Touchpoint Tourism - Turkey tour

Arrival in Istanbul and reception at the airport.

Transfer to hotel and accommodation in room. Dinner at hotel and overnight stay. (C)

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for the ancient peninsula. Crossing of the Golden Horn, the old Byzantine and Ottoman port. Visit the Hippodrome, home of the races of the bigues; to the obelisks and to the Mosque of the Sultan Ahmet, known as the Blue Mosque for its majolica of the XVII century. Free time to visit the Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern (entrances excluded), masterpieces of Byzantine architecture. Lunch in restaurant. Visit the Topkapi Palace with Harem section and the Church of Saint Irene, residence of the Sultans for almost four centuries, which testifies to the magnificence of the Ottoman Empire, and the Grand Bazaar, the largest covered market in the world. Possibility to take part in a trip (optional, for a fee) on the Bosphorus, to admire the Asian and European side of the city. Return to hotel. Dinner in hotel and overnight stay. (B - P - C)

Breakfast in the hotel. Departure for Ankara, capital of Turkey, crossing the Euroasia Bridge, famous for its panorama. Lunch in restaurant. Visit to the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations (Hittite Museum) where the finds are exposed in chronological order and the visitor can follow the evolution of the successive civilizations in Anatolia from prehistory until the Roman period, and photographic stop at the Mausoleum of Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic. Continuation to Cappadocia with stop at the Salt Lake. Arrival in hotel and accommodation in room. Dinner in hotel and overnight stay. (B - P - C) 

Possibility to participate in a hot air balloon ride to admire from above the unique landscape of Cappadocia, illuminated by sunrise (optional, subject to payment and availability. It may be cancelled due to adverse weather conditions). Breakfast in the hotel. Visit the Devrent Valley (or Valley of Pigeons or Avcilar), where eroded rock has created peaks and obelisks; the Open-air Museum of Goreme, famous for its rocky columns called "fairy chimneys" for their fairytale appearance. Stop at a carpet cooperative to discover the process. Lunch in a restaurant. Visit the outer Citadel of Uchisar located inside a cone of tufa rock and one of the underground cities (Ozkonak, Saratli or Mazi). Visit to a workshop for the processing of precious stones, gold and silver. Return to the hotel. Dinner in the hotel and overnight. Possibility to participate in a folkloristic evening with belly dancer (optional, for a fee). (B - P - C)

Possibility to participate in a Jeep Safari excursion (optional, for a fee) one of the best ways to enjoy the unique landscapes of Cappadocia, its valleys and the incredible mix of rock formations and gentle hills. An itinerary full of interesting stops to photograph the landscapes and the typical hot air balloons. Breakfast in the hotel. Departure for Pamukkale, with a stop at the Sultanhani Caravanserai (or Agzikarahan or Alayhan), now a museum. Lunch in a restaurant. Visit to ancient Hierapolis, rebuilt after the earthquake of 17 AD, and to Pamukkale, with its natural pools formed by the millenary flow of calcareous water; Here it seems that time has stopped and that the waterfalls of a gigantic fountain are petrified as the name of the place suggests which translated in Italian means "cotton fortress". Transfer to hotel and accommodation in room. Possibility of using the thermal pool. Dinner at hotel and overnight. Possibility to attend a dancing dervishes show (optional, for a fee). (B - P - C)

Breakfast in hotel. Visit to Ephesus, with the Temple of Hadrian, the Library of Celsus, the Great Theatre and the Ephesus Experience Museum. Stop at a characteristic leather shop. Lunch in a restaurant. Continue to Izmir, the third largest city in Turkey, considered one of the most beautiful after Istanbul. Free time in the city center. Transfer to hotel and accommodation in room. Dinner at hotel and overnight stay. (B - P - C)

Breakfast in the hotel. Visit to Pergamon (Acropolis excluded) and Asclepion, ancient center dedicated to the god of health, Aesculapius. Lunch in a restaurant. Visit to a cooperative of hand-painted ceramics, known for their beauty and quality. Continue to Istanbul, crossing the Osmangazi Bridge, the fourth longest bridge in the world by length of its central span. Arrival in hotel and accommodation in room. Dinner in hotel and overnight stay. (B - P - C)

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport for your flight back to Italy. (B)

* The itinerary may be subject to changes due to technical or site management reasons.