Istanbul & Ephesus Private & Small Group 5 days Guided & Flights

Arrival to Istanbul

Welcome to Turkey. Arrival at Istanbul Airport ( Any of them as there are 2 airports in Istanbul ) Meet, assist and transfer to your hotel. Overnight stay in Istanbul

Overnight in Istanbul in a Boutique class or 4 star hotel located in old town area.

Full Day Istanbul Tour (Breakfast)

Your guide will meet with you at your hotel lobby and after greetings, your tour starts with Hippodrome Square where used to take place for chariot races and the Byzantine riots during Roman & Byzantine period.

Only a short walk away, reaches Hagia Sophia built in 532 AD by Roman Emperor Justinian I.

Then, we will visit Blue Mosque, where has its fame from its beautiful blue Iznik tiles. The mosque is composed of a large prayer hall unified under a single dome and an open courtyard to the northwest. It is oriented thirty-nine degrees east of south. An outer precinct, enclosed by a stonewall with windows, wraps around the mosque and court on all sides except for qibla. The elevation drops sharply towards the Bosphorus on the qibla wall side where a separate terrace and a royal kiosk were built on a partial basement.

We will continue walking to Topkapi Palace, was not only the residence of the Ottoman sultans, but also the administrative and educational center of the state. It was constructed between 1460 and 1478 by Sultan Mehmed II, the conqueror of Constantinople. We will visit the Topkapi Palace including weapons section.

We will visit Grand Bazaar where is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with more than 58 covered streets and over 1,200 shops which attract between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. Opened in 1461, it is well known for its jewelry, pottery, spice, and carpet shops.

Overnight in Istanbul in a Boutique class or 4 star hotel located in old town area.

Istanbul Tour (Breakfast )

Your guide will take you from your hotel lobby at 09:00 and your second tour day in Istanbul begins.

First visit Spice Bazaar (Egyptian Bazaar): The air here is filled with the enticing aromas of cinnamon, caraway, saffron, mint, thyme and every other concievable herb and spice.

After Spice Market, Boat trip on the bosphorus will start. It is a traditional excursion by boat along the waterway seperating Europe and Asia. The shore is lined with old wooden villas, palaces of marble, fortresses, and small fishing villages. Boat tour tickets are included.

At the end of the tour, back to your hotel for overnight.

Overnight in Istanbul in a Boutique class or 4 star hotel located in old town area.

Istanbul - Ephesus Tour - Istanbul (Breakfast – Lunch)

Early in the morning, our driver will pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to airport for your morning fly to Izmir.

Upon your arrival to Izmir Airport, your guice will meet with you at the airport with your name sign. After greeting, your journey to Ephesus region around 50 minutes will begin.

First visit the Artemis Temple where is one of the seven wonders of the Ancient World.

Continue to Ephesus, walk through history along marble streets lined with wonderful public buildings, among them The State Agora, Odeon, Memnius Monument, the Temple of Domitian, , Polio Fountain, Curetes Street, The Trajan Fountain, The Baths of Scholastica, Hadrian Temple, Latrina, Celcus Library, the gate of Mihridates and Mazues, Commercial Agora and The Grand Theater are two of the most impressive buildings in Ephesus. Grand theatre was built in 3rd century B.C and it was later expanded to 24.000 spectators by the Romans in the 1st century A.D.

After Ephesus, lunch will be served in the garden of a local handicrafts center. Here you can see some of the traditional carpet weaving techniques used and enjoy viewing some splendid displays of beautiful carpets.

After Lunch visit House of Virgin Mary. This house is located on the Aladag Mountains 5 miles from Ephesus. At the third Ecumenical Council of 431 in Ephesus, it was claimed that Mary came to Ephesus with St. John in 37 A.D. and lived there until her death in 48 A.D. After the discovery of the house, the Archbishop of Izmir declared it a place of pilgrimage in 1892. On July 26, 1967, Pope Paul VI visited this place and prayed here.

End of the tour, you will be taken back to Izmir Airport for your flight back to Istanbul. Upon your arrival to Istanbul Airport, our representative will meet with you and transfer you to your hotel for overnight.

Overnight in Istanbul in a Boutique class or 4 star hotel located in old town area.

Istanbul - Home ( Breakfast)

After breakfast check out from the hotel and private transfer to Istanbul airport for your flight back home.

You can be transferred to one of the airports in Istanbul, or another hotel in the city where you book by yourown for the rest of your holiday. The end of our services.