Cappadocia Ephesus Pamukkale 5 Days

DAY 1: ISTANBUL - CAPPADOCIA – GOREME OPEN AIR MUSUEM AND FAIRY CHIMNEYS
Take the morning flight from Istanbul Airport to Cappadocia. Arrive and meet you outside the arrivals gate and start with the tour. Visit Devrent Valley - natural rock formations with fantastic shapes, some of which are reminiscent of people and animals. Visit the Zelve area with Pasabagi for a walk in the vineyards among strange multiple "mushroom-capped" fairy chimneys, then continue to Avanos, which has been a center of terra cotta work since 3000 BC. See a pottery demonstration using the ancient kick-wheel technique. We will also visit Goreme Open Air Museum, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. See the best examples of Byzantine frescoes and symbols inside the rock-cut churches that date roughly from the 10th to the 13th along with the kitchens and dining halls of the monks in this extensive early Christian complex. The last stop will be Uchisar Castle where we climb up tunnels inside the rock citadel for an extensive panoramic view of the valleys of Cappadocia and even Mt Erciyes on a clear day. Overnight in Cappadocia. (B.)

DAY 2: CAPPADOCIA – UNDERGROUND CITY
09:30 Departure from your Hotel. Hike along the Red/Rose Valley, the most breathtakingly beautiful valleys in our unique area. Finish the hiking tour at the Cavusin Cave Village. After a 1 hour walking and Cavusin village visit continue to Kaymakli Underground City and explore four levels of this underground city which is a maze of tunnels where it is believed up to 3500 people may have lived. You will see storage rooms, kitchens and living areas with ventilation shafts. There are also wineries, stables and “millstone” doors which could be rolled to seal tunnel entrances from invaders. Parts of the underground city may be from the Hittite era but were also used by early Christians as a refuge as there is a small church. Last stop at one of the most important symbols of Cappadocia, the Legend of Three Beauties takes its name from the fairy chimney of two adults and a child. Overnight Cappadocia. (B.)

DAY 3: EPHESUS – HOUSE OF VIRGIN MARY
Transfer to Airport in Cappadocia and take the flight to Izmir. Arrive and meet you outside the arrivals gate and start our tour with a visit to the house where the Virgin Mary allegedly spent her last days, which is a pilgrimage site. We continue to Ephesus, which was one of the largest and most interesting ancient cities of Asia Minor. The tour of Ephesus includes the Library of Celsius, Temple of Hadrian, Agora and fantastic Greco-Roman theater. After lunch in a local restaurant, a visit is made to a cooperative weaving center to see how the Turkish carpets are made by hand. We will also see the Isabey Mosque which is a beautiful example of Selcuk architecture and the remains of the Temple of Artemis, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Overnight in Kusadasi. (B.D.)

DAY 4: KUSADASI – PAMUKKALE
8.30 Departure from your Hotel (take your luggage – drive to Pamukkale - around 3 hours). Arrival in Pamukkale, which has been a thermal spa center since before the Roman era. After lunch we visit the ancient city of Hierapolis, which is said to have been founded by King Eumenes II of Pergamon. We visit the great Roman baths, the Temple of Apollo and the well-preserved theater. You will see the tomb of St. Phillip from a distance. It is possible to bathe in the Cleopatra antique thermal pool with ancient columns (an extra fee is due) or you will have some free time at the terraces or to explore more on your own. We will also visit the calcium terraces and pools for which Pamukkale is named “Cotton Castle”. Overnight Pamukkale. (B.D.)

DAY 5: PAMUKKALE - ISTANBUL
Pick up 2 hours before departure time from your Hotel and transfer to Denizli Airport. (B.)


***Meal Plan: (B = Breakfast L= Lunch D = Dinner)