Day 01 MON : Istanbul
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Arrival Reception.
Transfer to hotel and free time. You will receive information about the start of the circuit during the afternoon, or you can check the informative panels in the hotel reception area.
Day 02 TUE : Istanbul
A sightseeing tour of the city lasting about two hours, taking in the walls, the Golden Horn, the fishing district, and Taksim. We will skirt round the Topkapi Palace and admire the exterior of Hagia Sophia. On our tour, we will include a cable car ride up to the Pierre Loti viewpoint and we will look round the Mosque of Suleyman the Magnificent (the largest in Istanbul). We find ourselves in a city built in two continents. At the end of the afternoon we will provide a transfer to the Taksim neighbourhood, the most commercialised and lively area of the city. There will be time to dine in one of its many restaurants, and you can also take the old tram that crosses the area or go to see the nearby Galata Tower
Day 03 WED : Istanbul
Today we include a boat trip on the Bosphorus that will last about two hours. We will undertake the trip on a boat exclusively for Europamundo travellers. The Bosphorus is a strait that connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara, which separates Istanbul into two parts: the European part and the Asian one. We will enjoy seeing the liveliness of the strait with its multitude of boats. We will pass under the two bridges that unite Europe and Asia and we will admire the palaces of the sultans, the typical wooden houses and the Ottoman villas. Free time (an optional tour including visit and lunch inside the Topkapi Palace will be offered).
Day 04 THU : Istanbul - Ankara - Cappadocia
Today we travel by train: from the station in the Asia district, we take the most modern and fast train in Turkey, a pleasant 4-hour trip through the Anatolian landscapes, perhaps having a coffee in the train café. Arrival in ANKARA. After a time to have lunch in the area of the station, travelling by bus, we will take you to discover the Mausoleum of Ataturk. After that, we will continue en route to Cappadocia. We will pass through the SALT LAKE, with its incredible landscapes. Arrival in AVANOS (CAPPADOCIA), dinner included.
Day 05 FRI : Cappadocia
Full day in the fantastic region of CAPPADOCIA, with its lunar landscapes, its churches and troglodyte villages. We will discover the GOREME Valley with its open air museum and its churches carved into the rocks, entry tickets included. We will visit UCHISAR, a natural fortress. In KAIMACLI we will visit the underground city that could house 30,000 people. After that we will visit a region off the tourist trail: GUMUSLER, an amazing underground monastery from the 7th Century with perhaps the best Byzantine frescoes in Turkey. We will spend time in NIGDE in the east, before returning to our hotel in Avanos. Dinner included.
Day 06 SAT : Avanos - Hacibecktas - Ankara Safranbolu
We have a fantastic day in the heart of Anatolia. With the utmost respect to the pilgrims (suitable clothes, silence recommended in the sanctuaries), we visit HACIBECKTAS, the sanctuary guards the tomb of Hacibecktas, a Sufi mystic of the 13th Century. After that, we continue to ANKARA, where we leave a free time to walk around and have lunch in the thriving center of the city. We continue towards the north of Turkey. The landscapes become greener. SAFRANBOLU; arrival in this wonderful little city which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was an important stopping point on the caravan routes. We will include a bath in a Hammam, for you to have this Turkish experience! Dinner and accommodation.
Day 07 SUN : Safranbolu - Gokgol Magarasi - Eregli - Eydinpinar - Istanbul
Today, the leg of our trip follows the Black Sea and its verdant landscapes. In GOKGOL MAGARASI we provide entry tickets to this magnificent cave with its underground river and its multiple colours. In EREGLI, next to the Black Sea, we set aside time to have lunch. We also include a visit to its impressive Cehennemagzi Magarasi caves and tombs that are overflowing with mythology. On our way back to Istanbul, we stop to relax at EYDINPINAR, with a walk between its green paths to the waterfalls! Arrival in ISTANBUL at the end of the day. End of our services.
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