TOUR “A” ISTANBUL and CAPPADOCIA 5 DAYS, 4 NIGHTS ,
TOUR “A” ISTANBUL and CAPPADOCIA 5 DAYS, 4 NIGHTS
DAY 1: Istanbul
Arrival in Istanbul, assistance at the airport and transfer to the hotel. Dinner is free. Overnight at the hotel.
DAY 2: Istanbul
Breakfast at the hotel. Full day visit of Istanbul Old City by walking with guidance service: Hagia Sophia Museum, Blue Mosque (the dome and the altar cannot be seen due to the renovation) Hippodrome Byzantian, Grand Bazaar, Topkapi Palace (Salloons of Treasury and the Clothes of Sultans are closed due to the renovation.) and Tombs of Sultans. Free lunch. Return to the hotel. Dinner is free. Overnight at the hotel.
DAY 3: Istanbul/Ankara/Cappadocia approx. 300 km
Transfer to the airport for departure to Ankara with the flight TK 2108 at 08:00. Arrival to Ankara airport about 09:20 and transfer to city center in order to attend the tour which will have been already organized. In the morning visit of Museum of Ancient Civilization of Anatolia (Hittite Museum) and Ataturk’s Mauseloum. Lunch at the restaurant. After lunch departure for Cappadocia.. Arrival in the evening, dinner and overnight at the hotel.
DAY 4: Cappadocia approx. 100 km
Breakfast at the hotel. Full day Cappadocia tour; Ozkonak Underground City, Uchisar Castle, Goreme petrified valley with its churches decorated with frescoes and Pasabag Valley (fairy chimneys). Lunch at the restaurant. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
DAY 5: Cappadocia/Kayseri/Istanbul approx. 100 km.
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport of Kayseri and departure for Istanbul & destination with the flight TK 2011 (09:10 – 10:50). End of services.
IST-ANKARA TK 2122 ( 07:00 / 08:20 )
SAW-ANKARA TK 7240 ( 07:00 / 08:05 )
SAW-ANKARA TK 7242 ( 08:05 / 09:10 )
SAW-ANKARA PC 2662 ( 07:15 / 08:20 )
Customers who arrive early will wait together with the tour guide for the arrival of the other participants arriving on flight Ist / Ank TK 2108 from 08.00 to 09.20.
Note:
– ITALIAN SPEAKING LOCAL GUIDE WILL LEAD INCASE THERE WILL BE AT LEAST 8 PARTICIPANTS.
FOR 2 PARTICIPANTS (ITALIAN / ENGLISH OR ITALIAN / SPANISH) THE EXPLANATIONS WIL BE BILINGUAL. IT IS NOTIFIED THAT IN THE SAME VEHICLE THERE MAY BE PASSENGERS OF DIFFERENT NATIONALITIES WITH THEIR OWN GUIDES (EX: SPANISH TOURISTS, SPANISH SPEAKING GUIDE ETC)
– THE NAMES OF CONFIRMED HOTELS CAN BECOME DEFINITE JUST 10 DAYS BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF THE CUSTOMERS.
The names of prospective 4 star hotels:
Istanbul : Golden Age Taksim or Ramada Grand Bazaar o similar
Cappadocia : Perissia or similar
Note: Entrance fees are appraised on 15 July 2019 by the Turkish Ministry of Tourism for the period from 16 July 2019 to indefinite time It is possible thet the prices of the entrance may change during the year; in this case you will be immediately informed about the difference in prices.
Harem, in Topkapi Palace, is not included in the program due to timing. Anyone interested should get in the queue, buy the ticket and enter quickly
THE DAYS ON WHICH THE MUSEUMS AND IMPORTANT MONUMENTS IN ISTANBUL WILL BE CLOSED IN 2021 ARE AS FOLLOWS:
CLOSED TUESDAY: TOPKAPI PALACE (ALSO CLOSE ON 01 JANUARY AND 01 MAY 2021.)
CLOSED FRIDAY: HAGIA SOPHIA MOSQUE AND SULTANAHMET MOSQUE ARE CLOSED FROM 08:30 TO
DURING FESTIVALS:
GRAND BAZAAR and SPICE BAZAAR WILL BE CLOSED EVEN DURING THE ENTIRE PERIOD OF RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS AS FOLLOWS:
RAMADAN FEAST (13-16 MAY 2021)
FEAST OF DEMOCRACY (15 JULY 2021)
FEAST OF SACRIFICE (20-23 JULY 2021)
REPUBLIC DAY 29/10/2021.
1 * DAY OF RELIGIOUS FEASTS:
ALL MUSEUMS WILL BE CLOSED ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS FROM 9:00 AM TO 1:00 PM.
RAMADAN FEAST (13 MAY 2021)
FEAST OF SACRIFICE (20 JULY 2021)
IN ADDITION, TOPKAPI PALACE WILL BE CLOSE DURING THE WHOLE DAY BOTH ON 13 MAY AND 20 JULY 2021.
THEREFORE IT IS POSSIBLE TO SKIP SOME VISITS IN THE PROGRAM IN ORDER NOT TO CHANGE THE PROCESS OF THE PROGRAM.
Due to partial restorations;
In Istanbul:
In Topkapi Palace Museum; The Salloons of Treasury and the Clothes of Sultans will be closed during 2020. Otherwise, all the other sections of the Palace are open for visit.
In Blue Mosque; the dome and the altar of the mosque will be closed during 2020. Otherwise, all the other parts are open for visit.
In the Chora Museum (Kariye Museum); some parts of the inner chapel (the narthex) will be closed during 2020. Otherwise, all the other sections of the Church are open for visits.
THE PROCEDURE OF CANCELLATION AND PENALTIES
There will be no penalty if the cancellation request is received 30 days before arrival.
30% will be charged for the cancellations notified in less than 30 days.
50% will be charged for the cancellations notified in less than 15 days.
75% will be charged for the cancellations notified in less than 7 days.
A refund is not possible for the cancellations notified in less than 6 days from the date of arrival.
COMPLAINTS AND ADJUSTMENTS
Passengers must immediately contact to Fiorino Tour or their guide for the problems so that they can intervene to solve the problem. If passengers do not inform our offices or the tour guide in time, Fiorino Tour cannot be responsible for complaints it receives late. Any requests for refunds must be made at latest 7 days after the end of our services. Complaints must be sent accompanied by all the details and documentation (receipts, vouchers, hotel documents, etc.). Fiorino Tour responds all complaints, refunds, changes after receipt. The response time is 14-21 working days
Anıtkabir (Atatürk’s Mausoleum) in Ankara
To the mind of many Ankara’s most important monument is the eternal resting place of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the modern Türkiye.
This mausoleum, built between 1944 and 1953, is a magnificent, neo-classical building appropriately designed with sombre lines and set on a vast esplanade. The entry to the mausoleum, known in Turkish as Anıtkabir, is provided through a triumphant alley lined with granite lions. It is a fitting monument to the greatness of the founder of modern Türkiye. There is a museum housing a wax statue of Atatürk, writings, letters and items belonging to him, as well as an exhibition of photographs recording important moments in his life and in the establishment of the Republic.
Göreme Open Air Museum in Cappadocia, Nevşehir
Visiting Göreme Open-Air Museum in Cappadocia is like entering into another world. There are many churches, chapels and living spaces carved into the rocks of this valley. This is where monastic life in the region began and the Christians who escaped oppression became missionaries and hermits. The Women’s and Men’s Monasteries, Elmalı (Apple) Church, Yılanlı (Snake) Church, Çarıklı (Sandal) Church, Dark Church, St. Barbara and St. Basil Churches and Tokalı (Buckle) Church will impress you with their unique frescoes and take you on a journey through history. This is the place that should be top of your list of places to visit. The Göreme Open-Air Museum has been listed amongst UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites List since December 1985.
Cappadocia offers visitors an extraordinary and lavish banquet of natural wonders that exceed their wildest imaginations. These wonders are elegantly graced with works created by the hand of man. With its unique natural features displaying a harmonious combination of natural and cultural landscape elements, Cappadocia is an enchanting open-air museum and an unparalleled example of the common cultural heritage of humanity.
Cappadocia incorporates the provinces of Aksaray, Nevşehir, Niğde, Kayseri and Kırşehir. For most people, the name Cappadocia suggests the towns of Uçhisar, Göreme, Avanos, Ürgüp, Derinkuyu, Kaymaklı and Ihlara, where the land has been shaped into fantastic forms over the course of millions of years. Fairy chimneys that seem mysterious and cities and houses of worship that extend many meters deep into the earth are all enveloped in an atmosphere that is ethereal and unworldly.
Sanctuary of Christians
In the early years of the first millennium, groups of Christians fleeing Roman persecution began moving into the inaccessible wilds of Cappadocia seeking refuge. One group which arrived from Jerusalem via Antioch (Antakya) and Caesarea (Kayseri) in the second century settled down in the area now known as Derinkuyu. Finding the soft volcanic tuff easy to carve, they began to expand the natural caves and link them together, creating dwellings, chapels, churches and monasteries through which these people found the peace and security they had so desperately sought.
Crossroad of Civilizations
The Cappadocian region has been inhabited since prehistoric times, with the best examples of it having been unearthed at Köşk Höyük in Niğde, Aşıklı Höyük in Aksaray as well as the Civelek Cave in Nevşehir. During the Middle Bronze Age Cappadocia came under the influence of Assyrian civilization due to extensive trade. During this period writing was introduced, too. Researchers have found hoards of “Cappadocian tablets” – clay tablets inscribed with cuneiform writing – whose texts speak of tax regulation, interest rates, marriage contracts, trade disputes and much else besides. The Hattis, Hittites, Phrygians, Persians, Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks and Ottomans were all enchanted by the allure of Cappadocia and left the imprints of their presence here.
Due to its location Cappadocia has been a critical and strategic region throughout the years. Important trade routes, including the illustrious Silk Road, traversed it both east and west and north and south. As a result of this heavy traffic, the region has been a complex web of historical and cultural influences, a region where different faiths and philosophies have met and influenced one another. Cappadocia’s trade and resources were tempting and so the region was frequently invaded, raided and looted.
To protect themselves from such incursions, the locals took to living in the region’s caves and grottos whose entrances could be concealed so as not to be noticed by trouble-making outsiders. Since it might be necessary to lie low for extended periods of time, these troglodytic dwellings eventually became subterranean cities that included sources of water, places to store food and had wineries and even temples. Some of these subterranean cities date back to pre-Christian era.