Historical Turkey

Arrival at the airport at least 2 hours in advance. Boarding formalities and departure on a flight to Istanbul. Arrival and transfer to the hotel. Accommodation.

Breakfast. Half-day city tour starting at the Soliman Mosque, considered the most beautiful of Istanbul's imperial mosques. Departure towards the ancient Walls of Constantinople, which protected the city from constant attacks by various peoples. Then a visit to the Monastery of St. Mary of the Fountain, known for its fountain of miracles. The tour ends at Eminönü, once the main access to the city in Byzantine and Ottoman times, but now a busy area where the Egyptian Market or Spice Bazaar is located. Return to the hotel on your own. Accommodation.

Pequeno-almoço. Meio dia de visita à cidade de Istambul. Início pela Basílica de Santa Sofia, um dos mais fantásticos edifícios de todos os tempos. Construída por Constantino, o Grande, e reconstruída por Justiniano no século VI, a sua imensa cúpula está a 55 metros acima do solo e tem um diâmetro de 31 metros. Durante o Império Otomano, foi convertida numa mesquita e com o tempo foram acrescentados os minaretes. Continuação até ao antigo Hipódromo bizantino, que era o centro da atividade civil do país, onde se realizavam não só corridas de cavalos e combates de gladiadores, mas também celebrações em honra do Imperador. Hoje ainda preserva o Obelisco de Teodósio, a Coluna Serpentina e a Fonte do Imperador Wilhelm. A visita termina na Mesquita Azul famosa pelos seus 6 minaretes. Regresso ao hotel por conta própria. Alojamento.  

OPTION BY BUS: Breakfast. Departure by bus to Ankara. Arrival in Ankara, the "Capital of the Republic" and visit to the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, an archaeological museum with a unique prehistoric and Hittite collection. Continue your journey to Cappadocia. Arrival at the hotel. Dinner and accommodation

OPTION BY PLANE: Breakfast. At a time to be arranged locally, transfer to the airport to board a flight to Cappadocia. Arrival and transfer to the hotel. Dinner and accommodation. 

Breakfast. Visit to the region where St. George was born, which is unique in the world and combines the vagaries of nature with sites of great cultural interest. The visit begins at the underground city of Ozkonak (or similar), built by Christian communities to protect themselves from Arab attacks. Stop at a carpet and kilim workshop. Continue to Göreme, which preserves an impressive collection of churches, chapels and monasteries carved out of the rock with frescoes dating back to the 11th century, which have been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Pass through the Güvercinlik (Pigeon) Valley to admire a wonderful panoramic view of Uchisar Castle, perched atop a promontory of volcanic rock, pierced by tunnels and windows. Stop at a handicraft and jewelry workshop. Return to the hotel. Dinner and accommodation.

Breakfast. Early departure to visit the Seleucid Caravanserai "Sultanhan", located on the Silk Road, which served as a stopping place for traders, pilgrims and military personnel. Continue to Pamukkale, also known as the Cotton Castle. Its hot springs with calcareous salt sediments have given rise to a landscape of exceptional originality, with white pools located on the slopes of the hills and with giant stalactites that give it the appearance of petrified waterfalls. Dinner and accommodation.

Breakfast. In the morning, a visit to Hierapolis, an ancient spa town founded around 190 BC by the king of Pergamon and built on top of the pools with a fabulous theater and a grand necropolis, which flourished mostly during the Roman era. Continue to Ephesus, the best-preserved classical city in Turkey, built in the year 1000 BC (the ruins we see today date from the 4th century BC), where the highlights include the Library of Celsus, the Temple of Hadrian and its great theater. Afterwards, visit the Basilica of St. John, built by Emperor Justinian over the tomb of the apostle St. John, who died in Ephesus. Erected in 548, next to the ancient acropolis of Ephesus, it was destroyed over time due to wars, conflicts and earthquakes, and today only its ruins remain. Stop at one of the places where parades are held and leather clothes are sold. Dinner and accommodation.

Breakfast. Departure for Pergamon, an important Greco-Roman city that has left us a great cultural legacy: it was here that parchment was invented! Arrival and visit of Aesculapius, the famous hospital of the ancient world, dedicated to the god of health. Continue to Troy, whose name alone evokes a series of characters and places full of adventures, heroes and the destruction of the mystical city. It was Schliemann in 1872 who, using the oldest account of the Trojan War, Homer's Iliad, as a guide, proved that the mythical city was part of a universal heritage. Visit its ruins and the famous "Horse" reconstructed in wood. This is followed by a visit to the Troy Museum (European Museum of the Year Award 2020), which consists of historical artifacts discovered during archaeological excavations in the Troy region. Departure for Canakkale, located on the shores of the Dardanellos Strait. Dinner and accommodation.

Breakfast. Departure for the city of Istanbul. Visit Ortaköy "the bohemian quarter of Istanbul", located on the banks of the Bosphorus, a conglomeration of narrow streets, antique and craft stores, bars and restaurants. Free time. Next, climb up to the old Pera area, now known as Galatasaray, which in Byzantine times was inhabited by Genoese and Venetian merchants. From here, walk to the pedestrianized Istiklal Street (Independence Avenue), full of bars, restaurants, music stores, bookstores, cafés and theaters, among others. On the way, visit the famous "Çiçek Pasaji" flower passage and the Church of St. Anthony of Padua, the largest and most important church in Istanbul. It was built by Italian citizens to the design of the architect Giulio Mongari. Later, you will arrive in the Galata district and have free time to take pictures of the Galata Tower (the climb to the tower is not included). Return to the hotel on your own. Accommodation. 

Breakfast. At a time to be arranged locally, transfer to the airport. Boarding formalities and departure on a flight back to Portugal. Arrival.