DAY 1: CAPPADOCIA
Meet our guide and driver at Kayseri Airport and start the tour. We drive further to Soganli valley, which is one of the earliest settlements in Cappadocia. After this, we drive to Mustafapasa through the unspoiled villages of Cappadocia, surrounded by the "table-top" mountains. After lunch in Mustafapasa at an old village house hosted by a local family, we walk for about 5km in one of the most attractive valleys of Cappadocia: Red Valley, with its fabulous volcanic rock formations. Then we will drive to the hotel to check in.
Overnight: Cappadocia
DAY 2: CAPPADOCIA
Meet the guide and driver in the hotel, and start discovering Cappadocia's unique landscape; first stop is the highlight of Cappadocia Region, Goreme Open Air Museum to witness the living art of Christian and Byzantine history on cave churches. Then we drive to Çavuşin, an old Greek village for to discover the civil architecture in Cappadocia. We have lunch at a local restaurant in Avanos where has been the centre of terra-cotta art since 2000 BC. After lunch drive to Pasabagi or ‘Monks Valley’ to see the fascinating mushroom-shaped pinnacles. Then we drive to Devrent (Imagination Valley) for to see different shapes of fairy-chimneys. Before returning to the hotel visit the natural rock castle at Uchisar.
Overnight: Cappadocia
DAY3: CAPPADOCIA-KONYA-PAMUKKALE
Depart from the hotel for the Capital of Seljuk Turks Konya. Visit 11th century caravanserai, Sultanhani, which is the most monumental examples of Seljuk Turks architecture, en route. After lunch in a local restaurant in Konya, visit the mausoleum of Mevlana, world-famous philosopher and mystic of Islam. Drive to Pamukkale.
Overnight: Pamukkale
DAY4: PAMUKKALE-LAODICEA
Depart from the hotel for to visit Pamukkale (the ‘cotton castle’) with white travertine terraces and visit the ancient Hierapolis. After Pamukkale we drive to Laodicea and visit the ruins of the ancient town, which was intersected by main trading routes running east-west and north-south: the ruins of theatres, a gymnasium, a stadium, several other public buildings and the newest findings of the archaeologists.
Overnight: Selçuk
DAY5: EPHESUS
Depart from the hotel for to visit Ephesus, dedicated to Artemis and the best preserved ancient city of Asia Minor with its majestic theatre, a marble–paved arcaded street ‘the Arcadian Way’, the lecture hall of Tyrannus, the Church of the Virgin Mary or the Double Church, the library of Celsus, the Temple to Hadrian, the Odeon, the little theatre and more. Drive to İzmir.
Overnight: İzmir
DAY6: İZMİR-SARDIS-PHILEDELPHIA
We leave Izmir to Sardis and visit the main street of ancient Sardis. We see the Roman-era synagogue, the gymnasium and go on to the Temple of Artemis and a small church. King Croesus of Sardis minted, for the first time in history, pure silver and gold coins, which were guaranteed by the state. We continue to Philadelphia, which with Smyrna were the only two churches among the seven that did not receive disapproval. The ruins of a Byzantine basilica with some 11th century frescoes are remaining from Christianity.
Overnight: Izmir
DAY7: IZMIR-PERGAMUM
In the morning we visit Alexander the Great’s Citadel on Pagos Hill overlooking Izmir and the ruins of the ancient Agora. Izmir (Smyrna) is the third largest city in Turkey and one of the main centres for exports. Known as the birthplace of Homer, for Christians as one of the earliest churches – part of the Seven Churches of Revelation and as home of the martyred Polycarp important. We continue to the Hellenistic city of Pergamum and visit the Altar of Zeus, the Agora, the large theatre built into the hillside, the Temple of Athena, the Temple to Trajan and Hadrian, the ruins of the famous library and more. Then we drive to the ancient medical centre - Asclepion, we see the theatre, the library, the Temple of Asclepius and, under the central square, a long tunnel. The famous physician and prolific writer, Galen, was born in Pergamum and practiced medicine here in the 2nd century AD. We continue to Thyatira and see the short section of a colonnaded street, a Temple and walls of a church.
