Tour Highlights : Ankara, Hattusas, Cappadocia

Day 1 – Istanbul – Ankara – Cappadocia

Take the early morning flight from Istanbul to Ankara. Arrival and meeting just outside the arrival’s gate with a sign bearing your name. Visit to Archeological museum of Ankara, received European Museum of the year award in 1997 With its unique collection including Paleolithic, Neolithic, Hattie, Hittite, Phrygian, Urartian and Roman works and Lydian treasures. Drive to Hattusas ( 2 and a half hours), capital of the Hittite empire in the 2nd millennium BC. The ancient city is on the outskirts of present-day Bogazkale, just over 125 miles east of Ankara. The Hittites were the first true empire in the Anatolian area, and is mentioned in texts from other empires outside the area and in The Bible. Lunch and visit the temples and the castles. Transfer to your hotel in Cappadocia and overnight. Drive to Cappadocia (about 3 and a half hours). Check-in to your hotel in Cappadocia and overnight.

Day 2 – Cappadocia

Meeting at the hotel reception at 09:30am
In the morning, first meeting with the lunar landscape of Cappadocia: rock formations beyond belief in Devrent valley; walking in Pasabag near Zelve ; “fairy chimneys” where the voice of wind mixes with the “songs of fairies”. Lunch in Avanos, centre of terra cotta work of art since 3000 BC. and a demonstration in a traditional pottery workshop. Afternoon, visit the famous Goreme Open Air Museum and see the best examples of Byzantine art in Cappadocia in rock-cut churches with frescoes and paintings (10th to 13th century). Continue to the Uchisar Rock-Castle to have a panoramic view of the valleys of Cappadocia and overnight.

Day 3 – Cappadocia Hot air ballooning with sunrise (extra).

Meeting at the hotel reception at 09:30am
Tour to Kaymaklı Underground City, one of the most interesting underground settlements in Cappadocia. Drive to to Sahinefendi ( Sobesos )- Sobessos is newly discovered (01 May 2002) mosaic houses & Archaeological excavation site. Villages in the valleys, surrounded by the “table top” mountains, are spectacular. Continue with Keslik Monastery near Cemil, that hides it’s frescoes behind a very thin smoke layer which we can only see by torch light. Lunch break. Visit to Mustafapaşa (Sinasos), an old Greek town with its spectacular old Greek houses; very fine examples of late Greek settlements and architecture. Visit to Saruhan Caravanserai, a roadside inn where travellers could rest and recover from the day’s journey. Caravanserais supported the flow of commerce, information and people across a network of trade routes of Asia, North Africa and South-Eastern Europe on the legendary Silk Road and the Spice road. Continue with panorama of the Red Valley, with its fabulous volcanic rock formations, is in the heart of Cappadocia but away from the tourist crowd. Overnight Cappadocia

Day 4 – Cappadocia – Istanbul

Pick-up from hotel 2 hours before flight departure.
Transfer to airport for your flight to Istanbul.

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