HIDDEN GEMS OF TURKEY TOUR

10 Days Hidden Gems of Turkey Tour

Hidden Gems of Turkey Tour – 10 Days Hidden Gems of Turkey Tour to South-West of Turkey with Istanbul, Bodrum, Pamukkale & Antalya Tours. Join this Turkey Hidden Gems Tour Package and book it online.

ISTANBUL → BODRUM → PAMUKKALE →  ANTALYA

Day 1 – Arrive in Istanbul

Welcome to Istanbul! Where the continents meet.
Meet at Istanbul Airport: Once you arrive at Istanbul Airport or Sabiha Gokcen Airport, after the luggage claim, you will be greeted by a Romos Travel Representative at the meeting area.

Transfer to the hotel: You will be taken to your hotel, and after check-in, you will have time for leisure, and the rest of the day is yours.

Overnight stay in Istanbul.

Day 2 – Istanbul Old City Tour

After breakfast, your pick-up will be scheduled for 8:30 am from the hotel to start the Old City tour. Our professional tour guide will be introducing the ancient sights of Istanbul.

Today you will explore the following highlights of Istanbul.

Hippodrome: Ancient Roman and the Ottoman square where the chariot races were held. There are some Roman remains; Egyptian Obelisk, Serpent Column, and Constantine Columns.

The Blue Mosque: An Ottoman Imperial mosque the Sultan Ahmet I. built-in 1609-1616, famous for the blue Ottoman tiles.

Hagia Sophia: Once was the biggest cathedral of Christianity when it was built in 532-537 by the Roman Emperor Justinian, and converted into a mosque by the Ottomans.

Topkapi Palace: The Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II built the palace after the conquest of Constantinople. Topkapi Palace was the home of the royal family, headquarters, and administrative center of the Ottoman Empire.

Grand Bazaar (Covered Market): The largest and oldest functioning shopping center in the world. The Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II built the Grand Bazaar in the 15th century. The market consists of 5,000 stores, 66 streets, 24 gates, and much more eye-pleasing architecture. Within the bazaar are many Turkish handicraft stores such as rugs, carpets, kilims, and beautiful Turkish tiles. Upon your request, our guide will be more than happy to help you find your masterpiece of Turkish art.

After the Istanbul Old City sightseeing tour, you will be driven back to the hotel. Overnight stay in Istanbul.

Note: Breakfast at the hotel and lunch at a local restaurant is included.

Day 3 – Bosphorus Cruise, Two Continents Tour

After breakfast, your pick-up will be scheduled for 8:30 am from the hotel to start the Bosphorus tour. Our professional tour guide will be introducing you to the Bosphorus.

Today you will explore the following highlights of the Bosphorus:

Spice Market ( Egyptian Bazaar): The Ottomans built the market in the 17th century. Unlike the Grand Bazaar, the Spice market is much smaller but full of beautiful fragrances of mixed spices, herbs, and traditional sweets. It consists of around 100 stores, 2 streets, and 5 gates.

Bosphorus Cruise: The channel divides Istanbul into two continents and stretches about 32 km between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara. Along the Bosphorus, there are many settlements to see, such as great Palaces, hotels, yali (private houses), etc. While you are on the boat, you will see the highlights of the Bosphorus including the Dolmabahçe Palace, Ortaköy Mosque, Çırağan Palace, Bosphorus Bridge, Rumeli Fortress, Küçüksu Palace, Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge ( the second bridge on the Bosphorus), Maiden’s Tower to name a few.

Beylerbeyi Palace: After the sultans westernized the Ottoman Empire, they built some Palace’s modern-western architectural styles. The Beylerbeyi Palace is one of them, located on the Asian side by the Bosphorus. The garden is full of statues, and the rooms with handcrafted arts will take you back in time to the 19th century.

Çamlıca Hill, the highest hill of Istanbul, is situated on the Asian side. The walking path with 360 panoramic views will let you take the best pictures of Istanbul and the Bosphorus.

After the Bosphorus sightseeing tour, drive back to the hotel. Overnight in Istanbul.

Note: Breakfast at hotel and lunch at a local restaurant is included

Day 4 – Flight to Bodrum

After breakfast, we will pick you up from the hotel and head towards the airport for the domestic flight to Bodrum. After landing at Bodrum Airport, drive to Bodrum and check-in hotel, and the rest of the day is yours. Bodrum is a resort and local town on the coast of the Aegean Sea. After dinner at the hotel, you can spend your time in the city center shopping or have some drinks at the local cafes or restaurants. Overnight in Bodrum

Note: Breakfast and Dinner at the hotel.

Day 5 – Bodrum Old City Tour

After breakfast, start the Bodrum Tour. Visit Bodrum Castle, which is also known as St. Peter Castle, built by St. John Knights between 1402-1409. The rooms of the castle are being used as exhibition rooms, and many findings from Bronze Age, archaic, Mycenaean, Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine are on display. The Bodrum Castle is also the largest underwater archeological museum in Turkey. Visit Mausoleum, built by the Carian King Mausolus in 4C BC, as his tomb and the Mausoleum was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. 

After the Bodrum Old City tour, drive back to the hotel. Overnight in Bodrum.

Note: Breakfast & Dinner at hotel, Lunch at a local restaurant.

Day 6 – Didyma, Miletus and Priene Tour

After breakfast, start the Didyma, Miletos, and Priene Tour. Our first visit is The Temple of Apollon, One of the most important oracles in the ancient World was located at Didyma (Didim). It was designed by Paionios, one of the architects of the temple of Artemis in Ephesus. The oracle at Didyma, which issued many fateful pronouncements, dates back to the worship of a local Anatolian god in prehistoric times.

Visit Miletos, the first city in Anatolia to be colonized by Greeks. In about 1700 BCE, in the Middle Bronze Age, Minoans from Crete were attracted by its ideal situation on a defensible peninsula with four natural harbors and good agricultural land. Miletos was the most wealthy city where firstly coins were minted.

Visit Priene, from the Maeander River’s flat valley; we see a dark green band of trees on a broad terrace below the craggy cliffs of Mount Mycale. They mark the splendid city site that prospered and gradually declined over a period of eight centuries. It sloped gently to the South, offering a prospect over a fertile land towards its harbor and distant mountains.

After the Didyma, Miletos, and Priene sightseeing tour, drive back to the hotel. Overnight in Bodrum.

Note: Breakfast & Dinner at hotel, Lunch at a local restaurant.

Day 7 – Pamukkale Tour

After check-out and drive to Pamukkale or Cotton Castle, we pick you up from the hotel, one of the most popular and beautiful spots in Turkey. The town is located in Denizli province, southern Turkey. Pamukkale has hot springs that have come from underground for 14,000 years. The hot springs color the slopes in white because the water consists of calcium and carbonate. This site not only attracts tourists, but many people visit Pamukkale with Doctors’ advice. The spring water is good for the skin and bones. It is believed that Cleopatra and Marcus Antonio also came to Pamukkale and swam in the ancient pool together.

Pamukkale also has an ancient city which is called Hierapolis. This city was founded by the Pergamon king Eumenes in 2 BCE. When the city passed to the Romans, they built ancient theatres, baths, forums, agora, and many waterways. Hierapolis has the largest ancient cemetery of all time. After the apostle Philipe was martyred in 80 CE, the city became a pilgrimage center for Christianity. Today, apostle Philipe has a monumental tomb in Hierapolis/Pamukkale.

 After the Pamukkale sightseeing tour, we will drive back to the hotel. Overnight in Pamukkale.

Note: Breakfast & Dinner at hotel, Lunch at a local restaurant.

Day 8 – Antalya Old City Tour

After check-out and breakfast, we will drive to Antalya. We will arrive in Antalya by noon time and will promptly begin the Antalya Old City Tour.

The Pergamon King Attalos founded Antalya, and it is believed that the name of the city derives from Attalos. We’ll be walking among the ancient streets, and the first spot is The Hadrian Gate, built by the Romans on behalf of Emperor Hadrian upon his visit to Antalya in 130 CE. The gate has three arches and Corinthian style Hıdırlık Tower, built-in 2nd Century CE by the Romans, and it is located on the southwest of the Old Town, by the dominating spot of the cliffs. The tower has a small room on the first floor, and in the upper gallery, there is an observation spot where they could follow the ships or any reaching invasion to the city. Once Antalya is surrounded by a defense wall, the Clock Tower is a small part of this that exists today. They renovated the last part of the defense wall and added a clock in honor of Sultan Abdulhamid to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his ascent to the throne. While walking down to the water, near the ancient port, we will stop for a while and rest whilst following the ships and breathing the fresh Mediterranean air.

After the Antalya Old City tour, drive back to the hotel. Overnight in Antalya.

Note: Breakfast & Dinner at hotel, Lunch at a local restaurant.

Day 9 – Aspendos, Perge, Side Tour

After breakfast, we shall drive to Aspendos Theatre, built by Emperor Aurelius, designed with a U-shaped style and leaning slopes. It has 5 gates, and it still protects its acoustic ability, and with 20,000 person capacity, the theatre is still used today to host concerts. Perge was founded as a colony of the Pergamum Kingdom around 300 BCE. During Alexander’s invasion of Anatolia, the residents of Perge served him as his guides. The mathematician Apollonius was born in Perge around 200 BCE. The city passed under Roman control in 188 BCE after Romans inherited the Pergamum Kingdom. Side, the naval city was founded by the Anatolian indigenous people who spoke a local dialect that was different from Greek. Side never passed under the control of Pergamum Kingdom. The city’s name means pomegranate, which locals are still growing today. Side is situated by the Mediterranean Sea, and most of the remains date back to 1-4C CE.

After the Aspendos, Perge, Side tour, drive back to the hotel. Overnight in Antalya.

Note: Breakfast & Dinner at hotel, Lunch at a local restaurant.

Day 10 – Transfer to Airport

Breakfast at the hotel, Pick up from hotel and transfer to Antalya Airport for a flight to Istanbul to connect your International flight.

After completing the amazing 10 Days Hidden Gems of Turkey Tour, Package Tour Turkey wishes all guests a very healthy and wonderful life ahead…

Please Note: This tour package does not include hotel accommodation and only offers land service. For hotel accommodation, we recommend you to choose the central and tourist places of the cities, which are suitable for your taste. Global hotel booking systems will assist you in your hotel choice with better promotions and prices.

Hidden Gems of Turkey Tour Updated on 21 March 2023 @ 21:55