Tour Information
A flexible budget tour with overnight visiting Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale and Ephesus. Overnight at small hotels and attend to small group tours at sites.
This tour visits the most popular places of Turkey located on West and Central Turkey. You start exploring Turkey with Istanbul and drive to South by visiting Gallipoli, Troy, Pergamon and Ephesus on West coast. The tour continue to inland of Asia Minor by visiting Pamukkale and Cappadocia at the end. This is a combined tour with land transport provided by comfortable vehicles on daily short drives. The tour has a guarantee departure.
Day 1: Arrival to Istanbul: One of our colleagues will be waiting for you at the arrival hall bearing a sign of Efendi Travel. He/she will accompany you to our vehicle and you will be transferred directly to your hotel. Accommodation in Istanbul.
Day 2: Istanbul City Tour: You will be picked up from your hotel at around 08:30. You will visit: Hagia Sophia , Blue Mosque, Roman Hippodrome Grand Bazaar After lunch you will see: Topkapi Palace , and the tour ends about 16:30 and back to hotel Accommodation in Istanbul. (breakfast at hotel, lunch on the tour)
Please note that Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesdays and Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays. Blue Mosque will not be visited on Fridays.
Day 3: Bosphorus and Two Continents Tour : Pick up time is about 08.30 from the hotel. You will visit : Golden Horn ( from the bus ), Spice Bazaar (Egyptian Bazaar) and then have a boat cruise on Bosphorus. You will also view Imperial gardens of Royal Yildiz Palace, Çiragan Palace Hotel Kempinski and Beylerbeyi Palace during the tour. After lunch, you will drive to the Asian Side of Istanbul, and you will have a unique chance to step from one continent (Europe) to another (Asian) side in 2 minutes using the Bosphorus Bridge. The first stop is Beylerbeyi Palace which is the summer residence of Ottoman Sultans with its original furniture and magnificent gardens with Harem. The next stop is Camlica Hill which is the highest natural point in Istanbul. At the top of it you can rest and admire the magnificent panorama of Istanbul and Bosphorus from the beautiful gardens, landscaped in traditional style. After the tour, your guide will drop you off at your hotel at around 18:00. Accommodation in Istanbul. (breakfast at hotel, lunch on the tour)
Day 4: Departure from Istanbul and Gallipoli Trip: (check out from hotel in the morning) You will be picked up from your hotel at around 06:30-07:00, then drive to Eceabat which takes around 5 hours for full day Gallipoli Tour. You will visit: Kabatepe War Museum, Beach Cemetery (John Simpson´s Grave), ANZAC Cove, Ari Burnu (First ANZAC landing place), Lone Pine Cemetery (Australian memorial), Johnston´s Jolly (Walk in the ANZAC trenches), View Shrapnel Valley, Turkish Memorial, The Nek and Walker´s Ridge, Chunuk Bair (Main New Zealand memorial). After the tour, you will be transferred to your hotel in Canakkale. Accommodation in Canakkale. (lunch on the tour)
Day 5: Troy and Pergamum Tour: (check out from hotel in the morning) You will be picked up from your hotel at around 08:30 for the tour of Ancient Troy. It is one of the most important ancient cities in the world and very popular by the book of Homer´s Iliad. A great mythological and historical background attracted many scientist, archeologists, adventurers and treasure hunters. You will be served a lunch pack and then drive to Pergamum, once the ancient world´s major power and center of learning and the arts. Visit the ancient Library, once held 200.000 books, Temple of Athena, Temple of Trojan, Altar of Zeus and the Gymnasium situated on terraces and the lower Agora. After the tour, you will be dropped off at your hotel in Kusadasi. Accommodation in Kusadasi.(breakfast at hotel and lunch on the tour).
Day 6: Ephesus and Virgin Mary's House Tour: You will be picked up from your hotel at around 09:00 for full day Ephesus Ancient City and Virgin Mary's House Tour. You will visit Ephesus which is known to be the Commercial, the Religious and the Social Center of Antiquity, and one of the Highlights of any Visit in Turkey. After the lunch, you will drive to Temple of Artemis (Diana), the site of one of the seven wonders of the ancient world; House of Virgin Mary, probably where She spent recent years of Her life; Isa Bey Mosque, this impressive mosque from XIV. Century A.D. is unlike any other you will see in this country. After the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel. Accommodation in Kusadasi. (breakfast at hotel, lunch on the tour).
Day 7: Pamukkale Travertines and Hierapolis Ancient City: (check out from hotel in the morning) You will be picked up from your hotel at around 08:15 for the tour of Pamukkale, which is the center of natural thermal spring waters with healing properties. Due to the chemical properties in the water, pure white colored travertine and stepped water terraces have been created on the mountain slope. It is for its resemblance to cotton piles that it is called ´Cotton Castle´ in Turkish. Visit the travertine and the ancient city of Hierapolis which has the biggest Necropolis with 1200 gravestones in Anatolia. The sacred pool also is one of the highlights of the site. There shallow thermal waters ripple over a wonderful scattering of ancient roman ruins that lie beneath. After the tour, you will be transferred to the bus station to take an overnight bus to Cappadocia. (your bus tickets will be handed over to you when you are dropped off at the bus station - breakfast at hotel, lunch on the tour)
Day 8: First day in Cappadocia: Upon your arrival at Urgup Bus Station, you will be greeted and transferred to your hotel to wait for the tour group and to have breakfast (with time allowing - subject to extra charge). You will be picked up at around 09:00, then you will drive to Devrent Valley where the geographical formations remind a place of another planet. Then in Pasabagi, you will take a stroll between the amazing fairy chimneys of Cappadocia. From there, driving to Avanos to have lunch. After having the lunch you leave from Avanos to see the most beautiful examples of Byzantine art in Goreme Open Air Museum. Then you will drive to Uchisar Castle, the highest point of the region, where you will have a fabulous panoramic view over Cappadocia. You will return back to your hotel at around 17:00. Accommodation in Cappadocia. (lunch on the tour)
Day 9: Second day in Cappadocia and bus to Istanbul: (check out from your hotel before the tour) You will be picked up from your hotel at around 09:00 for a tour on a 4 km hike through the Rose Valley visiting the churches. Afterwards visit the old Christian village of Cavusin. Stop for lunch in Pigeons Valley and then continue to see the marvel of construction that is the Kaymakli Underground City. You will also visit the Ortahisar Natural Rock Castle. After the tour, you will be dropped off at the bus station to take an overnight bus to Istanbul, departing at around 20:00. The bus journey takes around 11 hours. (your bus tickets will be handed over to you when you are dropped off at the bus station - breakfast at hotel, lunch on the tour)
Day 10: End of the tour: You will arrive at Istanbul Esenler Bus station at around 07:00. Upon your arrival, you may use the public transportation to get to Airport or Sultanahmet area.
Price:
2150 EUR per person in double/twin room. If you are a single traveler, there will be a 25% single supplement surcharge.
We offer a 5% discount for cash payments.
Tour Price Includes
Accommodation in 3* hotels or similar boutique hotels
Meal services during the tour noted in the itinerary above
Transportation by major companies with A/C buses
Professional licensed guiding services
Entrance fees to the museums during guided tours
The local tours may include some shopping facilities if the timing will be available
Tour Price Excludes
Personal expenses
Dinners
Tips (optional)
Extra Offers
Whirling Dervish Show: 25 Eur per person extra
Dinner Cruise on the Bosphorus: 60 Eur per person extra
Turkish Night, Dinner & Belly Dance Show: 70 Eur per person extra