Magic Carpet Anatolia

After breakfast, we’ll embark on a sightseeing tour starting with a picturesque commute to the famous Spice (Egyptian) Bazaar, the second largest covered market in the city, which offers more than just edibles, treats, and spices. We’ll then board a private boat at Eminonu to cruise along the Bosphorus and see historical sites such as mosques, castles, and palaces adorning the waterfront. Later, we’ll enjoy lunch at a local Turkish restaurant, followed by a ride across the Bosphorus Bridge to Camlica Hill, one of the largest hills in Istanbul, where you’ll have some free time to enjoy the panoramic views of the city. We’ll end the day with a transfer back to the hotel for an overnight stay.

After checking out of the hotel, we’ll head to Istanbul Airport for a flight to Izmir. Upon arrival, we’ll be transferred to a hotel in Kusadasi for a free day of leisure. Kusadasi is one of Turkey’s largest and most cosmopolitan seaside resorts, offering great sandy beaches, excellent shopping, and a lively nightlife. Overnight stay in Kusadasi.

Our fourth day takes us to the Carpet Weavers Co-operative in Saklikent near Izmir. This association represents around 144 villages and 1,700 carpet weavers throughout Turkey. We will learn how and what makes Turkish carpets so unique and treasured throughout the world. During the tour in the complex, we will watch the carpet weavers demonstrate their special skills and craftsmanship. Even if you don’t want to buy a Turkish carpet, a visit to this association offers a fascinating insight into carpet making, and its history and traditions. We will have an overnight stay in Kusadasi.

After breakfast in Kusadasi, we head over to the historical city of Ephesus located about 15 kilometers/9 miles away to proceed with our tour of Turkey. This ancient city is one of the best preserved Greco-Roman cities in the world. Here, we see the Agora, Odeon, public toilets, Roman Baths, Grand Theatre, Marble Street, and much more. Then it’s time for lunch at a local Turkish restaurant. Next, we tour the House of Virgin Mary and visit the chapel where she is said to have spent her last days. Afterwards, we visit the Artemis Temple site which is one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World. Finally, we are transferred back to the hotel in Kusadasi for an overnight stay.

On the sixth day, we will drive from Kusadasi to Konya, which is located about 458 kilometers/284 miles away. Upon arrival and check-in at the hotel, we head to the Karatay Medrese, an ancient and former theological school built in 1251 to serve the Seljuk sultan. This building now serves as a museum with a wonderful collection of ceramics and tiles. After the lunch break, we continue our tour to the Museum of Mevlana, constructed in the 16th century in honor of the Sufi or ‘whirling dervishes’ founder, Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi. We will have an overnight stay in Konya.

Our seventh day is a free day to do some shopping and sightseeing including perusing the various stores in the city center displaying Konya’s pride in carpet weaving. Konya rugs are prized for their luxurious wool, which comes from the rural areas surrounding the city because the wool from these regions is known to be some of the richest worldwide. Afterwards, we have lunch at a local restaurant before departing to Cappadocia. Upon arrival, we check into the hotel for an overnight stay and free time in Cappadocia.

Our Turkey tour continues with a gentle hike through orchards, unusual volcanic rock formations, and rock-cut houses at Red Valley and Pasabagi. We get to see the famous fairy chimneys in Cavusin Kilise, which was built to commemorate the famous visit of the Cappaadocian Emperor, Nicephorus Phocas. Later, we visit the Goreme Open-Air Museum to see the numerous rock-carved churches and monasteries decorated with spectacular wall paintings from early Christianity. Lastly, we stop at Uchisar for a panoramic view of the landscape and the tallest point of Cappadocia, where there is a natural rock castle. We end the day with an overnight stay in Cappadocia.

Cappadocia is famous for its wine, pottery, and carpet weaving. Today we visit some remote villages in this region that exhibit some of the finest forms of carpet making in Turkey. We see beautiful and various kinds of genuine handmade carpets for sale in almost every town and village. We return to the hotel for an overnight stay in Cappadocia.

After breakfast, we visit Derinkuyu, the largest excavated underground city in Turkey. This ancient underground city has 5 existing floors that go down about 60 meters/196 feet and was large enough to shelter around 20,000 people together with their livestock and food. We continue to Ihlara Valley, known to have more than 4,000 homes and 100 cave churches. After lunch in Belisirma village, we proceed to the largest rock monastery in the region in Selime. Finally, we stop at the Agzikarahan Caravanserai building, used to accommodate travelers and their animals during their travels on the ancient Silk Road. We end the day with a transfer to Kayseri or Nevsehir Airports for a flight to Istanbul and an overnight stay there.

After the hotel check-out, transfers are available for Istanbul’s airport for the return flight.