Beautiful Tales Of Turkey

Welcome to your Beautiful Tales of Turkey Tour. On arrival, we will collect you from the airport and transfer you to your hotel so that you can get settled in and relax.

Overnight in Istanbul

After breakfast, meet your professional local guide at the hotel and begin your walking tour through Istanbul’s historic Old City.
 
Visit the Hippodrome of Constantinople, the magnificent Blue Mosque, and the iconic Hagia Sophia. Continue to the colourful Grand Bazaar and explore the aromatic Spice Bazaar, filled with spices, Turkish delights, teas, dried fruits, and local products.
 
An optional visit to the Basilica Cistern can also be arranged. The entrance fee is not included.
 
Highlights
Hippodrome of Constantinople
Blue Mosque
Hagia Sophia
Grand Bazaar
Spice Bazaar
Optional Basilica Cistern
 
Overnight in Istanbul.
 
Important Notes:
Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays
Blue Mosque is closed on Fridays due to prayers; we are unable to enter

After breakfast, meet your professional guide at the hotel and visit the magnificent Topkapi Palace, the former residence of the Ottoman sultans for nearly four centuries.
 
Explore the palace courtyards, imperial chambers, historical collections, and panoramic views over the Bosphorus.
 
After the palace visit, enjoy a scenic two-hour Bosphorus Cruise between Europe and Asia. Along the way, admire Istanbul’s waterfront palaces, mosques, fortresses, traditional Ottoman mansions, and spectacular skyline.
 
Highlights
Topkapi Palace
Golden Horn
Galata Tower
Dolmabahce Palace
Cıragan Palace
Ortakoy Mosque
Bosphorus Bridge
Rumeli Fortress
European and Asian shores
 
Important Notes:
Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesdays

Overnight in Istanbul

In the morning time, we will pick you up at a pre-arranged time and go directly to the airport to catch a domestic flight to Trabzon in the Black Sea region of Turkey.

Trabzon City Tour
First recorded as Trebizond in 756 BC, the northeastern city of Trabzon has a mixed history. It holds a place in the hearts of most Turks as Ataturk’s Pavilion is here; this was the holiday destination for the first president and also where he died. The pavilion is well preserved with original furniture and the gardens are maintained to offer amazing views across the city. We will then go on to visit some beautiful mosques such as Yavuz Sultan Mosque, Iskender Pasa Mosque, and Fatih Mosque. While here, we will visit another place of worship, Kaymakli Monastery, an original Armenian church.

We will also visit the sister museum of the great Hagia Sophia Ist, Trabzon’s Hagia Sofia, once a Greek church now converted to a mosque; today the building is home to artefacts that show the history of the region.   We will also take the time to visit the beautiful Zagnos Bridge it is a historical monument. The origins of the bridge are Roman; however, the bridge we see today was added to and renovated by the son-in-law of Sultan Mehmet it has been maintained to keep the original structure.

Overnight Stay in Trabzon.

Today you will travel to the stunning Ayder Plateau and the wonders of this part of the Black Sea region. This northern area of Turkey is famed for its tea plantations. In Ayder, there is a fantastic old Ottoman Stonebridge in the storm valley. The whole area of Ayder is filled with stunning landscapes of intense green, small traditional villages where the local craftsmen and women weave cotton fabrics.
 
Overnight in Trabzon

The mountains in the distance and gently sloping hills close by this town make for an idyllic place for hikes and walks and fabulous photographs. The Uzungol Lake Tour is a protected area and a fantastic Lakeside Town; here modern life blends sympathetically with nature. Many walking trails can also be found here. It is one of the most beautiful regions in Turkey.

Overnight in Trabzon

Today we head to the airport for a Domestic flight to Izmir. On arrival, we will transfer you to your accommodation in the incredible and ancient region of Ephesus.

Ephesus is a place that most people have seen pictures of or heard of, but it never really prepares you for the entirety of the city where over 200,000 people lived. It's magnificent. There is so much here that has been preserved; it is not difficult to see how the city was 3000 years ago. On today's tour of the ancient capital of Roman Asia, you will visit the Grand Amphitheatre with over 25,000 seats. The Library of Celsus, which is one of the most photographed ruins in the world, the Gymnasium, Agora, Latrines and Brothel. The main street is amazing to walk down; the atmosphere is hard to describe, almost transporting you back in time with the shop fronts, prison, and civic buildings.

Temple Of Artemis
The Temple of Artemis is known as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was built in the area of Ephesus. Today, one can only see the ruins of the foundations of this incredible construction of the Hellenistic Age, entirely made of marble and full of sculptured column capitals and shafts.
Some of the most beautiful excavations are today exhibited in the British Museum in London. The oldest remaining relics date back to the 6th century BC; it was surrounded by 36 huge columns, later enlarged upon the orders of the Lydian King Kreisos.

House of the Virgin Mary
A popular place of pilgrimage for many Christians, it is believed the Virgin Mary spent the remainder of her days here. The house is located on top of Bulbul Mountain; it offers visitors a panoramic view over the town.

Today's tour will take you to the Denizli province and the strangely haunting yet beautiful site of Pamukkale. We will arrive around lunchtime and eat before taking a guided tour of the white, almost moonlike travertines flowing down the mountainside. It truly is a strange sight to see, but amazing. Just above the Pamukkale is the Ancient city of Hierapolis, a World Heritage Site. There is also a museum here worth visiting. The theatre is one of the best-preserved and almost intact, with a seating capacity of 10,000 people; it dates back to the 2^nd century. The Agora is an ancient market where many of the population would have come shopping or traded their goods. Outside the city is a Necropolis; this cemetery tells us that people from different cultures and periods died here. Many came for the famed healing properties of the waters.

Ephesus overnight accommodation

This morning after breakfast, you will take a domestic flight from Izmir to Cappadocia, where you will be met and taken to your Cave Hotel Accommodation.

OPTIONAL TOUR: ATV (QUAD) BIKE SAFARI.
If you love Adventure and want to see Cappadocia from a different perspective, then our fully guided Quad Safari is suited to you. Ride on a sturdy ATV (quad) bike and experience this landscape in a completely different way. Our Safari starts at approximately17:00 a great opportunity to see an amazing view of this ancient valley.

Overnight Cappadocia

- Early Morning - 
OPTIONAL TOUR: CAPPADOCIA HOT AIR BALLOON FLIGHT
If you choose to wake up in the early hours of the morning, you can take advantage of a Hot Air Balloon flight; this experience can be added to the tour. This activity is famous in Cappadocia and is the perfect way to start the day, along with a champagne toast, by seeing the awesome views of this extraordinary landscape from high in the sky. (This tour will cost extra and is not included in the tour price).

North Cappadocia tour
This morning you will tour the north region of Cappadocia and visit Pasabag which is also commonly known as Monks Valley. This stop is one of the most famous as it showcases the three-headed fairy chimney. The viewpoint is a highlight of many people's North Cappadocia day tour as it showcases the magnificent and unique landscape of Cappadocia and the famous fairy chimneys. Also on the tour is the Goreme Open Air Museum, an impressive area full of churches, chapels, and monasteries that date back to the Middle Ages. You will be amazed at how rich the museum is in history; you will view many frescoes that have been beautifully preserved. Later on the tour, you will visit the town of Avanos famous for its pottery some pieces of which date back as far as 3000 B.C. There are many small pottery workshops where you can still see the skills of the potters at work. The Devrent Valley is well known for its strange landscape full of small pointed fairy chimneys. In Urgup, there is a legendary story about a runaway princess be sure to ask your guide to tell you the tale when visiting the Three Beauties, a recognizable rock formation. Panoramic views at Goreme Esentepe, between Uchisar and Goreme, is a panoramic viewpoint that shows the incredible beauty of Cappadocia. Be sure your camera batteries are charged.
After the day's tour, we will return you to your accommodation.

- Evening -  
OPTIONAL TOUR: TURKISH NIGHT SHOW & DINNER.
 But the fun isn't over once the sun is down; this evening we offer the option to add an evening of traditional food, entertainment, and fun at our Special Turkish Night, watching Turkish belly dancing while trying foods that are unique to Turkey. This fully catered evening is an event too good to turn down! ( The Turkish night show is not included in the price of your tour and will cost extra)

Overnight in Cappadocia

This morning, there is again an opportunity to add the balloon Flight to your tour.

- Early Morning - 
OPTIONAL TOUR: CAPPADOCIA HOT AIR BALLOON FLIGHT
This is the same option as yesterday if you missed it. If you choose to wake up in the early hours of the morning to take advantage of a Hot Air Balloon flight, this experience can be added to the tour. Famous in Cappadocia and the best way to see the awesome views of this extraordinary landscape from high in the sky, along with a champagne toast. (This tour will cost extra and is not included in the tour price).

South Cappadocia tour
This morning, after a good breakfast, your day will be in the South Cappadocia region, following on from yesterday's tours of seeing the most interesting sites of Cappadocia at Meskendir Valley

You will get to stretch your legs on a casual walk through the Valley, which houses a small church that has a ceiling carved out into a cross formation adorned with frescos of the saints and geometric red shapes. After visiting the church, enjoy a small walk through the valley that is a cool escape from the dry landscape surrounding you.

Rose Valley is just behind the town of Urgup, which makes it fascinating to most visitors are all the narrow tracks that link up nearby villages and small settlements. There are scattered vineyards and gardens throughout the valley where you can see the locals still working; they will give you a taste if you're lucky. Red Valley, which gets its name from the layers of different coloured rock formations with a predominantly red colour.

Cavusin Village a maze of rock houses scattered that make up the town. One of the oldest areas of Cappadocia, and today you will visit the village and see how the people dug into these rocks to create homes, some of which date back several centuries. The village is also famous for housing the Church of John the Baptist, dating back to the 5th Century.

Underground City: The early Christians fled here from persecution and created these amazing underground cities back in the 14th Century. Some of the cities date back further, and all tell us about an amazing moment from our ancient past. You will be amazed at the architecture and the organisation of these labyrinths, which include many levels that separated the houses from schools, cellars, and even animal stables. Your tour guide will walk you through and show you how these people lived under these extreme conditions.

Pigeon Valley is named because everywhere you look in every rock face, tree on every house, you will see thousands of holes, which are the homes to thousands of Pigeons used for their manure, a rich source of fertilizer. In the centre of Uchisar is one of the largest rock formations in Cappadocia, known as the Castle of Uchisar. It is the highest point over Cappadocia, which allows amazing views even as far as the Erciyes Mountains. it is a view that you will never forget. Love Valley: When you arrive here, you will see clearly why it gets its name. The rock formations here are phallic. These have been formed over the millennia by the natural erosion of volcanic rock. This valley is an especially unusual landscape of being made up of cones, pillars, pinnacles, mushrooms, and the well-known fairy chimneys.

After your tour, in the evening, you will be transferred to your hotel.

Today your tour ends with us, and we will say goodbye after you take a domestic flight to Istanbul. We look forward to seeing you again!