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.

After a filling breakfast at your hotel, you will enjoy some free time in the city. We will then pick you up in our deluxe air-conditioned bus and, past the Intercontinental bridge, you will travel to Ankara, the capital of Turkey. Ankara is as an important trade center and a major intersection in the road network of the country. Upon your arrival you will have dinner and a good night's sleep.

Greca Tip: Wander around the cobblestone streets and check out the shops located within old Ottoman houses for an experience that is far removed from the city’s hectic energy.

After a tasty breakfast, you will visit the city and some of its most interesting landmarks, such as  the Mausoleum of Ataturk, dedicated to the founder of the Turkish Republic, the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations with exhibitions from the Palaeolithic, Neolithic, Hittite and Phrygian Urartu past of central Anatolia. 

In the afternoon you will depart for Cappadocia, a marvelous and fascinating region of lunar landscapes, formed over the centuries in the thick and soft layer of lavas sculpted by the two nearby volcanoes.  On your way there you will stop at one of the 36 underground cities of Cappadocia, which was built by Christian communities as a protection from Muslim Arabs. Here the stables, storage, and other common rooms are perfectly preserved in the soft volcanic rock. Upon arrival at your destination, you will check-in at your hotel, have dinner and enjoy a good rest.

Greca Tip: Watch a unique panorama in Göreme and learn more about the cultural heritage of Turkey and the Cappadocia region.

This day will be fully dedicated to the beautiful region of Cappadocia.  After a filling breakfast you will start by visiting the Göreme Valley, its open-air museum with the villages of prehistoric cave dwellers and underground cities.  It is here where the ideas of Christianity were unified by St Basil the Great and his Christian brothers. You will visit the churches, chapels and monasteries, with their ancient frescoes painted on the walls.

Your next destination will be the troglodyte village of Uçhisar and the valley of Avcilar, which has a spectacular landscape.

You will continue through the Devrent valley, also known as Imaginary Valley, with its pointed, mushroom-like structures, many of which are said to resemble animal shapes. Finally, you will visit local artisan workshops, such as carpet-making or jewelry shops with the popular translucent onyx stones.

You will return to your hotel, where you will enjoy dinner and spend the night.

Greca Tip: At sunrise fly over the historic cave dwellings of Goreme Town in a hot-air balloon or watch the balloons from the rooftop garden of your hotel.

After a filling breakfast and early in the morning, you will leave 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 and where 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 terraces full of travertine from the hot thermal springs of the area. You will spend the night here in Pamukkale and enjoy dinner at your hotel.

Greca Tip: Take advantage of your free time to take a dip in the thermal pools of your hotel.

Breakfast at your hotel and, at the agreed time, you will visit the archaeological site of Ephesus, the vast and beautiful Greco-Roman city, a vibrant and rich metropolis. In Ephesus you will visit the ruins of the Odeon, a small roofed theatre for plays and concerts, the Temple of Hadrian, the Library of Celsus, which once held nearly 12,000 scrolls, the Greco-Roman theater as well as the Agora and the Basilica of Saint John, built during the reign of the the emperor Justinian in the 6th century.

A major tourist attraction is Maryemana, the house, which is believed to be the last resting place of Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. Afterwards, you will stop at a leather production center, where you can pick the 'silk leather' item that you like at much reduced prices.  You will then continue to Izmir, have dinner and rest.

Greca Tip: You can also visit the brilliant Ephesus museum with the finds from the ancient city, including an exquisitely carved Artemis statue and the Gladiator Room.

You will enjoy breakfast at your hotel and then we will transfer you to Izmir Airport to board your flight to Istanbul or to the port of Kusadasi to join your cruise in the Aegean sea. 

Upon arrival in Istanbul, you will be transferred to your hotel, where you will have a good rest. 

Greca Tip: Don't forget to stock up on packets of delicious hazelnuts, lokums and Turkish coffee somewhere along your trip.

You will enjoy your breakfast and, at the time indicated, we will transfer you to Istanbul airport to board your international flight.

From all of us at Greca, we wish you a safe journey and hope to see you again soon to create more wonderful moments that will be etched in your memory forever.

Have a nice trip! Or you may also say: "Iyi yolculuklar!"

Greca Tip: If you think that your stay in Istanbul was too short, you can add additional nights at the time of your booking.