Highlights of Turkey

Itinerary: Istanbul-Bursa-Ankara-Hattuscha-Cappadocia-Konya-Antalya-Aspendos-Perge-Pamukkale-Kusadasi-Ephesus-Miletus-Didyma-Pergamon-Canakkale-Troy

Turkey, a country with many faces: experience Turkey with all its facets and peculiarities on this high point trip. In addition to bustling big cities, which make modernity and tradition a breeze, they encounter lonely bays and bizarre stone formations inland. On colourful markets with a brisk drift, touching silence follows in the endlessly wide landscapes. Discover thousands of years old archaeological sites that are impressively told from bygone times. Trade what this stuff holds on the bazaars and in the boutiques. Turkey holds treasures for every taste and is definitely worth a visit.

Day 1: Arrival
You will be greeted by your qualified travel guide at Istanbul Airport and brought to your hotel in the centre. Leave the car out of the first impressions when driving over the Galata Bridge. At a joint dinner you get to know your travel guide as well as your fellow travellers. You stay two nights in Istanbul.

Day 2: Istanbul
Get to know this fascinating city with all its facets on a city tour. In the morning you will visit the 17th century Blue Mosque, which owes its name to the deep blue tiles in the interior. Next to it is the impressive Byzantine construction of the once largest church in the world, the Hagia Sophia. In the afternoon you will visit the former residence of the Ottoman sultans with their beautifully decorated pavilions and the large courtyards. The Treasury and the porcelain collection are particularly worth seeing. Then let yourself drift through the colourful maze in the Grand Bazaar and get a first typical souvenir from Istanbul at the almost 4000 shops. How about closing the day with a stuffed clam that’s on every street corner, a real delicacy.

Day 3: Istanbul and Bursa
Another highlight of this sprawling city is the Church of the Savior of Chora from the 12th century with its mosaics showing scenes from the Old Testament. Now you can enjoy the view of the Marmara Sea on the Asian side with a ride over the Bosphorus suspension bridge. From there, take the ferry to Bursa, where you arrive in the late afternoon. The city is known for its effective thermal springs. On a drive through the city you will marvel at the imposing buildings such as the two great mosques and the mausoleum. Then take a relaxed stroll through the famous silk market and let the colourful colours look upon you. You stay overnight in Bursa.

Day 4: Bursa and Ankara
In the morning, you are heading east. You drive on the Anatolian plateau to the ruins of Gordion, capital of the Phyriger and city of Midas. In the afternoon you can reach the capital city of Turkey, Ankara. A small city tour will give you a first impression of this fascinating city. On one side busy, on the other, cool parks and wide boulevards invite you to linger and stroll. You will visit the Citadel and the Museum of Anatolian Civilization in which excavations of bygone epochs are clearly prepared for display. You will not miss the impressive mausoleum of the Republic’s founder Atatürk, of course. You stay two nights in Ankara.

Day 5: Ankara and Hattuscha
Today you get exciting insights into the former third great power of the ancient Orient, Hattuscha. In the archaeological open-air museum, nestled in the beautiful countryside on the northern edge of Cappadocia, you will walk in the footsteps of the fascinating people of the Hittites that reigned his kingdom far before Christ. Detailed refinements and excavations such as a piece of the city wall, reliefs and gates make it easier to shoes in the time and promise an authentic experience in the heart of Anatolia. In the afternoon you visit another Hittite excavation site, Alacahöyük. Here old princely tombs were found, which were adorned with rich burial decorations from the Bronze Age.

Day 6: Ankara and Capadokia
From the big city you break into the breathtaking landscape of Cappadocia in the centre of Turkey. Through the bizarre rock formations, they will appear as if in a lunar landscape that arose thousands of years ago by the eruption of the Erciyes. In order to protect themselves from the constant attacks of the Arabs and Byzantines, the early inhabitants built a sophisticated system of underground caves and were thus safe from the attackers. The underground city of Derinkuyu will fascinate you with its several floors under the earth. You stay two nights in Cappadocia.

Day 7: Capadokia
On this day, discover another highlight of Cappadocia, the Goreme Valley. It acts like a large open-air museum with a wealth of impressive rock carvings. It seems that an entire city was created underground in the rock. You will see Cave churches with beautiful frescoes and visit cave flats that were still inhabited until the 1950s. The citadel of Uchisar has been created entirely naturally by the forces of nature. Afterwards, you will meet a wine farmer who guides you through his company and answers all the open questions about the drink of the gods. A little tasting should not be missed. Then visit the artist town of Avanos on the River Kizilirmak, which is known for its marble workshop and Tontöpfereien. Here you have the opportunity to create your own work of art and to form clay together with the experienced potters. In the afternoon you will be able to glimpse the art of carpet weaving while visiting a typical Cappadocia carpet. Immerse yourself in the colourful world of silk threads and the rattling of the loom and look at the workers in their work over the shoulder. If you are looking for a gift for a friend, then of course you have the opportunity to try your negotiating skills and buy a real Turkish rug. In the evening you can take part in a religious ceremony of the dancing Dervishes.

Day 8: Capadokia and Konya
On the trip to Konya you will visit the historic Karawanserai Sultanhani from the 13th century. It was once one of the most important rest and trading sites along the old Silk Road. Konya is one of the most sacred places in Turkey. On the sightseeing program are the former theology school Inceminare Medresses and the Mevlana museum with the mausoleum, where you will learn all about the art of the Dancing Dervishes. You stay in the Konya region.

Day 9: Konya and Antalya
On the way to the coast, stop at Beysehir, the former capital of the Seljuks, and visit one of the few wooden mosques in the country. Sit back and enjoy the change of scenery on the ride from the plateau via the Taurus Mountains to the Turkish Riviera to Antalya. In the late afternoon you will visit a jeweller’s workshop and get to know the art of jewellery made from precious stones and precious metals in a guided tour of the various production sites. In the evening, let the fresh sea air blow around your nose with a relaxing walk along Antalya’s lakeside promenade. You stay overnight in Antalya

Day 10: Aspendos, Perge and Pamukkale
The day begins with a stroll through Antalya’s beautiful old town and the visit of the old marina. Then head west to Aspendos, which is waiting for you with its very well preserved amphitheatre built in the classic Roman style. Perge had its heyday in the 7th century BC. Among the many remains of the ancient city are the well-preserved theatre, the stadium, the thermal baths and the impressive column road to the former Acropolis. In the early afternoon you continue through the Taurus Mountains to another natural wonder of Turkey, Pamukkale. The city is also known for its healing thermal springs. Therefore, take advantage of the opportunity and enjoy a nice dip in the thermal pool of your hotel in the evening.

Day 11: Pamukkale and Kusadasi
Today they visit the real attraction of Pamukkale. The lime formations, affectionately called Cotton Castle, look like sparkling waterfalls in the landscape. Walk along this spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Site and then visit the ancient city of Hierapolis with its thermal baths, theatre and temples. Drive now to Aphrodisias, the city of the goddess Aphrodite, which was one of the most important sculptors of antiquity. Again, there are plenty of theatres and temples to admire, such as the Aphrodite Temple. The next trip takes you through the Meander valley with its wide fields dotted with fluffy cotton blossoms in summer and autumn, to Kusadasi. You stay two nights in Kusadasi

Day 12: Ephesus, Miletus and Didyma
Today, they visit some of Turkey’s most important and famous archaeological sites. Ephesus, the former capital of Ioniens, housed one of the Seven Wonders of the World in ancient times. Today they look at the remains of the Celsius library and the Hadrian Temple. In Selcuk you will visit the Johanneskirche with the tomb of the Apostle. Miletus was once one of the most important port cities of the ancient Ioniens. You visit the theatre and the Faustina baths, if you want to marvel at the Old Town gate you have to drive to Berlin to Pergamon Museum. In Didyma you can try your luck at the famous Oracle and visit the Apollo Temple.

Day 13: Pergamon and Canakkale
Through the lively port city of Izmir we reach the legendary Pergamon with its remarkable ruins. Here you can see the base of the Zeus altar exhibited in Berlin, the Library of the Temple of Athena and the steepest theatre in the world. Medical advice, the former inhabitants of the Asklepieion, where there were the healing springs of the Odeon and is still a medical library. The captivating landscape of the Aegean and the Ida Mountains will take you to your hotel to Canakkale, where you can spend a night.

Day 14: Troy
Today’s day is all about myths, legends and sayings. They walk on Schliemanns tracks and visit the excavations around Troy. In Cannakale a relaxing ride on the Dardanelles is on the programme before you arrive in Istanbul during the day. Take the afternoon to make last errands, stroll through the colourful alleys and hustle and bustle on the streets and squares, or let the thoughts wander again with a fresh glass of Turkish cay.

Day 15: Departure
Transfer to Istanbul airport and return flight or individual extension.

Inclusive services)

14 nights in a double room with shower/WC
Half board (breakfast and dinner in buffet form). Breakfast in Istanbul.
Program as advertised including all tickets
Air-conditioned coach (vehicle type or size depends on number of participants)
Qualified, travel guide
Min. Number of participants: 4