From Istanbul to Ephesus: 5-Day Exploration Tour

This is a private tour designed only for you and your loved ones.

Day 1: Arrive in Istanbul
Welcome to Turkey. On arrival at Istanbul Airport, our tour representative will meet you at the airport holding a sign with your name on it. You will have a private transfer to your hotel in Istanbul.

Day 2: Full-Day Istanbul Tour
After breakfast, we are picking you up from your hotel to start our journey in Istanbul. -the city of two continents- We will visit the old city region of Istanbul where we will have the chance to visit the important touristic elements of the city silhouette such as theTopkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, and the Hippodrome, where chariot races and the Byzantine riots took place back in time. We will have a delicious lunch break along the way then visit the Grand Bazaar. It is one of the liveliest places of Istanbul. Here we can make some souvenir shopping for our loved ones and practice our bargaining skills. At the end of the day, we are returning to our hotel for a good rest.

Day 3: Full-Day Istanbul Tour
After breakfast we are picking you from your hotel and head to the Spice Bazaar (Egyptian Bazaar). Its name comes from the fact that we will have the chance to see countless of spices being sold by the shopkeepers like cinnamon, caraway, saffron, mint, thyme and every other conceivable herb and spice. We will have a lunch break and take a boat tour along with the Bosphorus accompanied by the great views of the magical city Istanbul. After visiting a mystical underground cistern and hear some stories about it from our guide we are heading back to our hotel to recharge ourselves for the next day.


Day 4: Istanbul – Ephesus Tour – Istanbul
We are checking out from the hotel after breakfast and hop on to our comfortable, air-conditioned coach for our transferred to Istanbul Airport. After our flight we are landing to Izmir and hitting the road to visit the ancient city of Ephesus. Here we will visit the Temple or Artemis that is known as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancent World dedicated to the Greek goddess of war. We will take a historical walk along the Ephesus’ marble streets surrounded by ancient buildings. We will have the chance to see the State Agora, the Odeon, the Temple of Domitian, the Trajan Fountain, the Baths of Scholastica, the Gate of Mazues and Mithridates and many more. We will see the Grand Amphitheater of Ephesus that is one of the best preserved ancient remains. It is known for the place where the religious practices and famous gladiator fights took place. We enjoy a delicious lunch in the garden of a local handicrafts center where we will get to see some of the traditional carpet weaving techniques still used today. After lunch, we will visit the House of Virgin Mary in the Aladag Mountains near Ephesus. It is claimed to be where Mary lived from 37 A.D. until her death in 48 A.D and spent her last days after Christ's Ascension to Heaven. After a long day, we will head back to the Izmir Adnan Menderes International Airport for our flight back to Istanbul. A tour representative will meet us at Istanbul Airport to transfer us back to our hotel for the night.

Day 5: Home
After breakfast, we are checking out from the hotel and enjoy our last private transfer back to the Istanbul Airport for our flight home.

Meeting point
A tour representative will be waiting for you at Istanbul Ataturk Airport holding a sign with your name on it.

What to bring
Comfortable shoes
Sunglasses
Sun hat
Camera

Know before you go
• To visit holy places of worship such as churches, monasteries, mosques, and synagogues both women and men need to wear appropriate clothing that covers the shoulders and knees
• When visiting mosques, you'll need to remove your shoes
• The Grand Bazaar is closed on Sundays. When day 2 falls on a Sunday, the Grand Bazaar will be visited on day 3.