Ankara lies in the center of Anatolia. The region's history goes back to the Bronze-Age Hatti Civilization. The city is a cultural center. One of the most important place to visit is the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, with its beautiful bronze and gold objects found in the ruins of Alacahoyuk.

Cappadocia is located approximately in central Anatolia. The violent eruptions of Erciyes Mountain covered whole area with a thick layer of volcanic ash. During the following ages this hardened formation created a bizarre landscape by the strong influence of the wind and water erosion. Some of these chimney-like rock formations were dug-in as home or sometimes a church by the local people.

Konya was built around Bronze-age and was old when the Romans called it Iconium. It's the home of the Mevlana sect, a mystic Sufi branch of Islam, and it's the home of the Whirling Dervishes. There is a lot of intricate Seljuk style architecture in the town.

 

Tour Itinerary (June 1 - June 16)


ISTANBUL - ANKARA - CAPPADOCIA - KONYA - PAMUKKALE - BODRUM 
EPHESUS - ISTANBUL

THERE WILL BE SCHEDULED AND/OR INFORMAL WORKSHOPS HELD THROUGHOUT THE TOUR. ATTENDANCE IS OPTIONAL

Day 1 (Wed, Thurs) - ISTANBUL - ANKARA: Arrive in Istanbul and fly to Ankara.

Day 2 (Fri) - ANKARA - CAPPADOCIA: After breakfast we will visit The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations which displays artifacts from many civilizations including marvelous and unique collections of Paleolithic, Neolithic, Phrygian, Urartian, Roman and Lydian treasures. After lunch we will travel to Cappadocia.

Day 3 (Sat) - CAPPADOCIA: Breakfast will be served at the hotel and the full day tour of Cappadocia begins. The natural Citadel of Uchisar will enable you to get a panoramic view of the region. Goreme valley houses the Goreme Open Air Museum, with its churches hewn out of rock and the colorful frescoes which decorate them. Zelve and the caves of this ancient village, the underground city of Kaymakli or Derinkuyu which were carved as refuge from persecutors during the early Christian era. Dinner at the hotel in Cappadocia.

Day 4 (Sun) - CAPPADOCIA - KONYA: Departure will be early in the morning from Cappadocia. The next stop will be in Konya, which was the capital of the Seljuk Turks in the 13th century. This city, which hosts the Mevlana Museum is also known for its theological school of whirling dervishes. Dinner and overnight stay will be at the hotel in Konya. (Dinner included)

Day 5 (Mon) - KONYA - PAMUKKALE: Departure will be in the morning to Pamukkale. Following your arrival we will visit the ruins of ancient Roman spa Hierapolis. Pamukkale (Cotton Castles) is one of the natural wonders of this region . These calcified terraces were formed over thousands of years and their mineral pools are said to aid all sorts of medical aliments. Dinner and overnight stay will be at the hotel in Pamukkale. Your hotel has a thermal pool filled with hot spring water , a regular indoor and outdoor pool. (Lunch and dinner included)

Day 6 (Tues) - PAMUKKALE - BODRUM: Travel to Bodrum.

Day 7 (Wed) - BODRUM: We will go to a Turkish bath and will have a BBQ dinner accompanied by live music in the evening. (Dinner included)

Day 8 (Thurs) - BODRUM: We will visit a Turkish village and have lunch there. There is a moonlight boat trip and dinner planned for the evening. (Lunch and dinner included)

Day 9 (Fri) - BODRUM: We will go on an all day boat trip and have lunchon board. In the evening we will go to a “Turkish Night” show which will include dinner and live entertainment. (Lunch and dinner included)

Day 10 (Sat) - BODRUM: A free day in Bodrum for sightseeing shopping and relaxing.

Day 11 Sun) - EPHESUS - ISTANBUL: We will depart early in the morning to Ephesus which is the best preserved and the most often visited of all sites in Turkey. The visits will continue with the House of the Virgin Mary. We will have lunch in Selcuk and the drive to Izmir and fly to Istanbul. (Lunch included)

Day 12 (Mon) - ISTANBUL: After breakfast, a day of discovering Byzantine and Ottoman treasures in Istanbul will begin. We will visit Saint Sophia. This church - turned mosque - turned museum takes your breath away with the sheer architectural size of its interior and magnificent dome. Next we will visit the spectacular 15th century Grand Bazaar, a covered market with 4,000 shops. (Dinner included)

Day 13 (Tues) - ISTANBUL: Today we will visit the Topkapi Palace (Imperial Residence of Ottoman Sultans between 15th and 19th Centuries, with its priceless world-class collection of jewelry and rare porcelain), Built on one of the seven hills of Istanbul, this huge complex commands views of the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn. Following lunch It is free time in Istanbul.

Day 14 (Wed) - ISTANBUL: We will visit the Blue Mosque "Sultan Ahmet Mosque", famous for its delicate blue ceramic tiles and it's 6 minarets. After lunch we will enjoy a leisurely Bosphorus boat tour crossing under the Bosphorus Bridges viewing the mosques, palaces, old wooden villas and the beauty of the Asian side. After dinner we will have a party with live music and Belly Dancing. (Dinner included)

Day 15 (Thurs) - ISTANBUL - JFK: Fly back to USA

Pamukkale justly famous not only for the entrancing beauty of its unique geological formations but also for its historical remains. The calcium oxide-rich waters flowing down the southern slope of Çaldag have, over the millennia, built up deposits of white travertine on the plateau.

Ephesus proudly houses one of the seven ancient wonders of the world. The precise date of the city's foundation is not known but legend said that the first Efes was founded by Women Warriors of the Amazon in the 14th century BC and later inhabited by lonians in the 11th century BC after the first settlement of the Anatolian's natives, the Lelegians. After 133 BC it became a Roman province and during the reign of Augustus it became the trade center of Asia.

Istanbul has many great museums, ancient churches, palaces, great mosques and bazaars. You will have a wonderful time in this unforgettable city.