2020 - Magic Explorer Tour
From Istanbul to Istanbul
Tour Operator: Fez Travel
Physical rating: Low
Group size: 2 - 8
Age range: 8-99
Tour operated in: English
Prices From:
Tour Overview
This 12 day tour, starts and ends in Istanbul, Turkey.
Highlights
Gobekli Tepe- Istanbul - Topkapi Palace
- Troy - UNESCO Heritage site
- Gallipoli - Battlefields Tour
- Göreme - Open Air museum
- Cappadocia - Kaymakli - Underground City
- Sirince - Village
- Gaziantep - Mosaic Museum
- Goreme - UNESCO Heritage site
- Gallipoli - ANZAC Cove
- Pamukkale - Hierapolis - Tour
- Sanliurfa - Mevlid-i Halil Mosque
- Istanbul - Hippodrome
- Sultanhani Caravansary
- Karakus Tumulusu
- Ephesus - UNESCO Heritage site
- Mt. Nemrut - Ancient Site
- Istanbul - Old City - UNESCO Heritage site
- Göreme - UNESCO Heritage site
- Site of the Temple of Artemis
- Ataturk Dam
- Kahramanmaras
- Severus (Cendere) Bridge
- Pergamon - UNESCO Heritage site
- Arsemia
- Istanbul - St. Sophia
- Gallipoli - The Nek - original trenches
- Harran
- Gallipoli - Chunuk Bair - New Zealand Memorial
- Konya - Mevlana Museum
- Istanbul - St. Sophia Museum
- Gallipoli - Lone Pine - Australian Memorial
- Istanbul - Blue Mosque
- Gallipoli - Johnson's Jolly - original tunnels
- Karatay Caravansaray
- Goreme - Open Air Museum
- Sanliurfa (Urfa)
- Pamukkale - Calcium Travertines - UNESCO Heritage site
Places You'll See
Countries:
Cities & Attractions:
Itinerary
Day 1
:
Istanbul
Location: Istanbul
Accommodation: Sirkeci Mansion Hotel (Boutique)
Welcome to Istanbul! You will be transferred to your hotel and the remainder of the day is yours, free to explore.
Day 2
:
Istanbul Old City
Location: Istanbul
Accommodation: Sirkeci Mansion Hotel (Boutique)
Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast, you enjoy a fully guided tour of the only city to span two continents, visiting the Blue Mosque, St Sophia Museum, Topkapi Palace and the Hippodrome. Cruise between two continents on the stretch of water that separates Europe from Asia in the afternoon with an optional 'Half day Bosphorous cruise'.
Day 3
:
Gallipoli Battlefields
Location: Çanakkale
Accommodation: MD Barbaros Hotel (Special Class)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
One of the most emotionally touching places in Turkey, today we visit the WW1 Battlefields of Gallipoli including Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair Memorials, ANZAC Cove, The Nek, Johnston's Jolly, original trenches and tunnels.
Day 4
:
Troy, Acropolis of Pergamum
Location: Kuşadası
Accommodation: Ilayda Avantgarde Hotel (Boutique)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
This morning, step back in time as we visit Troy, home of the famed Trojan Horse and then tour the magnificent acropolis of Pergamum. Its impressive temples and library made Pergamum a renowned cultural and political centre in its time.
Day 5
:
Ephesus, Kusadasi
Location: Kuşadası
Accommodation: Ilayda Avantgarde Hotel (Boutique)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Absorb yourself in history today with a guided tour of Ephesus and a visit to the site of the Temple of Artemis. Feel the mystical atmosphere of the ancient city and theatre before continuing to the former Greek village of Sirince, famous for its fruit wines. Carpet weaving has long traditions in Turkey and at the carpet village we learn how the carpets are made by hand and what determines their value.
Day 6
:
Pamukkale, Hierapolis
Location: Pamukkale
Accommodation: Adem Pira Hotel (4 star)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
This morning we will enjoy a display of locally handcrafted leather goods before heading to the magnificent white calcium terraces, known as Travertines, in Pamukkale where we also tour the ancient city of Hierapolis. Take a dip, amongst ancient columns, in the hot springs that were used in Roman times for their therapeutic powers.
Day 7
:
Silk Road, Konya
Location: Cappadocia
Accommodation: MDC Hotel (Boutique Cave)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Today we travel the ancient Silk Road visiting Sultanhani Caravansary and the Mevlana museum in Konya along the way. Tonight, don't miss the optional traditional Turkish folklore evening!
Day 8
:
Cappadocia, Goreme, Underground City
Location: Cappadocia
Accommodation: MDC Hotel (Boutique Cave)
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Marvel at the lunar landscape of Cappadocia today as we visit the Goreme Valley Open Air Museum and the fairy chimneys, and explore the many levels of an underground city.
Day 9
:
Mt Nemrut, Karatay Caravansaray, Kahramanmaras
Location: Adiyaman
Accommodation: Euphrat Hotel Nemrut (3 star)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Departure in the morning from Cappadocia, we we cross the Tekir plateau towards Adiyaman and Mt Nemrut. Along the way our first stop will be the Seljuk Karatay Caravansaray. The next stop will be Pinarbasi for a short tea break than onto Kahramanmaras which produces Turkey's best ice cream! From here we pass through Adiyaman and visit Arsemia, once the capital of the Commagene Kingdom, before continuing to the ancient Severus (Cendere) Bridge and the Karakus Tumulus where members of the royal family were buried. This evening we will go to Mt Nemrut, ascend the mountain, watch the magical sunrise over the plateau, and visit the massive ancient rock statues. After the sunset we return to Adiyaman.
Day 10
:
Gobekli Tepe, Sanliurfa, Harran
Location: Sanliurfa (Urfa)
Accommodation: Hotel Harran (4 star)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today we drive to Sanliurfa, visiting Ataturk Dam, Turkey's largest, along. After short break we drive to Gobekli Tepe, predating Stonehenge by some 6,000 years, some believe it is the site of the world's oldest temple. Lunch will be in Sanliurfa and after lunch we visit the Harran, a village of Mud-Brick "beehive" houses mentioned in the book of Genesis where Abraham spend last years of his life. we will visit the ruins of Harran including city walls, oldest Islamic university and the castle dated to eighteen century. We then drive back to Sanliurfa where we will stay and you will have chance to see Mevlid-i Halil Mosque, where you can see the Prophet Abraham Cave and the Pools of the Holy Carp surrounding it, then wander around oriental covered bazaar.
Day 11
:
Gaziantep, Istanbul
Location: Istanbul
Accommodation: Sirkeci Mansion Hotel (Boutique)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Departure from Sanliurfa for Gaziantep where you can see the famous Mosaic Museum, the largest in the world and home to the famous 'Gypsy Girl' mosaic. This museum exhibits superb mosaics discovered at the roman site of Belkis - Zeugma before Birecik Dam flooded most of the site. After lunch, we catch a flight to Istanbul from Gaziantep airport.
Day 12
:
Istanbul
Accommodation: ()
Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast our tour concludes and we say goodbye to our new friends and are transferred to the airport for your onward flight.
What's Included
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Meals
11 breakfasts, 3lunches, 8dinners
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Professional English-speaking tour guide for the duration of the tour
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Transportation in a fully air-conditioned, non-smoking vehicle
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Tips except Driver and Guide
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Domestic flight between Gaziantep and Istanbul and transfers
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Car ferry fees between Canakkale and Eceabat
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Entrance fees
What's Not Included
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Tips - Driver and Guide
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Compulsory Travel Insurance
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Suggested optional activities
