ANATOLIAN CIVILISATIONS

ISTANBUL – ANKARA – CAPPADOCIA – KONYA – PAMUKKALE – EPHESUS – KUSADASI – BERGAMA – TROYA – ISTANBUL

DAY 1: ARRIVAL AT ISTANBUL’S ISTANBUL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (IST), RECEPTION AND ASSISTANCE WITH AIRPORT FORMALITIES. TRANSFER TO HOTEL. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT.

DAY 2: IN THE MORNING DEPARTURE FOR ANKARA BY COACH. LUNCH ON THE WAY. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT ANKARA.

DAY 3: IN THE MORNING, VISIT TO THE MUSEUM OF ANATOLIAN CIVILIZATIONS AND MAUSOLEUM OF ATATÜRK. LUNCH. IN THE AFTERNOON, DEPARTURE BY COACH FOR CAPPADOCIA. ARRIVAL AT HOTEL, FOR DINNER AND OVERNIGHT.

DAY 4: ENTIRE DAY DEVOTED TO EXPLORING THIS FASCINATING REGION VISIT TO GÖREME AND UÇHISAR. LUNCH. IN THE AFTERNOON, VISIT TO ZELVE AND THE SUBTERRANEAN CITY OF KAYMAKLI. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT AT HOTEL.

DAY 5: IN THE MORNING DEPARTURE BY COACH FOR KONYA VISITING EN ROUTE THE IHLARA VALLEY ACCOMMODATING MANY BYZANTINE CHAPELS CARVED IN THE ROCK AND DECORATED WITH FRESCOES. LUNCH IN AKSARAY. ARRIVAL AT KONYA. IN THE AFTERNOON TOUR OF THE CITY INCLUDING OF MEDRESE (THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL) OF KARATAY WHERE TODAY LOVELY PIECES OF SELJUK EARTHEN WARE ARE IN DISPLAY; THE INCE MINARE (SLENDER MINARET) ANOTHER ISLAMIC THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL NOW SHELTERING WOOD AND ROCK CARVINGS; AND THE ANCIENT CONVENT OF THE WHIRLING DERVISHES. ARRIVAL TO PAMUKKALE. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT AT THE HOTEL.

DAY 6: AND DRIVE TO PAMUKKALE. ARRIVAL AND VISIT OF THE RUINS OF HIERAPOLIS, A ROMAN SPA FAMOUS ALSO FOR ITS VAST NECROPOLIS FOLLOWED BY SOME FREE TIME FOR BATHING IN THE WARM WATERS OF PAMUKKALE. LUNCH ON THE WAY AND VISITING APHRODISIAS, AN ANTIQUE CITY WHICH HAS WELL PRESERVED MONUMENTS: THE ODEON, THE TEMPLE OF APHRODITE, THE STADIUM AND THE THEATRE. AND VISIT OF THE EPHESUS, THE WORLD FAMOUS ANTIQUE CITY INCLUDING THE ODEON, THE TEMPLE OF THE HADRIAN, THE THEATRE WHICH IS THE IN ASIA MINOR THE CELSUS LIBRARY, THE MARBLE STREET AND THE MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY, FOLLOWED BY A VISIT TO THE BASILICA OF SAINT JOHN AND THE LAST ABODE OF VIRGIN MARY. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN KUSADASI.

DAY 7: IN THE MORNING DEPARTURE FOR BERGAMA. VISIT TO THE ANCIENT CITY OF PERGAMON NEARBY FEATURING THE ASCLEPIUM SANCTUARY, ONE OF THE FOREMOST MEDICAL CENTER OF THE ANTIQUITY; THE ACROPOLIS SHELTERING NUMEROUS SPLENDORS SUCH AS THE ALTAR OF ZEUS; THE TEMPLE OF TRAJAN AND THE STEEPEST AMPHITHEATER IN THE WORLD. LUNCH ON THE WAY. DEPARTURE FOR CANAKKALE VISITING ON THE WAY TROY WHICH HAS AN IMPORTANT PLACE IN THE HISTORY AS WELL AS THE MYTHOLOGY OF THE REGION. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT IN CANAKKALE.

DAY 8: DEPARTURE FOR ISTANBUL, CROSSING THE CANAKKALE BOSPHORUS BY FERRYBOAT. ARRIVAL FOR LUNCH. AFTERNOON AT LEISURE IN ISTANBUL. DINNER AND OVERNIGHT.

DAY 9: TRANSFER TO THE AIRPORT. ASSISTANCE WITH THE BOARDING AND CUSTOMS FORMALITIES. TAKE OF FOR HOME.