Türkiye, Istanbul

Mini Istanbul & Cappadocia 4^*

On arrival in Istanbul, you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel where you will spend the night.

After breakfast, you'll set off for a full day of sightseeing in Istanbul. You'll start with a visit to the renovated Sultanahmet Mosque, popularly known as the Blue Mosque, famous for its blue Iznik tiles (Nicaea) and the fact that it has six minarets. You will continue your tour with a visit to the Hippodrome. From here, you can visit the famous Hagia Sophia, the Church of Divine Wisdom. Ranked among the world's greatest architectural masterpieces, this impressive building was constructed as a basilica in the 6th century by the Byzantine emperor Justinian. After lunch, your next stop is Topkapi Palace, the imperial residence of the Ottoman sultans for over 400 years. The tour will culminate in a visit to discover the Grand Bazaar, the vast and legendary covered market and the largest souk in the world, with almost 4,000 shops selling antiques, jewellery and carpets. During your visit to the Grand Bazaar, you'll have the chance to sample a Turkish coffee from Sark Kahvesi, a historic roaster located in the Grand Bazaar.

After breakfast, you'll set off for a half-day of sightseeing in Istanbul. You'll start with a visit to the Spice Market, the Egyptian Bazaar built in the 17th century. It is the second largest indoor bazaar in Istanbul. You will then continue your tour with a cruise on the Bosphorus aboard a regular boat. A traditional boat trip across the strait separating Asia and Europe, during which you will take in ancient Ottoman wooden mansions, marble palaces, foreign embassy residences, and small fishing villages on both the Asian and European sides. Don't miss some of the Bosphorus' most notable landmarks, including Dolmabahçe Palace, Rumeli Fortress, and Beylerbeyi. At the end of the tour, you will be transferred to Istanbul Airport for your flight to Kayseri. On arrival at Kayseri Airport, you will be transferred to your hotel in Cappadocia.

Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Cappadocia.

After breakfast, set off to explore the famous valleys of Cappadocia. This is a place like no other in the world, with extraordinary natural rock formations. A very long time ago, volcanic eruptions produced a flow of lava that dried on the surface of the Earth's crust, forming tuff rocks. Erosion has shaped them into famous formations known as "fairy chimneys", but it's not just the landscape that makes this place unique. The Hittites carved the soft tufa stone to create this fairytale world of houses, stables, shops, churches, hospitals and more. The first Christians carved out caves and painted frescoes depicting biblical scenes on the walls of these rock-cut chapels. In the Cappadocia region, you will visit the Göreme Panorama, the Open-Air Museum, the Pasabagları Valley (Valley of the Monks), the Devrent Valley, the town of Avanos, and Ortahisar Castle, the latter offering the chance to purchase pottery made using the walking wheel method.

Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

After breakfast, you will drive to Kayseri Airport for your domestic flight back to Istanbul. On arrival in Istanbul, you will be transferred to your hotel.

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Istanbul Airport for your departure flight home.

Please note: This itinerary is subject to change due to technical or weather-related reasons, or other unforeseen events relating to the organisation of the trip.

Guaranteed departure: minimum 2 people. The provider reserves the right to change the departure date if this minimum is not met.

Maximum group size: 35 people