12-Day Magic Explorer Tour from Istanbul

Beyoğlu Trip Overview

This 12 day tour, starts and ends in Istanbul, Turkey. This magical trip is a true showcase of the best of Western Turkey. You’ll soak up the rich history of cosmopolitan Istanbul, be amazed by incredible landscapes and waterfalls, soak up the sun, swim in crystal-clear waters, walk in the footsteps of some of history’s greats as you visit impressive ruins and cruise on a gulet on the Mediterranean. Highlights include :- Göbekli Tepe – Kahramanmaraş – Kahta – Karatay Caravansaray – Mt. Nemrut – Sanliurfa (Urfa)

Additional Info

Duration: 12 days
Starts: Beyoğlu, Turkey
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours

What to Expect When Visiting Beyoğlu, İstanbul, Turkey

This 12 day tour, starts and ends in Istanbul, Turkey. This magical trip is a true showcase of the best of Western Turkey. You’ll soak up the rich history of cosmopolitan Istanbul, be amazed by incredible landscapes and waterfalls, soak up the sun, swim in crystal-clear waters, walk in the footsteps of some of history’s greats as you visit impressive ruins and cruise on a gulet on the Mediterranean. Highlights include :- Göbekli Tepe – Kahramanmaraş – Kahta – Karatay Caravansaray – Mt. Nemrut – Sanliurfa (Urfa)

Itinerary

Day 1: Istanbul

Stop At: Istanbul, Istanbul
Welcome to Istanbul! You will be transferred to your hotel and the remainder of the day is yours free to explore at your own pace.
Duration: 1 hour

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight at Port Bosphorus Hotel or similar in Istanbul

Day 2: Istanbul Old City

Stop At: Istanbul, Istanbul
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’.
Duration: 8 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Overnight at Port Bosphorus Hotel or similar in Istanbul

Day 3: Gallipoli Battlefields

Stop At: Gallipoli, Gallipoli, Canakkale Province, Turkish Aegean Coast
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.
Duration: 11 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at MD Barbaros Hotel or similar in Canakkale

Day 4: Troy, Acropolis of Pergamon

Stop At: Troy (Truva), Tevfikiye Koyu, Intepe, Canakkale Turkey
Step back in time today as we visit Troy and its famed Trojan Horse
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Ruins of Pergamum, 8 km (5 mi) from Bergama, Bergama Turkey
followed by a tour of the magnificent acropolis of Pergamon. Its impressive temples and library made it a renowned cultural and political centre in its time.
Duration: 3 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at Ilayda Avantgarde Hotel or similar in Kusadasi

Day 5: Ephesus, Kusadasi

Stop At: Ancient City of Ephesus, Selcuk 35920 Turkey
Absorb yourself in history today with a guided tour of Ephesus and a visit to the site of the Temple of Artemis.
Duration: 4 hours

Stop At: Sirince, Sirince, Izmir Province, Turkish Aegean Coast
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.
Duration: 3 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at Ilayda Avantgarde Hotel or similar in Kusadasi

Day 6: Pamukkale, Hierapolis

Stop At: Travertines of Pamukkale (thermal pools), Merkez, 20190 Pamukkale/Denizli, Turkey
This morning we will head to the magnificent white calcium terraces, known as Travertines, in Pamukkale
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Hierapolis & Pamukkale, Pamukkale 20280 Turkey
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.
Duration: 3 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at Adempira Hotel or similar in Pamukkale

Day 7: Silk Road, Konya

Stop At: Sultanhani Kervansarayi, SultanhanI Zafer Mahallesi Sehit Murat Caddesi No 3, Sultanhani 68190 Turkey
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!
Duration: 9 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at Alp Hotel or similar in Cappadocia

Day 8: Cappadocia, Goreme, Underground City

Stop At: Goreme Open Air Museum, 50180 Göreme/Nevşehir Merkez/Nevşehir, Turkey
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.
Duration: 5 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at Alp Hotel or similar in Cappadocia

Day 9: Mt Nemrut, Karatay Caravansaray, Kahramanmaras

Stop At: Sultanhani Kervansarayi, SultanhanI Zafer Mahallesi Sehit Murat Caddesi No 3, Sultanhani 68190 Turkey
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
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Kahramanmaras, Kahramanmaras, Kahramanmaras Province
The next stop will be Pinarbasi for a short tea break than onto Kahramanmaras which produces Turkey’s best ice cream!
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Arsemia Antik Kenti, Kahta Turkey
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.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Mount Nemrut, Adiyaman 50100 Turkey
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.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at Euprat Hotel Nemrut or similar in Adiyaman

Day 10: Gobekli Tepe, Sanliurfa, Harran

Stop At: Ataturk Dam, Firat Lake, Sanliurfa Turkey
Today we drive to Sanliurfa, visiting Ataturk Dam, Turkey’s largest, along.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Gobekli Tepe, Dağeteği Mahallesi, Sanliurfa 63290 Turkey
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.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Harran, Harran, Sanliurfa Province
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
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Halil Ul Rahman Mosque, Fish Lake Street, Sanliurfa 63000 Turkey
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.
Duration: 2 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight at Hotel Harran or similar in Sanliurfa

Day 11: Gaziantep, Istanbul

Stop At: Zeugma Mosaic Museum, Mithatpasa Mahallesi Haci Sani Konukoglu Bulvari Sehitkamil, Gaziantep 27500 Turkey
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.
Duration: 4 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Overnight at Port Bosphorus Hotel or similar in Istanbul

Day 12: Istanbul

Pass By: Istanbul, Istanbul
After breakfast our tour concludes and we say goodbye to our new friends and are transferred to the airport for your onward flight.

Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.

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