CAPPADOCIA, PAMUKKALE, IZMIR & CANAKKALE

Start your day with a delightful breakfast at your hotel, followed by a hassle-free transfer to Istanbul airport, where you'll board your flight to Cappadocia, a mesmerizing region of Turkey.

Upon arrival, we will arrange a smooth transfer to your hotel. Rest and relax before indulging in a delicious dinner and settling into your comfortable accommodations.

Greca Tip: Don't miss the opportunity to savor a refreshing drink while taking in the breathtaking scenery from the terrace of your hotel.

On this day, you will focus on exploring the beautiful region of Cappadocia. After a satisfying breakfast, your first stop will be the Göreme Valley. Here, you can visit the open-air museum and witness the ancient villages where cave dwellers lived in prehistoric times. You will also have the opportunity to explore the underground cities.

The Göreme Valley holds historical significance as it is where St. Basil the Great and his Christian brothers brought together the ideas of Christianity. You can explore the various churches, chapels, and monasteries in the area, which feature ancient frescoes painted on their walls.

Next, you will head to the Troglodyte Village of Uçhisar and the Avcilar Valley, which offer breathtaking landscapes. The unique rock formations in these areas will leave you in awe.

Continuing your journey, you will pass through the Devrent Valley, also known as the Imaginary Valley. Here, you will encounter peculiar rock formations that resemble mushrooms and other animal shapes.

To complete your day, you will visit local artisan workshops, including carpet-making and jewelry shops that specialize in translucent onyx stones, which are highly sought after.

After a fulfilling day of exploration, you will return to your hotel, where you can enjoy a delicious dinner and spend the night.

Greca Tip: While in Cappadocia, a hot-air balloon ride over the historic cave dwellings of Goreme Town is simply a must!

After a filling breakfast and early in the morning, you will leave for Pamukkale, meaning 'cotton castle' in Turkish. On your way there you will stop at the Old Palace and Medieval Fort of Caravanserai built along the trade route that once led to Persia and where merchants from the East and West used to rest, stock up on supplies, and socialize.

Upon your arrival, you will have free time to familiarize yourself with the city and maybe visit Pamukkale's terraces full of travertine from the hot thermal springs of the area. You will spend the night here in Pamukkale and enjoy dinner at your hotel.

Greca Tip: Take advantage of your free time to take a dip in the thermal pools of your hotel.

Breakfast at your hotel and, at the agreed time, you will visit the archaeological site of Ephesus, the vast and beautiful Greco-Roman city, a vibrant metropolis.

In Ephesus, you will visit the ruins of the Odeon, a small roofed theatre for plays and concerts, the Temple of Hadrian, the Library of Celsus, which once held nearly 12,000 scrolls, the Greco-Roman theater as well as the Agora and the Basilica of Saint John, built during the reign of the emperor Justinian in the 6th century.

A major tourist attraction is Maryemana, a house that is believed to be the last resting place of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Afterward, you will stop at a leather production center, where you can pick the 'silk leather' item that you like at much-reduced prices. You will continue to Izmir, have dinner, and then rest.

Greca Tip: You can also visit the Ephesus Archaeological Museum with the finds from the ancient city, including an exquisitely carved Artemis statue and the Gladiator Room.

After breakfast and at the time indicated by your guide, you will depart for the ancient city of Pergamon (current Bergama), one of the cultural, commercial, and medical centers of the ancient world in Asia Minor.

The name of the city continues to live as a distortion of Pergamon, "pergamini" or 'parchment', which was the paper that resulted from the treatment of sheepskins and rivaled papyrus for writing purposes.

In Pergamon, you will visit the Asclepion, a place where death was forbidden to enter and an ancient therapeutic center dedicated to Asclepius, the god of medicine. The famous physician Galen once lived here.

After the visit, you will continue to Troy, a fascinating place that evokes Homer’s epic poem, the Iliad.

After visiting this famous archaeological city of history and literature, you will continue to Cannakale, located on the southern coast of the Dardanelles, at their narrowest point. Here you will check in at your hotel, have dinner, and spend the night. 

Greca Tip: Don't miss ascending the interior tower of Kilitbahir Castle for views of the storied waterway.

After a delicious breakfast, you'll head to the Dardanelles Strait, formerly known as the Hellespont.

From there, you'll take a ferry to the Gallipoli Peninsula, one of the most emotionally evocative places in Turkey due to its significance in World War I.

Today, the historic site is dotted with cemeteries and war memorials, including Brighton Beach, the Beach Cemetery, Anzac Cove, Ariburnu Cemetery, the Anzac Commemorative Site, and the Respect to Mehmetik Statue, dedicated to a brave young Mehmet who saved a Kiwi soldier. Other memorials include the Lone Pine Australian Memorial, the Nek, and the Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial.

After about a five-hour drive, you'll reach Istanbul and be transferred to your hotel for check-in and an overnight stay.

Greca Tip: At the Gallipoli Battle Museum, you'll find soldiers' uniforms, ammunition, photographs, personal effects, and letters they wrote to their families, providing firsthand accounts of their battlefield experiences.