Breakfast will be at the hotel. Today, you will explore the highlights of Istanbul, former Constantinople. Start with the visit of the main residence of the Ottoman dynasty, the magnificent Topkapi Palace which is the standing witness of glorious but secret and intriguing lives of the Ottoman sultans. It is now a museum notable not only for its architecture and collections but also for the history and the culture of the Ottoman Empire that it recalls. Following lunch at a local restaurant, take a stroll through the once glorious Roman Hippodrome which accommodates the ancient Egyptian Obelisk and the Serpentine Column. Besides being an arena of chariot races, it was employed for public events such as parades, meetings and festivals as well. Next, admire a masterpiece of the Byzantine architecture, the 6^th - century Hagia Sophia which has been revered as the largest and the most important Christian place of worship in the world for many centuries. It was designed to be the major basilica of the Byzantine Empire and held the record for the largest dome in the world until the Duomo was built in Florence in the 15^th century. Get a delightful walk through gardens and proceed to the imperial Blue Mosque which dominates Istanbul’s majestic skyline with its elegant composition of ascending domes and six slender soaring minarets. The careful choreography of more than 20,000 Iznik tiles rise from the mid-sections of the mosque and dazzle the visitors with their brilliant blue and turquoise hues which lend the mosque its popular sobriquet. After dinner at a local restaurant, return to the hotel for overnight.

Breakfast will be at the hotel. This morning you will discover the majestic Archaeological Museum of Istanbul exhibiting over one million artifacts that represent significant civilizations established on the vast geography of the Ottoman Empire through the ages. The museum holds outstanding findings of the royal Necropolis of Sydon such as the Sarcophagus of Alexander the Great, the Lycian Sarcophagus and Sarcophagus of Mourning Women thanks to the unfailing efforts of the Ottoman versatile intellectual Osman Hamdi Bey, the founder of the museum.Followed by lunch at a local restaurant, explore the impressive Mosque of Soliman the Magnificent which was constructed in the 16^th century by the royal architect Sinan at the political and artistic zenith of the Ottoman Empire. Then, get entertained by strolling through the fragrant Spice Bazaar that was built in the 17^th century as an extension of the New Mosque complex. It is a bustling oriental bazaar that provides fresh supply of spices, dried fruits, Turkish delight and caviar. At the end of the day, enjoy an exclusive cruise along the Bosphorus with your private chartered boat to admire the inspiring scenery of the strait embellished with historical edifices and old wooden houses. Have dinner at a local restaurant and get back to the hotel for overnight.

Breakfast will be at the hotel. You will depart for the charming city of Bursa which was the first official capital of the Ottoman Empire. Upon arrival, visit first the imposing Great Mosque, topped by many small domes instead of a big central one, it is the initial example of the early Ottoman imperial architecture still bearing Seljuk influence. After tasting the signature dish of Iskender Kebab at lunch in a local restaurant, continue to the Green Mosque exemplifying the transition from the Seljuk hypostyle to the great domed mosques of Edirne and Istanbul. The mosque displays technical mastery with its distinctive inverted T-plan and high level of aesthetic blueish - green tiles decorating its walls. Later, proceed to the nearby mausoleum of the fifth Ottoman Sultan Mehmet I, the Green Tomb that has a heavenly ambience thanks to the eight windows of its dome. Final stop of the day is Koza Han, the renowned 15^th - century silk market since Bursa was the largest silk trade center during the Byzantine and Ottoman periods. Head to your 5* hotel for dinner and overnight.

Breakfast will be at the hotel. You will set out for Ankara via Gordion, the great capital of the 12^th century BC Phrygian Empire, where Alexander the Great cut the legendary Gordion Knot instead of untying it. Once you arrive, have lunch at a local restaurant and next, discover the tomb of King Midas, the most famous Phrygian ruler who turned everything he touched into gold according to the Greek mythology. The wooden burial chamber covered by a 53 m high man-made mound makes the tumulus the largest of its kind in Anatolia. The intact skeleton and some burial gifts uncovered in 1957 in the course of excavations are now being exhibited in Ankara Civilization Museum. Then, enjoy the charming Gordion Museum that displays finds from the site, including bronze statuary, glass jewelry and an extensive coin collection. Take a short drive to Ankara for dinner and overnight at your 5* hotel.

Breakfast will be at the hotel. This morning you will initially observe one of the richest museums in the world, the Anatolian Civilizations Museum which is respected as one of the most comprehensive museums of the world on account of its unique collections of materials focusing on prehistoric ages extending through the Hittite, Phrygian, Urartian and the Assyrian eras. It has the distinction of being the only museum in Turkey entitled to receive the "European Museum of the Year Award" in 1997, Switzerland. Later, explore Mausoleum of Ataturk, one of the Turkey's most notable examples of modern architecture. Sitting on a hilltop in Ankara, it was designed by a Turkish architect and constructed between 1944- 1953 to be the final resting place of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder and the first president of the modern Republic of Turkey. Following lunch at a local restaurant, continue to Cappadocia along the shores of Salt Lake which is the second largest lake in Turkey with its size of 1620 km2. At the end of the day, you will reach the wonderlands of Cappadocia that has a unique lunar landscape of terra and tuff cones, shaped by forces of nature over millions of years. For ages, men have dug into this soft but firm tuff to create dwellings, monasteries, churches and underground cities. Move to your 5* hotel for dinner and overnight.

You may choose to participate in an optional early bird hot air balloon ride over the other-worldly scenery of Cappadocia which offers a life time experience. After breakfast at the hotel, discover the Goreme Open Air Museum which holds Cappadocia’s best collection of cave churches and has been one of the first two UNESCO sites in Turkey since 1984. Cappadocia witnessed the penetration of Christianity in Anatolia. The first Christians escaping from the persecution in Jerusalem came to settle down in natural grottoes of the region where they carved out rock churches, adorning their walls with fine frescos of biblical and apocryphal episodes in brilliant colors. Next, visit a traditional rug weaving center to learn about the three thousand year old tribal art of Turks. You will be delighted to see the full procedure of silk cocoons and hand spun wool yarns being transformed into extremely fine carpets by magical fingers. Followed by lunch at a traditional cave restaurant, explore an underground city, famous for its subterranean dwellings and secret tunnel passages that various peoples utilized for shelter across the centuries. Admire the picturesque views of the lunar landscape region having photo stops at famous Hunters’ Valley and Pigeon Valley. Then, take a break at the natural fort of Uchisar to enjoy cone-like formations and well preserved fairy chimneys around it. The final attraction of the day is a local pottery workshop in the town of Red River, Avanos where the mud has found its functional and decorative forms in rough but skillful hands of the townsmen since the Hittites. You will be thrilled at the demonstration of a local master on his millennia old kick-wheel. Proceed to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Breakfast will be at the hotel. Today, you will have a distant journey to Pamukkale via the city of Konya, the biblical Iconium. On the way, initially drop in at Sultanhani Caravanserai, the largest and best preserved one in Anatolia. Constructed in the 13^th century, this Seljuk caravanserai was used as an accommodation by the merchants and other travelers on the Silk Road. When you arrive in Konya, have lunch at a local restaurant and later, observe the Mevlana Museum, the monastery of the whirling dervishes and the shrine of the founder of the sect, Mevlana. He was an exceptional mystic poet and one of the earliest humanists of the world who preached humility, wisdom and love. Hit the road to Pamukkale for dinner and overnight at your 5* hotel.

Breakfast will be at the hotel. You will begin the day with the sightseeing of the unique site of Pamukkale, also known as Cotton Castle. This spectacular natural phenomenon was created by deposits of thermal waters that cascaded down the mountain side over thousands of years, forming myriad pools and terraces. Get entertained by wandering around the fantasy land of cotton-white calcium carbonate travertines. The ruins of the neighboring Greek city of Hierapolis, founded by the second king of Pergamon in 190 BC, is well worth visiting, particularly the theatre with a breathtaking view and the necropolis that is in a great state of preservation .After lunch at a local restaurant, set off for Aphrodisias, one of the pearls of Turkey’s ancient sites. The city was renowned in antiquity for its sanctuary of Aphrodite and its meticulously skilled marble sculptors. We are grateful to the relentless efforts of Professor Kenan Erim of New York University who dedicated 30 years of his life to uncover the hidden gems of Aphrodisias like the breathtaking 30 thousand seated Roman stadium, the majestic temple of Afrodite and the iconic gate of Tetrapylon where he is buried today upon his will. Following the sightseeing, drive to Kusadasi for diner and overnight at your 5* hotel.

Breakfast will be at the hotel. Your initial stop will be the sacred city of Artemis, Ephesus, one of the leading Roman sites of the world. Being a prominent cultural and commercial center, it was the most influential capital city of Asia Minor. The Temple of Artemis which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Celsus Library that was the third largest of its time and the grandest theater of this part of the world are tangible evidences of its significant glory. Have lunch at a local restaurant and next, discover the House of the Virgin Mary where she is believed to have spent her final days. Then, explore the cozy village of Sirince, literally cute or sweet, reflecting its charm. Set on a hillside above Selcuk town and within easy reach of the ruins of Ephesus, the village retains most of its lovely old wooden houses with their red tiled roofs. Perhaps it is the perfect synthesis of a traditional Turkish and Greek village. After attending in the evening a farewell dinner at a traditional restaurant, return to Kusadasi for overnight.

Breakfast will be at the hotel. You will be transferred to Izmir Airport within the day subject to your outbound flight time.