Turkey
Day One: Welcome to Istanbul
Touch down in Turkey’s beguiling capital, and your private driver will take you to your hotel ready to begin exploring tomorrow. The rest of the day is yours to relax.
Overnight in Istanbul
Classic - Senatus Hotel
Premium - Dossi Dossi Hotel Old City
Deluxe - Novotel Istanbul Bosphorus
Meals included: None
Day Two: Discover the city
After breakfast, you’ll meet your personal guide who will take you on a private adventure in one of the world’s most enchanting cities. Begin at the the grand Topkapi Palace (closed on Tuesdays), once home to the Ottoman sultans and now a museum brimming with jewels, robes and relics. Break for lunch before visiting the Blue Mosque, famed for its intricate tiled decoration. Next you’ll visit the ancient Hippodrome, where the Byzantine Emperors used to watch chariot races. Afterwards, you’ll walk through the atmospheric back streets of Old Istanbul, stopping at the colourful spice market with its myriad aromas on the way to the bustle of the Grand Bazaar (closed on Sundays). Later, you’ll be driven to the Rumeli Fortress for a boat ride across the Bosphorus to have dinner on the Asian side of Istanbul (your guide can help with recommendations and reservations).
Overnight in Istanbul
Classic - Senatus Hotel
Premium - Dossi Dossi Hotel Old City
Deluxe - Novotel Istanbul Bosphorus
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch
Day Three: Bosphorus bound
After breakfast, you’ll be whisked off by your guide to visit the splendid Dolmabahce Palace, built in 1843 and later used by President Ataturk. Today you’ll have lunch on the European side of the city, with stunning views across the Bosphorus to the Asian side. Later, you’ll take a cruise along the river sailing past many of the city’s ancient mansions and monuments, including Rumeli Fortress and the Golden Horn. After a hectic day, it’s time to relax in one of the city’s traditional hammams with a steam and massage. There is also the option of arranging a night out with dinner at an authentic shisha lounge. For related costs, see the Extras tab.
Overnight in Istanbul
Classic - Senatus Hotel
Premium - Dossi Dossi Hotel Old City
Deluxe - Novotel Istanbul Bosphorus
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch
Day Four: Incredible Cappadocia
Wake early for the 1.5 hour flight to Cappadocia. From the airport, you’ll be driven straight to one of the region’s famous underground cities, used by Christian settlers to hide from invading armies and formed by a maze of narrow passages that criss cross deep underground. From here, you’ll continue to the ancient city of Sahinefendi (Sobesos), scattered with mosaics, chapels and a hammam and only discovered in 2002. Next, it’s the rock-cut Byzantine monastery of Keslik, home to a intricate frescoes and evocative chambers. On your journey between these attractions, you’ll pass incredible scenery: villages scattered about the hillsides and surrounded by table-top mountains. After stopping for lunch, you have three activity options to choose from – horse ride or mountain bike through apricot orchards and vineyards, climbing volcanic stone hills for breathtaking vista on mountain tops, or hike through the Güvercinlik Valley, finishing with a wine-tasting at a local vineyard. You’ll return to your hotel at around 5pm, with time to relax before visiting a captivating show put on by Whirling Dervishes, who famously twirl while in a religious trance.
Overnight in Cappadocia
Classic - El Puente Cave Hotel
Premium - Anatolian Houses
Deluxe - Taskonaklar
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch
Day Five: Up in the air
Wake early this morning for a trip highlight: travelling high above the incredible mountains and valleys of Cappadocia by hot air balloon. On this sunrise flight, you’ll toast the stunning views with a glass of Champagne, before returning to your hotel at around 8am. After breakfast, you’ll spend the rest of the day exploring the captivating countryside. Start by wandering the compelling troglodyte houses of the Derwent Valley before heading to Pasabag. This valley is home to strange, toadstool-like rock formations, known as ‘fairy chimneys’. You’ll break for lunch in the sleepy town of Avanos, on the banks of the Red River, a centre for terracotta pottery for more than 4,000 years. Watch traditional artisans at work during a workshop, then continue to the Goreme open-air museum, where 4th-century rock monasteries honeycomb the mountains, topped by Byzantine churches. End your day at the surreally beautiful Uchisar Rock Castle, a Byzantine fortress carved into a rock mountain which once harboured Christians escaping persecution.
Overnight in Dalyan
Classic - El Puente Cave Hotel
Premium - Anatolian Houses
Deluxe - Taskonaklar
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day Six: Home time
Leave the hotel at around 7.30am ready for the flight back to Istanbul, from where you can catch a connecting flight home.
Meals included: Breakfast
Whats included:
- Private English-speaking guides unless stated otherwise
- Private transfers unless stated otherwise
- Meals as listed
- Private air-conditioned transport throughout tour
- Return domestic flight IST - CAP - IST
What's not included:
- International flights to/from the start/end point of our experiences
- Optional extras listed
- Tips for guides, drivers, hotel and restaurant staff
- Any visa, customs, airport taxes or similar charges before or after the tour
- Personal expenses, such as laundry
Accommodation
You will get a choice of hotel options for the duration of your experience:
Classic ★★★
Classic hotels provide mid-range accommodation (minimum three-star rated), with comfortable rooms and private facilities. We’ve selected these hotels based on positive client feedback.
Premium ★★★★
Premium hotels are typically upper mid range (usually four star), with more amenities than our classic choices. They all have comfortable rooms with private facilities and have received good client feedback.
Deluxe ★★★★★
Deluxe hotels are luxury hotels with excellent facilities and service, usually categorised as 4.5 or 5 star. Clients rate them extremely highly.
When booking an experience, please remember that the hotel category you select is for the whole tour. Please note that the actual hotel selection will be driven by availability at time of booking.
To check other European trips,click here!
To check all of our Turkey trips,click here!
Overall meals included: 5 Breakfasts; 4 lunches; 1 dinners
GETTING THERE
Typical return Economy flights from London to Istanbul cost around £170 per person and take approximately three and a half hours.
Experience start point: Istanbul (IST)
End point: Istanbul (IST).
All tour departures up to 30th June 2019 are part of our Pioneers' Club promotion. Click here for more information.