Istanbul to Cappadocia and North Tour

Goreme National Park - Guests are picked up from their hotel in Istanbul and transferred to the airport for a flight to Cappadocia. A connecting flight can also be arranged according to international arrival times. Upon arrival in Cappadocia, a private tour guide will greet guests at the airport. The day begins with a light breakfast.

Goreme Open-Air Museum - The next destination is the Goreme Open Air Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The guide will explain the significance of the frescoes in the cave churches, adorned with scenes from the Old and New Testaments dating back to the 10th century. This site has served as a monastery since the early years of Christianity.

Avanos - The first day concludes in Avanos, a charming town by a river that provides clay for the 4000-year-old Avanos pottery tradition. A local potter will demonstrate the kick-wheel technique, and guests can try this ancient craft themselves.

Pasabag - Visit Monk’s Valley, known for its iconic mushroom-shaped fairy chimneys and St. Simeon’s monk cell carved into the rock.

Devrent Valley - Devrent Valley is famous for its intriguing animal-shaped rock formations, a unique Cappadocia phenomenon.

South Cappadocia (Green Tour)

Kaymakli Underground City - At 9:30, a professional guide and driver will pick guests up from their hotel. The first stop is the remarkable Kaymakli Underground City, the first and most popular underground city in Cappadocia. This complex was used for centuries by locals to hide from Romans, Persians, and Arabs.

Ihlara Valley - After leaving Kaymakli, the tour continues south to the stunning Ihlara Valley. Guests will walk alongside the Melendiz River for about an hour as it winds through the Ihlara gorge, stopping for lunch at a riverside restaurant in the village of Belisirma.

Selime Monastery - Following lunch, the tour proceeds to the Selime Monastery, the largest rock-cut monastery in Cappadocia, featuring a large cave cathedral and breathtaking views of the area.

Uchisar - On the return to Goreme, there is a stop at a spectacular viewpoint overlooking Pigeon Valley. The final stop is at a local onyx factory for a demonstration on carving and shaping onyx. Guests will then be driven back to their hotel, arriving around 6 pm.

Cappadocia to Konya

Mevlana Muzesi - The Mevlâna Museum in Konya, Turkey, originally served as the dervish lodge (tekke) of the Mevlevi order, famously known as the whirling dervishes. It houses the mausoleum of Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi (Turkish: Celaleddin-i Rumi), a Persian Sufi mystic.

Konya to Pamukkale

Denizli - After breakfast at the hotel, the day begins with a drive to Denizli city for a visit to Pamukkale.

Pamukkale Thermal Pools - Pamukkale, meaning “cotton castle” in Turkish, is a natural site located in Turkey’s Inner Aegean region, in the River Menderes valley, which enjoys a temperate climate for most of the year. The thermal pools have attracted visitors for thousands of years.

Hierapolis & Pamukkale - Hierapolis was a tourist center known for its hot springs, used as a spa since at least the 2nd century BC. Many patrons retired or passed away there, as evidenced by the large necropolis filled with tombs, including that of Marcus Aurelius Ammianos, which features a relief depicting the earliest known example of a crank and rod mechanism, and the Tomb of Philip the Apostle. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.

Denizli to Selçuk

Selcuk - After breakfast at the hotel, the journey continues to Selçuk city to visit the Ancient City of Ephesus, approximately a 3-hour drive. Upon arrival, the first visit is to one of the city’s finest leather ateliers, followed by lunch.

Ancient City of Ephesus - Ephesus was established in the 10th century BC on the site of the former Arzawan capital by Attic and Ionian Greek colonists. During the Classical Greek era, it was one of twelve cities that were members of the Ionian League. The city came under Roman Republic control in 129 BC.

Ephesus was the recipient of one of the Pauline epistles, one of the seven churches of Asia addressed in the Book of Revelation; the Gospel of John may have been written there; and it was the site of several 5th-century Christian Councils.

Meryemana (The Virgin Mary’s House) - The House of the Virgin Mary is a Catholic shrine located on Mt. Koressos (Turkish: Bülbüldağı, “Mount Nightingale”) near Ephesus, 7 kilometers from Selçuk in Turkey. The house was discovered in the 19th century by following the descriptions in the reported visions of Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, a Roman Catholic nun and visionary, which were published as a book by Clemens Brentano after her death.

Izmir to Istanbul

Izmir - Guests are transferred from their hotel to the airport in Izmir for a flight to Istanbul. Upon arrival in Istanbul, they are transferred to their hotel.

• Experienced guide service
• All applicable taxes included
• Entrance tickets to museums
• Lunch provided
• All transfer fees covered
• Transport via air-conditioned vehicle
• Breakfast included
• Domestic flight tickets

• Personal Expenses
• Drinks at Lunch
• Dinners
• Tips

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.