Istanbul x Capaddocia (Apr. 30 – 7 May 2020)

Occupancy: Room-Sharing (Single Supplement -Optional) | Adult (12-65+) | Child (2-11) | Infant (0-1)

Experience AFARI Travels & Tours Turkey Combo of two cities! Istanbul with its rich history and culture, stunning scenery, magnificent structures, and a plethora of aspects; and Cappadocia best known for its unique moon-like landscape, underground cities, cave churches and houses carved in the rocks.

Package is designed for the adventurer, vacation seekers and travel enthusiasts!

Package includes : Return flight, airport transfers, visa processing assistance, medical insurance, accommodation in premium 4-stars with breakfast, tour guide, tours and more.

Premium!

Enjoy private airport transfers, daily breakfast, Mosque tours, City & Museum tours, Churches & relics, palaces and more!

NB. – Extending stay beyond the date for the package will attract extra cost for flight modification and related costs. 

Itinerary

Day 1

Welcome to Istanbul! You will be transferred to your hotel and the remainder of the day is yours, free to explore.  At 5-pm, we will be taking you to Istinye Park Mall and then going back to Hotel for Dinner and Overnight in Istanbul.

Day 2

Your guide will meet you after breakfast for a tour of the Ottoman Istanbul. Starting with the Blue Mosque which was completed in 1616. Our next stop willbe the Topkapi Palace, more than just a palace, it is an assemblage of museums containing collections amassed by the Sultans for almost five centuries. Our visit also takes you to the famous Harem where the Imperial Family resided.

We then walk out to Divan Yolu, the old “Road to the Imperial Council’ now a busy thoroughfare, for lunch at a local restaurant. Next we walk through the old cobbled streets down to Rustem Pasha Mosque, designed by Mimar Sinan in 1561, and then the Spice Market, where Genoese and Venetian goods were sold at a time when there was no Suez Canal, and all the spices from the East were also brought here after being loaded on vessels in Egypt. We end the tour with a visit to the greatest Bazaar of them all, the Grand Bazaar, one of the most extraordinary shopping experiences in the world. Dinner and overnight in Istanbul.

Day 3

Our second day in Istanbul takes us to a number of Byzantine Relics. We first stroll to the great square which was once the Byzantine Hippodrome. Now it is a great park like area surrounded by the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and the Underground Cistern. The Hippodrome exhibits the Walled Column, The Serpent Column and the Egyptian Obelisque from the Byzantine times and the German Fountain is located in the North end of the Hippodrome. Next we visit the Hagia Sophia, the most important Byzantine building in the world. After lunch at a local restaurant we take a short drive to The Chora Church to see the climax of Byzantine Mosaic Art. We end the tour with a visit to the Underground Cistern, commonly called the Basilica Cistern. Dinner and overnight in Istanbul.

Day 4

On our last day in Istanbul, we check out after a leisurely breakfast and take a short drive to the shores of the Bosphorus to visit the Dolmabahce Palace. Overlooking the Bosphorus, its beauty is incomparable with 14 tons of pure gold used for its interior decoration, its priceless paintings, furniture, and a rich collection of Bohemian crystal in addition to its famous Harem section. Then we get on board at Bebek Pier for a 1 hour private cruise of the Bosphorus. After lunch at a local restaurant, we are transferred to Istanbul Airport for the 17:40 flight to Nevsehir, then we take an hour’s transfer to our hotel in Avanos. Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia.

Day 5

Our first real encounter with Cappadocia’s almost Martian landscape is in the Dervent valley, where the rock formations are amazing. A walk through the Zelve Open Air Museum is a journey into the past, with its troglodyte houses. This is one of the earliest inhabited and latest abandoned monastic settlements in Cappadocia. After Zelve we visit Pasabag’s “fairy chimneys”, where the voice of  the wind harmonizes with the songs of the fairies. From here we pause at Avanos, a centre of terracotta art since 2,000 BC, for a demonstration in a traditional pottery workshop. After lunch in Avanos, we visit the famous Goreme Open Air Museum to see the best examples of Byzantine art in Cappadocia. These are found in rock-cut churches with frescoes and paintings dating from as early as the 10th century. We complete the tour with a visit to the Uchisar Rock-Castle, giving you a panoramic view of the valleys of Cappadocia. Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia.

Day 6

Our first stop is the Soganli Valley, an open air museum in a wild natural setting near a typical Cappadocian village with its different style rock-cut churches and frescoes. After this, we drive to Mustafapasa through the unspoiled villages of Cappadocia, surrounded by the “table-top” mountains. On the way we visit the Keslik Monastery near Cemil village, which hides its frescoes behind a very thin smoke layer which can only be seen by torch light. After lunch in Mustafapasa at an old Greek house hosted by a local family, we descend towards the centre of the earth, with a trip to the Underground City of Kaymakli, one of the largest and deepest of Cappadocia’s many such settlements. Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia.

Day 7

Transfer to Cappadocia Airport to board the flight to Istanbul that gives best connection to your international flight out of Istanbul.

Cost

The package cost covers items stated below, flight inclusive.

• Early-bird discount applies to this package when a deposit payment is made.

NB. – All prices are subject to availability and could change if you book late.

Visa Information

Destination requires visa for Nigerians.  Also, ensure your international passport has more than six (6) months validity prior to departure date.

NB. – Nigerians in diaspora who wish to join this trip should indicate via email or call +234-906-307-0000 for visa consultations.

Flight Details

Airline: Turkish Air or Similar

Safety

Turkey is safe and friendly.

Group Size and Payment Deadline:

Group Size is stated above. The price stated above is only guaranteed after a booking is confirmed — however, the exchange rate and availability are variable conditions.

Access to our travel experience documentary (Professional Pictures and Videos Capturing the moments) are based on availability.

What is excluded?

If you wish to join only the tour/experience – kindly call or send us a mail. Visa Processing fee is excluded for persons with foreign passport. Any other experience outside the itinerary is excluded from the cost of the package.

Want a private tour?

If you wish to have this package in Bespoke, contact us for a bespoke itinerary.

Itinerary is subject to change due to force majeure. Terms & Conditions Apply. Call +234 906 307 0000 or email info@afaritravels.com for more information.
NB: All paid bookings are subject to confirmation from AFARI Travels & Tours.