Turkey complete

Departure from Italy with Pegasus flights. Upon arrival in Istanbul, meeting with the assistant and transfer to the hotel. Accommodation in reserved rooms, dinner on your own, and overnight stay.

Culture

30%

Nature

20%

History

30%

Adventure

10%

Food

10%

After breakfast, we'll head out for the so-called "Byzantine" tour. We'll begin by visiting the Suleymaniye Mosque - The Magnificent, considered the most beautiful of Istanbul's imperial mosques, built between 1550 and 1557 by Sinan, the famous architect of the Ottoman golden age. Then, we'll make our way to the ancient walls of Constantinople, near the present-day Mevlana Gate, commissioned by Emperor Theodosius II in 413. These sturdy walls, several stories high and between three and six meters thick, protected the city from constant attacks by the Huns, Bulgarians, Russians, Arabs, Goths, and Turks. The walls were breached only twice, by the Crusaders in 1204 and by Mehmed "the Conqueror" in 1453.

Next, we'll 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 formerly known as the "Fountain of Miracles", coming from a sacred well located outside the walls of Theodosius II, corresponding to today's Silivri Gate.

Free time for lunch in the Eminönü district, the main gateway to the city in Byzantine and Ottoman times, now a bustling area home to the "Egyptian Market" or "Spice Bazaar". Afternoon at leisure.

Optional excursion (at an additional cost) of the Bosphorus Cruise available. Return to the hotel at your own pace, dinner on your own, and overnight stay.

Culture

22%

Nature

32%

History

22%

Relax

22%

Breakfast. Departure for the "Classic" tour: we will start by visiting the Hagia Sophia Basilica (now a mosque) "Divine Wisdom," indisputably one of the most fabulous buildings of all time. Built by Constantine the Great and rebuilt by Justinian in the 6th century, its immense dome rises 55 meters from the ground, with a diameter of 31 meters. During the Ottoman Empire, it was converted into a mosque, and minarets were eventually added.

We continue with a visit to the ancient Byzantine Hippodrome, which was the center of the country's civil activity, where not only horse races and gladiator fights were held but also celebrations in honor of the emperor. Today it preserves the Obelisk of Theodosius, the Serpentine Column, and the German Fountain. The Blue Mosque was built in 1609 by Sultan Ahmet, who wanted to surpass Hagia Sophia with his mosque and built it with 6 minarets. Free lunch and the rest of the afternoon at leisure.
Possibility to take the tour (optional, for a fee) to Topkapi Palace, the Basilica Cistern of Yerebatan, and the Grand Bazaar. 
Return to the hotel on your own, free dinner, and overnight stay.

Culture

30%

Nature

30%

Adventure

20%

Food

20%

Breakfast and departure for the capital of Turkey: Ankara. Passing through the Eurasia Bridge and continuing on the highway. Arrival in Ankara and visit to the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, also known as the Hittite Museum, where artifacts are displayed in chronological order and visitors can follow the evolution of civilizations in Anatolia from prehistoric times to the Roman period. Lunch in a local restaurant. Continuing to Cappadocia, arrival and accommodation at the hotel, dinner and overnight stay.
In the evening, after dinner, possibility to attend the performance of the Whirling Dervishes (optional, at an additional cost)

(*) 4th day - Possibility of transfer from Istanbul to Cappadocia by plane as an alternative to the bus trip with the following program (optional, at an additional cost):
Transfer to the airport for the Istanbul/Kayseri flight. Arrival and transfer to the hotel in Cappadocia. Free lunch. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel with the rest of the participants.

Culture

20%

Nature

30%

History

20%

Adventure

20%

Food

10%

Breakfast. Day dedicated to exploring the region of Cappadocia, where Saint George was born, a unique place that combines the peculiarities of nature with places of great cultural interest.

We will start our tour with a walk through the fascinating Devrent Valley, known as the valley of the "fairy chimneys," where wind and water erosion on volcanic soil has created a spectacular landscape of peaks, cones, and obelisks. We will then visit the underground city of Ozkonak or similar, built by Christian communities to protect themselves from Arab attacks. We will stop at a carpet and kilim workshop. We will continue to visit the open-air museum of Goreme, which preserves an impressive number of rock-cut churches, chapels, and monasteries with 11th-century frescoes, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lunch at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, panoramic visit of the village of Uchisar and the spectacular volcanic sites of Avcilar (of the hunters) and Guvercinlik (of the pigeon houses), where you can enjoy a splendid panoramic view of Uchisar Castle, located on top of a volcanic rock promontory pierced by tunnels and windows. Stop at a craft workshop for decorations and jewelry. Return to the hotel. Dinner and overnight stay.
In the evening, after dinner, possibility to attend a folkloric show with Turkish folk dances (optional, at an additional cost)

Possibility to participate in a hot air balloon trip to admire the lunar and breathtaking landscape of Cappadocia illuminated by the first light of dawn (optional, at an additional cost, subject to reconfirmation based on seat availability). This trip may be canceled even a few hours before the start due to adverse weather conditions.

Culture

20%

Nature

30%

History

20%

Adventure

20%

Food

10%

Breakfast. Departure for Pamukkale through valleys and mountain ranges, with a brief stop to visit the Sultanhani Caravanserai (13th century), which served as a resting place for trade, pilgrimages, and military caravans, now a museum. Lunch at a local restaurant.

Arrival in Pamukkale, or the "cotton castle," a town famous for its pools of petrified white travertine, formed by the lime in the water of the thermal springs that emerge in the area. Check-in at the hotel, dinner, and overnight stay.

Culture

30%

Nature

30%

Relax

10%

Adventure

20%

Food

10%

Breakfast. In the morning, visit of Hierapolis, an ancient thermal city founded around 190 BC by the king of Pergamon, and very prosperous during the Roman period, it was built on top of the pools, with a beautiful theater and a large necropolis. Destroyed by an earthquake and rebuilt in 17 AD, it reached its peak splendor in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD.

Departure for Ephesus, the ancient city, the best-preserved classical city in Turkey, built in 1000 BC (the remains we see today date back to the 4th century BC), where you can admire the Temple of Hadrian, the Celsus Library and the Great Theater.

Subsequently, visit to the Basilica of St. John, built by Emperor Justinian on the tomb of John the Apostle, who died in Ephesus. It was erected in 548 at the foot of the ancient acropolis of Ephesus and then destroyed by wars, conflicts, and earthquakes. Today only the ruins remain. Lunch in a local restaurant, stop at one of the places where fashion shows are held and leather goods are sold. Continuing to Kusadasi, arrival and accommodation in the hotel, dinner, and overnight stay.

Culture

20%

Nature

40%

History

20%

Food

20%

Breakfast. In the morning, we visit Hierapolis, an ancient thermal city founded around 190 BC by the king of Pergamon, and very prosperous during the Roman period. It was built on top of the pools, with a beautiful theater and a large necropolis. Destroyed by an earthquake and rebuilt in 17 AD, it reached its peak in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD.

Departure for Ephesus, the ancient city, the best-preserved classical city in Turkey, built in 1000 BC (the remains we see today date back to the 4th century BC), where you can admire the Temple of Hadrian, the Celsus Library, and the Great Theater.

Next, we visit the Basilica of St. John, built by Emperor Justinian on the tomb of John the Apostle, who died in Ephesus. It was erected in 548 at the foot of the ancient acropolis of Ephesus and then destroyed by wars, conflicts, and earthquakes. Today only the ruins remain. Lunch at a local restaurant, stop at one of the places where fashion shows are held and leather goods are sold. Continue to Kusadasi, arrival and accommodation at the hotel, dinner and overnight stay.

Culture

30%

Nature

20%

History

20%

Adventure

20%

Breakfast at the hotel (according to the departure time) and transfer to Istanbul airport in time for the boarding formalities. Departure for Italy.