Tribute to Turkey Tour | Turkey Vacations | Private Tours in Turkey with Expert Tour Guides

TRIBUTE TO TURKEY

13 Day Fully Guided Tour

Get set for some fine food and wine, luxury, and adventure on this epic road trip through amazing tour sites of Turkey. Enjoy amazing country hospitality and incredible fun activities, with a friendly driver & Expert Tour Guide.
Visit Capital city of Turkey with its highlights, walk on the snow white Salt Lake Lake, Hike in the Goreme National Park with its cave churches and underground cities, Volcanic valleys full of fairy chimneys, experience the historical Silk Road and visit Sultanhani Caravanserai date back to 13’Th C. Walk in the streets of Konya and see the Mevlana Museum with Dervish houses. See the huge peaks of Taurus Mountains while driving to South Coast. In Antalya we visit amazing ancient Hellenistic & Roman cities with Waterfalls & one of the best Museums of Turkey. Enjoy Pamukkale, a world heritage site, together with the ancient city of Hierapolis built on top of the white hill. Walk in the marble streets of Ephesus on the west coast of Anatolia, See House of Virgin Mary & wine Village of Sirince. On the way back to Istanbul we visit the former capital city of Turkish Ottoman Empire - Bursa City with its amzing historical Mosques, imperial tombs and amazing local bazaars. Stroll imperial Istanbul city of Roman, Byzantine & Ottoman Empires, Enjoy the breezes of Bosphorus Cruise.

The very well-planned and wide-ranging itinerary
Private & Guided Tour - just for your party. ( It is NOT a shared / group tour )
Outstanding, incorporating history, culture, place, and natural environments
With the variety of accommodations
Extremely helpful Tour Guide - thoughtful about all of the travel details, knowledgeable, good humored.

HIGLIGHTS

PRICING : From (Custom Trip)

(based on two travelers) with 5 Star Hotels

Tour Name: TRIBUTE TO TURKEY

Tour Type: Private & Guided Tour - just for your party. ( It is NOT a shared / group tour )

Tour Start & End Point: Istanbul

Tour Duration: 12 Nights / 13 Days

Operates: All year - round

Transport: Minivan / Minibus / Coach

Stay: According to your preferences ( in a 3 star, 4 Star, Boutique, 5 Star or Deluxe Hotels)

DAY 01: ARRIVE IN ISTANBUL

Your guide will meet you inside the arrivals hall, assist with luggage and escort you to the vehicle.

Transfer you to your hotel.

Night in Istanbul (Meals: No)

DAY 02: ISTANBUL to ANKARA

Morning pick up from hotel & drive to Ankara. After Lunch we visit;

* Anatolian Civilizations Museum; which displays rich and unique collections such as the treasures in the Hittite section.
* Ankara Citadel; built by the Galatians in 3’th C BC, with over 20 towers, inner & outer walls dominant to panoramic view of capital city of Ankara.
* Anitkabir – the Mausoleum of Ataturk, The father of modern Turkey, located on a prominent hill in the center of Ankara. Visit the Ataturk and Independence War Museum. Check in to Hotel in Ankara

Night in Ankara (Meals: B-L-D)

DAY 03: SALT LAKE to CAPPADOCIA

Early morning pick up from hotel & transfer t

* Salt Lake, Second largest lake in Turkey. A photo stop and walk on it.

Underground City, We visit one of the best examples of underground dwellings could house more than 40.000 people. Top levels are even dating back to 3000 B.C. Later with the arrival of early Christians seeking freedom & shelters during the age of persecution, Underground cities got bigger & deeper with their living rooms, storage rooms, several air chimneys, indoor water wells, church , winery, labyrinth of tunnels and blind passageways, cemetery and even stables for animals.

Pigeon Valley - offers views of fairy chimneys in many colours, Uchisar Castle and the famous flat top-stone houses. It has wonderful views of thousands of hand-carved pigeon nests lie on the hills.

Goreme Panaorama Hill over The Goreme National park is in the middle of combinations of several valleys. It has a vast view of town of Goreme & surrunding valleys ( Pigeon Valley, Rose & Red Valleys, Swords Valley with a mesa hill of Aktepe)

Avanos - is a pretty town on the banks of the Red River (The longest river in Turkey) famous for a tradition of pottery, ceramics & tile making which dates back to Hittite ages ( 2000 B.C) You can see pottery being made, including the old techniques, and even make some yourself on the potter’s wheel. Carpet-weaving and tapestry-making are equally important local skills in the town.

Optional Night Activitiy 1: Whirling Dervishes Night Show, in an 13 th C Caravansarai built on Silk Road

Night in Cappadocia (Meals: B)

Day 04: CAPPADOCIA

Optional Day Activitiy; Balloon Flight Tour - It offers sweeping views of the rocky landscape of Cappadocia.

Your day starts with a visit to ;

GOREME OPEN-AIR MUSEUM - Cappadocia’s main attraction – a monastic complex famous for the fresco-adorned rock-cut churches and monasteries, rectories, and cave dwellings of Roman & Byzantine ages, It was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1970's.

Cavusin (Old Ghost Town) - Cavusin village has been abandoned because of frequent rock falls. A Huge Yellow Rock Hill/Castle with hundreds of cave-hollowed dwellings & several churches. We hike the Old town & climb to top of Cavusin Castle to see the best view of Rose Valley.

PASABAGLARI / Fairy Chimneys Valley - known as Monks Valley as well. Here we see the multi-capped mushroom like rock formations and early Christian monk's cells carved into the Fairy Chimneys.

Devrent Valley - also called as Pink or Imagination valley with Its famous pink rock formations. Here depends on your imagination power you will see many rock formatins look like different figures..The most remarkable one is the siting stone camel...

Fairy Chimneys of Urgup - On the way to Urgup, We stop to see famous Fairy Chimneys with caps of Basalt Rocks. These Rocks are the symbol of Cappadocia in all postcards and travel books. We walk the little hill around it with th view of Pancarlık Valley & town of Urgup town deep in the Valley.

Ortahisar Panorama Hill - Ortahisar holds a small but very famous Rock Castle in the middle of Old town. We drive up to the East Panorama Hill of Ortahisar (Best view of Ortahisar Castle with stone houses under it & the surrounding valleys around it)

Optional Night Activitiy 2: Turkish Night Show in a Cave Restaurant - Folk dances and Belly Dance show

Night in Cappadocia (Meals: B)

Day 05: CAPPADOCIA TO SILK ROAD & KONYA

Continuing our way west,

Sultanhani Caravanserai; built on historical Silk Road with its spectacular Seljuk architecture to Konya.,,

Mevlana Museum, the former dervish hall that now holds the tomb of Mevlâna, dervish cells, kitchens, Mevlevi musical instruments, calligraphy specimens, and various fabrics, old books, carpets section and nearby Sultan Selim Mosque.
Ince Minare, It houses wooden and stone works of the Seljuk period.

Alaaddin Hill and Mosque, The mosque built on the Alaaddin Hill, is the oldest historical building in Anatolia from the Seljuk period. (1116-1156)

Night in Konya (Meals: B&D)

Day 06: SIDE, MANAVGAT & ASPENDOS

Continuing our way South, We will be passing the Taurus Mountains

Side – is one of the best-known classical sites in Turkey with a Roman theatre with 20,000 viewers capacity, old baths-as the Museum today, and Temple of Apollo

The Manavgat River runs down from the Taurus Mountains all the way to the Mediterranean Sea, and it’s most scenic spot is the Manavgat Waterfall . Just outside of Side, the low, wide falls make a stunning backdrop for photos and serve as a popular recreation area, with visitors coming to swim, picnic, or cruise along the river.

Aspendos Theather ( Aspendos is a Roman Period Theather was built in 2 C AD theather which is still used for some performances even today and considred to be the best preserved theather of The Roman Era .

Night in Antalya (Meals: B&D)

Day 07: ANTALYA, PERGE & DUDEN WATERFALLS

After breakfast we start our discoveries from the ancient city of;

Perge : An anceint city which was established as early as 12 C BC and then occupied and re-built by the greeks and romans in later centuries. Here we see the stadium, the helenistic gate, the Agora, The colonaded streets , Hadiran Bath , churches etc..

Duden Waterfalls is a unique beauty located 8 km east of center of Antalya, and is a great place to visit for misty breezes from the falls, the intense green of the well-watered parks and the pleasant, relaxed atmosphere.

Old city (Kaleici): Hidirlik Tower, Hadrian’s Gate and the Clock Tower are What remain of the ancient city walls. Antique harbour with its Narrow streets, wooden houses and mansions.

Antalya Museum, is one of Turkey’s largest museums, located in Konyaaltı which houses relics and artefacts from the Greek, Roman and Ottoman periods of occupation. It includes 13 exhibition halls and an open air gallery.

Night in Antalya (Meals: B&D)

DAY 08: PAMUKKALE & HIERAPOLIS

On the seventh day of your Turkey tour itinerary, you will leave Antalya and set off for

Pamukkale; the beautiful, cascading, snow-white terraced cliff-side basins and waterfalls famous for the healing properties of their thermal mineral baths.
Hierapolis; an ancient Hellenic and Roman city. See the vast Necropolis Roman basilica baths, Domitian gate, latrines, Agora, Colonnaded Street, Byzantine Gate, Roman fountains, and Grand Theatre.

Night in Pamukkale (Meals: B&D)

DAY 09: EPHESUS

Ephesus- "city of the Mother Goddess" an ancient city devoted to Goddess Artemis, is the best-preserved Hellenistic & Roman city in the Mediterranean world, It was a the biggest & the wealthiest Metropolis of Asia Minor & the final Market of the King Trade Route as the most important trading center in Asia.

House of The Virgin Mary - this stone house is located in a nature park on a hilltop above Ephesus, is believed to be the last residence of the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus. The peaceful site is sacred to both Christians and Muslims, and is visited by many tourists and pilgrims. -

Old Village of Sirince, A mountaintop 17 Th C. tiny & beautiful, historic Ottoman village of Sirince (famous for delicious homemade fruit wine) - a hillside of half-timber traditional houses overlooking panoramic views of vineyards and olive orchards. And Yes, We will have the lunch in Sirince - a local restaurant with delicious local cuisine

Night in Kusadasi or Izmir (Meals: B&D)

DAY 10: BURSA

After the breakfast, we drive north to Bursa City to visit famous:

* Green Tomb, the symbol of Bursa and one of the most beautiful samples of Ottoman tomb architecture. It is the mausoleum of the fifth Ottoman Sultan, Mehmed I. The exterior is covered with turquoise tiles.
* The Green Mosque, it was built in 1424 by Sultan Mehmet I. It is set on a promontory overlooking the valley. It takes its name from the greenblue tiles of the interior.
* Silk Market (Koza Han), built in 1491 by Sultan Bayezit II. It was both used as a caravanserai and a silk market .The han has remained the center of the silk industry and trade. It is composed of an inner courtyard surrounded by two stories of shops.
* Grand Mosque (Ulu cami), built in 1400 by Sultan Yildirim Bayezit. This mosque is an excellent example of classical Ottoman architecture, it has no central dome but 20 equal-sized domes instead, that are supported by 30 pillars.

Night in Istanbul (Meals: B&L)

DAY 11: ISTANBUL ( BOSPHORUS, SPICE MARKET & HARBOUR AREA )

After breakfast we drive to;

Camlica Hill - on Asian side of the City, as the highest hill of the city, offers a panoramic view of the Bosphorus, Asian Side of the city with pine hills & the Princes's Islands, in a huge green park featuring historic teahouses, cafes and a restaurant.

Cruise on the Bosphorus, It is a Cruise trip up the 32 km long strait which joins the Sea of Marmara with the Black Sea. Enjoy the panoramic face of Istanbul’s both European & Asian shores. With this 1.5 hours boat cruise you may see wonderful palaces, mansions, kiosks, modern bridges, wooded hills; villages large and small - modern and old-fashioned; the old wooden waterside Ottoman mansions & kiosks.

Golden Horn; a fresh-water river dividing Old Istanbul from the Pera (New City) and forming the natural harbor that has Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and other ships for thousands of years.

Take a stroll around the Old Bazaar area and Rustempasa Mosque - is built in 1563 by Ottoman architect Sinan as the first example of his masterpieces in Istanbul, interior is covered with the finest examples of exquisite Iznik colored tiles.

Later we walk in to the Spice (Egyptian) Bazaar - It is the second largest bazaar in Old City and still the Center of the commercial hub & a bustling gastronomic paradise since 1664 for exotic spices and dried fruits, nuts, olives, Turkish delight & Turkish Coffee, jewelry and other high-margin goods.

Night in Istanbul (Meals: B)

DAY 12: ISTANBUL - OLD CITY

A day simply filled with classical Istanbul places!

Your private guide will pick you in the morning & go to Old City.

Our first stop is The Hippodrome of Constantinople - It was the heart of Old City as the “Largest Hippodrome of The Ancient World” built as an arena for chariot races and Olympic games.

Later we walk to Blue Mosque - is Istanbul's imperial Mosque of Sultan Ahmet I, built in 17'th C. as one of the most famous mosque complexes in both the Turkish and Islamic worlds, as It is a great example of Classic Turkish-Ottoman architecture

Today we also visit the Hagia Sophia, the Church of Divine Wisdom. Once a Pagan temple, converted to first Church by Constantine the Great, later restored in the 6th century by Justinian I as the largest basilica in the Christian world, Sultan Mehmet II converted it into an Ottoman imperial mosque After the Turkish conquest of Constantinople in 1453. It Is a masterpiece of Roman & Byzantine architecture.

Spend some quality time in Topkapi Palace - the wondrous royal residence of Ottoman sultans for 400 years & one of the main attractions in Istanbul.

Finish the day with visit to Grand Bazaar - In operation since the 15th century, the Grand Bazaar is one of the world's largest covered markets, with 58 streets and over 4,000 shops. The bazaar is especially known for its jewelry, leather, pottery, spices and carpets.

Night in Istanbul (Meals: B)

DAY 13: DEPART ISTANBUL

Pick up from your hotel 4 hour in advance your flight & transfer to airport.

Inclusions

Expertise of Our travel specialists
All accommodations - 5 star or Deluxe Resorts
All ground transportation and airport transfers in Istanbul
Private Guide in your preferred language (English, Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, Italian, French)
Sightseeing, visits, and entrance tickets/fees
Listed meals only
All parking tickets and petrol.
All taxes

Exclusions (Not Included)

All Drinks & Lunches (We let Customers have the total freedom to choose their lunch, our guide will show the local restaurants)
International airfare for Turkey
Dinners in Istanbul Hotels
All personal expenses.
Services of local porters in hotels, receptions, and other staff
All customary tips to Guide & Driver