Program:
Day 1 - Istanbul to Kusadasi - (L/D)
Early in the morning, we will pick you from your hotel in Istanbul and transfer you to the domestic airport for your 1-hour flight south to Izmir. As soon as you arrive in Izmir, our representative will meet you and transfer you to Ephesus.
Sites you’ll see today:
* Ephesus is the best-preserved classical cities from ancient times, and was inhabited by Greeks, Macedonians, Romans and Turks. St. Paul lived here circa 60 AD, when it was at its most populated at 250,000. During your visit, you’ll walk its stony boulevards, stand in the grand theatre, marvel at the beauty of the Celsus Library, the agora, as well as the baths, giving you the unique chance to get up-close-and-personal with history by literally being able to walk into it.
*The House of The Virgin Mary is where it is believed St. Mary came to live with St. John in the last years of her life.
Overnight in Kusadasi
Day 2 - Kusadasi to Pamukkale - (B/L/D)
Our drive will take us through a rich agricultural area, teeming with cotton fields, fruit orchards, and thermal springs.
* Pamukkale ("cotton castle" in Turkish) is the result of limestone formations created over thousands of years. Warm, calcium-rich mineral water from nearby thermal hot springs flowed over these cliffs and, as these waters cooled, they deposited the calcium that we see today.
* Hierapolis is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was founded as an ancient healing care center in 190 BC, taking advantage of the mineral waters. It was one of the most important intellectual, artistic, religious and commercial centers of the Roman Empire. Over time, the city hosted large numbers of both Jewish and Christian residents.
Overnight in Pamukkale
Day 3 - Pamukkale to Antalya - (B/L)
After breakfast, we will provide a bus transfer from Pamukkale to Antalya (4 hours). After arriving, we'll check into the hotel.
Overnight in Antalya
Day 4 - Antalya - (B/L)
After breakfast, we will continue on a full-day tour to Perge and Aspendos.
Sites you'll see today:
* Perge is a magnificent example of how an ancient classical city looked. Records date it to roughly the 4th century BC. It was settled by the Greeks following the Trojan War, then visited by St. Paul and his disciples when it was a leading city of Pamphylia. It then fell under the leadership of Alexander the Great and eventually to the Byzantines. It was during the reign of Constantine that Perge became an important center of Christianity.
* Aspendos and Aspendos Theatre is another beautiful example of a well-preserved classical city that is most famous for its theatre, which dates to 160-180 AD. Depending on performance dates, we may be lucky enough to see a summer evening opera or ballet performance in a theatre that's widely-considered to be the most intact classical theatre in existence.
After the tour, we will transfer you to your hotel. Overnight in Antalya
Day 5 - Antalya to Istanbul - (B/L/D)
After breakfast we will transfer you the Antalya airport for your flight back Istanbul. Once you arrive in Istanbul, we will meet you at the airport, and transfer you to your hotel in either the Taksim, Sultanahmet or Aksaray areas.
Prices are starting from 685 Euros per person in a double, contact us to get a price quote for your dates
Price includes
* All hotels (each of them individually-chosen)
* All land transfers with comfortable vehicles
* All of the meals mentioned in the itinerary (B-breakfast, L-lunch & D-dinner)
* Professional, English-speaking tour guides
* Domestic flight tickets from Antalya to Istanbul
* Admission fees
* All taxes and service charges
Excludes
* International flight tickets to Istanbul
* Drinks with meals
* Hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia (15% discount if booked with this tour )
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