ALL the best in TURKEY: Istanbul/Cappadocia/Pamukkale/Sea!

Arriving in Istanbul on a daytime or evening flight. You will be picked up at the airport, then transferred and checked into a hotel.

We'll start by visiting Taksim Square and walking from there along the famous Istiklal Street directly to the Galata Tower.

We will have lunch at a restaurant in one of the galleries on Istiklal Street.

On the way along the street, we'll look into the Christian Church, a real piece of Italy in the center of Istanbul, after which we'll cross the Galata Bridge and find ourselves in the historic center of the city.

Two mosques

Now it's time to visit Istanbul's two most famous mosques, located opposite each other: Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. Hagia Sophia is famous for its massive dome and is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture. It remained the largest cathedral in the world for almost a thousand years, until 1520. Both buildings will amaze you with their scale and give you some of the most unforgettable moments of

your stay in Istanbul.

The Topkapi Grand Palace has been one of the main residences of the Ottoman sultans for almost 400 years. The palace complex consists of four main courtyards and many smaller buildings. At its peak, the palace was home to 4,000 people and covered a large area with a long coastline. It housed mosques, a hospital, a bakery and a mint. You will see all this from the inside, and as a bonus you will get another great view of the Bosphorus

In the morning, we'll visit the famous Egyptian Market, the aromatic center of Istanbul.

It is not an

easy task to resist the enchanting delicacies at the Spice Bazaar. You'll see colorful mosaic lights, sun-dried sausages, tomatoes, peppers and eggplants hanging from the ceilings and facades of stores and lined up with shops every step of the way up to the exit from the bazaar.

One more mosque and one more palace

We will then visit the magnificent Suleymaniye Mosque before moving to the elegant palace on the Bosphorus, which is one of the most magnificent symbolic structures of the changing identity of the Ottoman Empire of the 19th century. The palace is located on an area of 110,000 square meters, with a magnificent view of the Bosphorus. The interior will amaze you with its scale to match the relics of the then Ottoman Empire.

Flight to Cappadocia

The same evening we make a direct flight from Istanbul to Cappadocia and check into a hotel

From the morning of day one, we'll show you the many pigeon houses in Pigeon Valley. Most of these cave dwellings are painted white to attract birds and their valuable droppings. Hiking in the valley will take less than 1 hour, after which we will climb to the top of Cappadocia's highest fortress! After that, we will be able to visit the tasting room of one of the 2 main wineries in

Cappadocia.

Pottery town

Our next stop is a pottery town, home to many family-run pottery workshops. These famous potters make great souvenirs, and here you can buy everything from simple ashtrays and mugs to decorative plates and chess sets. We will visit one of the pottery shops and workshops, as well as the local ethnographic museum

located in an old Ottoman mansion.

We have lunch in the same town, at a restaurant that specializes in all kinds of giblet soups, and even has mutton brain soup.

Observation decks and hiking

Next are all kinds of observation decks in Cappadocia. It all looks like a sculpted zoo created by nature. Top-notch Instagram photos in each location are guaranteed to you!

In the evening, you can hike for 2-3 hours in the valleys around Goreme, and a picturesque sunset overlooking the valleys.

The Valley of the Monks

The Pashabag Valley is home to some of the brightest “fairy chimneys” in Cappadocia, with double and even triple stone roofs. This style is unique even to Cappadocia, and these fairy chimneys are called mushroom-shaped chimneys. We will see even more bizarre figures in the Valley of Imagination on the

same day.

Open-air museum

Once home to one of the largest communities in the region, the open-air museum is an amazing cave town dotted with dwellings, religious and secular spaces. Here we will see a cave mosque with a minaret, old examples of Cappadocian architecture and religious frescoes.

We will have lunch in Goreme at a Cappadocian national restaurant, where you can also drink local wine.

The Valley of Love and the Valley Route

We will visit both the observation deck of the Valley of Love and go down there for a series of colorful photos. In the late afternoon, the main hiking route of the tour to the Cappadocia Valleys awaits us, surrounded by bizarre geological formations and the way of life of local residents. You'll also see stunning early Christian churches hidden in the valleys

.

In the evening, there is another picturesque sunset at the best observation deck in the Goreme area.

We check out of the hotel and ask ourselves: what are the underground cities of Cappadocia? These troglodyte cave cities date back to the Hittites and expanded over the centuries as various marauding armies crossed Central Anatolia in search of captives and looting. Cappadocia has 36 underground cities, and we will visit the deepest of them. While the underground city consists of 8 floors underground, only 4 of them are open to the public

.

Canyon and monastery

We will walk into a canyon with a depth of about 100 m, formed by the Melendiz River thousands of years ago. It is believed that the valley housed more than 4,000 dwellings and a hundred cave churches decorated with frescoes. It is very pleasant to walk through the valley among vineyards, poplars and pistachio trees to the quiet sound of the rushing water, surrounded by rich wildlife

We have lunch here, in the canyon itself, at a restaurant on the water.

After lunch, we will visit the monumental monastery with its cathedral, which was home to the diocese of all Cappadocia during Christian times. The last 2 hours of the evening drive will bring you to Konya.

Let's start our acquaintance with the lake district from a Greek town. The town was founded by the Greeks and still retains its pristine beauty and charm,

surrounded by quaint mountains.

Turkey's third largest lake

We continue our journey to the West and begin our acquaintance with Turkey's lakes from a lake that is famous not only for its views of the mountains and the surface of the lake, but also for its ancient carved mosque. Near the city, we'll also visit a Bronze Age Hittite sanctuary that has been standing on underground sources for 4,000 years.

After the observation decks with stunning views of the lake, we go up to the National Park Pass and descend from the slope to the other side of the mountains.

Turkey's fourth largest lake

Another lake on our way to the West. The lake has different colors at different times of the day; it is surrounded by apple and peach orchards and is known for its crystal clear waters.

We have lunch in a town on the lake; you should definitely try lake bass or a local specialty - Isparta kebab.

We spend the night in Isparta province.

Ancient city In the

morning, we are on our way to an ancient city that is lost high in the mountains on the border of the modern Turkish provinces of Isparta and Burdur. Almost every corner offers a breathtaking landscape. We guarantee that you will remember it as one of the most beautiful ancient cities you have visited.

Turkish Maldives

Then we drive to the shore of a lake known as the Turkish Maldives. Comments are unnecessary — see photos of this crater lake, the bottom of which is lined with marble.

You can have lunch at a self-service restaurant right on the beach before leaving for Pamukkale.

Pamukkale & Hierapolis

The so-called snow-white travertines of the “cotton castle” appeared on the mountainside as a result of the deposition of calcium carbonate from carbon dioxide water sources. You can take mineral baths all year round. In 1988, Pamukkale and the ruins of the ancient city of Hierapolis were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Pamukkale is famous not only for its mineral springs and snow-white travertines. The ancient city of Hierapolis (Hierapolis or Hierapolis of Phrygia) is located nearby. The ruins are scattered over a vast area.

Guests can take a thermal bath in Cleopatra's springs at an additional cost. We will watch the sunset overlooking the travertines, and exit the complex through the remains of the walls of the ancient

city and its necropolis.

We will spend the night at a thermal hotel near Pamukkale.

We start the day with a 3-hour drive to the Mediterranean Sea

The Old City of Antalya

Would you like to go for a walk? After entering Antalya, we will take a walk through the old city - the Kaleiçi district, with its parks, ancient fortress and port.

We will have lunch surrounded by cozy old hotels and restaurants.

Grand waterfall

In eastern Antalya, we'll stop by to see a grand waterfall falling off a cliff right into the sea.

Transfer to the airport and flight back

You will then be transferred to Antalya Airport. Those who want to extend their vacation can stay in Antalya for a few more days