A tour consisting of cities with different civilizations.
Day 1 Arrival at Istanbul Airport and Hotel Transfer
Move Team meets you to transfer you to your hotel with your private vehicle. You will receive your tour documents and short information about Istanbul.
Day 2 Full Day Classic Tour of Istanbul // Byzantine & Ottoman Relics
Following breakfast at your hotel, you will meet your professional licensed tour guide for a full day tour of Istanbul. Sultanahmet Mosque : The beauty, splendor and significance of this mosque is so much that the entire area is named after it. The mosque was commissioned by the Ottoman Sultan Ahmed I and is the first Ottoman church with 6 minarets. Hippodrome : The hippodrome was re-built by Constantine and was shaped as a horse-shoe at 480 mt in length and 117 mt in width, with 100,000 person capacity. It was used as a symbol of the strength of the empire. During the Byzantine era it was the center of sports activities in Constantinople and it is today called Sultanahmet Square with its four relics: Wilhelm II German Fountain, Egyptian Obelisk, Serpentine (Spiral) Column, Constantine Column. Topkapı Palace : The oldest and largest palace in the world is Topkapı Palace. It has served as the command post of Ottoman State for around 400 years in Sarayburnu, Istanbul and continues to remain spectacular to the day. Hagia Sophia : Hagia Sophia museum is number one among the most frequently visited museums in Istanbul and in Turkey. It is a significant structure for two major religions and continues to defy the times. It has survived major fires and earthquakes and reached modern day. Grand Bazaar : Grand Bazaar’s architecture stands out in grandeur and has been known as one of Istanbul’s most significant centers of commerce for over 500 years. The Bazaar attracts shoppers of all ages and dates back to Byzantine times while hosting a rich culture structure developed during Ottoman era. Overnight stay is in Istanbul
Day 3 Full Day Bosphorus Tour // BOSPHORUS & TWO CONTINENTS TOUR
Following breakfast at your hotel, you will meet your professional licensed tour guide for a full day tour of Istanbul. Dolmabahçe Palace : Dolmabahçe Palace was commissioned by the 31st Ottoman sultan, Abdülmecid. It was designed with a western view in keeping with the modernization aim of Ottomans. There are numerous extremely valuable pieces of art here. If you are curious about the final stages of Ottoman Empire, you must discover the mysteries of Dolmabahçe Palace. Spice Bazaar : Spice Bazaar is one of Istanbul’s oldest covered bazaars and was actually built to bring in funds to the mosque during the construction of New Mosque. The bazaar is famous for its herbalists and rows of spices, Turkish delight, nuts and dried fruit paint an appetizing picture. Bosphrous Tour : The beauty of the Bosphrous is well known around the world. The shores of the strait have been home to many civilizations throughout history. The most significant thing about Bosphrous is that it is a passage that separates the European and Asian continents. Walls of Istanbul : Constantinapolis Walls were built by Constantine the Great to surround and protect the city when it was appointed as the new capital of the Roman Empire. They still raise awe to this day. The Golden Horn : It is the world’s largest natural port and the entry to Bosphrous. This hard to miss view will amaze you. Overnight stay is in Istanbul
Day 4 Departure // Istanbul / Şanlıurfa
After breakfast at your hotel, you will be transferred to Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport. Gaziantep scheduled flight departs at 7am and arrives at 8:35. The flight from Istanbul to Gaziantep is 1 hour 35 minutes long. Our tour guide will meet you at the airport and place your baggage to our vehicle before traveling to the city center for a tour of Gaziantep. We will then visit Mosaic Museum. After visiting this beautiful museum and learning about its history and mythology, we will break for lunch with delicious kebabs. Following lunch, we will visit Elmacı Bazaar, authentic Coppersmiths’ Bazaar and the historic center before having a break at the famous Tahmis Coffee House for a coffee break. This will be followed by free time in Elmacı bazaar where you can enjoy some shopping. After the program is complete, we set off to Adıyaman. We will climb mount Nemrut during sunrise the next day. We arrive in Adıyaman in approx. 2 hours and settle at our hotel. Overnight stay is in our hotel in Adıyaman
Day 5 Sunrise at Mount Nemrut – Atatürk Dam – Halfeti – Birecik
We will rise at 02:45 am to set off to Mount Nemrut for the sunrise. After this extraordinary experience, we will see the Bridge of Arsemia and Cendere on our way to Urfa. We have several spots to visit on our way. We will first take a break at Atatürk Dam and go from there to Halfeti. This spectacularly beautiful spot was made famous with numerous TV shows and you can enjoy an optional boat tour here before breaking for lunch on the shores of Euphrates River. In the afternoon, we will continue to Birecik and the bald ibis farm. We will then complete our daily program and go back to our hotel in Şanlıurfa. Overnight stay is in our hotel in Şanlıurfa
Day 6 ŞANLIURFA – GÖBEKLİTEPE
We leave the hotel after breakfast. Our first stop is Göbeklitepe. It is home to the world’s oldest temple and its discovery has changed world history. After visiting Göbeklitepe we will go back to the city center to visit Urfa Museum. We then break for lunch with delicacies of Urfa. After lunch break, we will start our tour of Urfa “the city of prophets”, with its cuisine, culture and bazaars. We will have a free time for shopping after visiting Halil-ür Rahman, Balıklı Lake, Ayn Zeliha Lake, Abraham’s Place, Rızvaniye Mosque, Şanlıurfa Castle, Covered Bazaar, Sipahi Bazaar, Gümrük Caravanserai. You can catch your breath at Gümrük Caravanserai for some turpentine coffee or bitter cardamom coffee. We will meet to go back to our hotel. Optionally, our guests may attend sira night programs at the guest houses in Urfa. Overnight stay is in Şanlıurfa.
Day 7 HARRAN / ISTANBUL
We check out from the hotel after breakfast, heading towards Harran. The tour in Harran includes the Ancient City of Harran, Harran Grand Mosque, Harran University, Historic Houses of Harran with cone shaped domes and city walls. We will set off to Şanlıurfa Airport after Harran tour. We will then arrive in Istanbul where Move services will end. (For accommodation in Istanbul, please contact us).