After breakfast at the hotel, we will drive along the coastline of the Sea of Marmara, following along the City Walls of Byzantium. The 5th-century walls built by Emperor Theodosius II stretch for 4 miles from Istanbul’s Golden Horn  to the Sea of Marmara. They were breached only twice in 1600 years. The  first breach occurred during the Fourth Crusade in 1204; the second in  1453 by the cannons and troops of Sultan Mehmet the 2nd, the Conqueror.  Several of the main gates were restored during the 1990s, but other  parts of the walls are unrestored. We will then visit the Theodosius Cistern  (known as Şerefiye Sarnıcı in Turkish), which was built by Roman  Emperor Theodosius II between 428 and 443 to store water supplied by the  Valens Aqueduct. The Aqueduct of Valens was redistributed by Theodosius  from its original supply to the Nymphaeum, the Baths of Zeuxippus and  the Great Palace of Constantinople. This redistribution led to the  construction of the Theodosius Cistern. The area is about 148 by 82 feet  and the roof is supported by 32 marble columns about 30 ft high.

Lunch at a local restaurant.

Hagia Sophia  is the most magnificent of all Byzantine churches and is one of the  world’s finest and largest architectural works of art. It was built by  Anthemius of Tralles and Isodorus of Miletus between 532 and 537 under  the rule of Emperor Justinian. When the Byzantine Empire collapsed under  the attack of Mehmet the 2nd on May 29, 1453, Islam became the state  religion. At noon that day, Mehmet the 2nd had the muezzins call the  Muslims to prayer from Hagia Sophia, thus converting it into a mosque.  It is now a museum where early Christian mosaics and Islamic calligraphy  live side-by-side.

The Blue Mosque  takes its name from the exquisite tiles adorning its interior. Built by  Sultan Ahmet I in the early 17th century and designed by a pupil of  Sinan, the greatest of Ottoman architects, it is the only imperial  mosque with six minarets. Its courtyard is especially grand.

Late afternoon optional visit to the famous Hürrem Sultan Hamam.  Exfoliate, steam up and rub down at the Hamam. After changing into a  pestemal (a traditional checkered cloth, loosely wrapped around the  body), you’ll enter a steam room where an attendant will lather you with  soap and then scrape it off with a kese (a brillo-like mitt meant to  remove the dead skin); a massage and sometimes a hair wash follow. By  spending the afternoon at this 18th century-era Hamam, you’ll be  following in the footsteps not only of countless Turks, but also Franz  Liszt, Florence Nightingale, and Kaiser Wilhelm, all of whom got the  treatment when in Istanbul.

Dinner at a local restaurant.

Return to the hotel and overnight.

After breakfast at the hotel, we will drive to Eminönü to visit the Rustem Pasha Mosque:  this mosque is one of the city's architectural gems. The interior is  covered in some of the most exquisite Iznik tiles ever produced. The  tiles have the famous red color that was difficult to produce at the  time. Rüstem Pasha was the son-in-law and a grand vizir of Sultan  Süleyman the Magnificent (1520- 1566).

Next stop is the Spice Bazaar:  this extensive market was built in the 17th century to finance the  upkeep of the nearby mosque, Yeni Cami. The bazaar is often referred to  as the “Egyptian Market” due to the fact that spices used to come to the  market from India and Southeast Asia via Egypt. Despite the fact that  the bazaar is becoming more touristy, there is still plenty to discover  for the “foodie.” We will also visit local stores in the back streets of  the Spice Bazaar that sell şimşir cooking spoons and spatulas.

We then visit the Topkapı Palace,  the private residence and seat of government of the Ottoman Sultans  from 1465 to 1853. It houses spectacular porcelain as well as jewel  collections including the Spoonmaker Diamond (fifth largest in the  world) and jeweled swords and armor of the Sultans. After entering a  gate once lined with the severed heads of those who dared oppose the  Sultan, we will wander through rooms of precious artworks and artifacts,  visit the newly remodeled Kitchen, and explore the famous Harem,  residence of the Sultan, his wives, concubines, and children.

Dinner and cooking class at the Chef’s Table  cooking school with Chef Serkan Bozkurt: a food lover’s dream, gaining  knowledge of Turkish cuisine on site, using authentic spices under the  tutelage of an award-winning culinary expert! We will give away one  apron per person as a gift! 

Overnight at the hotel. 

Breakfast at the hotel. Today we will enjoy a 1½ hour cruise up the Bosphorus strait on a private boat.

We will then have an early brunch at the Gulluoglu Baklava Factory in Karakoy.  We will tour parts of the factory, including the area where the dough  is rolled out, and later enjoy savory and sweet varieties of baklava,  along with Turkish coffee. 

Later, we’ll drive to the Grand Bazaar,  one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world. It was  built of wood around an old Byzantine building after the Conquest of  Istanbul. The Bazaar initially consisted of just two warehouses—the  Inner Bedesten and Sandal Bedesten--known as the old Bedesten (Old  Bazaar) of today. Throughout subsequent centuries the Bazaar became much  larger with the addition of many new sections and inns (han). Domed  roofs covered the streets, and buildings were interconnected. Today it  covers an area of approximately 37,000 square yards with about 4,000  shops, 17 inns, 61 streets, 2 mosques, several cafes and restaurants,  and 22 gates. Navigation around the vast Bazaar is made somewhat easier  since the streets are laid out more or less in a grid, and shops tend to  be grouped according to the products sold.

Dinner at a local restaurant.

Overnight at the hotel. 

 Flight from Istanbul to Izmir and transfer to Kuşadası. 

​After we drop our luggage off at the hotel we will take a private Gullet tour for 4 hours, including lunch onboard.

The rest of the afternoon will be at leisure.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast at the hotel we will drive to Ephesus.  For ancient paganism as well as early Christianity, Ephesus was an  important religious center, second only to Athens and later Jerusalem.  The cult of Artemis gave way to Christianity as the Virgin Mary was  reputed to have spent her final days nearby and St. Peter and St. Paul  both preached here. Ephesus kept its important standing due to its  well-placed port and its religious significance, which the locals were  not above exploiting. After Emperor Augustus proclaimed Ephesus the  capital of the Asian province in 27 BC, the city became one of the most  important in the extended Roman Empire. We begin at the Magnesia Gate,  where our guide will take us on a leisurely downhill walk through  marble streets of the city, pausing at sites along the walk to describe  their significance. See the Gymnasium, Odeon, Fountain of Trajan, Temple of Hadrian, Upper Agora, Town Hall, Byzantine house, Roman baths, and surprisingly efficient public bathrooms. One of the most imposing sites at Ephesus is the Library of Celsus.  Built in 135 BC and finely decorated with columns and sculpture, it was  erected by a son in homage to his father. Another significant structure  is a short walk away - the amphitheater. Known for its excellent  acoustics, it was here that St. Paul preached to the Ephesians,  encouraging them to give up their worship of Artemis and embrace the  Christian faith.  

Lunch and winery visit.  

Return to Kusadası, rest of evening at leisure. Overnight at the hotel. 

After breakfast and checking out of the hotel we will  drive to Izmir for our flight to Cappadocia. We will check in to our  cave hotel and have the afternoon at leisure.

Dinner at a local restaurant.

Overnight at the cave hotel. 

Balloon Trip  (optional) - 04.30 Wake up call! Balloon Trip. For those interested, we  will have an early morning transfer to the location where we will meet  the balloon crew. The gentle and stable wind conditions are ideal during  the first few hours of the day in Cappadocia. It is also the ideal time  for photography, with splendid colors and contrasts. Don’t forget to  bring your camera! The deep canyons and gentle winds carry us over  places that could never be reached except by balloon. After flying over  Cappadocia for about 55 to 60 minutes, we will land to an awaiting  champagne toast!

Return to the hotel for breakfast.

After breakfast we will visit Devrent Valley and Zelve: an open-air museums and the natural Uçhisar Fortress,  where early Christians found shelter from the 11th century onwards.  Devrent Valley is a lunar landscape with many strange rock formations  and animal-shaped rocks. Zelve, a  cave town, once was home to one of the largest communities in the  region. It is honeycombed with religious and secular dwellings. Until  1924, Christians and Muslims lived together in the community. At this  time there was an exchange of Greek and Turkish minorities, and the  Christians had to leave Zelve. In the 1950s the Muslims were forced to  evacuate these homes due to severe erosion, which made it dangerous to  remain living in them. As a result, a modern village, Yeni Zelve (New  Zelve), was built to house the people. Uçhisar Fortress is the highest  point in Cappadocia. Hollowed out rooms in it were interconnected via  tunnels and stairs. Access to these rooms was controlled by circular  stone doors similar to those in the underground settlements.

After lunch at a local restaurant, we will continue our visit to the Göreme Open-Air Museum.  There are many churches and chapels displaying frescos, and some have  strange symbolic decorations. Recently an extensive protection program  has been put into place because the churches are very prone to erosion.  To prevent this they are slowly being covered with a resilient  artificial surface designed to stop the gradual destruction by nature.  The frescoes are divided up into pre- and post-Iconoclastic ones. The  earlier works rely entirely on symbolism to communicate their messages.  Their simple form is a result of the early church’s disapproval of  portraying the human form in religious art. The works which postdate the  resolution of the Iconoclastic controversy (mid 9th Century) are much  more figurative. It is interesting to compare them and realize that both  styles are telling the same stories of Christ and the Saints.

Early evening, visit Saruhan Caravanserai to see the Whirling Dervishes.

Dinner at a local restaurant.

Overnight at the cave hotel. 

After breakfast in the hotel, our first stop is the Soganli valley, which is one of the earliest settlements in Cappadocia. 

We will then drive to Ayvali Village where we will enjoy a cooking class and lunch in the village. 

After lunch we will visit Özkonak underground city.  Once home to about 5,000 people, it was carved 6 stories deep into the  Anatolian plateau. The top 3 stories are open to visitors. Özkonak had  sophisticated ventilation and a crude communication system between  levels. Massive circular stones serving as doors were rolled across the  passages and sealed from the inside when invaders approached.

Overnight at cave hotel. 

 After breakfast at the hotel, we will visit Avanos,  set on the banks of the Kizilirmak, the Red River, which gets its name  from the clay that it deposits. This clay has provided Avanos with  pottery for centuries and the town is still dominated by this industry  despite the inroads that tourism has made in the area. The main street  has numerous shops and workshops selling plain and decorated pots and  plates and you can watch the potters at work using kick wheels, the  design of which has remained unchanged for generations. Many of the workshops will encourage you to have a go yourself. It's harder than it  looks. 

We will enjoy a farewell lunch experience at a local restaurant.

Rest of afternoon and evening at leisure.

Overnight at the cave hotel. 

Private group airport transfer to Kayseri airport. Due to the international flights varying by guest, end of services are at the Cappadocia airport.