Itinerary
13
Day 1: Arrive Istanbul
Day 2: Full Day Istanbul Old City
Day 3: Half Day Spice Market & Bosphorus Cruise & Flight to Cappadocia
Day 4: Full Day Fairy Chimneys of Cappadocia
Day 5: Flight to Izmir & Transfer to Kusadasi
Day 6: Full Day Ephesus & House of Virgin Mary
Day 7: Flight to Rome
Day 8: Full Day Combo - Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter’s Basilica
Day 9: Rome to Florence by High Speed Train
Day 10: Half Day Accademia Gallery & Walking Tour of Florence
Day 11: Florence to Venice by High Speed Train
Day 12: Morning Walking Tour of Venice & Afternoon Gondola Ride
Day 13: Departure
Show day by day details
1
Arrive in Istanbul
Arrive in Istanbul Airport and proceed to meeting point. Transfer to your hotel.
Time at leisure. Overnight in Istanbul.
* No meal is included.
** We will provide the arrival transfer according to your flight details.
2
Full Day Istanbul Old City
Meet your guide at the hotel lobby and join group. First visit is to Hagia Sophia, a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque and now a museum. Continue the tour with Sultan Ahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque), the culmination of two centuries of both Ottoman mosque and Byzantine church development. Visit Hippodrome of Constantinople, once the sporting and social center of Constantinople. Then, have some free time in Grand Bazaar, one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the World. After lunch, visit Topkapi Palace, the official and primary residence in the city of the Ottoman sultans for approximately 400 years. Finally, visit Rustem Pasha Mosque, which is famous for its large quantities of exquisite Iznik tiles. Transfer back to the hotel. Time at leisure. Overnight in Istanbul.
* Breakfast and lunch are included.
3
Half Day Spice Market & Bosphorus Cruise & Flight to Cappadocia
Meet your guide at the hotel lobby and join group. Before embarkation on the boat, visit the Spice Bazaar (or Egyptian Bazaar), the second largest covered shopping complex after the Grand Bazaar. Filled with spices, dried fruits, nuts and seeds, lokum (Turkish delight) and other edibles, Spice Bazaar have a smell of the fragrance of the exotic East. Then, embark on a ferryboat for an excursion on the Bosphorus. Enjoy viewing Ottoman palaces, citadels, centuries-old mansions and old and new faces of Istanbul on the European and Asian shorelines at the same time. After the tour, drop-off to your hotel. Pick up from hotel and transfer to airport to take the flight to Cappadocia.
Arrive Cappadocia and transfer to your hotel. Time at leisure. Overnight in Cappadocia.
* Breakfast is included.
4
Full Day Fairy Chimneys of Cappadocia
Meet your guide at the hotel lobby and visit Devrent Valley, Monks Valley (Pasabagi), see some of the most striking fairy chimneys in Cappadocia with twin and even triple rock caps. Proceed to Avanos, well-known pottery town of Anatolia. After lunch, continue on to the Goreme Open-Air Museum. It contains the finest of the rock-cut churches, with beautiful frescoes (wall paintings) whose colors still retain all their original freshness. Finally visit Uchisar Town which is famous with its huge rock-cut castle and wonderful view of Pigeons Valley. Time at leisure. Overnight in Cappadocia.
* Breakfast and lunch are included.
5
Flight to Izmir & Transfer to Kusadasi
Pick up from your hotel and transfer to the airport to take the flight to Izmir. Arrive Izmir, meet at the airport and transfer to your hotel in Kusadasi. Time at leisure. Overnight in Kusadasi.
* Breakfast is included.
6
Full Day Ephesus & House of Virgin Mary
Pick up from your hotel.
Visit the House of Virgin Mary, Ephesus Antique City and the Artemis Temple; one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Lunch is included as well.
After the tour transfer back to hotel.
Time at leisure. Overnight in Kusadasi.
* Breakfast and lunch are included.
7
Flight to Rome
Transfer to Izmir Airport and take the flight to Rome. Arrive Rome, meet at the airport and transfer to your hotel. Time at leisure. Overnight in Rome.
* Breakfast is included.
8
Full Day Combo Tour - Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter’s Basilica
Discover with an expert guide the “Anfiteatro Flavio”, the Colosseum: the largest amphitheater not only in the Eternal City, but in the world! Access the Palatine hill with no line and discover the hill where Rome was founded at the beginning. Then reach the Colosseum and be amazed by this monument that is the symbol of Rome in the world. The Amphitheater created to entertain ancient Roman citizens with bloody shows of gladiators, animals and cruel games, is now one of the most fascinating landmarks of the City. Then, walk on the original path of ancient Rome along the Via Sacra and see the Temples of Vesta, Antonino and Faustina, the ancient Basilica Julia and Aemilia and dream about the glorious past of the Roman Empire.
Lunch in a local restaurant.
In the afternoon take a tour of the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, jumping the lines! No stress to reach the area: upon arrival, your guide will lead you into the museums, through our preferred entrance, hence you’ll visit one of the most important art collections of the world. Admire the Gallery of Tapestries, and the Geographical Maps before arriving at the famous Sistine Chapel and the unforgettable Basilica! After the Sistine Chapel you will be taken, through an exclusive access to St. Peter’s Basilica, skipping long lines.
Time at leisure. Overnight in Rome.
* Breakfast and lunch are included.
9
Rome to Florence by High Speed Train
Transfer to train station and take the high-speed train to Florence. Arrive in Florence and transfer to your hotel. Time at leisure. Overnight in Florence.
* Breakfast is included.
10
Half Day Accademia Gallery & Walking Tour of Florence
Walk to the Accademia Gallery with our guide that will introduce you the city and main sights. Inside the Accademia Gallery you will learn why the David is the most recognizable symbol of Florence and what it used to represent in his time. How did the genius of Michelangelo meet the challenge of extracting the pathos of a being and fixing it forever in time in the Pietà, or the famous Prisoners who still seem to struggle free from their marble blocks? You will have the answers to all your questions. Get the chance to have a close encounter with timeless works of art and get the inside story of the life and times of this consummate artist. After the guided tour you will have some free time to wander around on your own and some free time to have lunch (not included).
The second part is a walking tour in which you will enjoy an excellent and complete introductory tour dedicated to those who want to know all the facts and secrets of two thousand years of Florentine history, from the city’s Roman origins to a 15th century palace, from the Ponte Vecchio, through the famous Uffizi courtyard, to the wonders of the architecture of Brunelleschi’s Dome which overlooks the Baptistery golden ‘Gates of Paradise’. Tour ends around 15:15.
Free afternoon at leisure. Overnight in Florence. Free afternoon at leisure. Overnight in Florence.
* Breakfast is included.
11
Florence to Venice by High Speed Train
Transfer to train station and take the high-speed train to Venice. Arrive in Venice and transfer to your hotel. Time at leisure. Overnight in Venice.
* Breakfast is included.
12
Morning Walking Tour of Venice & Afternoon Goldola Ride
Reach the meeting point by your own (Campo San Luca) and join the tour group. Start your tour from Piazza San Marco. Hear and learn about the origins, history and description of the main monuments: Basilica San Marco, Palazzo Ducale, Bell tower, Clock Tower and Procuratie. Then proceed to Santa Maria Formosa to discover its wonderful and characteristic square. After that visit Campo St. Giovanni e Paolo, which is called the “Pantheon” of Venice. The last stop is Marco Polo’s House and Malibran Theatre.
After listening the anecdotes and history of these two in this beautiful corner of Venice, return to San Marco through the Mercerie, vital connection between Rialto and San Marco. In the afternoon proceed to meeting point (Campo San Luca). Enjoy a half-an-hour gondola ride, gliding through Venice’s Grand Canal and minor canals. Be amazed with the splendid palaces, churches, bridges, gardens and warehouses lining the city’s liquid streets.
Overnight in Venice.
* Breakfast is included.
13
Departure
Take the boat to Venice Airport.
End of services.
* Breakfast is included.
** We will provide the departure transfer according to your flight details.
Services
Included
- Transfers as mentioned in the itinerary.
- Accommodations including daily breakfast.
- Full day Istanbul old city tour including transportation, entrance fees, professional guidance in English and lunch.
- Half day Spice Market tour & Bosphorus cruise including transportation, professional guidance in English and boat tour.
- Full day fairy chimneys of Cappadocia tour including transportation, entrance fees, professional guidance in English and lunch.
- Full day Ephesus & House of Virgin Mary tour including transportation, entrance fees, professional guidance in English and lunch.
- Full day combo tour “Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter’s Basilica” on group basis including hotel pick-up, professional guidance, lunch and entrance fees.
- Half day Accademia Gallery & walking tour of Florence on group basis including professional guidance and entrance fees.
- Morning walking tour of Venice including expert multilingual escort.
- Afternoon gondola ride in Venice for 30 minutes on shared basis (maximum 6 people).
- Domestic flight tickets; Istanbul-Cappadocia, Cappadocia-Izmir, Izmir-Istanbul.
- International flight tickets; Izmir-Rome.
- High-speed train tickets; Rome-Florence, Florence-Venice.
- Local taxes.
Excluded
- Items of a personal nature.
- International flights (except Izmir-Rome).
- Visas (if needed).
- City taxes in Italy.
Dates
Pricing
Notes
Sure, the program is fully flexible and any changes can be made according to your comments which will help us to create the perfect package for you. You can shorten or extend the itinerary, add or remove the days/destinations/tours or change the transportations (regular ferry/high speed ferry/flight).
How soon in advance should we book?
We strongly recommend our guests to book as early as possible to take the advantage of discounted rates and availabilities.
How can we book?
We have a secure payment website and you can pay by your credit card online. As alternative, you can also pay by bank transfer.
Do you need full payment at the time of booking?
A deposit of 30% is required at the time of booking. We accept payments via credit card or wire transfer. The balance is due 30 days prior to departure. In case reservation is made within 30 days of departure, the entire cost of the trip must be paid at the time of booking.
How do we get the confirmation?
As soon as we receive your payment, we will start securing your reservations. Once they have been secured, you will receive the confirmed travel itinerary with all services noted along including our local destination management contact details.