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IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF GREAT CIVILIZATIONS
Istanbul – Ankara – Cappadocia – Konya – Pamukkale – Ephesus – Kusadasi - Pergamum – Assos - Troy - Istanbul
Tour Program:
Top highlights
The essence of the journey
10 cities of Turkey
In seven days, the route connects ancient and modern cities, Europe and Asia.
Cappadocia
Valleys, rock monasteries, an underground city, ceramics, carpets, and the chance to fly in a hot air balloon.
Ancient legends
Ephesus, Pergamum, the Temple of Artemis, Troy, and the legacy of great civilizations.
Pamukkale and Hierapolis
White travertines, hot mineral water, an ancient necropolis, and Cleopatra’s Pool for an additional fee.
Comfortable format
3-4* hotels, breakfasts and dinners, coach transfers, and a professional Russian-speaking guide.
Itinerary
Day-by-day tour program
Day 1 • Sunday
Arrival day
After you are met at the airport and taken to the hotel, you can relax, take a bath, and have dinner in the cozy hotel restaurant. After that, take a short walk around the area near the hotel, just a little one, because your real journey begins tomorrow.
Day 2 • Monday • Ankara
The capital of Turkey, the Ataturk Museum, and the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations
After breakfast (08-15), the journey begins: you travel to the capital of Turkey, Ankara! (~450 km) Today you will see the huge Ataturk Museum, a place where everything connected with the Turkish Republic is gathered: from the exclusive cars of its founder Ataturk to vast panoramas recreating the events of Turkey’s War of Independence in the 1920s. Then we visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, where for the first time in your life you will see objects made by people forty thousand years ago. A walk along the walls of Ankara Fortress follows, and then we go to the hotel. Dinner in the hotel restaurant (19-00 - 20-00).
Day 3 • Tuesday • Cappadocia
Salt lake, Love Valley, Fairy Valley, and Pigeon Valley
After resting at the hotel and having breakfast (08-15), you travel to Cappadocia (~250 km). On the way, you will stop on the shore of the second-largest salt lake in Turkey. Today your acquaintance with Cappadocia begins. You will see the most beautiful view on Earth: a vast mountain plateau scattered with churches, monasteries, and houses carved into the rocks. You will visit Love Valley, Fairy Valley, Pigeon Valley, and much more. In the evening, for an additional fee, you will be offered the chance to attend the Dervishes Night performance. (21-00 - 22-00). Dinner at the hotel (19-00 - 20-00).
Day 4 • Wednesday • Cappadocia
Hot air balloon, Kaymakli, Goreme, ceramics, and carpets
At dawn, for an additional fee, you will have the opportunity to fly in a hot air balloon. After breakfast (departure at 08-15 - 08-30), your acquaintance with Cappadocia continues: you will visit valleys with unique rock formations, the underground city of Kaymakli, and the Goreme monastic complex with its unique frescoes in dozens of small churches carved directly into the rocks. You will visit a ceramics workshop, where unique pieces will be created before your eyes, and you will even be able to try making a vase on the potter’s wheel with your own hands! You will have the opportunity to see how famous Turkish carpets are woven and to see a “flying carpet” with your own eyes. Dinner and rest at the hotel (17-00 - 18-00). If you wish, a lively “Turkish Night” awaits you (21-30 - 23-30).
Day 5 • Thursday • Konya — Pamukkale
The Mevlana religious complex and the journey to Pamukkale
Breakfast (departure at 08-15 - 08-30). First stop at 09-00 — 10-30 (comfort stop). Journey to Konya (~220 km), followed by a walk through the Mevlana religious complex. Mevlana is an ancient Eastern monastery, a haven for monks, poets, and philosophers. It is a center of Sufi culture. It was founded by Mevlana Rumi himself; his role in Eastern poetry is as great as Pushkin’s role in Russian poetry. But Rumi is also the founder of the order of dervishes, the dancing monks. (Departure from Konya at 12-00 — 14-00. Lunch — 14-00 — 16-00. Second stop — 16-00 — 18-00). You will be able to digest the impressions of Mevlana during the journey to Pamukkale. (~420 km) After that, you will have dinner at the hotel and enjoy a good rest (arrival at the hotel — 18-00 - 20-00).
Day 6 • Friday • Pamukkale — Ephesus — Kusadasi
Hierapolis, travertines, Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary, and the Temple of Artemis
Early in the morning after breakfast (departure from the hotel at 08-00 — 08-15), you will see the vast ancient cemetery of Hierapolis. Huge tombs, preserving coolness and twilight for twenty centuries, will amaze you with their size. After them, you will reach the travertines! Beautiful white mountains, over which hot mineral water flows, with a huge number of natural pools... For an additional fee, you will be able to swim in Cleopatra’s Pool (departure from Pamukkale — 11-30 — 12-00. Lunch — 12-30. Comfort stop — 14-30). Then the route continues to the ancient city of Selcuk. (~190 km) Here you will find the ancient city of Ephesus, one of the centers of early Christianity, the House of the Virgin Mary, where you can make a wish (it will certainly come true!), and the remains of the Temple of Artemis, burned by Herostratus... (arrival in Ephesus at 15-30 — 16-00). You will settle into a cozy hotel by the sea in the city of Kusadasi. Dinner. (19-00) After dinner, you can walk through the city and breathe in the scent of the Aegean Sea.
Day 7 • Saturday • Pergamum — Ayvalik
The Kingdom of Pergamum, the Temple of Trajan, the Altar of Zeus, and the mountain theatre
Breakfast (departure from the hotel at 08-00 — 08-15. One hour later — Izmir, passing through. 13-00 — lunch) Transfer to Pergamum (~190 km). After resting at the hotel, you will visit the capital of the Kingdom of Pergamum, from whose name the word “parchment” originated. And you will touch the walls of the ancient library where, for the first time in the world, the book appeared in its present form. From there you will reach the luxurious Temple of Emperor Trajan, see the base of the Altar of Zeus, and admire the magnificent mountain theatre, whose rows of seats are set on a steep mountainside... Tonight you will stay and have dinner in a cozy hotel by the sea in the small town of Ayvalik. (Arrival 17-00 - 18-00)
Day 8 • Sunday • Troy — Dardanelles — Istanbul
Legendary Troy and the return to Istanbul
In the morning, breakfast (departure from the hotel at 07:30) and transfer to legendary Troy. (~145 km). You will visit the very Troy that was captured thanks to the cunning Odysseus. You will see the field across which Achilles dragged Hector’s body behind his chariot. Then you will cross the Dardanelles Strait. (12-00 — Canakkale. 13-30 — lunch. 16-00 comfort stop). And you will arrive in Istanbul, (~360 km) (19-00 - 20-00), where your journey comes to an end.
Final impression
In total
In total: in seven days you will visit 10 ancient and modern cities of Turkey, become acquainted with 5 ancient civilizations of the world, travel through Europe and Asia, enter more than 20 unique architectural ensembles, and see no fewer than a thousand ancient objects, relics, frescoes, and statues, whose total age will be at least 100 thousand years.
The tour program ends on Sundays with the group’s arrival at the international New Istanbul Airport. The approximate arrival time is 20:00. When choosing flights for tourists following this tour route, please note that the return flight on the final day of the tour (Sundays) should not be earlier than 22:00.
Tour details
Price and practical details
Included in the tour price
Group transfer New Airport - hotel - New Airport.
Accommodation in 3-4* hotels.
Meals: breakfasts + dinners (drinks at dinner are not included).
Transfers by comfortable coach.
Services of a professional Russian-speaking guide.
Museum entrance tickets.
Paid additionally
Tourists arriving at Sabiha Gokcen Airport and departing from Sabiha Gokcen Airport additionally pay for the transfer to the hotel and from the hotel. The price per car for 1-6 people is 60 euros one way.
Visa; optional excursions; tips for the guide, driver, and hotel staff (at your discretion).
The cost of an additional night of accommodation is 50 euros.
Important notes
29.12.24: the price includes the New Year celebration at the hotel in Cappadocia.
02.01.25: arrival on Thursday.
Travel FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Which city does the tour start from?
The tour starts in Istanbul: on the arrival day, guests are met at the airport and taken to the hotel.
Which cities are included in the route?
The route includes Istanbul, Ankara, Cappadocia, Konya, Pamukkale, Ephesus, Kusadasi, Pergamum, Assos, Troy, and the return to Istanbul.
Is Cappadocia included in the program?
Yes, Cappadocia includes valleys, the underground city of Kaymakli, the Goreme complex, and ceramics and carpet workshops.
Can I fly in a hot air balloon?
Yes, in Cappadocia there is an opportunity to fly in a hot air balloon at dawn for an additional fee.
What is included in the tour price?
The price includes group transfer from New Airport, accommodation in 3-4* hotels, breakfasts and dinners, coach transfers, services of a Russian-speaking guide, and museum entrance tickets.
Are drinks at dinner included?
No, according to the program, drinks at dinner are not included.
Which expenses are paid additionally?
Additional expenses include visa, optional excursions, tips at your discretion, separate transfer for Sabiha Gokcen Airport, and an extra night of accommodation.
Is transfer from Sabiha Gokcen Airport available?
For tourists arriving at and departing from Sabiha Gokcen Airport, the transfer to and from the hotel is paid additionally.
When does the program end?
The program ends on Sundays with the group’s arrival at the international New Istanbul Airport at approximately 20:00.
What time should I choose for the return flight?
On the final day of the tour, the return flight on Sunday should not be earlier than 22:00.
Is the sea included in the program?
Yes, accommodation is planned in Kusadasi by the sea, and there is also an overnight stay and dinner in a cozy seaside hotel in Ayvalik.
Is the tour suitable for history lovers?
Yes, the tour is built around ancient civilizations, museums, ancient cities, temples, frescoes, relics, and architectural ensembles.