Golden Ring of Turkey

Multi-day tours

Golden Ring of Turkey

Day 1 - Welcome

Arrival in Istanbul, the capital of three empires

Istanbul, a universal beauty, where poet and archaeologist, diplomat and merchant, princess and sailor, northerner and westerner scream with equal admiration. The whole world believes that Istanbul is the most beautiful place on earth.


Edmondo de Amicis


Meeting at the airport, transfer to the hotel, check-in, acquaintance with the guide, discussion of the program and preparation for the trip.


Overnight at the hotel in Istanbul.​


Day 2 - Heart of Istanbul

Breakfast. Departure for an excursion.

Visits:

Sultanahmet Square & Ancient Hippodrome

Around this square are the oldest monuments and the most important sights of Istanbul.

Such as Egyptian Column, Serpentine Column, Ibrahim Pasha Palace, German Fountain...


Saint Sophie Cathedral

The world-famous monument of Byzantine architecture, a symbol of the "golden age" of Byzantium.

"St. Sofia" is the first typical example of Byzantine architecture and is considered an architectural marvel.

 

Sultanahmet Mosque

One of the most magnificent architectural monuments of Istanbul in terms of beauty and grandeur.

The young Ottoman ruler Sultan Ahmet ordered the construction of this true work of art. Later, the inhabitants of European countries gave the religious shrine another name - the "Blue Mosque" and today on everyone's lips it is even more than the original name.

 

Palace of the Sultans Topkapi

Topkapi Palace is the largest and oldest palace in the world that has survived to this day. The palace is located on the site of the first settlement in Istanbul, offering magnificent views of the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus and the Sea of ​​Marmara. The palace complex is surrounded by 6 km of walls and covers an area of ​​700 thousand square meters on top of a historical peninsula and has been the political center and palace of the sultans for 400 years. Topkapi Palace is the largest and oldest palace in the world that has survived to this day. The palace is located on the site of the first settlement in Istanbul, offering magnificent views of the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus and the Sea of ​​Marmara. The palace complex is surrounded by 6 km of walls and occupies an area of ​​700 thousand square meters on top of the historical peninsula and for 400 years was the political center and the palace of the sultans of the Ottoman Empire.


Cistern Basilica

The construction of the cistern was started by the Greeks during the reign of Emperor Constantine I and completed in 532 under Emperor Justinian. The dimensions of the underground structure are 145 × 65 m, the capacity is 80,000 m³ of water. The vaulted ceiling of the cistern is supported by 336 columns 8 meters high, the columns are 4.80 meters apart, the 4 meters thick walls are made of refractory bricks and covered with a special waterproofing mortar.


Return to the hotel, dinner, free time.

Overnight at the hotel in Istanbul.​

Day 3 – Istanbul-Ankara (450 km)

After breakfast, check out from the hotel. Departure to Ankara.

On the way, acquaintance with the Asian part of Istanbul:


Modern Chamlyca Mosque, one of the largest and most beautiful in the world.


Camlıca Hill with a fantastic view.


Istanbul TV tower, observation deck, breathtaking 360 degree view of the city.


Departure to Ankara.


There will be stops along the way, if necessary and for lunch.


Arrival at the hotel, check-in, dinner, free time.

Overnight at the hotel in Ankara.

Day 4 - Ankara-Cappadocia (300 km)


After breakfast, check out from the hotel. Departure for a tour of Ankara.

Ankara

Studies carried out in Ankara and its environs have shown that this region has been inhabited since the prehistoric era. The city of Ankuva, often depicted in Hittite artifacts, was supposedly the site of today's Ankara. Ankara as a city was founded in the era of the existence of the Phrygian kingdom. The capital of Phrygia - the city of Gordion is one of the most important ancient cities of Anatolia. According to legends, Ankara was founded by the great Phrygian king Midas. The Phrygians gave the city the name "Ankira", which means "anchor".

In Ankara, you will visit the famous Ataturk Mausoleum and the "Panorama of the Republic" Museum, which will tell you in detail about how the Republic of Turkey was founded and what difficulties it went through, as well as see the personal belongings of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

Departure to Cappadocia.

There will be stops along the way, both as needed and for lunch.


Visits along the way:


Ace-Gel

We will visit the Salt Lake, which is located on the road between Ankara and Cappadocia.

Lake Tuz is one of the largest lakes in Turkey, the bottom of which is completely covered with natural salt.

The vast area covered with salt water is an important wintering ground for waterfowl.

In addition to flamingos, large groups of cranes, wild geese and ducks adapted to a salty environment live on the lake.


After arriving in Cappadocia, we will have a tour of the fascinating landscapes of Cappadocia, also called "lunar landscapes". You will visit the Valley of the Pigeons, the Valley of Love, the Derwent Valley and the famous "Three Beauties", admire the magnificent views from the viewing platforms, visit the city of Avanos, famous for its pottery and carpet weaving.

Arrival at the hotel, check-in, dinner, free time.


After dinner, you will have the opportunity to participate in the amazing production of "Turkish Night" - a national folklore program (for an additional fee).

This festive folk extravaganza will give you a sea of ​​joyful emotions and leave the most colorful impressions in your memory for a lifetime! From the very beginning of this festive performance, you will be in a great mood for the whole evening. A joyful atmosphere of general fun will be created by incendiary performances of professional artists and masters of oriental dance.


Return to the hotel.

Overnight at the hotel in Cappadocia.

Day 5 - Cappadocia - Land of beautiful horses

You can enjoy Cappadocia - the “Land of Beautiful Horses” - not only from the ground, but also rising high into the sky. The incredible beauty that opens before your eyes will not leave you indifferent.


Balloons Cappadocia

You can make such a trip in a hot air balloon! The amazing scenery, dozens of hot air balloons rising into the sky in the rays of the rising sun and the amazing picture of the awakening of Cappadocia will undoubtedly leave the most vivid impression. An hour-long flight will allow you to enjoy the fabulous valleys and see places that are inaccessible to walking.

After breakfast, you will have the opportunity to see the Goreme Open Air Museum - a national park-museum under the protection of UNESCO - an ensemble of churches, amazing landscapes and ancient wall paintings that have been preserved over the centuries.


We will visit one of the underground cities of Cappadocia, where during the Roman Empire from the 1st to the 4th century AD. followers of Jesus Christ secretly preached the Christian religion. We will go down deep into the earth and see the ingenious arrangement of the city, which could provide temporary residence during the persecution of more than 5,000 people.

In the evening you will have the opportunity to watch an amazing show of whirling dervishes (extra charge).

The Ceremonial Dervish Dance is a magical atmosphere, traditional Turkish music and costumes, where you completely forget about time and lose your sense of space.

Dervishes are Muslim monks with an extremely interesting life story and rituals. The dance of whirling dervishes is called “Sema” or “Mevleviian joys”. This dance has been practiced for years. The dance of the dervishes is not just a dance, here each movement has a special secret meaning within the framework of Sufism and consists of three rounds that tell about the creation of the world. The first tour will tell the audience about the sun and stars, the second is dedicated to plants, and the third, the key one, will bring us the truth about all living beings that have a soul.

Return to the hotel, dinner, free time.

Overnight at the hotel in Cappadocia.

Day 6 - Cappadocia-Konya-Pamukkale (about 600 km)

Early breakfast at the hotel. Departure to Pamukkale. We will have stops along the way, both as needed and for lunch.

On the way, a tour of the city of Konya and the Mevlana Museum.

The city of Konya, located in the central part of Anatolia, has been known since the time of the powerful Hittite kingdom, about 4000 years ago. There are even mentions of it in the book of the New Testament, the city was visited by the Apostle Paul. Konya is perhaps the most magical, peaceful and friendly city in all of Turkey. Since ancient times, Konya has been and remains a major religious center. We will visit the Mevlana Museum, the center of the dervish order, where the tomb of the outstanding Persian Sufi poet Jalaladdin Rumi is located.


Arrival and check-in at the hotel, dinner, free time.

Overnight at the hotel in Pamukkale.

Day 7 - Pamukkale-Bursa (450 km)


After breakfast check out from the hotel and sightseeing in Pamukkale.

Our path lies to the "cotton castle" in Pamukkale.

It is cotton that resembles the snow-white terraces descending from the hill. They arose as a result of the deposition of salts from the sources of thermal waters saturated with calcium. It is especially comfortable to visit this natural and cultural UNESCO World Heritage site in winter, when there is no sweltering heat and you can soak in the natural thermal bath. Next, we are waiting for the ruins of the ancient city of Hierapolis, which is located on limestone terraces. There is a well-preserved ancient theater, Roman baths, part of which is used as an archaeological museum, ancient latrines and the largest necropolis in Anatolia.

 

Visits:

Ancient Hierapolis

You are waiting for the ruins of Ancient Hierapolis. You will see the fortress walls of the city, the central streets, a well-preserved theater from the time of the Roman Empire, the gates of Emperor Domitian and the Roman baths, which now houses the archaeological museum. There is also a martyrium and the church of St. Philip (one of the 12 Apostles).

 

Pamukkale travertines

This is a visual feast created by nature itself. The terraces of Pamukkale have served as healing hot springs for thousands of years. Ancient Hierapolis and the terraces of Pamukkale are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List both as a historical site and as a unique natural formation.

After visiting the factory where you can buy the famous Pamukkale textiles, we drive to Bursa.

We will have stops along the way, both as needed and for lunch.

 

Arrival and check-in at the hotel, dinner, free time.

Overnight at the hotel in Bursa.

Day 8 - Bursa-Istanbul (170 km)

 

After breakfast, check out from the hotel.

 

City tour of Bursa - the first capital of the Ottoman Empire.

Despite the fact that this area was inhabited at least a thousand years before, the king of ancient Bithynia Prusias I founded the first city here only at the beginning of the 2nd century BC. As was typical of the Greeks, he named it Prussia after himself. The legend says that Hannibal himself helped him to choose a place for the acropolis, on the site of which Hisar is today. Bursa later became the first capital of the Great Ottoman Empire. Here you can feel the true spirit of the beginning of the formation of a great empire.

 

Visits:

Mausoleum of the Founders of the Ottoman Empire

It is this place that is of particular importance for the country, since here are the tombs of the first sultans and founders of the Ottoman Empire - Sultan Osman and his son Orhan. In front of the tomb of Osman, an honor guard is serving, in traditional clothes and attributes of the 14th century.

 

Tophane Clock Tower

It is located next to the park of the same name. Previously, the tower served as a fire tower, then, by order of Sultan Abdulhamid II, it was transformed into a clock tower. From here you have a beautiful view of the whole city and sights of Bursa, beautiful mosques and oriental bazaars.

 

Ulu Jami

The "Great Mosque", or as it is also called - Ulu Jami, is a legacy of the Ottoman Empire. It is just a few minutes' walk from the historic Koza Khan Silk Market and the Grand Bazaar. It was built in the 14th century and has 20 domes and two minarets.

 

Departure to Istanbul.

We will have stops along the way, both as needed and for lunch.

 

Arrival and check-in at the hotel, dinner, free time.

Overnight at Istanbul hotel.

Day 9 - Final Istanbul / Airport

 

Breakfast in the hotel.

This is our last morning in Istanbul.

After breakfast, we will start packing, getting ready for departure, and making wishes...

After all, good dreams made in magical places have the ability to come true.

 

And Istanbul is without a doubt one of those places!

By the appointed hour, a comfortable transfer will pick you up from the hotel and bring you to the airport of departure.

 

As it is customary to say in Turkey "Göryushmek Yuzere"!

or

UP TO NEW MEETINGS!

Additional services

Tours on request:

 

  • Hot air balloon flight - 250 - 300 euros (per person)

  • Jeep safari - 55 euros (per person)

  • Dervish dance - Sema - 25 euros (per person)

  • Turkish night and belly dance - 45 euros (per person)

  • Quad bike safari - 50 euros (per person)

  • Horse riding - 40 euros (per person)

 

*** When the price changes, the announcement during the trip takes precedence.

Important information

What is included in the price?

 

  • Private transfer on comfortable transport from the airport/hotel/airport

  • Accommodation in boutique hotels and 4*/5* hotels, 7 nights with breakfast and dinner.

  • Transport maps and all transport along the route on a comfortable air-conditioned bus - only for our group.

  • All excursions and entrance tickets according to the program.

  • Professional guide in Russian

  • Assistance in the selection of air tickets

***Price per person in a double room. For single occupancy, there will be a difference of EUR 150 per stay.

The price does not include:

 

  • Flights from your city to Istanbul and back

  • Meals outside the program

  • All drinks

  • Medical insurance - highly recommended

  • Additional Excursions

  • Personal expenses

*** Tips for guides and drivers (5 people and less 10 €/person/day; 6-9 people 8 €/person/day; 10 people and more 5 €/person/day)