Day 1 – Arrival in Istanbul & Dinner Bosphorus Cruise Dinner Included
Welcome to Turkey! Arrive into Istanbul. Transfer from airport & check in to your hotel. You will be given your room key and the rest of the day is yours to explore the vibrant city.
In the evening between 19:30 – 20:00 you will be picked up from your hotel and transfer to the boat for Dinner Cruise on the Bosphorus and drop of back to hotel at the end of tour. During the tour you will be able to see historical places like Dolmabahce Palace, Ortakoy Mosque, Maiden’s Tower, Rumeli Fortress, Bosporus Bridge, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, Beylerbeyi Palace etc. After the dinner you can dance the night away to entertaining music provided by professional DJ and traditional show programs or simply relax with a drink and enjoy the view. We combine a delicious meal with unparalleled views of Istanbul and live entertainment to create Istanbul's leading Bosporus Dinner Cruise. End of the entertainment at about midnight 12:00pm, transfer to your hotel. Overnight in Istanbul.
Day 2 – Istanbul Old City Tour Breakfast & Dinner Included
Morning: having a breakfast in the hotel, picking up time for the tour at 09:00 to enjoy a full day tour in Istanbul First stop will be Hagia Sophia: is the 4. biggest church in the world. Construction dates to the 4th century and it was chosen as the 2. Best engineering structure of human history by BBC.
Then we will visit Blue Mosque: is the best interior designed mosque in ottoman architecture with its 20.000 pieces Iznik tiles. It is unique with its 6 minarets. Moving on with Hippodrome: is the center of byzantine entertainment where 30,000 civilian was killed by order of queen with arrow rain in the inside of it during the nika revolt. Time to discover Grand Covered Bazaar: is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with more than 58 covered streets and over 4,000 shops where attract between 250,000 and half a million visitors daily. It is well known for its jewelry, pottery, spice and carpet shops. We will visit handmade Turkish carpets demonstration. Time to return back to hotel.
OPTIONAL MUSEUM (Per Person 40-45 Euro Additional Cost): Topkapi Palace – The great palace of the Ottoman sultans from the 15th to the 19th centuries housing an exquisite collection of crystal, silver and Chinese porcelain, robes worn by the sultans and their families, the famous jewels of the Imperial Treasury, miniatures, and the Holy Mantle enshrining relics of the Prophet Mohammed.
Day 3 – Istanbul to Izmir Arrival Breakfast & Dinner Included
Upon our arrival at Izmir Airport or Kusadasi Port or Cesme Port, our guide will meet you with your name sign and assist and transfer to hotel. Overnight in Izmir.
Day 4 – Pergamum & Thyatira – Izmir Breakfast & Dinner Included
At 08:30 your guide will meet with you at your hotel lobby and you will drive to Pergamum, actually called Bergama. It is one of the sites of the Seven Churches. Here we explore the impressive Acropolis, the steepest theatre in the world, the Asklepion, famous medical Centre of classical times, see the Altar of Zeus which is mentioned as the «Throne of Satan» in the book of Revelation, the marble columns of the Temple of Trajan and the Library which was foremost in the world and was long a rival of the equally famous Library of Alexandria in Egypt. Its wealth of volumes was estimated at over 200,000. It inspired the invention of parchment.
Then we continue our visit to Thyatira, now called Akhisar, another one of the Seven Churches. It was a city famous for purple dyes. We visit the remains of a basilica and some architectural fragments from the Roman period. Lydia, the seller of purple in Philippi, was from Thyatira. Drive back to your hotel for dinner and overnight in Izmir.
Day 5 – Izmir – Sardis – Philadelphia – Laodicea – Hierapolis Breakfast & Dinner Included
Today we depart early in the morning to one of the most picturesque areas of any of the Seven Churches of Asia – Sardis, presently Sart. This was the capital of the ancient Lydian kingdom of the 6th century BC, portrayed as a dying church. We visit the great Temple of Artemis and the restored gymnasium and reconstructed Synagogue. We also see the last several meters of the royal Persian Road from Susa to Sardis built by Cyrus the Great and the «golden» river Pactolus.
Then we continue our journey to Philadelphia, nowadays called Alasehir, another church of the Seven Churches of Asia and the only church not censured. There we see the remains of a Byzantine basilica built of brick, with a bit of high arch and some 11th century frescoes. Continue to visit to Laodicea. The city established in the C3 BCE by the Seleucid Antiochus II, the city was named after his wife Laodicea. Built on the Lycus Tributary of the Meander River, it was surnamed Laodicea on Lycus, to distinguish it from other similarly named cities. Laodicea is the last of the seven churches. As a crossroad of two important roads, this city had an important commercial and logistical position. We drive to the healing city of Hierapolis, actually Pamukkale, the white «cotton fortress» where hot mineral water bursts from the earth and cascades over steep cliffs forming pools, channels and stalactites. The therapeutic waters were known to the founders of Hierapolis and of Laodicea in 190 BC. Check in at hotel for dinner and overnight in Pamukkale.
Day 6 – Ephesus – Kusadasi Breakfast & Dinner Included
Drive to Ephesus visit to the ancient city of Ephesus including the Basilica of St. John. The Apostle Paul preached to the Ephesians and lived here for three years. This church also received an epistle from him. We tour the spectacular ruins where excavations still continue in this once great and important city, which was founded in the 10th century BC.
Walk through history along marble streets lined with wonderful public buildings, among them the Baths of Scholastica, the Library of Celsus, the Temple of Hadrian and the Theatre. The Temple of Diana of the Ephesians, another of the seven wonders of the ancient world, was built in this city. We visit the Basilica of St. John. Visit The House of Virgin Mary before drive to Kusadasi. Overnight in Kusadasi.
Day 7 – Izmir – Home Breakfast Included
Pick up from hotel and transfer to Izmir Airport for flight back home. The end of services.