10 Day Greece Bulgaria Turkey Combined Tour

Arrive at Athens International Airport and meet our professional driver who will transfer you to your hotel. It is your free day to explore and enjoy Athens on your own. Overnight at the hotel in Athens. Athens

(Breakfast included) After breakfast, we will start the tour of the city of Athens, visiting Syntagma Square - the center of modern Athens and view the changing of the guard in front of the Parliament building. On the way to Acropolis, we will have a stop to the Panathenaic Stadium-made of white marble- where the first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896. The impressive, work of Art, Stadium was the finish line of the Marathon Race of Athens 2004 Olympics. We will also see the Temple of Olympian Zeus - the largest Temple ever built in Greece. We will view the National Gardens, the Academy, the National Library, the University, and finally we will visit the most magnificent monument in the world - the Parthenon on the Acropolis. Then drive to Piraeus, Greece's main port and continue by the costal road to Kastella, a picturesque hill area overlooking the Mikrolimano yacht harbour, having the opportunity to see numerous restaurants and cafes by the sea. On the way to Mesoghia and the Winery, enjoy the journey through the southern suburbs of the city, along the coastal avenue of Athens Riviera with its magnificent view to the sea. Arrive at the Winery* and enjoy the visit. Drive to Porto Rafti Area by the sea to enjoy some free time. Right after, drive to McArthur Designer Outlet shopping village. In continue, we drive at a Pottery workshop to see the craft of making vases and the exhibition of different products. Afterwards, drive back to hotel, passing by the facilities of the Olympic Athletic Center of Athens where the majority of the athletic events were held during the 2004 Olympic Games. Overnight at the hotel. Athens

(Breakfast included) Breakfast at the hotel. In the morning, drive to Vergina, a small town in northern Greece near Veria, principal of the prefecture of Imathia. Visit the museum which was built to protect the tombs, and was inaugurated in 1993, to exhibit the artefacts and show the tumulus as it was before the excavations. Departure for Thessaloniki and overnight at the hotel. Thessaloniki Vergina Athens

(Breakfast included) Breakfast at the hotel. Thessaloniki panoramic tour, the city of great historic importance and a crossed of so many civilizations and cultures. Begin the tour with a panoramic drive around the White Tower, the main landmarks of the city, the Galerius Arch, the Rotunda monument, the Old Town (Ano Poli) and the City Walls, from where you will have a marvellous view of Thessaloniki. Your escort will provide you with all the information about Thessaloniki’s history old and new as you look at these stately buildings. During the tour: There will be a short stop at Agios Demetrius Byzantine church which is the most important church of Thessaloniki for religious, historical and artistic reasons. The most famous and interesting part of the church, is underground ancient “Crypt”. After the tour, boarding on coach in Thessaloniki around noon. Departure for Bulgaria. Visit of Melnik – the smallest town in Bulgaria famous for its excellent wines and sandstone rocky pyramids. Overnight in Sofia. Sofia Thessaloniki Rila Monastery Sandanski

(Breakfast included) Departure for Rila Monastery - the most exquisite example of the monastery art and architecture in Bulgaria. Guided tour of the monastery complex. Visit to Nativity of the Virgin Church with its miracle icon of the Virgin and splendid gilded iconostasis. The old kitchen and the monastery museum where you can learn about the long and heroic history of the monastery, the woodcarved cross made for a period of twelve years by a monk called Rafael, Hrelyo’s Tower and many spectacular views from the mountain and the surrounding nature. Drive to Sofia in the afternoon. Upon request – dinner at a traditional restaurant with folklore music and dances. Overnight in Sandalski. Rila Monastery Sandanski

(Breakfast included) Guided sightseeing tour of the city center including visit to Alexander Nevski Cathedral - one of the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in Europe, as well as one of Sofia’s symbols and a primary tourist attraction. St. George Rotunda and St. Sophia Church, built by the Roman Emperor Justinian in the 6th century, National Theatre, former Royal Palace, today housing the National Revival Art Gallery and the Ethnographic Museum, Presidency, etc. Around noon departure for Plovdiv. In the afternoon sightseeing tour in the Old Town, including a visit to the Roman Ancient Theatre, which was build in the 2nd century AD under the rule of the Roman Emperor Trajan and is nowadays considered to be the largest surviving Roman construction in Bulgaria, visit to the Ethnographic Museum, Roman Stadium, St. Constantine and Helena Church, etc. Overnight in Plovdiv. Plovdiv Sofia

(Breakfast included) Morning transfer for the Bulgarian-Turkish border. Upon arrival to border, we will head to Istanbul. Transfer to your hotel in Istanbul and overnight in Istanbul. Istanbul Plovdiv

(Breakfast included) Our journey begins in Istanbul, the only city in the world situated on two continents. Today we discover the Byzantine and Ottoman treasures of Istanbul. We visit Hippodrome and the Obelisk brought from Egypt. Then our next visit is the Blue Mosque with its six minarets. Visit St. Sophia. This ancient basilica, built by Constantine the Great in the 4th century and reconstructed by Justinian in the 6th century, is one of the architectural marvels of all time. Afternoon we will visit the Topkapi Palace, which was the residence of the Ottoman sultans, with its fabulous treasure chambers. Lunch break at 13:00 pm. After the lunch, Murtis Tour will take you to the Grand Spice Bazaar, which is a unique atmosphere with reasonable prices for your shopping. Here you will find; Exotic Spices and Herbs, Turkish Baklava, Turkish Delights, Turkish Coffee, nuts and fruits, small souvenirs such as Ceramic Handicrafts, Evil Eyes totems, all naturel olive oil, soaps and many other goods in Souvenir Shops and stores. After the tour, transfer back to your hotel. Overnight in Istanbul. Istanbul

(Breakfast included) Af After breakfast between 08:00 am and 09:30 am pick ups from hotel. Your tour consultant will give you final timing one day before. BOSPHORUS BY BOAT; a traditional excursion by boat along the waterway separating Europe and Asia. The shore lined with old wooden villas, palaces of marble, fortresses, and small fishing villages. During the excursion, you will see the magnificent sights of the following attractions from your boat. See Dolmabahce Palace, and further along, the parks and imperial pavilions of Yildiz Palace. On the coastal edge of this park, is Ciragan Palace, 300 meters of its marble facade faces the shore. At Ortakoy a great variety of artists, gather every sunday to display their work along the street. Ortakoy is a symbol of tolerance with a church, a mosque and a synagogue existing side by side for centuries. RUMELI FORTRESS (view from boat), Built by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1452 prior to the conquest of Istanbul was completed in only four months to control and protect the infamous Bosporus passage. It is one of the most beautiful works of military architecture anywhere in the world. BEYLERBEYI PALACE (view from boat), is the summer residence of Ottoman sultans exists in its original renovated glory featuring original antique furniture and magnificent gardens with the Harem on the Asian side of Istanbul. Lunch break at the Turkish restaurant. After the lunch we will then take you to the GRAND COVERED BAZAAR In this labyrinth of streets and passages are more than 4,000 shops with each trade having its own area: the goldsmiths' street, the carpet sellers, Turkish arts and crafts, such as hand painted ceramic plates, hand-honed copperware, brassware and trays, water ewers, onyx-ware and meerschaum pipes. After the tour transfer back to your hotel. Overnight in Istanbul. Istanbul

(Breakfast included) After breakfast, check out from the hotel and depart for Istanbul airport for your flight back to home. We hope your tour was a memorable one and we would like to see you in the future in one of our tours again. Have a nice trip back home and thanks for choosing TravelShop Booking. Istanbul