Arnavutköy Trip Overview
Welcome to Turkey! This tour is designed perfectly for those who are true Jews in heart or for whom with great interest for Judaism and the temples/destinations from Istanbul to Cappadocia, all the way to Aegean Region to include Pamukkale for a full Jewish themed experience.
Additional Info
Duration: 10 days
Starts: Arnavutköy, Turkey
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
Explore Arnavutköy Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Arnavutköy, İstanbul, Turkey
Welcome to Turkey! This tour is designed perfectly for those who are true Jews in heart or for whom with great interest for Judaism and the temples/destinations from Istanbul to Cappadocia, all the way to Aegean Region to include Pamukkale for a full Jewish themed experience.
Itinerary
Day 1: Istanbul – Arrival Day
Pass By: Istanbul, Istanbul
Upon our arrival at Istanbul International Airport, your guide will meet, assist and transfer you to the hotel. Istanbul’s original name is Byzantium then Constantinople. It is a most fascinating city, which actually crosses two continents Europe and Asia. It is a city of amalgamation of bazaars, minarets, mosques, churches, palaces, and restaurants catering to every one’s taste, museums, customs and twelve million people. Overnight in Istanbul.
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight in Pullman Hotel or Ramada Hotel Golden Horn
Day 2: Istanbul Jewish Synagogue Tour
Stop At: Istanbul, Istanbul
Morning visit to a Jewish neighborhood, Galata. You will see the Galata Tower built by the Genoese in 1303. Visit the local synagogues, Neve Shalom and the Askenazy Synagogue. After lunch, visit the Hippodrome, a 3rd century site, where chariots raced during the Roman period. Visit the Blue Mosque, famous for its blue tiles and six minarets. Visit St. Sophia, a world heritage site built in the 6th century. Overnight in Istanbul.
Duration: 7 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight in Pullman Hotel or Ramada Hotel Golden Horn
Day 3: Istanbul Jewish Tour Shabbat Services
Stop At: Istanbul, Istanbul
You may walk to the synagogue to attend morning Shabbat services. Afternoon we will visit the Topkapi Palace, which was the residence of the Ottoman sultans, with its fabulous treasure chambers. After the lunch, Murtis Tour will take you to the Grand Spice Bazaar which is a unique atmosphere with reasonable prices for your shopping. Here you will find; Exotic Spices and Herbs, Turkish Baklava, Turkish Delights, Turkish Coffee, nuts and fruits, small souvenirs such as Ceramic Handicrafts, Evil Eyes totems, all naturel olive oil, soaps and many other goods in Souvenir Shops and stores. After the tour, transfer back to your hotel. Overnight in Istanbul.
Duration: 7 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight in Pullman Hotel or Ramada Hotel Golden Horn
Day 4: Istanbul – Cappadocia by Domestic Flight
Pass By: Cappadocia, Cappadocia
Transfer from hotel to Istanbul airport. Morning flight to Kayseri and drive to Cappadocia to see the rock-cut churches and monasteries. Drive also to Pasabag and Zelve where you will enjoy the most unusual types of Fairy Chimneys and rock formations. Visit the spectacular Cappadocian valleys and villages such as Uchisar, Goreme Open Air Museum and Ortahisar. Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia.
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight in Antique Cave House Hotel or 5 Star Suhan Hotel
Day 5: Cappadocia Tour
Stop At: Cappadocia, Cappadocia
Drive to the Ozkonak Undergorund City. Visit this amazing complex with its fascinating tunnels, dwellings and storage rooms. After Ozkonak, drive to old Sinassos (Mustafapasa) which is famous for its unrivaled houses with painted facades. After lunch at Sinassos, drive to Avanos to see the pottery makers. Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia.
Duration: 7 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight in Antique Cave House Hotel or 5 Star Suhan Hotel
Day 6: Cappadocia to Izmir by Domestic Flight- Kusadasi
Pass By: Kusadasi, Kusadasi, Turkish Aegean Coast
After breakfast, we depart for Kayseri airport for our domestic flight to Izmir. Transfer from Izmir airport to your hotel in Kusadasi. The rest of the day is yours to explore Kusadasi. Dinner and overnight in Kusadasi.
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight in Comfort Ada Class Hotel
Day 7: Ephesus Tour
Stop At: Kusadasi, Kusadasi, Turkish Aegean Coast
After breakfast drive to Ephesus, major port city on the Aegean, was the commercial, political, and religious center of all of Asia Minor. After a lunatic completely burned, the Temple of Diana (Artemis) on the night that Alexander the Great was born in 356 B.C. the Ephesians worked for 120 years to complete a magnificent reconstructed temple, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. The city became part of the Roman Empire in the second century B.C. As a Roman capital of Asia Minor, Ephesus boasted a population approaching 250,000 people. The Great Theatre (stadium) could seat 25,000 people. Walk the marble – paved street with grooves made by chariot wheels. See the Fountain of Trojan, the Library of Celsus and the Great Theatre. Visit the Chapel of the Virgin Mary (Double Church), where the Third Ancient Council convened. We visit The House of Virgin Mary where she spent her latest years. Overnight in Kusadasi.
Duration: 7 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight in Comfort Ada Class Hotel
Day 8: Kusadasi – Pamukkale Tour
Stop At: Pamukkale, Pamukkale
We depart for daily Pamukkale tour. At Hierapolis (Pamukkale), enjoy the “Cotton Castles” of brilliant white calcium rock formations and hot – water travertines, where hot mineral waters emerge from the earth and cascade over cliffs. As the water-cools, the calcium precipitates and clings to the cliffs, forming snowy white travertines (waterfalls of white stone), which give credence to the name Pamukkale, meaning “cotton castle”. This enchanting place is one of the natural wonders of Asia Minor. Dinner and overnight in Kusadasi.
Duration: 8 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight in Comfort Ada Class Hotel
Day 9: Izmir Jewish Tour
Stop At: Izmir, Izmir, Izmir Province, Turkish Aegean Coast
This morning, we visit the Senora Synagogue (when possible) and Havra Street in Izmir where Jewish immigrants settled in 1492. You’ll continue on to Sardes, where you’ll visit one of the important historical cities of western Anatolia, the capital of the Lydian State. Sardes has rich architectural works reflecting its magnificent past. You’ll see the Temple of Artemis, the mint house where coins were made, the gold purifying center, shops, gymnasium and the synagogue which was once one of the largest in history, built first in the 4th century BC and rebuilt in the 3rd century AC to its present day after being destroyed by an earthquake. Dinner and overnight in Izmir.
Duration: 7 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight in Karaca Hotel
Day 10: Kusadasi – Izmir to Istanbul – End of Tour
Pass By: Istanbul, Istanbul
Today, we depart for Izmir Airport for our domestic flight to Istanbul and then back to home. We hope your tour was a memorable one and we would like to see you in the future in one of our tours again. Have a nice trip back home and thanks for choosing us.
Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.
