Page 92 - Southern Europe

Golden Triangle of Turkey
8 days
Istanbul, Bosporus, Cappadocia, Kusadasi, Izmir
TURKEY Downtown Providing Fascinating Travel Experiences
Day 1: Istanbul
Arrival to Istanbul Ataturk Interna- tional Airport. Meet our driver or guide according to your arrival time and private transfer to your hotel. Meet with your guide at the hotel around 8 PM and go out for a dinner and night out to get the feeling of magic Istanbul city. Overnight in Istanbul. [D]
Day 2: Istanbul (Old City)
First visit the Hippodrome, the social center of this Byzantine city. Next visit the Blue Mosque, the Grand Mosque of the Ottomans for 3 centuries, followed by the Hagia Sophia. After visiting the Underground Cistern of Yerebatan, enjoy lunch nearby and rlax with a Turkish coffee. After lunch, you will visit the Topkapi Palace, imperial palace of the Ottomans which reflects the splendor of the Ottoman Empire. Relax on the Palace terraces before returning to the hotel. [B/L]
Day 3: Istanbul (Bosporus Cruise)
Your day will start with a stroll f rom the old city of Istanbul to the Golden Horn to catch a regular Bosporus cruise in
between the Asian and European continents. Big mansions, located by the water, will take you to Istanbul's 19th Century. The cruise provides amazing opportunities to take pictures of the Old City, once capital to Byzantium and Ottoman empires. Disembark by the Spice market and stroll in and around the bazaar where the Spices from India were sold to the Ottoman merchants before they sailed to Europe. Near the market, a hidden gem, Rustem Pasha Mosque houses the best examples of Ottoman tiles. Then, visit Suleymaniye Mosque, built by the Grand Architect of the Ottomans to the most powerful Sultan; Soliman the Magnificent.
Return to the hotel for overnight. [B/L]
Day 4: Istanbul, Cappadocia
Pick up from your Istanbul hotel in the early morning for your flight to Cappadocia. Our guide and driver will be ready at the domestic arrival gate of Nevsehir airport to pick you up for your 2 days of Cappadocia escape. After a 30-minute drive f rom Nevsehir airport, you will arrive to the poetic land of Cappadocia; land of beautiful horses. First stop will be the Pigeon Valley view
point to see the surreal landscape of the region and take amazing pictures of the Uchisar citadel. This citadel is the highest point of Cappadocia region and after climbing on top of it, you will feel like the rulers of Cappadocia once resided in Uchisar town in the ancient ages. After lunch or coffee, you will check in to your hotel for a good rest for the next day... Overnight in Cappadocia. [B/L]
Day 5: Cappadocia
Your first stop will be the Imagination Valley, locally called as 'Devrent' to see the most interesting geological formations of the region. Next stop is the Monks Valley that we call
92 For prices and other details visit www.holidayswithdowntown.com