11 Day Turkey Tour With 4 Days Blue Cruise – Explore Istanbul, Cappadocia & More

Starting at 6:30 AM you will be picked up from your hotel in Istanbul and begin the drive down to Gallipoli peninsula! Relax and take in the view of the Sea of Marmara from the comfort of the bus. Around 12:00 PM you will arrive in the charming seaside town of Eceabat and stop for lunch. Your guide will take you up the hauntingly beautiful coast of Gallipoli. You will follow in the footsteps of the ANZAC and Ottoman forces, walking the now deserted battlefields and trenches and pay respects at the many memorials for all of the fallen soldiers. You will learn of the maneuvers of both sides, successful and failed and hear stories of the bright young Colonel of the Ottoman forces, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. At the end of the tour you will be transferred to your hotel in Canakkale where you will have the rest of the evening to shop and explore.

You will be picked up from your hotel at 8:30 AM and begin the day visiting the ancient city of Troy. During the tour, you can explore the remains of Troy I through Troy IX, The Odeon, The Bouleuterion, the houses of Troy I, The 3,700 year old city walls, Sacrificial Altars and a life size replica of the Trojan Horse of which you can enter and take photos. At 10:30 AM you will finish the tour of Troy and continue on to Pergamon. At 1:30 PM you will stop for lunch and then begin the tour. You will visit The Acropolis, The Library, The Temple of Athena, the Temple of Trajan, the Altar of Zeus, The Gymnasium, The Lower Agora, The Hellenistic Theater and the Temple of Dionysus. Around 5:30 PM you will finish the tour and depart for your hotel in Kusadasi.

After breakfast at your hotel, you will be picked up at 9:00 AM and you will depart for the Ephesus Tour. When you arrive, you will have a fully guided tour of the ruins. During the tour you will see the Temple of Artemis (one of the 7 Ancient Wonders of the World), the Amphitheater, the Celsius Library, which is still active, ruins left from the ancient city, and the House of the Virgin Mary, her last dwelling place. The tour ends at 5 pm and we will transfer you to the hotel in Selcuk town or Kusadasi.

Following breakfast at your hotel, you will check out and we will pick you up at 8:30 AM and begin the 3-hour journey. Around 12:00 PM you will arrive in the small but friendly town of Pamukkale and stop for lunch. Then, you will be taken to the ancient city of Hierapolis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Your guide will show you how the citizens lived, worked and enjoyed themselves back when the city was a thriving metropolis. Highlights include the Temple of Apollo, the Roman Theater and the Martyrion of St. Philip. From there, you will move on to the main attraction, the travertines. You will have free time to explore and relax in the travertines and have a rejuvenating swim in Cleopatra’s Pool. At the end of the tour, it is a 4-hour bus ride from Pamukkale to Fethiye. Upon arriving in Fethiye, transfer to your hotel.

You will be picked up from your hotel at 8:30 a.m and taken to Fethiye Harbor. You will check in to the boat and it will depart between 11 and 12 p.m. to Samanlik Bay for swimming and lunch. Afterwards, you will sail to Butterfly Valley for a swim and optional visit of the nature reserve, which hosts 136 kinds of different butterflies and moths. Afterwards, you will sail to Oludeniz where you have the option to go paragliding. The last stop of the day is St. Nicholas Island. You will visit Byzantine ruins and go swimming. Dinner will be on the boat.

About breakfast time, the boat will arrive at the bay near Kalkan. After breakfast, you will have a swimming break before sailing to Kas where you will stop in the harbour for lunch and visit the charming fishing village. In ancient Antiphellos, as Kas was once known, Lycian rock tombs, sarcophagi and the Roman theatre remain to explore. In a bay near Kekova, you will stop for swimming and kayaking.

In the morning, the boat will depart to the Sunken City of Kekova. This Lycian-Roman archaeological site is protected, so you can only view it from above the water. After looking at the site, you will have lunch. Simena, a traditional Turkish fishing village with no car access is the site of a Byzantine and Ottoman castle. In Gokkaya Bay, optional water sports are available. Dinner and relaxation in the pirates haven or party the night away at the Smugglers Inn.

After breakfast, you will have a look at the Pirates Cave (sea conditions permitting) before sailing to Andriace harbour. From there you will take a bus to the archeological site of Myra, and to Demre for St. Nicholas Church. Shopping and banking are available when requested by your group. The Blue Cruise program ends here. Check out of the boat and our boat staff will transfer you to the bus station for a 3 hour bus trip to Antalya. Upon arrival in Antalya, you will be transferred to your hotel in the city center of Antalya-Kaleici.

After breakfast, you will be picked up from your hotel at 08:30 a.m and depart for a full day tour of the historic and naturally beautiful sites of Antalya. You will see: Perge, an important city of ancient Pamphylia, originally settled by the Hittites around 1500 BC. Next on to Aspendos, which boasts one of the best-preserved Roman theaters in Anatolia. After we will visit one of the best waterfalls in the Antalya region. At the end of the tour you will be transferred to the airport for a one-hour flight to Cappadocia. Upon arrival in Cappadocia, you will be transferred to Cave Boutique hotel in Goreme town.

If you choose to do the Hot Air Balloon Ride, you will be picked up from your hotel at 5:30 AM and taken to the balloon departure point. The balloon ride will finish around 7:30 AM and you will be taken back to your hotel where you can have breakfast before your next tour. You will be picked up at 9:30 AM for a tour of Southern Cappadocia. You will explore the Underground City of Derinkuyu, stroll through the scenic Ilhara Valley and stop for lunch at a restaurant near the river. After lunch, you will continue to Selime Monastery and then Pigeon Valley for some breathtaking views and great photo ops! At the end of your tour you will be taken back to your hotel and you’ll have the rest of the night free.

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel before being picked up at 9:30 AM for your tour of Northern Cappadocia. The first stop will be a vista point overlooking Goreme where you will see Uchisar Castle. From there you will go to the Goreme Open Air Museum and then stop for lunch is Avanos. Next, you will see a kick-wheel pottery demonstration and then get the chance to try yourself! On the way back to your hotel you will stop at photo points such as Cavusin, the animal shaped rock formations of Devrent, the mushroom shaped fairy chimneys in St. Monk’s Valley and St. Simeon’s monk cell. At 6:00 PM you will be picke dup from your hotel and taken to the airport for your flight back to Istanbul. When you arrive, we will meet you at the airport with your name and take you to your hotel.