Departure with flights from Rome - Bologna - Bergamo
Flights Italy-Istanbul and Izmir-Istanbul-Italy Domestic flight Istanbul-Mardin (4th day) 3 nights in a hotel in Istanbul with BB 7 nights in hotels during the tour with 7 dinners 6 lunches included as per program Italian-speaking guide Transfers, visits, excursions
11 days / 10 nights Duration
Flight included Transport
Italian tour guide Leader
2 / 40 persone Travel group
2/99 Age range
Tour The Colors of Turkey – An unforgettable journey through Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale, and Ephesus. Discover the magic of the Blue Mosque, the fairy chimneys, the travertine pools, and the ancient city of Ephesus. A well-organized tour with selected hotels, expert guides, and an itinerary designed to let you experience the true essence of Turkey. Book now and be enchanted by the contrasts between East and West
Day 1 Italy → Istanbul
Arrival in Istanbul, assistance, and transfer to the selected hotel. Overnight stay
Day 2 Istanbul
Breakfast. In the morning, we will begin with a half-day "Byzantine Tour": We will start by visiting the Süleymaniye Mosque, considered the most beautiful of Istanbul’s imperial mosques, built between 1550 and 1557 by Sinan, the chief architect of the Ottoman Golden Age. Next, we will head to the ancient walls of Constantinople, now known as the Mevlana Gate, built by Emperor Theodosius II in 413. These solid walls, several stories high and between three and six meters thick, protected the city from attacks by the Goths, Bulgarians, Russians, Arabs, and Turks. The walls were breached only twice: by the Crusaders in 1204 and by Mehmet "The Conqueror" in 1453.
Next, we will visit the Monastery of the Virgin of the Spring. According to historians Procopius and Cedrenus, the church was originally built by Emperor Justinian in the last years of his reign, near a water source previously known as the "Spring of Miracles", located outside the Theodosian Walls, near today’s Silivri Gate.
The tour ends in Eminönü, once the city's main entrance, now a bustling area that hosts the "Egyptian Market," also known as the Spice Bazaar. Free afternoon to explore the city, or you can join the optional "Bosphorus Tour" offered by our guide. Overnight stay.
Day 3 Istanbul
Breakfast. We will depart for a half-day tour of the "Golden Horn": We will head to the picturesque and colorful districts of Fener and Balat, protected by UNESCO and considered the first settlements of ancient Constantinople.
Next, we will drive along the shores of the Golden Horn and visit the Iron Church of St. Stephen, a Bulgarian Orthodox church in a Turkish city, linked to the struggle for ecclesiastical independence in the 1830s and 1840s. It is the only iron Orthodox church in the world
Day 4 Istanbul → Madrin → Diyarbakir
Full Board. At the scheduled time, transfer to the airport for the scheduled flight (PC 2430 06:40-08:35) to Mardin. In the morning, visit to the Syriac Monastery of Deyrul Zafaran, one of the oldest monasteries in the world. For 640 years (until 1932), it was the residence of the Assyrian Orthodox Patriarch. The site was called Deyrul Zafaran (Saffron Church) due to the saffron cultivated in its surroundings. Every year, Assyrians from all over the world come here to pray and receive blessings.
Next, we will visit Mardin's city center. The city stretches along the slopes of a mountain crowned by its fortress. It is a caramel-colored town where the huge dome of the Ulu Camii Mosque stands out. This Seljuk Iraqi mosque, built in the 12th century, is located in a small yet intricate maze of alleys in the city center. We will pass by the Zinciriye Madrasa, whose minarets rise in the heart of the historic district.
The main street of the old town is Cumhuriyet Street, home to the vast and chaotic bazaar, where you can find delicate copper and brass works, the famous Aleppo soaps, and always the aroma of freshly baked bread. Lunch. Then, departure for Diyarbakır, one of the most important cities in the region, known in classical times as Amidiya. The city was annexed to Rome in 297 AD and became an essential part of the defensive line between the Roman and Parthian-Sassanid Persian Empires.
Upon arrival in Diyarbakır, we will start our walking tour of the historic center and its religious monuments, entering its ancient walls, strolling through its narrow, lively streets. We will stop at Hasan Pasha Han Caravanserai, now a must-visit spot to enjoy tea before visiting the Great Mosque, the most important of the twenty-two mosques in the city and the oldest in Anatolia, originally built as a Christian Cathedral of St. Thomas. We will continue the tour by visiting the Four-Legged Minaret, built by Kasim Khan. Legend has it that if you pass between its four columns seven times, it will bring good luck. Dinner and overnight stay
General information about the trip
Remember to bring a valid ID card or passport with an expiration date of no less than 6 months at the time of entry into the country. The Turkish currency is the Turkish Lira (TRY)
Visas and vaccinations
No entry visa is required for tourist purposes for stays of up to 90 days, and no vaccinations are required
Emergency numbers
Useful numbers for emergencies: 112 Police: 155 Ambulances: 112 Roadside assistance: The TTOK (Touring and Automobile Association of Turkey) has an active assistance service from Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tel: 0212 282 81 40 - extension 217 or extension 223
Available cancellation insurance
For the proposed packages, cancellation insurance is available which guarantees a refund of 75/80%, depending on the circumstances. In case you have valid reasons preventing you from traveling, there is a deductible of 20/15%
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