13 Day Istanbul to Georgia Tour: From Ottoman Majesty to Caucasus Charm

Upon our arrival at Istanbul International Airport, your guide will meet, assist and transfer you to the hotel. Istanbul was the capital city of Byzantium & Roman Empires and Ottoman State. It is a most fascinating city, which actually crosses two continents Europe and Asia. It is a city of amalgamation of museums, bazaars, minarets, mosques, churches, palaces, and restaurants catering to every one’s taste, customs and fifteen million people. Overnight in Istanbul.

(Breakfast, Lunch, and Bosphorus Dinner  Cruise included)
Our professional guide will meet you at your hotel’s lobby at 08:30, and we’ll start our Student Tour in Istanbul. Today, our first stop will be Saint Sophia or Hagia Sophia, built by the emperor Justinian in 532 - 537. Designed and built as a church For over 1000 years, it was the largest cathedral in the world and the center of the Orthodox. Today, it is a touristic and spiritual centre for Christians, Muslims, and other religious groups. Next, we’ll visit Topkapı Palace, which served as the administrative centre of the Ottoman Empire for over 400 years, from the 15th to the 19th centuries, and as the home of the Sultans and their families. Here, we will also visit the Hagia Irene Church, located in the garden of Topkapı Palace. Afterwards, we will have lunch at a local restaurant and explore Hippodrome Square; We will see the Serpent Column brought from Delphi from Greece, the Egyptian Obelisk, the German Fountain of Wilhelm ll, and the tombs of Ottoman sultans and princes. Next, we will visit the Blue Mosque, also known as Sultanahmet Mosque, which is the most splendid Ottoman mosque in Istanbul, Built between the years 1609 and 1617, it is best known for its 6 minarets and blue Iznik tiles that lend the mosque its name. The students can compare the architecture of Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque on the spot here. Finally, we will visit the Grand Bazaar, which has over 4,000 shops full of hidden treasures and authentic items.  End of the tour, return to the hotel.

BOSPHORUS DINNER CRUISE  (20:00 – 23:30)
Menu; Grill fish or meatballs or chicken, cold and hot appetisers, 
Beverages.; Unlimited soft beverage.
Program: Music, Folklore performance, Whirling Dervishes show, Traditional wedding ceremony, Oriental belly dancer Show, and more.
Transfer: Return transfer from the hotel

(Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included)
After breakfast enjoy BOSPORUS BY BOAT; a traditional excursion by boat along the waterway separating Europe and Asia. The shore lined with old wooden villas, palaces of marble, fortresses, and small fishing villages. During the excursion, you will see the magnificent sights of the following attractions from your boat. See Dolmabahce Palace, and further along, the parks and imperial pavilions of Yildiz Palace. On the coastal edge of this park, is Ciragan Palace, 300 meters of its marble facade faces the shore. At Ortakoy a great variety of artists, gather every sunday to display their work along the street. Ortakoy is a symbol of tolerance with a church, a mosque and a synagogue existing side by side for centuries. RUMELI FORTRESS (view from boat), Built by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1452 prior to the conquest of Istanbul was completed in only four months to control and protect the infamous Bosporus passage. It is one of the most beautiful works of military architecture anywhere in the world. BEYLERBEYI PALACE (view from boat), is the summer residence of Ottoman sultans exists in its original renovated glory featuring original antique furniture and magnificent gardens with the Harem on the Asian side of Istanbul. Lunch break at the Turkish restaurant. After the lunch we will then take you to the GRAND SPICE BAZAAR, which is a unique atmosphere with reasonable prices for your shopping. Here you will find; Exotic Spices and Herbs, Turkish Baklava, Turkish Delights, Turkish Coffee, nuts and fruits, small souvenirs such as Ceramic Handicrafts, Evil Eyes totems, all naturel olive oil, soaps and many other goods in Souvenir Shops and stores. After the tour transfer to Istanbul Airport for domestic flight to Cappadocia. Transfer from airport and check in to your hotel in Cappadocia. Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia.

Please Note: If you wish to join our optional activity of Cappadocia Hor Air Ballooning for tomorrow, please contact with your guide and register because it will take place early the next morning. 

(Breakfast Lunch and dinner included)
After breakfast we will see Goreme Valley where we will examine the process of the rock formations of Cappadocia. Later we drive a bit further and visit the cave dwellings in conical rock formations around Uchisar. Tea and coffee break in a cave house before we go to Goreme Open-Air Museum, where the best preserved frescoed rock cut churches and monasteries are located. After we have buffet lunch, we visit the Family Fairy Chimneys of Urgup. Wine taste in a local winery and visiting the wishing hill in Urgup.
A short walk in Devrent Valley where the rock formations look like different figures. The Monk's Valley will be our next stop where we see monk's cells in multi-capped Fairy Chimneys. Avanos, the pottery town of Cappadocia is visited, and after a short walk in Rose valley Cavetown, will take you to a remote place for sunset. Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia.

(Breakfast Lunch and dinner included)
We will pick you up from your hotel and depart at 09.00 to drive to Ihlara Valley upon breakfast. There, we will walk nearly 4 km and visit the frescoed churches before it gets hot.
Lunch is in Ihlara Valley, at bank of Melendiz River, which is flowing in the valley. After lunch, we will visit Selime Cathedral and return back to Ozkonak Underground City. On the way, we will visit the Nar Crater Lake. Whilst all other tour groups are at Ihlara Valley, we will be in an underground city where temperature is 12-13 C afternoon.
After we visit the biggest underground city of Cappadocia, we will drive to the Pigeons Valley to see pigeon houses which were made to collect guano in. Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia.

(Breakfast and Lunch included)
After breakfast we’ll transfer you to Ankara, making the three hour journey in comfort by car. This modern city, the country’s capital since 1923, is a commercial hub with modern shopping districts and office buildings. But it’s also where the founder of the Turkish Republic is buried. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk is one of the 20th century’s great political leaders and at home he is considered a national hero. He rests in peace at a mausoleum called Anıtkabir. An included city tour will give you a feel for Ankara’s major landmarks, such as the Presidential Palace, and you’ll see how different it is from Istanbul. Overnight in Ankara.

(Breakfast and Lunch included)
This morning we’ll visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations, which is housed close to the Citadel, the hilltop settlement founded by the Hittites some 3000 years ago. It’s highly regarded, considered one of the best archaeological museums in the country. Inside you’ll find an array of exhibits that tell the story of the ancient settlers in Asia Minor from the Stone Age. The Neolithic, Hittite and Phrygian works of art are especially impressive. Down the hill from the museum are the ruins of the Roman temple of Augustus and Rome. It’s not the only legacy of this once great empire, as Ankara is also where you’ll find the Column of Julian and the ruins of the Roman baths. There’ll be free time this afternoon for you to explore these sites and more on your own. If art’s your bag, we’d also suggest calling in at Cer Modern. Overnight in Ankara.

(Breakfast and Lunch included)
Transfer from the hotel to the airport . This morning we will make our way to the airport for our flight to Trabzon, a city on Turkey’s Black Sea coast. Just outside the city in Altindere National Park is Sumela Monastery, thought to date from the 4th century. Perched high on a ledge on a sheer cliff face, it’s as remarkable for its engineering as it is for its religious significance. There’ll be time to tour Trabzon too, calling in at the 13th century St Sophia church to see its remarkable Byzantine frescoes. Afterwards, it’s time to cross the border into Georgia where we’ll aim to arrive in Batumi in time for dinner. Overnight in Batumi.
Note : Driving distance: 268 km / 168 ml.

(Breakfast included)
Batumi has in recent years seen extraordinary growth, making this the second largest city in Georgia after the capital Tbilisi. It’s still best known as a seaside resort and if you have the opportunity to ascend the 130 metre high Alphabetic Tower, covered with Georgian script, you’ll enjoy stellar views over the waterfront. The city’s old town is also a gem, with many restored mansions. We’ll take you on a city tour which gives you the opportunity to visit the Cathedral of the Mother of God, originally a Catholic church; the city’s Italianate Piazza and the Kissing Monument of Ali and Nino. Each day, the twin figures which comprise this sculpture, nicknamed the Statue of Love, slide together into an embrace. Later we’ll drive out to the Gonio Fortress for a visit - it dates from Roman times - before heading back to Batumi. Overnight in Batumi. 

(Breakfast included)
This Georgian city is the third largest in the country. Some of the area’s biggest tourist attractions are actually found outside Kutaisi. One of them is the Gelati Monastery. You’ll be wowed by the detail in the frescoes that survive in this UNESCO-listed 12th century complex. Also lying beyond the city limits is Prometheus Cave. Six of the 22 chambers of this sprawling karst cavern are open to visitors, so we can take a look at its stalactites and stalagmites. In the centre of the city is Bagrati Cathedral. It’s an important historical landmark and worth seeing despite concerns from UNESCO that unsympathetic and extensive renovations have destroyed much of its authenticity. Overnight in Kutaisi.

Note : Driving distance: 153 km / 96 ml.

Note: it is possible to extend your trip at this point to give you the opportunity to visit Akhaltsikhe and the cave town in Vardzia. Please contact us for prices and options.

(Breakfast and Dinner included)
Let’s round off what’s hopefully been a wonderful trip by exploring our final destination: Tbilisi. This morning we’ll tour the city, beginning in the atmospheric old town where we can enjoy one of the best views in the city from the 13th century Methekhi Church. High on the hill, you’ll see the 4th century church and, crossing the river, the cable car that many tourists take to get up there. We’ll take a closer look, and marvel at how tall the statue of Mother Georgia when you look upwards from her feet. We’ll continue exploring Tbilisi, visiting some of its ancient places of worship including the 12th century cathedral. Later, we’ll head along Rustaveli Avenue into Georgia’s modern commercial district and visit the treasury of the Georgian National Museum. Tonight’s dinner in a traditional restaurant will be accompanied by folk dancing or singing. Overnight in Tbilisi. 

This is the end point of the tour. When you’re ready, say farewell to Georgia as our driver transfers you safely to the airport for your flight home.