HELEN
Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale, Kusadasi, Ephesus, Athens, Naxos, Santorini and much more
Guaranteed departures every Sunday all year round from Istanbul
Book Now! All our programs in up to 12 installments without interest
What is included in this package
- 3-night accommodation in Istanbul.
- Tour through the inland of Turkey with Half Board and local English-speaking guides.
- 2-night accommodation in Cappadocia in 4* or 5* hotels.
- 1-night accommodation in Pamukkale in 4* or 5* hotels.
- 1-night accommodation in Izmir in 4* or 5* hotels.
- 2-night accommodation in Athens.
- 2-night accommodation in Naxos.
- 2-night accommodation in Santorini.
- Full-day city tour in Istanbul with an official English-speaking guide and lunch.
- Half-day sightseeing tour in Athens with an official English-speaking guide.
- Visit to the Acropolis Museum with an official English-speaking guide.
- Entrance fees to the archaeological sites as per description.
- Guided evening walking tour through Monastiraki, Plaka and Anafiotika.
- Air tickets Istanbul-Ankara (15 kg + 8 kg).
- Air tickets Izmir-Athens (23 kg + 8 kg).
- Air tickets Santorini-Athens (23 kg + 8 kg).
- Ferry tickets with numbered seats Piraeus-Naxos.
- Ferry tickets with numbered seats Naxos-Santorini.
- All transfers as mentioned in this itinerary.
- 24/7 emergency phone line.
- Daily breakfast.
- Local taxes in the inland of Turkey.
Not included & Optionals
- Personal expenses, tourist city tax in Greece & Gratuities (optional).
- International air tickets.
- Add Fast ferry by clicking on "Customize your Program" or in step 1 of the reservation.
- Add extra nights in Istanbul, Athens, Naxos or Santorini by clicking on "Customize your Program" or in step 1 of the reservation.
- Check our FAQs section for more information on hotel categories and properties.
- 10% discount for groups of 10 travelers or more.
IMPORTANT:
- Please note that the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is closed on Sundays.
- From 01/01/2023 the "Blue Mosque" will remain closed for repairs, so we will visit its gardens and have the opportunity to see the exterior of this magnificent monument.
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Package Tour Itinerary: Helen
After your arrival in the city that was once Byzantium (and later Constantinople), your English-speaking assistant will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel in one of our private vehicles. He will help you with the check-in, inform you about all the details of your trip, offer a brief presentation of the city and its day to day life and answer your questions. The rest of the day will be free for you to relax and start enjoying this stunning city.
Alternatively, you can join the Night Cruise on the Bosphorus with Dinner & Show or enjoy an hour's pampering at the Hamam Cimberlitas.
Greca Tip: You can also head to Ortaköy, the area for upmarket chic, where you will find a strip of stands serving kumpir, Turkey's answer to the jacket potato. Pick your spud and toppings and savor the seaside views while you eat on your feet.
After your breakfast, at the agreed time, we will pick you up from your hotel, or the nearest pick-up point, to begin a full-day tour of this magnificent city. It includes an official English-speaking guide, tickets, lunch at a central city restaurant and a visit to the most resplendent monuments that the Ottoman, Byzantine, and Roman empires have handed down to future generations: Hagia Sophia, Constantinople Racecourse, The Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar, which houses more than 4000 stores.
At the end of the visit, you may linger some more in the old city, enjoying the amazing atmosphere, and finally you will make your own way to your hotel.
Greca Tip: Visit Camilca Hill on the Asian side of Istanbul and enjoy a panoramic view of the city, the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus.
In the morning, your English-speaking assistant will pick you up to transfer you to Istanbul airport in order to board your flight to the capital of Turkey, Ankara. In Ankara you will visit the important Museum of Anatolian Civilizations and the Mausoleum of Kemal Ataturk, a national hero and the first president of the Turkish Republic. In the afternoon, you will head towards the magical region of Cappadocia, with its fairytale scenery and fascinating cavern architecture. On the way to your hotel, you will stop at one of the biggest underground cities scattered in the region. Later on you will check in at your hotel, have dinner and enjoy a good rest.
Greca Tip: Consult with your guide about the possibility of joining in an unforgettable hot air balloon tour in Cappadocia (subject to weather conditions).
After a filling breakfast, you will dedicate the entire day to this wonderful region and the Turkish cities of Kirsehir, Nigde and Kayseri.
You will start at the town of Uçhisar, its troglodyte villages and the Underground City of Kaymakli, one of the largest underground settlements in the region. You will continue towards the Göreme Valley with its open-air museum, its churches carved into the rock and the beautiful frescoes on their walls. In the afternoon, you will visit the Pasabag Valley, with its amazing landscape of cave dwellings and famous limestone fairy chimneys and Avanos, a potterers' town with its countless pottery factories that date back to the Hittites. In this town an underground city was revealed only recently and consists of three floors, homes, tunnels and places of worship. In the late afternoon you will return to your hotel for dinner and a good rest.
Greca Tip: Remember that, inside the caves, flash photography is not allowed so as not to damage the wall paintings.
Early in the morning, and after a delicious breakfast, you will depart for Pamukkale, meaning 'cotton castle' in Turkish. On your way there you will stop at the Old Palace and Medieval Fort of Caravanserai, built along the trade route that once lead to Persia. Here, in former times, merchants from the east and west used to rest, stock up on supplies and socialize.
Upon your arrival, you will have free time to familiarize yourself with the city and maybe visit Pamukkale's travertine terraces or white calcium cascades formed by the activity of the hot thermal springs in the area. You will enjoy dinner and a good rest at your hotel.
Greca Tip: You may use your free time to take a dip in the thermal pool of your hotel.
After breakfast you will visit Hierapolis, an ancient Hellenistic city declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. You will see the ruins of the Necropolis and the ancient Roman baths as well as the natural park known as "Cotton Castle", which, due to its natural beauty and the properties of its thermal waters, has been attracting visitors since pre-Christian times.
You will have free time for lunch and later you will visit the pilgrimage site of Meryamana, the house of the Virgin Mary, believed to be her last resting place. You will continue to Ephesus, the ancient Roman capital of Asia Minor, where Cleopatra, Marc Anthony and the apostle Saint Paul once roamed its streets. In Ephesus, you will admire the ruins of the Odeon, the Arch of Hercules, the Library of Celsus, the Greco-Roman Theater as well as the Agora and the Basilica of Saint John. In the late afternoon you will be transferred to your hotel, check in, have dinner and rest.
Greca Tip: The word Kusadasi means "Island of the Birds", although nowadays cruise ships dominate the scene!
Early in the morning, after a delicious breakfast, you will continue to Izmir to take the flight back to Istanbul. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel and the rest of the day will be free to explore the city at your own pace.
Greca Tip: You can look for hand-painted pottery and carpets made in Izmir or clothing in traditional Izmir style. Don't be afraid to haggle as this is a common practice and vendors will expect you to do so for every item.
At the time indicated, we will transfer you to Istanbul airport to board your flight to Athens.
After your arrival in the historic capital of Europe, the transfer to your hotel will be carried out in one of our private vehicles.
Your English-speaking assistant will welcome and give you a brief account of the city and its day to day life. He will also inform you about all the details of your trip and answer any questions you may have.
For the rest of the day you can relax and familiarize yourself with this celebrated city at your own pace.
Greca Tip: Take the funicular railway to Lycabettus Hill and enjoy sprawling views of Athens stretching out to the city's coastline.
After your breakfast and, at the agreed time, you will commence the panoramic tour of the Athenian Neoclassical Center: the Parliament, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the University, the Library, and National Academy, the Ilion Palace, the Temple of Zeus and Hadrian's Gate, the Panathenaic Stadium, and many other monuments and sites of great interest. You will learn all there is to know about their history and background from the licensed English-speaking Tour Guide accompanying you on this tour.
Your next stop will be the "sacred rock", the spectacular, unique and magnificent Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum. The entrance fee to both sites is included. At the end of the visit, you can either choose to return to your hotel or set out on your own adventure through the charming and picturesque streets of Plaka.
In the evening, we have included a guided walking tour that will take you through the prettiest districts of the capital, such as Anafiotika, Thissio, Monastiraki, and Plaka.
Greca Tip: In Plaka look for something alluring, like ceramics, musical instruments, handmade jewelry to specialty food shops stacked high with olives and spices.
Early in the morning, one of our private vehicles will be waiting for you with your assistant to transfer you to the port of Piraeus, where you will board the ferry to Naxos. Upon your arrival one of our representatives will be waiting for you to transfer you to your hotel and explain a little more about the island.
The rest of the day will be free for you to immerse yourself in the relaxed lifestyle of the friendly islanders. We recommend that you take the day tour to Chora, the island's capital and watch the sunset at the spectacular Portara, the gateway to the temple of Apollo.
Tip Greca: Don not forget to taste Musaka, a typical island dish made with eggplants, meat and tomatoes.
After an exquisite breakfast, you will have a free day to explore the largest island of the Cyclades at your own pace. We recommend using this day to visit the Ancient temple dedicated to Dimitra, sister of Zeus, goddess of wheat and agriculture and protector of the cycle of the seasons. This temple is in fact located in the middle of the island's cultivated fields. You can also visit the town of Vivlos, famous for its three windmills or Filoti, a very interesting and picturesque little village. If you prefer to walk by the beach, you can do so due to their large number and variety, while you would not even have to go far from the town itself. Among others we suggest that you visit Pyrgaki, Aliko, Hawaii Beach or Plaka.
Greca Tip: If you like trekking and are well prepared for it, you can ascend Monte Zas, the birthplace of Zeus himself!
After enjoying a tasty breakfast, one of our vehicles will pick you up at the agreed time to drive you to the port of Naxos, where you will continue on to your next destination, the island which is an inexhaustible source of inspiration, Santorini. Approaching the island, you will have the opportunity to admire the capital city of Fira, with its white houses overhanging the cliffside and facing the volcano.
Upon your arrival, one of our English-speaking representatives will be waiting for you at the port to welcome you, direct you to your hotel and comment a little more on the treasures of this picturesque island. The rest of the day is free to wander through its narrow streets and become part of the famous animated scene.
Greca Tip: Sit back and enjoy one of the most beautiful sunsets in the world from one of the coffee shops in glamorous Oia.
Free day to explore, at your own pace, this magical island, considered to be the lost continent of Atlantis. The name of the island was given by the Venetian Giacomo Barozzi due to the presence of a chapel dedicated to Saint Eirini. His descendants remained until 1576, when the island became part of the Duchy of Naxos and until the Turkish conquest by Piyale Pasha.
Optionally, you may choose to go on a dazzling sailboat tour that will take you over to the small islands of the caldera, Nea and Palea Kameni, with the hot springs of green and yellow waters.
Greca Tip: On this free day, we recommend exploring the island, tasting its wine and its excellent local cuisine. We cannot miss tasting the tomatokeftedes (a kind of tomato balls), the fava dishes (a vegetable smaller than a pea) and the cheese called Chloro.
At the agreed time, you will be transferred to the Santorini Airport, where you will board your flight back to Athens.
Your arrival at the airport will conveniently coincide with your international flight, which should preferably depart after 12:30 pm.
Having spent a few fantastic days with Greca, we hope to see you again soon in order to create new and extraordinary moments that will be lovingly etched in your memory.
Have a nice trip! or as Greeks say: Kalo taksidi!
Optionally, you can add more nights in Santorini during step 1 of 3 of your reservation.
Greca Tip: As a going away gift you may buy the classic wine Assyrtiko or sweet Vinsanto from Santorini or from the duty-free shop at Athens Airport, which offers a good selection of Greek wines and spirits.
