Express Turkey Tour – 7 Days

Welcome to Turkey. On arrival, your assigned guide will meet you at the airport exit and drive you to your hotel. They will help you check in and make sure you are settled. During the journey, your guide will explain the upcoming activities and introduce Istanbul's rich culture and traditions, together with the history, legends and remarkable stories of its iconic monuments and buildings.

End of the day and overnight in Istanbul.

After breakfast, we will continue to Eminönü's old trading district. Spice Bazaar: opened in 1664, the bazaar offers a wide variety of products. It is an ideal place to find Turkish delights, spices, saffron, Turkish coffee, tea and much more. Enjoy free time to shop in its ancient, atmospheric setting. Bosphorus Cruise: enjoy a cruise along the Bosphorus Strait, the natural waterway between Asia and Europe. From the boat, you will see both shores, including Dolmabahçe Palace, Ortaköy, some of the world's most exclusive waterfront villas and much more. The boat will also pass beneath the suspension bridge built in 1973 to connect the two continents. Bosphorus Bridge: have you ever crossed from one continent to another by bridge? Asia and Europe were first connected by this bridge in 1973. Crossing it offers a memorable experience. Lunch: lunch is included in this tour. Beylerbeyi Palace: built in 1865, this was one of the Ottoman sultans' summer residences. It stands on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus, close to the bridge. As you walk through the garden to the palace entrance, you will have an opportunity to see the bridge. Inside, discover the decorative patterns, paintings, chandeliers, original furniture and handmade carpets. Çamlıca, or Lovers' Hill: learn more about Istanbul and its geography by viewing both continents from an altitude of 260 metres. Enjoy the panorama of the Sea of Marmara, the historic district, the Bosphorus, two suspension bridges and much more: a broad view of Istanbul in one place.

End of the day and overnight in Istanbul.

After breakfast, your guide will collect you from the hotel at the arranged time for a visit to Istanbul's Old City. The programme begins at Sultanahmet Square and includes the Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome of Constantinople, Hagia Sophia, Topkapı Palace and the Grand Bazaar. Blue Mosque: also called Sultanahmet Mosque, this Ottoman monument was built between 1609 and 1616. Its six minarets were a distinctive feature. Around 21,000 blue tiles decorate the high ceilings and interior walls with floral designs, especially tulips, the Ottoman Empire's emblem. It is a beautiful example of classical Ottoman mosque architecture. Hippodrome of Constantinople: the excursion continues to the great racecourse built by the Romans for chariot races. For hundreds of years, it entertained the public and emperors. Although it no longer survives in full, monuments remain as witnesses to its history, including the Egyptian Obelisk, Serpentine Column, Column of Constantine and German Fountain. Hagia Sophia: Ayasofya is one of the most important Byzantine structures ever built. It represents a major achievement of the Christian Roman Empire and of art and architecture. Its name means Holy Wisdom. Built in only five years, between AD 532 and 537, on Emperor Justinian's orders, it served as a church for 916 years and a mosque for 482 years, became a museum in 1935 and returned to use as a mosque in 2020. This masterpiece was considered the world's largest cathedral until the sixteenth century. It is an exceptional place to see Byzantine and Ottoman art. Topkapı Palace: its rich history makes it one of the most important places in this programme. Fatih Sultan Mehmet built the palace between 1460 and 1478 after the Turks took Istanbul. It became the residence of 24 Ottoman sultans, including Süleyman the Magnificent and Sultan Ahmet. Topkapı, meaning Cannon Gate, takes you back to the sultans' era. Explore valuable Ottoman treasures, weapon collections, council chambers, clocks, sacred relics and ceramics as you pass through beautiful courtyards. Sultans' Tombs: part of the Hagia Sophia complex, these lesser-known tombs contain fine examples of Ottoman tilework and calligraphy. Sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Ottoman sultans rest in a building within the complex. Lunch: lunch is included at a typical restaurant near Sultanahmet Square. Grand Bazaar: finish with free time to explore its long passages and shop. Open since 1461, it is one of the world's oldest commercial complexes, offering a wide variety of products and souvenirs for every taste.

After a long and exciting day, transfer to the airport for your flight to Cappadocia. On arrival at the airport in Cappadocia, transfer to your hotel.

End of the day and overnight in Cappadocia.

Uçhisar Castle: the highest point in the region. The castle and its surroundings were once the most densely populated part of the settlement and were used to watch for enemies. The top of the citadel offers a magnificent panorama. Kızılçukur: also called Rose Valley because of the red rocks, this is one of the area's best valleys for hiking, with a 3.5-kilometre walk. Christians also used the valley at the end of the fifth century, and you will explore cave dwellings and old churches. Its colours change with the daylight, making it a notable sunset viewpoint. Çavuşin: an ancient settlement from the early Christian period, with the region's oldest church dating to the third century. It was a substantial town with cave rooms used as living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens and wineries. Explore the impressive area where cave houses collapsed in a landslide in 1960. Love Valley: originally called White Valley, it offers a wonderful view of fairy chimneys with unusual shapes. Kaymaklı or Özkonak Underground City: one of the most interesting in the region, where there are 36 other underground cities. First used by the Hittites and later by Christians seeking shelter during Roman persecution, these refuges contained rooms connected by tunnels. People lived here when enemies invaded the cities above. See rooms, food stores, a church and kitchens, together with the chimneys and defensive systems. Pigeon Valley: a panoramic viewpoint with pigeons and dovecotes. These were used to keep pigeons and collect their droppings to fertilise the land, especially vineyards.

End of the day and overnight in Cappadocia.

Göreme Panorama: a viewpoint overlooking the town and its spectacular cave houses. Göreme Open-Air Museum: the first and largest monastery where this religious education began. Visit churches, chapels and monasteries carved into fairy chimneys, with wall frescoes dating from the tenth to thirteenth centuries. In the fourth century, three important figures established a new religious community here: Saint Basil the Great, Bishop of Kayseri; his brother, Saint Gregory of Nyssa; and Saint Gregory of Nazianzus. Avanos: known for pottery, a craft dating to the Hittite period. Local craftsmen use red clay from sediment in the Kızılırmak River. The river divides Avanos in two and is Turkey's longest river. Devrent Valley: contains different types of fairy chimneys, including capped rocks, cones, mushroom-like shapes, pillars and pointed formations. Smaller volcanoes and the action of rivers, wind and floodwater slowly eroded the tuff layer, producing the formations known as fairy chimneys. We will walk through this remarkable valley. Paşabağları, or Monks Valley: many fairy chimneys here have multiple stems and caps, a form characteristic of this area. A chapel dedicated to Saint Simeon and a hermit's shelter are carved inside a three-headed chimney. Three Beauties: enjoy a beautiful view over Ürgüp, its wineries, vineyards and apricot orchards, with memorable opportunities for photographs.

After the tour, transfer to the airport for your flight to Izmir. On arrival at Izmir Airport, transfer to your hotel in Kuşadası.

End of the day and overnight in Kuşadası.

Drive to Pamukkale, whose name means Cotton Castle. Ancient Hierapolis is known for its thermal and mineral baths and beautiful snow-white petrified waterfalls. After lunch, visit Hierapolis, including the well-preserved necropolis, main street and gates, thermal baths, Devil's Hole and impressive theatre. Pamukkale's terraces consist of travertine, a sedimentary rock deposited by hot-spring water. There are 17 hot springs in the area, with temperatures ranging from 35°C to 100°C. Water from the spring travels 320 metres, approximately 1,050 feet, to the top of the terraces and deposits calcium carbonate along a section 60 to 70 metres long, covering an area of 240 to 300 metres. At the end of the tour, transfer to Kuşadası.

The tour begins at İsa Bey Mosque. Continue to Ephesus, an ancient Greek city that later became a major Roman city on the west coast of Asia Minor. Walk past the Library of Celsus, Temple of Hadrian and Fountain of Trajan. At the end of the historic marble street stands the Great Theatre, where Saint Paul preached. Stop at a local Turkish restaurant for a buffet lunch. In the afternoon, continue to the shrine of the Virgin Mary, where she is believed to have spent the last years of her life. Then visit the Temple of Artemis, on the site of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. At the end of the tour, transfer to Izmir Airport for your flight to Istanbul Airport and, from there, your international flight.

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When this enjoyable tour ends, we will be happy to welcome you on another Colorido Tours Turkey journey.