9-Day Magnificent Cappadocia Tour

Day 1Scheduled flight with TURKISH AIRLINES from Venice via Istanbul to Ankara, the capital of Turkey in Central Anatolia. Welcome by Turkish guide and hotel transfer. Dinner and overnight stay in Ankara.

Day 2Orientation city tour of Ankara, the capital of ancient Galatia, Paul's Letter to the Galatians. Visit the remains of the Temple of Rome and Augustus and the inscription containing Emperor Augustus's bilingual account report. Then visit and guided tour of the Archaeological Museum, displaying unique artifacts from the Hittite period and prehistoric settlement of Çatalhöyük. Walk inside the castle, the old Ottoman residential texture is protected. Finally, visit Atatürk's Mausoleum Anıtkabir, located on the Phrygian tumulus. Afternoon journey to Yozgat. Dinner and overnight stay in Çorum.

Day 3Journey to Boğazkale, to Hattusa, the capital of the Hittite Empire. This ancient city, which was the capital of the Hittite Empire and center of great kings between 1600 and 1200 BC, is one of the largest ancient cities in the world. You will tour this UNESCO World Heritage site in detail: partially reconstructed city walls, Lion Gate and King's Gate, underground defense passage (Poterne), foundations of the royal palace and the area where the clay tablet library was located, as well as the temple complex in the lower city. Then we go to the Hittite sanctuary Yazılıkaya, the famous rock temple depicting the procession of gods. From there journey to Alacahöyük, a settlement dating back to the 6th millennium BC where magnificent gate sphinxes, stone reliefs, and prince tombs can be seen. Evening journey to Kayseri, the city named in honor of Roman Emperor Tiberius and located at the foot of the extinct Erciyes Volcano, approximately 4,000 meters high. Dinner and overnight stay in Kayseri.

Day 4Visit the Kültepe excavation site, located about 20 km northeast of Kayseri. This place, known as Kanis and with a history of more than four thousand years, was the Assyrians' first trade colony in Anatolia. At that time, Assyrian and Babylonian textiles, tin, copper, and Anatolia's silver and gold were traded. Kültepe's upper and lower cities are divided into 18 layers, with the oldest layer extending to the Early Bronze Age and the newest layer to the Roman period. Then return to Kayseri and visit the Hatuniye Complex, Double Madrasa, and Döner Kümbet tombs from the Seljuk period. We tour Kayseri's basalt castle, one of the most impressive examples of medieval Turkish architecture with its 19 towers and defense passages. Our next stop is the Archaeological Museum, displaying beautiful artifacts from the Hittite, Greek, Roman, and Byzantine periods. Finally, a short walk in the bazaar. Evening journey south to Cappadocia. This region, shaped by lava eruptions from volcanic eruptions millions of years ago, is famous for its fairy chimneys and rock formations created by wind and weather conditions. The soft tuff rocks were used by people as houses and places of worship and have made the region an enchanting landscape even today. Dinner and overnight stay in Göreme or Ürgüp.

Day 5Journey to the Göreme region, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Christian communities in Asia Minor found an ideal refuge in the hidden valleys of Cappadocia from the 4th to 13th centuries AD to protect themselves from persecution. We visit some of the 17 Byzantine cave churches, monasteries, and chapels in the Göreme Open Air Museum. Among the most beautiful are the Dark Church, Tokali Church, and Sandals Church. Then we visit the cave houses in the valleys around Ortahisar and the fairy chimneys in Zelve. In the afternoon, visit a carpet workshop where the traditional carpet weaving process is explained. Dinner and overnight stay in Göreme or Ürgüp.

Day 6Optional: Approximately 1-hour hot air balloon tour over Cappadocia's fairy chimneys, total duration about 1 hour.
Journey to one of the underground cities in Derinkuyu. These cities were places where Christians took refuge to protect themselves from their enemies. Walk in this multi-layered refuge settlement. Then journey to the magnificent Ihlara Valley and walk in a section of the canyon that is 15 km long and reaches depths of up to 150 meters. Visit some of the approximately 50 rock churches and cave structures decorated with Byzantine wall paintings along the way. Afternoon journey west and visit the impressive 13th-century Seljuk caravanserai Ağzıkarahan. Dinner and overnight stay in Göreme or Ürgüp.

Day 7Journey to Love Valley. This valley, with a small stream flowing from its fertile lands, is surrounded by tuff stone columns rising up to 30 meters. Then journey to Avanos, the pottery city located on the banks of Turkey's longest river, Kızılırmak. Walk in this small town with history dating back to the Hittite period. Then visit a 7th-century rock monastery. Nearby is the 13th-century Seljuk caravanserai Sarıhan. Then journey to Uçhisar and visit the castle rock. From here, a magnificent view accompanies the Göreme region and snow-covered Mount Erciyes. This castle, full of underground passages and rooms, could once accommodate 1000 people. Dinner and overnight stay in Göreme or Ürgüp.

Day 8Journey south to the Old Silver Rock Church near Niğde. This monastery complex, built around a square courtyard, is one of the best-preserved structures in Cappadocia. Then journey to Konya, formerly known as Iconium, birthplace of Saint Thecla and city of dervishes. Visit the Mevlana Museum, where the tomb of Rumi, founder of the Mevlevi Dervish Order, is located. This pilgrimage site has become the center of the Sufi order, a mystical and spiritually oriented branch of Islam. Then visit the 13th-century Seljuk Karatay Madrasa, once a theological school. Finally, visit the Roman Catholic St. Paul Church in the Meram district, the city's last active church protected by the Assumptionist Order since 1910. Walk to Castle Hill, this hill has been a settlement since the Copper Age of Anatolia. Then visit the Hacı Veyiszade Mosque, Konya's most beautiful mosque, notable for its nine domes, three floors, and two 78-meter-high minarets. Optional: Evening whirling dervishes sema show. Dinner and overnight stay in Konya.

Day 9Transfer to airport and flight from Konya via Istanbul to Germany.