Bella Turkey - April - Pronto Travel

Must-see Turkey Group - April 19 to 28, 2024

10 days | ★★★★★

$2795

Price Includes

International Flights
Transfers with assistance in Spanish.
Lodging in the hotels provided or similar.
Spanish speaking guide for all the visits indicated in the program.
Food regimen according to program.
Visits with entrance fees included.
Trips by minibus or bus with A/C, depending on the number of passengers.
Domestic Flights (IST/ASR- ADB/IST in economy class) 1 bag of 15 kg included
Service fees in Turkey Mandatory

Does not include

Personal expenses, extras, travel insurance/health insurance
Drinks at lunch / dinner
Tips to guide (at discretion - recommended 30USD pp)

Optional excursions

Net prices per person (only for reservation prior to arrival in Turkey)

Optional excursion (day 2) Pearls of Istanbul: 90 USD per person
Show in Cappadocia: 55 USD (Drinks, hors d'oeuvres, Show, Transfer) per person
Balloon Ride in Cappadocia: 260 USD

Itinerary

SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 2025 MIAMI

Departure of your flight to Istanbul from Miami (MIA) and New York (JFK) airports.

Day 2. SUNDAY, APRIL 20, 2025 ARRIVAL IN ISTANBUL

Upon arrival in Istanbul, you will be met and assisted at the airport. Transfer to the hotel

Day 3. MONDAY, APRIL 21, 2025 EXPLORING ISTANBUL

Start your day with a delicious breakfast at the hotel. The first stop of the morning will be to admire the ancient Walls of Constantinople, a testament to the city's rich history. Then, visit the Rüstem Pasha Mosque, a masterpiece designed by the famous architect Mimar Sinan for the Grand Vizier Damat Rüstem Pasha.

Continue your tour at the Egyptian Bazaar, also known as the Spice Bazaar, where you can immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the 17th century in the historic Eminönü quarter. The possibility of the optional excursion PEARLS OF ISTANBUL.

OPTIONAL TOUR: "Pearls of Istanbul".
This tour will take you on a boat tour of the Bosphorus, allowing you to appreciate iconic monuments such as the Dolmabahçe and Çırağan Palaces, and the Rumeli Hisarı Fortress. After the boat ride, you will visit Beylerbeyi Palace, a sumptuous 19th century white marble palace. The day culminates with lunch and a visit to Çamlica Hill, from where you will enjoy an unforgettable panoramic view of Istanbul and the Bosphorus.Transfer to the hotel.

Day 4. TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2025 FULL DAY TOUR OF THE OLD CITY

In the morning we will visit the Hagia Sophia (EXTERNAL VISIT), one of the most identifiable enclosures of Istanbul, beautiful architectural marvel that we offer to the visitor; also contemplated as one of the largest and most imposing churches in the world and today is a Mosque. Next, we will visit the Topkapi Palace, where the sultans lived between 1478 and 1856.Topkapi is not a single structure, but an organic monumental complex consisting of several kiosks, gardens and scattered areas that are located in the neighborhood or old town at the entrance of the Golden Horn. We continue to the Blue Mosque, admired for its six high minarets, terraces and domes that rise in the center of the building; you will see that the architect achieved his goal without a doubt; perfection with this impressive work. Lunch. In the afternoon Roman Hippodrome, (Seventh Severus period) ... space where chariot races and circuses took place, which served as entertainment for the inhabitants of Constantinople for over a thousand years.
Transfer to the hotel and accommodation.
Meals: Breakfast

Day 5. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2025 ISTANBUL -CAPPADOCIA

Breakfast at the hotel. At the indicated time transfer to the airport to take your flight to Cappadocia. Arrival and departure to Cappadocia. On the way, visit to the subway city of Ozkonak or Sehatlı built by Christian communities to protect themselves from Arab attacks. The subway city preserves the stables, common rooms, meeting room and small rooms for families Arrival to hotel in Cappadocia. Visit to a pottery and carpet workshop. Afternoon at leisure (possibility to make a beautiful safari in Cappadocia in 4*4).
Dinner and overnight at the hotel
Meals: Breakfast and dinner

THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 2025 CAPADOCIA

OPTIONAL EXCURSION IN HOT-AIR BALLOON
At dawn, possibility to participate to an optional hot air balloon excursion, a unique experience, over rock formations, fairy chimneys, natural formations, lunar landscapes.

Breakfast at the hotel. Day dedicated to the visit of this fantastic region, unique in the world Goreme Valley, with its cave churches, with paintings of the tenth and eleventh centuries; visit the troglodyte village of Uçhisar, Valley of Love, Dervent Valley with its curious natural formations, Avcilar Valley or Valley of the Hunters, Valley of the pigeons and time for craft workshops such as carpets and onyx-semi-precious stones. In the evening an optional excursion is offered to attend to see a show of typical dances of the region. The show only includes all types of unlimited drinks such as beer, wine and rakı (traditional Turkish drink containing 40 proof alcohol and aniseed). We will have dinner at the hotel before going to the venue. Return and overnight at the hotel.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner

Day 7. FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 2025 CAPPADOCIA -PAMUKKALE

Breakfast and departure to Pamukkale. We make a visit to Kervansaray and departure to Pamukkale and free time in the "Cotton Castle", unique in the world with the thermal pools of calcareous origin and petrified waterfalls. Hierapolis is one of the great sites of Anatolia, which, together with the attraction of the cotton pools, make the place a point of great interest. Today Pamukkale is located right next to the Ancient City of Hierapolis. The town was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and is recognized as one of the most important and attractive tourist centers in the world. The city of Pamukkale gets its name meaning "Cotton Castle" from the white layered limestone formations.

Hierapolis is also called "the Sacred City" due to numerous temples and religious buildings. The beauty of the white stones (travertines) that cover all the natural pools that were formed by the thermal water will certainly attract us as well. Short visit to the outlet. At the end transfer to the hotel. Dinner and overnight.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner

Day 8. SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 2025 PAMUKKALE- EFESO - SMYRNA OR KUSADASI

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure to visit the ruins of Ephesus, the fifth largest city in Roman times. During our visit we will appreciate the famous library Celsius after Alexandria, theater and some Roman and Hellenic temples, the Odeon, the Temple of Hadrian, the House of Love, the Agora, the Marble Street and the Theater as well. Then we will visit the house of the Virgin Mary where it is supposed that Mary arrived in Ephesus together with St. John and lived there until her Assumption (according to Catholic doctrine) or Dormition (according to Orthodox beliefs).

As this house is a place of pilgrimage it is visited by numerous Christian tourists often during the year. In the afternoon we stop at a leather production center. As Ephesus is a center of leather tannery since ancient times we will have the possibility to buy some leather clothes with the most reasonable price. We will also see a fashion show where we will be exposed to some of the most elegant jackets in the country. Then to your hotel. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner