Day I - Ankara Excursion

Anitkabir - Anıtkabir, meaning “memorial tomb,” is the resting place of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the leader of the Turkish War of Independence and the founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey. Situated in Ankara, it was designed by architects Professor Emin Onat and Assistant Professor Ahmet Orhan Arda, whose design was selected from 48 entries in a 1941 competition organized by the Turkish Government for a “monumental tomb” for Atatürk.

The site also serves as the final resting place for İsmet İnönü, Turkey’s second President, who was laid to rest there in 1973. His tomb is positioned opposite the Atatürk Mausoleum across the Ceremonial Ground.

The mausoleum appeared on various Turkish banknotes between 1966–1987 and 1997–2009 and is listed among the fifty civil engineering achievements in Turkey by the Turkish Chamber of Civil Engineers, highlighting remarkable engineering projects completed in the chamber’s first 50 years.

Anadolu Medeniyetleri Müzesi - The Anatolian Civilizations Museum is housed in two Ottoman-era buildings near Ankara Castle, in the historic Atpazarı district of Ankara. One building is the Mahmut Paşa Bedesteni, and the other is the Kurşunlu Han (inn, caravanserai).

The Mahmut Paşa Bedesteni was constructed by Mahmut Pasha, a minister (vizier) of Mehmed II the Conqueror, between 1464-1471. The building lacks inscriptions, but some sources note that pure Angora garments were distributed here. The structure is of classical design, featuring 10 domes covering a rectangular area, with 102 shops facing each other.

Day II - Cappadocia Adventure

Lake Tuz - This lake, located in a tectonic depression on Turkey’s central plateau, is fed by two major streams, groundwater, and surface water, but lacks an outlet. Brackish marshes have formed where channels and streams enter the lake. Arable fields surround the lake, except in the south and southwest, where extensive seasonally flooded salt-steppe occurs.

For most of the year, the lake is very shallow (approx. 0.4 m or 1 ft). In winter, some salt dissolves in the fresh water introduced by precipitation and surface runoff (to 324‰ salinity). In summer, the lake dries up, revealing an average 30 cm thick salt layer in August. This process supports the salt mining operations in the lake, which produce 63% of Turkey’s salt consumption. The salt mining industry generates related industrial activities in the region, mainly focused on salt processing and refining.

Ihlara Valley - This canyon was formed in prehistoric times by the Melendiz Çayı. It stretches between the villages of Ihlara in the southeast and Selime in the northwest. At the north end of Ihlara village, a stairway with nearly 400 steps descends over 100 m into the canyon. From the 7th century AD, Byzantine monks settled in the valley, carving their homes and churches from the tuff stone deposited by Mount Hasan’s eruptions. The earlier Greek name, Peristrema (Περιστρημα; winding round), of the village of Belisarma, located about halfway along the valley from Ihlara to Selime, lent its name to the valley.

Derinkuyu Underground City - The Derinkuyu underground city (Cappadocian Greek: Μαλακοπή Malakopi) is an ancient multi-level underground city in the Derinkuyu district of Nevşehir Province, Turkey, extending to a depth of approximately 60 meters (200 ft). It is large enough to have sheltered up to 20,000 people along with their livestock and food stores. It is the largest excavated underground city in Turkey and is one of several underground complexes found throughout Cappadocia.

Nevşehir - A settlement was established on the slopes of Mount Kahveci in the Kızılırmak valley (the ancient Halys) by the Hittites. The town and region came under Assyrian rule around the 8th century BC, followed by the Medes and then the Persians under Emperor Cyrus the Great in 546 BC. In 333 BC, Alexander the Great defeated the Persians. After his death, Cappadocia was ruled by the Ariarathes dynasty, with Mazaka (present-day Kayseri) as the capital. The Cappadocian kingdom became a Roman province during Emperor Tiberius’s reign. It was likely the seat of the bishopric of Nyssa (Cappadocia), though it may have been Harmandalı, Ortaköy.

Day III - Continued Cappadocia Exploration

Hot Air Balloon Göreme - Optional

Begin the day early, even before breakfast, with a pickup from the hotel to witness the sunrise over this magnificent land from a hot air balloon. Experience a unique, fairy tale-like adventure, dipping down to pick fresh fruit from the treetops or soaring above the landscape, spotting landmarks previously unnoticed.

Uchisar Castle - The natural rock citadel of Uchisar Castle provides a panoramic view of the surrounding valleys, mountains, and towns. The tallest fairy chimney in Cappadocia is carved with numerous rooms, tunnels, stairs, rock tombs, and a large water cistern.

Pigeon Valley - Carved into the soft volcanic tuff, pigeons have been used in the Cappadocia region since ancient times for food and fertilizer for the infertile soil. While pigeons no longer play a significant role in the area, their rocky homes are still maintained by locals and can be found atop rock pillars and inside excavated cave houses and churches throughout the region, particularly in this valley. A great way to see Pigeon Valley is from above via a hot air balloon tour. Tours depart every morning just before sunrise, allowing you to float above the stunning landscape as the sun rises.

Göreme Open-Air Museum - In the 2nd century AD, ascetic monks who had adopted seclusion alone in the Cappadocia region, especially around Göreme, formed an important social community independent of monasteries and churches. What made Cappadocia a center of religious thought and life in the 3rd century was the presence of clergy with powerful character.

In the following century, the region became known as the hometown of three great clergy: the Bishop of Kaisareia, Basileios, his brother Gregorios of Nyssagia, and Gregorios of Nazianus. Basileios, known as the ‘Great,’ returned to his hometown, Kaisareia, the headquarters of the Cappadocia region, to devote himself to monastic life. He was also influential in spreading collective monastic life.

Zelve Open Air Museum - The Zelve Open-Air Museum, once home to one of the largest communities in the region, is an incredible cave town filled with dwellings, religious, and secular chambers. Zelve is located about 10 km from Göreme on the Avanos road. Here, Christians and Muslims lived together in harmony until 1924. Then, Christians had to leave the Valley due to the exchange of minorities between Greece and Turkey, and Muslims were forced to evacuate the Valley in the 1950s when life became dangerous due to erosion risks. They relocated to a modern village nearby, named Yeni Zelve (New Zelve).

Fairy Chimneys - Pasabag in Cappadocia is situated on the road to Zelve, coming from Göreme or Avanos. Remarkable earth pillars can be seen here, in the middle of a vineyard, hence the name “Pacha’s vineyard.” Pacha means “General,” a military rank in Turkish, and is a common nickname. This site is also known as Monks Valley. The name was derived from some cones carved in tuff stones that stand apart. Currently, there is a vineyard and several tuff cones standing right next to the road.

Some of these cones split into smaller cones in their upper sections, where stylites and hermits once hid. The hermitage of Simeon monks was also here. A chapel dedicated to St. Simeon (Simon) and a hermit’s shelter is built into one of the fairy chimneys with three heads. The entrance of the cell is decorated with antithetical crosses. Saint Simeon lived in seclusion near Aleppo in the 5th century when rumors of his miracles began to spread.

Avanos Ören Yeri - The ancient city of Avanos, known in ancient times as Venessa, overlooks Turkey’s longest river, the Kızılırmak (Red River), which also separates Avanos from the rest of Cappadocia.

Day IV - Further Cappadocia Exploration

Soğanlı Valley - Soğanlı Valley is located in the Yeşilhisar district of Kayseri Province, Turkey, in the southeastern part of Cappadocia. The valley contains several rock-cut churches and other rock-cut buildings, carved from the soft tuff stone of the Cappadocian landscape.

The village of Aşağı Soğanlı (‘Lower Soğanlı’) is situated at the southeastern end of the valley. The valley splits into northern and southern sections at the village of Yukarı Soğanlı (‘Upper Soğanlı’). The valley was inhabited by Byzantine monks from the 9th to the 13th centuries AD. They are responsible for around a hundred churches found in the valley and connected rock-cut houses and cloisters, most of which are now buried, ruined, or used as stables. There are also notable dovecotes carved into the cliffs, with entry holes marked out on the cliff using white paint.

Keşlik Monastery - The monastery was constructed in volcanic tuff stone and used during the Byzantine era until the end of the Ottoman Empire in the 1920s. Hollowed out in the 13th century, Keşlik Monastery, also known as the Monastery of Archangels, has retained two churches and its refectory. The Black Church has two parallel naves, both ending in an apse. Unfortunately, the frescoes in this church have been blackened with smoke over the centuries and are difficult to discern. Next to it is the refectory, a large room that could accommodate 100 people and is divided into two spaces by arcades. Dug out from the rock in the 9th century, the Church of St. Stephen is located 50 m from the monastery. The most beautiful frescoes, painted in bright yellow and orange shades, can be seen in this church. Due to many robbers and military conflicts in the region, the monks also had a safe room, and when in danger, they could close the door with a big and heavy millstone and escape through a tunnel.

Saruhan Culture and Event Center - Sarihan Caravanserai was the last of a series of ‘rest stops’ built along the Silk Road in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. Caravanserais (literally ‘caravan palaces’) are large, walled buildings that provided everything a traveling trader could want: food and water for his beasts, a safe place to eat and rest, and most importantly, a place to pray. In this last respect, the Sarihan Caravanserai is unique - its prayer room is located above the main gate rather than in the central courtyard as usual. The Sarihan Caravanserai is more than just an architectural artifact; it’s now a cultural center where visitors can learn about various Turkish traditions, ranging from pottery to shadow puppets.

Day V - Journey to Istanbul

Istanbul - After breakfast, depart from the hotel and travel to Istanbul by land.

• Round-trip transportation from Istanbul.
• Expert tour guidance throughout.
• Exclusive private land transport.
• Daily breakfast included.
• 4 nights’ comfortable accommodation.

• Meals & Drinks. (Otherwise stated.)
• Gratuities
• Admission Fees to Museums.

Cappadocia is a remarkable natural wonder that begs to be explored, and an excellent means to do so is through a personal car journey. Your voyage will commence in Istanbul and traverse to Cappadocia, making sure to visit Ankara, Turkey’s capital city, and the salt lake. The trip also provides the choice of an elective balloon ride for an aerial view of Cappadocia. Make your experience indelible and exclusive.

• Minimum of two persons are required to book in order for the tour to be held.

If you cancel at least 3 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel within 3 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.