Suggested
Itinerary
DAY
1 - WELCOME TO ISTANBUL! Friday (D)
Tour starts in Istanbul : Fridays. For private touring arrive ANY
day. We meet your flight at Istanbul's Atatürk International
Airport and escort you to your hotel located in the heart of the city's
historic district. After freshening up, we visit the spectacular Blue
Mosque and Hagia Sophia, followed by dinner at our hotel. Extend
to Cairo, special air fare with tax: $250
DAY
2 - ISTANBUL'S TOP SIGHTS- Weekly in Istanbul on Saturday (BL)
Today we explore Istanbul's top sights, including the imperial palace
of Topkapi, with its sumptuous 500-room Harem, ruled by the second
most powerful person in the vast Ottoman Empire: the Valide Sultan
(Queen Mother). A short walk takes us to the Byzantine Hippodrome
and, beneath it, the eerie Sunken Palace cistern. Finally, we dive
into the Grand Bazaar, the world's oldest "shopping mall," to look
for treasures in its 4000 shops.
DAY
3 - ISTANBUL to CAPPADOCIA Sunday (BD)
A morning flight takes us across Anatolia ("Great Mother" in Turkish)
to Kayseri, from which we drive into the eerie volcanic landscape
of biblical Cappadocia. We settle in at the Ottoman House Hotel (
Or Similar), in the afternoon, we explore the foremost sights in this
historic, visually striking region. Our first stop is the Göreme
Open Air Museum, with its dozens of ancient cave-churches carved from
the soft volcanic stone. Many still contain their beautiful colored
fresco decoration. Next we explore the monastic valley of Zelve, where
whole monasteries were carved into the rock. In the Pasabag and Dervent
valleys we view the "fairy chimneys," pinnacles of volcanic rock formed
by wind and water erosion over millennia. We enjoy a panorama of the
Red and Rose Valleys before we head back for our hotel to enjoy a
typical Turkish dinner.
DAY
4 - EXPLORING CAPPADOCIA Monday (BLD)
We drive across the rolling steppe of Central Anatolia to the town
of Derinkuyu and descend into an underground labyrinth carved thousands
of years ago. Hundreds of cave-rooms and passageways descend eight
levels into the earth. Storerooms, kitchens, larders, and churches
show that this "underground city" was capable of housing thousands
of people when danger threatened. On our way back to our hotel we
stop at the striking Agzikarahan Caravansaray, built by the Seljuk
Turks in the 11th century as a way-station for the rich camel caravans
plying the Silk Route between Europe and Asia. Late afternoon drive
to Avnos , a traditional potter- making town to visit the local artisans,
and admire the fine detailing of the famous Iznic ceramic designs.
In the evening we visit an underground restaurant for a traditional
Turkish folklore show, with dances and costumes from several regions
rich in folklore, including Gaziantep, the Mediterranean, and the
Black Sea. The mysterious and alluring art of belly-dancing, and an
enjoyable evening of traditional Turkish dance.
DAY
5 - CAPPADOCIA LIFESTYLE WALK Tuesday (BLD)
Morning tour of the small local bustling vegetables, fruit and spice
market. Enjoy meeting locals as they do their daily shopping. Now
that we've seen the highlights, it's time to really enter into the
daily life of women in Cappadocia. We visit local cave homes in rock
hewn villages set in spectacular valleys off the beaten track, and
learn from local women how to prepare and cook several Cappadocian
culinary specialties. Depending upon the season, we may pick fresh
grapevine leaves to make dolma, or use a slender rolling pin to roll
the dough for manti (Turkish ravioli), or prepare fresh vegetables
for a savory lamb stew cooked in an earthenware crock. Best of all,
we get to enjoy our culinary creations for lunch! In the late afternoon,
choose any of several activities depending upon your interests. One
of the most popular is to learn how beautiful Turkish kilims and carpets
are created by talented Turkish female artists: we watch carpets being
woven, and talk with the artists creating them. Evening at leisure.
Dinner is served back at our hotel.
DAY
6 - CANYONS & LABYRINTHS Wednesday(BLD)
This morning we'll enjoy a brief demonstration by the hotel's
Chef, on the dishes served to the Sultans and Sultanas
,
including a variety of traditional meze (Turkish hors d'oeuvres) made
with eggplant, garlic, spiced yoghurts, salad greens, and goat cheese;
oven baked lamb or skewered meats; and plump figs, apricots and nuts.
Food- you may join in , try your hand in Ottoman cooking , memories--are
twice as good when you make them yourself! Enjoy lunch at the hotel
and the meal you help prepared after which we return to Göreme
village to meet local women in their homes We share in delicious sweets
! The afternoon and evening are yours to enjoy as you wish.
Evening farewell dinner.
DAY
7 - MONASTERIES & MARKETS/ ISTANBUL Thursday (BL)
Today we visit some of the most interesting sights in Cappadocia:
the striking scenery and cave churches of the Pancarlik Valley, the
Keklik Monastery complex in Soganli Valley, and the Ottoman village
of Mustafapasa, filled with graceful old Greek and Turkish houses.
Afterwards we drive to the airport for your flight back to Istanbul
and your hotel.
DAY
8 - RETURN HOME Friday (B)
We escort you to the airport for your onward or homeward flight.
RATES
(per person) in USD $
| In Triple Occupancy
|
US$
1708.00 |
| In Double Occupancy
|
US$
1860.00 |
| In Single Occupancy
|
US$
2906.00 |
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