8 Days Turkey Discovery Tour: Istanbul, Gallipoli, Cappadocia, Pamukkale, Kusadasi, Bolu & Bursa (Lamp Package)

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Istanbul City Tour Arrive in Istanbul airport, welcome and assist by your English-speaking tour guide. Visit Roman Hippodrome, an ancient racetrack where ancient horse races, chariot races and events were held. Proceed to visit the Blue Mosque, also known as Mosque of Sultan Ahmed, famous for the interior decoration, distinctive blue tiles and unique feature of 6 minarets. Continue to visit Topkapi Palace (close on Tuesdays), which was the residence of Ottoman Sultans for almost 400 years and is Istanbul's premier must-see attraction. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985, the palace features many fine examples of Ottoman and Islamic architectural sensibilities where a series of pavilions, kitchens, audience chambers and kiosks are built around a series of garden courtyards. After lunch, begin your scenic drive down to Gallipoli, well known for its WWI battlefields. Take a ferryboat across the significant waterway – the Dardanelles, and land in Asia Turkey.  

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Twin UNESCO World Heritage Tours Get ready for your historical trip today. Proceed to UNESCO World Heritage site – Troy. Be greeted by a huge wooden horse that was constructed during the Trojan war. Photo stop at Hollywood’s Trojan Horse. Visit ancient city of Troy. After lunch, head to another UNESCO World Heritage site – Pergamon. Visit the ruins of Asclepion, a medical center in ancient Greece. Drive to Kusadasi. Shopping stop at Turkish Delight (Candy) & Olive Oil Outlet. 

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Twin UNESCO World Heritage Tours Start your day with a drive to Selcuk to visit UNESCO World Heritage site - Ephesus, one of the bestpreserved Roman ruins in the world, and was once the commercial center of the ancient world. You will find awesome structures such as the impressive Library of Celsus, Great Theatre, Temple of Hadrian, Odeon and many more. The ruins also include public toilets and even a brothel. Continue to visit one of the Seven Churches in Revelations, the famous Temple of Artemis (One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World) and view the Basilica of St. John from a distance. Lunch in Selcuk. Next, visit Turkish Leather Factory Outlet and enjoy a live fashion show that showcases the trendiest leather products. Free time for shopping. Thereafter, proceed to Pamukkale, and discover the UNESCO-listed wonders of Pamukkale and the ancient city of Hierapolis. Explore the unique white travertine terraces of Pamukkale, meaning “Cotton Castle” in Turkish, created by calcareous hot spring water flowing down the mountain. Hierapolis, a well-preserved ancient Greco-Roman city, was built on top of the “Cotton Castles”. You can see the impressive Roman Theatre, Necropolis, Temple of Apollo, The Martyrium of St Philip at the site. Visit Textile Outlet Center in Pamukkale. Textile is the major export of Turkey. 

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Konya City Tour Begin your day with a drive to Cappadocia via Konya. Drive through an interesting landscape where peasants make their living. Have lunch before arriving in Konya. Konya was the old capital of the Seljuk Empire, also known as Turkey’s city of Whirling Dervishes. After visiting Mevlana Museum, the mausoleum of the founder of the Mevlevi Whirling Dervishes, continue journey to Cappadocia. Enroute, visit the 13th–century Tepesidelik Han Caravanserai, a large stone building that was an overnight stopping point for people transporting their goods along the Silk Road. 

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Enjoy a full–day tour of UNESCO-listed Cappadocia, best known for its unique moon-like landscape, underground cities, cave churches and houses carved in the rocks. Its bizarrely shaped pillars, cones and “fairy chimneys” make fantastic spots for snapshots. Explore the Underground City of Cardak, one of the largest underground settlements in Cappadocia, said to have existed since the Hittite period. You will get to see its bedrooms, kitchens, dining halls, wine cellars, chapels, stables and more. Visit Uchisar Castle – an old village consists of small dwellings carved into a massive rock. If time permits, you may visit one of the homes and experience life in the village. Photo stops at Pigeon Valley and Pasabag Valley. The spectacular mushroom-shaped rock formations in Pasabag Valley (also called Monks Valley), is the most impressive Fairy Chimneys in Cappadocia area. After lunch, visit Avanos Village – a town famous for its pottery and carpet production. You may visit one of the factories and learn about the art of pottery making and carpet weaving. Continue to visit Devrent Valley, also known as Imagination Valley, where you can see unique rock formations that resemble animals and human shapes, and the famous camel figure fairy chimney of Cappadocia is also in this region.

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Capital of Turkey – Ankara City Tour and Salt Lake Bid farewell to Cappadocia and depart for Ankara, the capital of Turkey. Visit Salt Lake on the way. Salt Lake is the second largest lake in Turkey and is one of the largest hypersaline lakes in the world. From May to July, the color will change from blue to red due to seasonal rise in algae, which also attracts flocks of hungry flamingos. This is a very rare view in the world. The color vanishes in July when the water level falls. After lunch, visit Mausoleum of Ataturk, the founder and first president of Turkish Republic. Drive to Bolu. 

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Istanbul Shopping Tour Sit back and relax on your drive back to Istanbul. Upon arrival, lunch at local restaurant. Visit one of the world’s largest covered markets – Grand Bazaar (close on Sundays) with more than 58 streets and 4000 shops, teahouses and cafes. 

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Free time until your transfer to Istanbul Airport for your departure flight.