Turkey and Greece Tour

Turkey and Greece Tour Package. Experience real Byzantine and Ottoman Lifestyle with Turkey and Greece Trips. Explore historical and cultural sites of Ottomans, Turks, Greeks, and Byzantines during Greece and Turkey Tour Packages.

Turkey and Greece Trips

ISTANBUL → EPHESUS → CAPPADOCIA → ATHENS → THESSALONIKI 

Day 1 – Flight to Istanbul
Transfer to airport for flight to 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 Private Istanbul 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: An ancient Roman and Ottoman square where the chariot races were held. Within the square is some Roman remains, Egyptian Obelisk, Serpent Column, and Constantine Columns.

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

Hagia Sophia: Once the largest cathedral of Christianity when it was built in 532-537 CE by the Roman Emperor Justinian; later 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 and the headquarters for the Ottoman Empire’s administrative center.

Grand Bazaar (Covered Market): The largest and the 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 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, 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 Izmir/ Ephesus Tour
After breakfast, we will pick you up from the hotel and head towards the airport for the domestic flight to Izmir. Meet at Izmir Airport with your professional guide and start the tour.

We will drive to Virgin Mary’s House, upon the dream of German nun Anna Katherina Emerich, the Lazarist priests followed the descriptions and the signs then discovered the house 1891 CE. According to Catholic belief, Mary was taken here by St. John, and she spent the rest of her earthly life there. After the Virgin Mary’s House, we proceed to Ephesus Ancient City, the capital city of Asia Minor during the Roman era. According to myth, Ephesus was founded by Greek commander Androculos around 1,000 BCE. Moreover, Alexander the Great, Lysimachus, Coressus, Antiochus II either invaded or ruled in this city. While the excavations are still going on, you will see the ancient remains such as State Agora (a marketplace and meeting point), Odeon (Bouleuterion) concert house and council, Town Hall and Artemis Sanctuary, Domitian Square, a complex consisting of temple fountain and a bath, Curetes Street colonnaded and monumental Street in Ephesus, The Hadrian Temple dedicated to Emperor Hadrian dating to 200 BCE, Latrines the public toilets, Celsus Library proves us that how Ephesians were intellectual and dates back to 200 BCE with the library having had 12,000 scrolls, Forum a commercial center located by the port and finally The Great Theater the largest ancient theater with 25,000 capacity.

After Ephesus ancient city, we drive to lunch at a local restaurant, and thereafter, the next stop is Isa Bey Mosque, built-in 1375 by the Anatolian Seljuks. Unlike Modern Ottoman architecture, it has a geometrical architecture roof and two minarets. The mosque is still functioning today for the five-time prayers. After Isa Bey Mosque, we drive to the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven ancient wonders of the World.

After the Ephesus sightseeing tour, drive back to the hotel. Overnight in Kusadasi.

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

Day 5 – Flight to Cappadocia/ Cappadocia Tour
After breakfast, we will pick you up from the hotel and head towards the airport for the domestic flight to Cappadocia. Meet at Cappadocia (Kayseri) Airport with your professional guide and start the tour.

Devrent Valley, known as imagination valley or pink valley. The geological situation of Cappadocia gives different shapes and colors to the rocks. Some of them look like animals or humans. In here, prominently, there is a camel-shaped rock formation. Dervent valley is located in the North of Cappadocia between Urgup and Avanos road.

Love Valley the valley is situated a few kilometers away from Goreme. Mushroom-shaped fairy chimneys are located here. Some of those cones split into several cones on the upper side of the valley.

Avanos is situated on the North of Cappadocia by the Red River, the longest river in Turkey. The river’s name derives from its red clay, which still makes the most beautiful potteries in Turkey. Avanos is a local town where ancient streets, dwellings, and artisans can be seen.

Goreme Open-air Museum dates back to the 2nd century where the ascetic monks who adopted seclusion lived. They had their own independent churches and monasteries where they created a community. Today, the museum houses St. Basil’s Church, Elmalı Church, Boys and Girls, St. Barbara Church, Serpent Church, etc.…

Esentepe Hill, located on the way to Goreme and Avanos road. As an observation hill, it allows you to explore the landscape of Cappadocia, where you can see the fairy chimneys and take remarkable photos.

Uchisar Castle, almost the peak point of Cappadocia, which can be seen miles away, about 60 meters high and located on the edge of Goreme. It served as a residential place to the locals for many years. The caves and the dwellings still exist on the slopes.

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

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

Day 6 – Cappadocia Day Tour
After breakfast, we will pick you up from your hotel and then start the Cappadocia Day Tour.

We will now be visiting other highlights of Cappadocia.

Fairy Chimneys: What makes Cappadocia so popular are those rock formations, called “ fairy chimneys” by the people. Those different rock formations result from millions of years of natural events, such as; rain, wind, erosion. The fairy chimneys had been dwellings, churches, shelters, and natural fortresses for many years. Although the locals live in the town today, the fairy chimneys can be visited by travelers/tourists.

Red Valley: a hiking trail and famous for its red-rose color. The valley is located in the middle of Goreme town, where they appreciate sun-rise and sun-set. The Red Valley houses some abandoned churches, Uzumlu Church, Hacli Church, and Direkli Church, with murals and frescoes.

Cavusin Village: located on the way to Avanos. The rarest residents were still some people follow the ancient attitudes by using the old stuff. You can see those villagers farming, making potteries, and carving. Cavusin Village houses two churches; one dedicated to St. John the Baptist and the other Nicephorus Phocas. Until the 1920’s the Turks and The Greeks were living there together. After the exchange population, The Greeks left the village.

Kaymakli Underground City: rather than Derinkuyu and the other underground cities, Kaymakli Underground City is different as it has much lower and narrower passageways. But it has more levels than the others. In recent years, four other floors have been unearthed, and some chapels, wineries, kitchens stalls have also been discovered.

Pigeon Valley: one of the panoramic spots of Cappadocia, which is located between Uchisar and Goreme. Since ancient times, there has been feeding the pigeons resulting in the carved soft tuff on the slopes to make dovecotes. You can also see Uchisar Castle from a different perspective and may feed the pigeons around you.

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

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

Day 7 – Arrival to Athens
Meet at the Athens Airport and transfer to the hotel. Check-in and rest of the day
free to explore Athens. Overnight in Athens.

Day 8 – Athens City Tour
After breakfast, pick you up from the hotel and depart for Athens City Tour. Starts in
the morning with a panoramic tour passing from the Panathenaikon (Kallimarmaro)
Stadium and several other stops to see more ancient and modern Athens,
including the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian’s Arch, the Parliament building,
the memorial to the Unknown Soldier, the Academy, the University, the National Library,
and Constitution Square (Syntagma). Later we head to one of the most important
and famous ancient sites globally, the Acropolis, which sits on top of a rocky hill
overlooking the city, providing great views. Take the chance after the tour to stroll
around Plaka with the traditional taverns and shops. Overnight in Athens.

Day 9 – Athens to Thessaloniki
After breakfast, pick up from the hotel and transfer to Athens Airport for the
domestic flight to Thessaloniki. From Thessaloniki Airport, transfer to your hotel in
the city center, and the rest of the day is free to explore Thessaloniki. Overnight in
Thessaloniki.

Day 10 – Thessaloniki City Tour
After breakfast, depart from the hotel for the tour of Thessaloniki, which begins with
a panoramic tour of the city passing through the main sights, i.e., the picturesque
the old town, the Byzantine church of Agios Dimitrios, the Arch of Galerius, the Rotunda
monument & the emblematic church of Agia Sophia, the White Tower symbol of
the city and the statue of Alexander the Great and end up at the archaeological
museum. Overnight in Thessaloniki.

Day 11 – Transfer to Airport
Breakfast at hotel, Pick up from the hotel and transfer to airport for International flight.

After completing the amazing “Greece and Turkey Tour Package,” 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 touristic 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.

Turkey and Greece Tour Details