Istanbul and Cappadocia: From Minarets to Fairy Chimneys

Meet at the airport and transfer to your hotel. You will be given your room key and the rest of the day is yours.

*Please advise your flight arrival details, including which airport, at least 14 days prior to your departure.

Overnight: Istanbul

Included Meals: None

Meet your guide at the lobby and begin your journey at the historic Hippodrome, home to the Obelisk of Theodosius and Serpent Column, iconic remnants of Byzantine history. Visit the stunning Blue Mosque, renowned for its domes, intricate tilework, and towering minarets. Continue to the awe-inspiring Hagia Sophia, a 6th-century masterpiece with intricate mosaics and a soaring dome. End your adventure at the Basilica Cistern, an ancient underground reservoir with a mysterious, illuminated atmosphere.

Overnight: Istanbul

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Begin your day with a classic Turkish breakfast in a local café. Enjoy fresh-brewed tea, simit (sesame bagel), olives, cheese, and honey with cream.

Wander through the historic Spice Bazaar, stopping to taste Turkish delight, roasted nuts, dried fruits, and street food staples.

Sail from Europe to Asia with a short, scenic ferry ride. Breathe in the sea air, sip tea on board, and enjoy the best panoramic views of the city skyline.

Once you arrive in Asia, taste your way through one of Istanbul’s most loved food neighborhoods. Try börek (flaky pastry stuffed with cheese or meat), kokoreç (a bold and spicy street favorite), seasonal mezes, olives, cheeses, pickles, and fresh wood-fired lahmacun (Turkish-style pizza).

End on a high note in a cozy local café. Learn the art of Turkish coffee, choose from baklava, künefe, or rice pudding.

After the food tour, you can optionally enjoy a Bosphorus cruise.

Take an early morning flight to Cappadocia today and start your adventure upon arrival. 

Start your day visiting Devrent Valley, also known as "Imagination Valley", this is the most surreal-looking landscape. Your next stop will be Pashabagi called also the Monks Valley because Christian hermits chose to locate hermit cells and churches in these three-headed pinnacles symbolic of the Holy Trinity, it´s possible to see all the stages in the formation of fairy chimneys at this spot. Proceed to Avanos (Vanessa) the pottery center of Cappadocia, this village is set on the banks of the Kizilirmak/Red River. The river gets its name from the red clay it deposits. You can watch the potters at work using kick wheels, the technique which has remained unchanged for generations. Lunch. Continue to the Goreme Open Air Museum. The world´s most important Byzantine cave churches are found in these once remote valleys where monks and nuns pursued monastic life from the 3rd century on. Here you can see the best-preserved Byzantine cave wall paintings and frescos from the Iconoclastic period through to the end of Seljuk rule. Icons with scenes from the Old Testament and the New Testament above portraits of Church Fathers and saints depict the structure of the Byzantine universe. Panoramic viewpoint  Esentepe. With a spectacular view over Goreme from Esentepe see the complete view of Goreme valley and Goreme village: fairy chimneys, rock formations, and cave houses. After the tour, you will be transferred to your hotel.

Overnight: Cappadocia

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Optional: For the early birds, today is great to experience the Hot Air Balloon flight over the magical lands of Cappadocia. 

You will be picked up from your hotel at around 09:00-09:30 and start the day with a walk-in Red Valley, famous for its rocks, capes, local culture, and historical sights. Depending on the season, you may see local people plowing their gardens or harvesting their crops. This walk normally takes 2 - 3 hours. At the end of your walk, you will reach Cavusin Village. Here a spectacular rock castle that once housed everyone in the village is awaiting you. Climbing up on the top of the castle you can see the ruins of Saint John the Baptists, a very large Byzantine church. Walk around the castle and visit some of the homes that were lived in until recently. Lunch. Continue driving to Kaymakli Underground City, one of the best-preserved and most visited Underground Cities in Cappadocia. This city is approximately 40m deep. It contains all the usual rooms found in an underground city (stables, cellars, storage rooms, refectories, churches, wineries, etc.). Continue to Pigeon Valley, a spectacular view of old abandoned cave homes and old Greek houses of Uchisar. After the tour, you will be transferred to your hotel. 

Overnight: Cappadocia

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today morning is free and yours to explore the beautiful Cappadocia. You’ll be picked up from the hotel and transferred to the airport for your flight back to Istanbul.

Overnight: Istanbul

Included Meals: Breakfast

There are no scheduled activities today. You can enjoy free time until your departure. Optional airport transfers are available upon request (not included in the tour price).

Overnight: None

Included Meals: Breakfast