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This is our daily schedule at a glance. Our tour staff will make daily announcements with specifics and times during the trip. Note that our itinerary may shift due to the weather or to take advantage of unexpected opportunities.
A typical day’s activities begin with buffet breakfast at the hotel. We then set out around 9:00 a.m. for our day's excursion, armed with sunscreen, sunglasses, water bottle, hat, camera and our comfortable walking shoes. There will be some coach travel, with up to three miles of walking on uneven surfaces and perhaps climbing stairs without handrails. We stop along the way to enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, we are off again in the afternoon for an excursion before returning to our hotel. On arrival at our hotel, we have time for a shower and some rest, then perhaps a lecture before dinner.
Meals included in the program are indicated next to the hotel name with the following designations:
B = Breakfast L = Lunch D = Dinner R = Reception
Monday, June 27
ISTANBUL / KAYSERI / CAPPADOCIA
ISTANBUL / KAYSERI / CAPPADOCIA
Morning:
Say farewell to the main group and transfer to the airport for a domestic flight to Kayseri, near Cappadocia.
8:55 a.m. TK 2026 departs Istanbul
10:15 a.m. TK arrives Kayseri
Spend the day discovering the beautiful region of Cappadocia, with its villages and houses carved from soft volcanic ash, underground cities and frescoed churches. First stop at Pigeon Valley, which takes its name from the pigeon-cotes carved in its walls for the birds’ valuable fertilizing guano. Then continue to Uçhisar, an extraordinary rock formation towering above the landscape and visible for miles. This rock, riddled with windows and tunnels, was once used as a fortification and offers a magnificent panoramic view of Cappadocia and Mt. Erciyes in the distance.
Afternoon:
After lunch at a local restaurant, continue to Kaymakli, an underground city cut out of volcanic rock. Arrive at our hotel in the late afternoon.
Evening:
Enjoy a welcome dinner this evening at the hotel.
GAMIRASU CAVE HOTEL (B,L,D)
Tuesday, June 28
CAPPADOCIA
CAPPADOCIA
Morning:
Visit Göreme National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Explore some of the hundred cave churches in the park and tour the exquisite Byzantine and medieval frescos in its open-air museum. Continue to Devrent Valley and marvel at rock formations beyond belief. Then head to Zelve Valley to take in the oldest example of Cappadocian architecture: elaborate shelters carved into rock by early monastic settlers.
Afternoon:
After lunch, visit Avanos, admiring the beautiful carpets, pottery and ceramics for which the region is known.
Evening:
Dinner is on your own. The hotel concierge can assist you with restaurant recommendations. This evening there will be an optional trip to see a whirling dervishes performance.
GAMIRASU CAVE HOTEL (B,L)
Wednesday, June 29
CAPPADOCIA
CAPPADOCIA
Morning:
Begin today at Soğanlı, a peaceful and picturesque former monastic rock settlement with rock formations in the shape of donkeys, camels and dolls. From here continue to the village of Cemil and visit Keslik Monastery.
Afternoon:
Following lunch at a local restaurant, explore the village of Mustafapaşa (also known as Sinasos) and visit its spectacular examples of late Greek settlements and architecture. Return to the hotel in the late afternoon.
Evening:
Dinner is served in the hotel restaurant.
GAMIRASU CAVE HOTEL (B,L,D)
Thursday, June 30
CAPPADOCIA / KAYSERI / ISTANBUL
CAPPADOCIA / KAYSERI / ISTANBUL
Morning:
After breakfast and a morning of leisure at the hotel, check out and transfer to Kayseri.
**Mandatory Covid-19 testing for those returning to the U.S. tomorrow will be provided today at the hotel.**
Afternoon:
After lunch at a local restaurant, enjoy a tour of Kayseri. Previously known as Caesarea Cappadociae, Kayseri served as the residence of the Roman Cappadocian kings in the 1st century CE. The present-day city shows many signs of its Roman and medieval heritage, which we will visit on a guided tour. Highlights include the Seljuq tombs, Roman city walls, the Hunat Hatun Madrasa complex, and the Grand Mosque. You’ll also have some free time in one of the most authentic covered bazaars in Turkey.
Evening:
Transfer to the Kayseri airport and board an evening flight to Istanbul.
6:15 p.m. TK 2015 departs Kayseri
7:45 p.m. TK 2015 arrives Istanbul
Upon arrival in Istanbul, transfer to a nearby airport hotel, where dinner is on your own.
PARK INN BY RADISSON AIRPORT HOTEL ODAYERI (B,L)
Friday, July 1
ISTANBUL / DEPART
ISTANBUL / DEPART
Transfer to Istanbul’s international airport for flights back to the U.S.
(B)
ACCOMMODATION
ACCOMMODATION
This charming boutique hotel located in the heart of Cappadocia consists of 35 meticulously restored and designed cave rooms.
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