10 Day Grand Turkey, Bulgaria & Greece Tour: Istanbul to Athens Explorer
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Duration
10 days
Max Group Size
40
Departure Type
Scheduled
Guiding Method
Fully guided
Physical level
easy
Operated In
English
Age Requirement
11 - 99 Ages
Tour Overview
Discover the heart of three cultures on this TravelShopBooking 10-Day Turkey, Bulgaria & Greece Combined Tour, designed for travelers seeking history, breathtaking landscapes, and unforgettable experiences.
Start your journey in Istanbul, where East meets West. Wander through the historic Hippodrome, marvel at the architectural splendor of Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, and cruise the iconic Bosphorus Strait.
Venture into Bulgaria, exploring Plovdiv’s ancient Roman ruins and Sofia’s majestic Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. Visit the UNESCO-listed Rila Monastery, an exquisite example of Eastern Orthodox architecture. Savor Bulgarian wines in the picturesque town of Melnik before continuing to Greece.
In Thessaloniki, uncover Byzantine treasures before traveling to Athens via historic Vergina and Thermopylae. End your adventure with the wonders of classical Athens—stroll the Acropolis, admire the Parthenon, and soak in the charm of Plaka.
This guided journey blends rich history, vibrant culture, and local flavors, offering the perfect balance of sightseeing and free time.
Highlights
Itinerary
Upon our arrival at
Istanbul International Airport, your guide will meet, assist and transfer you
to the hotel. Istanbul’s original name is Byzantium then Constantinople. It is
a most fascinating city, which actually crosses two continents Europe and Asia.
It is a city of amalgamation of bazaars, minarets, mosques, churches, palaces,
and restaurants catering to every one’s taste, museums, customs and twelve
million people. Overnight in Istanbul.
(Breakfast included)
After breakfast, we have Istanbul City Tour. Our
first visit will be HIPPODROME. Ancient Hippodrome was the scene of chariot
races, with the three monuments; the Obelisk of Theodosius, the bronze
Serpentine Column and the Column of Constantine. Than we will visit SULTANAHMET
IMPERIAL MOSQUE. Across from Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, it was built in the
16th century by the architect Mehmet, is known as the BLUE MOSQUE because of
its magnificent interior decoration of blue Iznik tiles. Our next see will be
HAGIA SOPHIA GRAND MOSQUE. The Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, previously known as
the Church of Divine Wisdom, is simply the best of its kind! Hagia Sophia Grand
Mosque is the greatest surviving example of Byzantine Architecture. For 1000
years, it was once the largest church in the world, decorated with stunning 6th
century golden mosaics. Today it is a mosque. You can see it from outside. After that see TOPKAPI PALACE, the great
palace of the Ottoman sultans from the 15th to the 19th centuries housing an
exquisite collection of crystal, silver, and Chinese porcelain, robes worn by
the sultans and their families, the famous jewels of the Imperial Treasury,
miniatures, the Holy Mantle; enshrining relics of the Prophet Mohammed. You can
see it from outside. The Basilica
Cistern Museum is one of the most important cultural assets where we can trace
the traces of glorious Istanbul history. With its 80,000-ton water storage
capacity, Yerebatan Cistern is the largest covered cistern in the city and
stands out with more reclaimed supporting elements compared to other covered
cisterns. Covering an area of approximately 10,000 square meters, this colossal
structure has a rectangular shape with a length of 140 meters and a width of 70
meters. You can see it from outside.
After the tour, transfer back to your hotel. Dinner at Indian restaurant
and Overnight in Istanbul.
If you would like to visit with entrance below
sites;
Topkapi
Palace Museum Entrance Fee. You pay the door price.
The Basilica Cistern Museum Entrance You pay the door price.
(Breakfast included)
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.
(Breakfast included)
After breakfast,
check out from the hotel and Depart for Bulgaria. Arrival in Plovdiv around noon, in Bulgaria. Check in
to hotel and rest of day is yours. Explore Plovdiv city, shop in the local
markets, or enjoy many big party or games in Casinos. Overnight in Plovdiv.
(Breakfast included)
After breakfast, departure for Sofia.
Guided sightseeing tour of the city center including visit to the National History Museum and the
mediaeval Boyana Church included in
the UNESCO World Heritage List. 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, the Presidency, etc. Free
time in the city center and main shopping area around Vitosha Boulevard.
Optional evening panoramic tour “Sofia by night” and dinner at a traditional
restaurant with folklore music and dances. Overnight in Sofia.
(Breakfast included)
After the breakfast, we depart 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,
the monastery museum where you can learn about the long and heroic history of
the monastery, the wood carved 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 Sandanski in the afternoon. Overnight in Sandanski.
(Breakfast included)
(Breakfast included)
Breakfast at the hotel. After
breakfast, drive to Vergina, the
most important remains of the monumental palace of the Kingdom of Macedonia,
lavishly decorated with mosaics and painted stuccoes, and the burial ground
with more than 300 tumuli, some of which date from the 11th century B.C. One of
the royal tombs is identified as that of Philip II, who conquered all the Greek
cities, paving the way for his son Alexander and the expansion of the
Hellenistic world.
(Breakfast included)
Continue our tour, we will go to The National Library of Greece which is situated near the center of city of Athens. It holds 4,500 Greek manuscripts, which is one of the greatest collection of Greek scripts. There are also many chrysobulls and archives of the Greek Revolution
Then we will continue driving down Herod Atticus Street, you will see the Evzones in their picturesque uniform and the PRESIDENTIAL PALACE which is the official residence of the President of the Hellenic Republic. It previously served as the Royal Palace, until the abolition of the monarchy by referendum in 1974. On your way to the Acropolis you will see the Hadrian's Arch, visit the Temple of Olympian Zeus. and you will make a short stop at the Panathenaic Stadium which was refurbished a second time in 1895 for the 1896 Olympics, with completion funding provided by the Greek benefactor George Averoff whose marble statue now stands at the entrance, based on designs by architects Anastasios Metaxas and Ernst Ziller.
Upon arrive Acropolis, we will visit Acropolis Museum which is focused on the findings of the archaeological site of the Acropolis of Athens. The museum was built to house every artifact found on the rock and on its feet, from the Greek Bronze Age to Roman and Byzantine Greece. It also lies on the archaeological site of Makrygianni and the ruins of a part of Roman and early Byzantine Athens. Also, we will visit the architectural masterpieces of the Golden Age of Athens: the PROPYLAEA, the TEMPLE of ATHENA NIKE, the ERECHTHEION. The last stop before we back to hotel is The Parthenon. The Parthenon is a temple in Acropolis, the harmony between material and spirit, the monument that puts order in the mind. Early evening, we will back to hotel, you can relax in the rest of the day. Overnight in Athens.
(Breakfast included)
Breakfast at the hotel. After
breakfast, transfer to Athens International Airport for a flight back 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.
Trip includes
Included
Guiding Method
Fully guided



Transportation in a fully air - conditioned, non - smoking coach
Excluded
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