TURKEY. FOLLOWING THE GREAT CIVILIZATIONS (NEW YEAR)

Tour start date(s):	29.12.2024- 5.01.2025
Duration:	8 days
Location:	Istanbul – Ankara – Cappadocia – Konya – Pamukkale – Ephesus – Kusadasi – Pergamon – Ayvalik – Troy – Istanbul
Price (including tax):	DBL: 1390USD; SNGL: 1610USD (without the cost of the flight)

**Tour Program:**

**Day 1 (Sunday)**

Arrival Day 

After being greeted at the airport and transferred to the hotel, you can relax, take a bath, and have dinner at the hotel's cozy restaurant. Afterward, take a short walk around the hotel area—because the real journey begins tomorrow.

**Day 2 (Monday)**

After breakfast (08:15), your journey starts as you head to the capital of Turkey, Ankara! (~450 km) Today, you will visit the vast Atatürk Museum, which houses everything related to the Turkish Republic—from the founder Atatürk's exclusive cars to massive panoramas depicting Turkey's War of Independence in the 1920s. Then, we visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, where you will see artifacts made by humans forty thousand years ago. Enjoy a walk along the Ankara fortress walls and then head to the hotel. Dinner at the hotel restaurant (19:00 - 20:00).

**Day 3 (Tuesday)**

After resting at the hotel and having breakfast (08:15), you will travel to Cappadocia (~250 km). On the way, there will be a stop at Turkey's second-largest salt lake. Today marks the beginning of your exploration of Cappadocia. You will see the most beautiful view on Earth—a vast plateau dotted with churches, monasteries, and homes carved into the rocks. You will visit Love Valley, Fairy Chimneys Valley, Pigeon Valley, and more. In the evening, for an additional fee, you can attend a Whirling Dervishes performance (21:00 - 22:00). Dinner at the hotel (19:00 - 20:00).

**Day 4 (Wednesday)**

At dawn, for an additional fee, you will have the opportunity to take a hot air balloon ride. After breakfast (departure at 08:15 - 08:30), your exploration of Cappadocia continues. You will visit valleys with unique rock formations, the underground city of Kaymakli, and the Göreme Monastic Complex with its unique frescoes in dozens of rock-cut churches. You will visit a pottery workshop where you can watch unique pieces being made (and even try making a vase on the pottery wheel yourself!). You will also have the chance to see how famous Turkish carpets are woven and view a “magic carpet” up close. Dinner and relaxation at the hotel (17:00 - 18:00). If desired, a lively “Turkish Night” awaits you (21:30 - 23:30).

**Day 5 (Thursday)**

After breakfast (departure at 08:15 - 08:30), the first stop will be at 09:00 - 10:30 for a sanitary break. Travel to Konya (~220 km), followed by a visit to the Mevlana Religious Complex. Mevlana is an ancient Eastern monastery, a refuge for monks, poets, and philosophers. It is the center of Sufi culture, founded by Mevlana Rumi, who holds a significant place in Eastern poetry similar to Pushkin in Russian literature. Rumi is also the founder of the order of Whirling Dervishes. (Departure from Konya at 12:00 - 14:00. Lunch from 14:00 - 16:00. Second stop from 16:00 - 18:00). Absorb the impressions from Mevlana during the journey to Pamukkale (~420 km). Afterward, enjoy dinner and rest at the hotel (arrival at the hotel 18:00 - 20:00).

**Day 6 (Friday)**

From early morning after breakfast (departure from the hotel at 08:00 - 08:15), visit the vast ancient cemetery of Hierapolis. The enormous tombs, preserving coolness and darkness for twenty centuries, will amaze you with their size. After that, you will visit the travertines! Beautiful white mountains with hot mineral water flowing over them, creating numerous natural pools.

For an additional fee, you can swim in Cleopatra’s Pool (departure from Pamukkale at 11:30 - 12:00. Lunch at 12:30. Sanitary stop at 14:30). Then, travel to the ancient city of Selçuk (~190 km). Here, you will visit the ancient city of Ephesus, one of the centers of early Christianity, the House of the Virgin Mary (where you can make a wish that is sure to come true!), and the remains of the Temple of Artemis, burned by Herostratus. (Arrival in Ephesus at 15:30 - 16:00). You will check into a cozy seaside hotel in Kuşadası. Dinner. (19:00) After dinner, you can take a walk around the city and breathe in the scent of the Aegean Sea.

**Day 7 (Saturday)**

Breakfast in the morning (departure from the hotel at 08:00 - 08:15). An hour later, Izmir (en route). Lunch at 13:00. Travel to Pergamum (~190 km). After resting at the hotel, visit the capital of the Pergamene Kingdom, from which the word "parchment" comes. Touch the walls of the ancient library where the book, as we know it, first appeared. From there, visit the magnificent Temple of Trajan, see the base of the altar of Zeus, and the splendid mountain theater with its seating arranged on a steep mountain slope. Tonight, stay and have dinner at a cozy seaside hotel in the small town of Ayvalık (arrival 17:00 - 18:00).

**Day 8 (Sunday)**

In the morning, breakfast (departure from the hotel at 07:30) and travel to the legendary Troy (~145 km). Visit the very Troy that was captured thanks to the cunning of Odysseus. See the field where Achilles dragged Hector’s body behind his chariot. Then, cross the Dardanelles Strait. (12:00 — Çanakkale. 13:30 — lunch. 16:00 Sanitary stop). Arrive in Istanbul (~360 km) (19:00 - 20:00), where your journey will end.

**Tour Price:**

- ½ DBL $1,390.00

- SNGL $1,610.00

**Additional Night Costs:**

- ½ DBL $70.00

- SNGL $86.00

In total: Over seven days, you will visit 10 ancient and modern cities in Turkey, learn about 5 ancient civilizations, explore both Europe and Asia, see more than 20 unique architectural ensembles, and view no fewer than a thousand ancient artifacts, relics, frescoes, and statues, with a combined age of at least 100,000 years. The tour ends on Sundays with the group arriving at Istanbul's International Airport. Estimated arrival time is 20:00. When booking flights for tourists on this tour, please ensure the return flight on the final day (Sunday) is not earlier than 22:00.

*On 29.12.24, the price includes New Year's Eve celebration at the hotel in Cappadocia.*

- The company reserves the right to change the order of visiting excursion sites while maintaining the overall program.

- The company reserves the right to adjust the tour price with timely notification.

**The tour includes:**

- Group transfer from the new airport to the hotel and back

- Accommodation in 3-4* hotels

- Meals: breakfasts and dinners (drinks not included with dinner)

- Comfortable bus transportation

- Services of a professional Russian-speaking guide

- Entrance tickets to museums

**Additional Costs:**

- Tourists arriving at and departing from Sabiha Gökçen Airport will need to pay separately for transfers to and from the hotel. The cost for a car for 1-6 people one way is 60 euros.

- Visa

- Additional excursions

- Tips for guides, drivers, and hotel staff (optional)