After the open buffed lunch Swimming in hot red thermal pools in the hotel. Then If you like to swim in the Ancient Pool (excluded entrance fee for swimming in pool) which is also called Cleopatra s Pool they charge extra entrance fee. The Cleopatra Pool is warmed by hot springs and littered with underwater fragments of ancient marble columns. Possibly associated with the Temple of Apollo, the pool provides today's visitors a rare opportunity to swim with antiquities! During the Roman period, columned porticoes surrounded the pool; earthquakes toppled them into the water where they lie today. Afterwards you drive to your hotel in Egirdir. (Approx. 195km).

DAY 9 : Egirdir - Konya - Cappadocia

Tour to Egirdir Lake, Mausoleum of the Mevlana
Overnight : Cappadocia
Daily Meal Plan : Breakfast at hotel, Lunch at tour
Description : After breakfast depart for Cappadocia, en route visit the Mausoleum of Mevlana who was a Sufi philosopher. This was also the dervish lodge of the Mevlevi order, better known as the Whirling Dervishes. Continue to the Karatay Koran School, an 800 year-old building, once a Selcuk Islamic theological seminary, which houses an outstanding collection of ceramics and tiles. Afterwards you drive to your hotel in Cappadocia.

DAY 10 : Cappadocia

Tour to Goreme Open Air Museum, Uchisar, Pasabagi, Devrent Valley, Avanos
Overnight : Cappadocia
Daily Meal Plan : Breakfast at hotel, Lunch at tour
Description : Marvel at the beautiful Byzantine frescoes and the stunning landscape of Cappadocia in your Cappadocia Red Tour which will take you to Goreme Open Air Museum, Uchisar, Avanos, Pasabag, Rose Valley and more. We start the day by visiting World Heritage-listed Goreme Open Air Museum and its rock cut- Byzantine Orthodox churches. We continue on to Uchisar where you will have an opportunity to take photos of Uchisar Castle before we stop for lunch. After lunch, we visit Avanos, overlooking the Kizilirmak (Red) River, the longest river in Turkey. Clay from the silt of the Red River is used to produce the pottery for which Avanos is world-famous. The pottery trade of Avanos dates back to the Hittites. You will have an opportunity to watch the potters at work using techniques that have not changed in generations. The tour also visits Pasabag which translates to "the Pasha's Vineyard". Also known as the Moks Valley, Pasabag has some of the most eye-catching rock formations in Cappadocia and was a hideaway for some Simeon Monks in the 5th century. We finish with a visit to Devrent Valley whose landscape is likened to being similar to a lunar landscape. Afterwards you drive back to your hotel in Cappadocia.

DAY 11 : Cappadocia

Tour to Ihlara Valley and Derinkuyu Underground City
Overnight : Cappadocia
Daily Meal Plan : Breakfast at hotel, Lunch at tour
Description : This Cappadocia day tour covers Derinkuyu Underground City, Ihlara Valley and Belisirma. We begin with a visit to Derinkuyu Underground City, the largest and the deepest of the underground cities in Cappadocia. You will be amazed by the low-key entrances which give way to elaborate subterranean systems which include air and waste shfats, wells, chimneys and lots of passageways. You will marvel at the design of the city which includes living quarters located in the upper levels and storage and wine-making areas and chapels in the lower levels. Next we visit Ihlara Valley to look at the beautiful scenery as well as ruins of over 60 Byzantine churches, chapels and monasteries dating back to the 11th-13th centuries. Please note that this section of the tour includes an optional 3km hike. At the end of the tour you will be dropped back at your hotel. Afterwards you drive back to your hotel in Cappadocia.

DAY 12 : Cappadocia - Istanbul

Overnight : Istanbul
Flight : Kayseri to Istanbul
Daily Meal Plan : Breakfast at hotel
Description : You will drive to Kayseri or Nevsehir airport and flight to Istanbul. After this domestic flight you will be transferred to your hotel in Istanbul.

DAY 13 : Istanbul

Overnight : ---
Daily Meal Plan : Breakfast at hotel
Description : Airport transfer for your flight home or another destination. End of Services.