TURKEY PEARLS

pick up 08:00
Istanbul
After having breakfast at the hotel, you will explore the wonderful sites of Old Istanbul, the only city in the world straddling two continents, Europe and Asia. You will visit the Blue Mosque, with its six graceful minarets and famed blue Iznik Tiles, the Hippodrome, ancient Roman arena for chariot racing and Grand Bazaar with its more than 4,000 shops. You will then visit The Topkapi Palace, which from the 15th to the 19th Century was the principle residence of the Ottoman Sultans. You will visit the fabulous Imperial Treasury and the Baghdad Kiosk. Topkapi Palace is now a museum and has unrivaled collections of jewelry, including the Spoonmakers Diamond, the 3rd largest diamond in the world, Ottoman court costumes and ceramics, notably one of the world’s finest collection of early Chinese ceramics, much of it gifts from other rulers. Interestingly, some of the ceramics have a special glaze that was said to change color in the presence of poison. You also visit the Imperial Armory, displaying centuries of Ottoman weaponry. But perhaps the loveliest features of Topkapi Palace are its courtyards with their ancient trees, and it is easy to imagine the sultan strolling here far from the cares of state and empire. Finally, visit the museum of Haghia Sophia* and the Church of The Divine Wisdom. After the tour, you will be dropped back to your hotel. Overnight stay in Istanbul.

Closed
– Hagia Sophia Museum and Blue Mosque closed on Friday due to Friday Prayer / No replacement
– Grand Bazaar on Sunday / Replaced with the Handicraft Store
– Topkapi Palace closed on Tuesday / No replacement

pick up 08:00
Istanbul – Cappadocia
After having breakfast at the hotel, you will start your half-day Bosphorus tour and visit the 17th
century Egyptian Spice Bazaar* and embark on an unforgettable cruise on the Bosphorus, the
beautiful strait that divides Europe from Asia. Winding through forested hills, it is lined with
mosques, castles, 19th-century mansions, quaint villages, and the quirky baroque haunts of the late Ottoman sultans. The tour concludes with a drive along the Istanbul Bosphorus to the Rumeli Fortress (no interior visit), built by Mehmed the Conqueror. After the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel. We will pick you up again at approximately 3:00 p.m. and transfer you to Istanbul airport for your flight to Cappadocia. After your arrival at Cappadocia airport, you will be transferred to your hotel. Spend the night in Cappadocia.

Closed
– The Egyptian Spice Bazaar on Sunday / No replacement 

pick up 09:15
cappadocia
After breakfast at the hotel, you will meet your guide and head out for a full day tour of
Cappadocia. We will start the day visiting the Valley, where we will have the opportunity to take a walk through the orchards and vineyards, among the fairytale chimneys and houses carved into the rock. We will continue the walk through the valley. We will also visit the old Cappadocia Panorama and Pigeon valley, named for the hundreds of small windows carved into the rock to attract pigeons, so they can nest in them. Then we will visit the Underground City whose main function was to shelter the inhabitants of the region in case of invasions. We will also visit the Ortahisar Castle and the city of Mustafapasa, an ancient Greek settlement, also known as Sinasos. After the tour, you will be taken back to your hotel. Spend the night in Cappadocia.

Hot air balloon ride over the valleys of Cappadocia
(Optional – Extra Cost 280 USD PER PERSON PRICE MAY CHANGE DURING THE HIGH
SEASON, PLEASE CONFIRM THE RATES DURING THE BOOKING)
Get ready for a unique wonderful experience in Cappadocia! We will pick you up from your hotel early in the morning (depending on the location of your hotel) and transfer you to the balloon site where you will have the opportunity to watch the balloon being prepared for its flight while enjoying a light breakfast snack; preparation time is generally 15 to 20 minutes. Your flight will begin at sunrise, where your pilot will ascend to a comfortable altitude of approximately 700 to 1000 meters above ground level. It is from this elevation that you will marvel at the beauty of Cappadocia below you. During certain segments of the flight, our pilots are also able to fly as low as 1 meter above rock formations, allowing you to take perfect pictures. The standard flight has a total of 60 fascinating minutes. There will be a champagne celebration at the end of the flight and you will be given a Flight Certificate, signed by your pilot, as a memento of this magnificent experience. You will return to your hotel at the end of your tour where you can rest, have breakfast and then continue your full day Cappadocia tour.

Day 5 – Cappadocia Tour
pick up 09:30
Cappadocia – Flight back to Istanbul
After breakfast at the hotel, you will meet your guide for another full day tour of Cappadocia. The
first stop on today’s tour is Uchisar Castle. Then you walk through the Valley of the Love to
Cavusin, where you stop for lunch and learn about handmade pottery in Avanos Town. You will then visit the Fairy Chimneys (Mushrooms Valley), followed by Devrent Valley and Open Air
Museum in Cappadocia. At the end of the tour, you will be transferred to Cappadocia airport for
your flight to Istanbul. After your arrival at Istanbul airport, you will be transferred to your hotel in Istanbul. (Tonight’s hotel reservation is excluded)