Turkish Delight 9N10D

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Arrival. Transfer to the hotel.

Reception. Transfer to hotel and free time. You will receive information about the start of the circuit during the afternoon, or you can check the informative panels in the hotel reception area.

IMPORTANT – IF YOU REQUESTED ADDITIONAL NIGHTS on arrival at the hotel you will have your booking made but the guide of your trip will normally not arrive until the start of the included activities. YOUR TIME BEFORE THIS MOMENT IS THEREFORE FREE. At your hotel they can help you with all the information you need.

NB: The schedules you will find in this itinerary are approximate. The guide, depending on the situation and in order to improve the development of the circuit, may adjust the schedules.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Sighseeing tour. Topkapi Palace .Night transfer to Taksim.

09.00 hrs.- A sightseeing tour of the city. We find ourselves in a city built in two continents. On our tour, we will enter the Mosque of Suleyman the Magnificent (the largest in Istanbul). We will see the walls, the Golden Horn, the fishing district, and we will admire the exterior of Hagia Sofia. After the visit, we will offer tickets and a visit to the Top Kapi Palace, which was the administrative centre of the Ottoman Empire, with its magnificent courtyards and its pavilions.

19.30 hrs.- At the end of the afternoon we will provide a transfer to the Taksim neighbourhood, the most commercialised and lively area of the city. There will be time to dine in one of its many restaurants, and you can also take the old tram that crosses the area or go to see the nearby Galata Tower. Return to the hotel around 22.00 hrs.

Important: Services during the stay in Istanbul may change order by taking the boat ride on the Bosphorus on the first day and the panoramic visit on the second day.

Today we include a boat trip on the Bosphorus that will last about two hours. We will undertake the trip on a boat exclusively for Europamundo travellers. The Bosphorus is a strait that connects the Black Sea with the Sea of ??Marmara, which separates Istanbul into two parts: the European part and the Asian one. We will enjoy seeing the liveliness of the strait with its multitude of boats. We will pass under the two bridges that unite Europe and Asia and we will admire the palaces of the sultans, the typical wooden houses and the Ottoman villas. Return to the center of Istanbul.

Rest of the day at leisure. You can go shopping in the Grand Bazaar; visit Hagia Sophia; … Multiple options in this great capital.

Total distance covered: 560 km.Scenery: Cold lands inside Anatólia.

07.00 hrs.- We will leave early morning from Istanbul.

14.00hrs.- Ephesus, the best preserved ancient city of Asia Minor; 2000 years ago it had a quarter of a million inhabitants. We will discover the Basilica of Saint John, and then the house of the Virgin Mary and the archaeological site (tickets included).

18.00 hrs- Ephesus departure. We continue on towards the Turquoise Coast.

18.30 hrs- Kusadasi- Arrival to this popular coastal town with a lot of atmosphere, commercial life and a small castle. Free time in the center to enjoy its bazaars and the city. Dinner and accommodation.

Note: during the high season, from June to September (both included), accommodation may be provided in a nearby town.

Total distance covered: 320 km.

Scenery: Various beautiful sights over the Aegean sea.

08.30 hrs.- Kusadasi- Departure.

10.00 hrs- Lake Bafa- Stop to see the lake, its magnificent nature, history, mystical beauty and serenity is undoubtedly one of the natural wonders to be seen in Turkey.

10.30 hrs.- Bafa Lake, departure.

12.00 hrs.- Bodrum, free time in this beautiful fortified city of Greek origin. You can visit its castle, walk through its streets which are full of life and tourist activity or its leisure marina. Time for lunch.

15.00 hrs- Bodrum, departure.

17.30 hrs.- Marmaris, arrival to another beautiful coastal tourist enclave, with its castle, its marina and its fountains. Dinner and accommodation.

Total Distance: 335 km

Scenery: Coastal sections and sections between high mountains. Contrasts.

08.00 hrs.- Marmaris – Departure -.

09.30 hrs.- DALYAN – Arrival -. An incredible place beside a beautiful navigable river. Free time for a coffee in one on its many restaurants by the river, and we include a boat trip of around two and a half hours to see the LYCIAN ROYAL TOMBS.

11.30 hrs.- Dalyan – Departure -. We continue our route. Mountain scenery. Stop en route to have lunch.

16.15 hrs.- ANTALYA – Arrival -. We will make a brief visit of this great coastal city of more than a million inhabitants, the Adrian door, the Ottoman district and its large waterfall falling straight into the sea. Dinner included.

Distance covered: 530 km

Scenery: Spectacular contrasts; countryside overlooking the sea. High mountains often with snowy peaks; arid lands of Anatolia.

08.00 hrs.-Antalya – Departure -.

09.00 hrs.- ASPENDOS – Arrival – we visit the Roman theatre that many believe to be the best preserved in the world.

09.45 hrs.-Aspendos – Departure -.

10.30 hrs.- SIDE – Arrival -. A small, very tourist city, full of commercial life. You will have free time. Its Greek temple of Apollo by the sea stands out. Time for a stroll around its port and through its streets full of life.

12.30 hrs.- Side – Departure -. Amidst impressive scenery, we cross the Taurus mountains. The peaks, of more than 3500 metres, are covered with snow for a large part of the year. We stop for a meal along the way in a pretty service area in the mountains.

17.00 hrs.- KARAMAN – Arrival -. A city with an oriental atmosphere. Brief stop to view the exterior of the fortress.

17.45 hrs.- Karaman – Departure -. Great arid plains along the route in the south of Anatolia.

20.00 hrs.- NIGDE – Arrival -. We suggest a stroll around its bazaar, its ancient mosque and its fortress. Dinner and accommodation.

Total distance covered: 120 km. Scenery: We continue amid the beautiful landscapes of Cappadocia. Spectacular scenary. Picturesque towns.

Notes: Today it is again necessary to wear comfortable shoes as we continue to explore Cappadocia.

09.00hrs.- Nigde. Departure. We enjoy a full day in the fantastic region of CAPPADOCIA, with its lunar landscapes, its churches and troglodyte villages.

We start by visiting GUMUSLER, an incredible underground monastery of the 7th century with perhaps the best Byzantine frescoes in Turkey. In KAIMACLI we will visit the underground city that could house 30,000 people. Then, we will visit UCHISAR, a natural fortress where we will know its 60 meter rock filled with houses in excavated caves. Time for lunch.

We will discover after lunch the GOREME Valley with its open-air museum and its churches carved out of the rocks, entry tickets included.

Hotel in Avanos. pleasant town in the center of the region of Capadocia known for its pottery, its attractive old town with cobbled streets and its views over the river. Time to enjoy the hotel facilities or walk through the streets. Dinner is included.

At night, after dinner, we suggest attending the “Turkish night” show (optional).

Total distance: 520 km.

Scenery: We begin with arid and flat landscapes of the interior of Turkey, as we approach the Black Sea mountains and forests are emerging.

08.00 hrs.- Avanos. Departure towards to the Black Sea. Stop en route to have lunch.

16.30 hrs.- SAFRANBOLU; arrival in this wonderful little city which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was an important stopping point on the caravan routes. Our guide will show some of the most picturesque points of the city and we will include a traditional Turkish tea in an ancient caravanserai! Dinner included.

Note: Some times, due to operational reasons, there will be a brief stop in Ankara.

Total distance covered: 460 km.

Scenery: Forests, valleys, mountains, landscapes on the Black Sea; A rainy and green region different from what you probably have in your mind when you think of Turkey.08.00 hrs.- Safranbolu. Departure. Today, the leg of our trip follows the Black Sea and its verdant landscapes.

10.00 hrs.- In GOKGOL MAGARASI we provide entry tickets to this magnificent cave with its underground river and its multiple colours.

11.00hrs.- Gokgol. Departure. Our road goes towards the sea.

12.00 hrs.- EREGLI, Arrival. Next to the Black Sea, we set aside time to have lunch. We also include a visit to its impressive Cehennemagzi Magarasi caves and tombs that are overflowing with mythology.

15.00 hrs.- Eregli. Departure. We cross once more the mountains towards central Anatolia. We travel on the highway towards Istanbul. Passing the suspension bridge that separates Asia from Europe.

20.00 hrs.- Arrival in ISTANBUL at the end of the day.

End of our services. Please, check the time of your flight in case you might need an additional night.

Important note: In case you have to book an external service (plane/train…) on the day of the end of

your tour with activities included, please remember that the schedules of the detailed itineraries are the “planned” ones but may be affected by different circumstances (traffic density, customer delays, breakdowns…). Do not book a flight/train with a tight schedule without taking this into account.

Always leave a margin in the schedule for unforeseen events.