Cappadocia – South East 5 Days

Day 1 – Istanbul – Cappadocia
Take the morning flight from Istanbul to Cappadocia. Arrival and meeting just outside the arrival's gate with a sign bearing your name.
Start the day with Pigeon Valley. Then tour to Özkonak or Kaymaklı Underground City, one of the most interesting underground settlements in Cappadocia. Visit to Mustafapaşa (Sinasos), an old Greek town with its spectacular old houses; very fine examples of late Greek settlements and architecture. After lunch visit Ürgüp fairy chimneys. Then continue to Ortahisar see the castle then have a Turkish Coffee break. Finish the day with panorama of the Red Valley, with its fabulous volcanic rock formations, is in the heart of Cappadocia but away from the tourist crowd. Overnight Cappadocia.

Day 2 – Cappadocia (B)
*Optional Hot air ballooning: Pick up from hotel around 04:00-05:00 (according to the season) and drive to balloon take off place. Take the balloon flight and after the flight you will have your certificate and return to hotel around 07:00-08:00 (according to the season). Refresh and relax a little and ready for your day tour.
Meeting at the hotel reception at 10:00am
After breakfast, first meeting with the lunar landscape of Cappadocia: rock formations beyond belief in Devrent valley; walking in Pasabag near Zelve ; "fairy chimneys" where the voice of wind mixes with the "songs of fairies". Lunch in Avanos, centre of terra cotta work of art since 3000 BC. and a demonstration in a traditional pottery workshop. Afternoon, visit the famous Goreme Open Air Museum and see the best examples of Byzantine art in Cappadocia in rock-cut churches with frescoes and paintings (10th to 13th century). Continue to Uchisar Rock-Castle to have a panoramic view of the valleys of Cappadocia. Overnight Cappadocia.

Day 3 – Cappadocia – Kahramanmaras (300km, 4,5 hours) – Adiyaman (B.D) (250km, 4 hours)
Meeting at the hotel reception at 07:30am
Drive to Karatay Caravanserai and visit the caravanserai. On the way to Nemrut Mt stop at Kahramanmaras for lunch and a taste of its famous ice cream.
In the afternoon we will drive to see Tumulus Tomb of Karakus, ceoss over the still functioning Cendere Bridge (Septimus Severus bridge) and the old castle, Arsemeia.
According to the season you can visit Mt Nemrut during sunset or overnight and visit during sunrise. For sunrise tour, you should get up around 2:30am
Then we hike to the summit of the mount Nemrut (one of the most popular UNESCO world cultural heritage sites), watching the sunset, be amazed by the colossal heads and statues of ancient deities, as you step into mythology. This extraordinary landmark rests at an elevation of 7000 ft. The mountain top complex is composed of two flattened areas strewn with statues and separated by a false peak of crushed rock. Antiochus built the entire complex approximately 2000 years ago as a monument to his divine ancestry. Overnight hotel near Mt Nemrut.

Day 4 – Nemrut – Sanliurfa (B)
Meeting at the hotel reception at 08:30am
After breakfast at hotel, we will drive to visit Gobeklitepe, a hilltop sanctuary erected on the highest point of an elongated mountain ridge some 15 km northeast of the town of Urfa. What makes Gobeklitepe unique in its class is the date it was built, which is roughly twelve thousand years ago, circa 10,500 BC. We will visit nearby Harran and see the incredible beehive houses. Harran- according to the Bible- was the site where prophet Abraham spent a few years with his family before moving on to Israel, the Promised Land. There are exceptional photo opportunities in this area. In the afternoon, we will visit Urfa Archaeological Museum. This museum exhibit a huge collection, founded from Harran and Gobeklitepe Area. We will also visit the holy sites at Balıklıgöl, a lake with millions of domesticated fish. While in Urfa we will visit the cave where the prophet Abraham was born. Then, walk through the local covered bazaar of Sanliurfa. Overnight Sanliurfa.

Day 5 – Sanliurfa – Gaziantep – Istanbul (B)
Meeting at the hotel reception at 08:30am
Drive to Gaziantep. On the way first stop at Halfeti. (Optional: Take the boat to see Rumkale). Continue onto visit the world famous Gaziantep Mosaic Museum. This museum exhibit superb mosaic discovered at the Roman site of Belkıs-Zeugma before the Birecik Dam flooded most of the site. We will visit the old city castle which is located in the center of the city and copper bazaar. This bazaar is one of the most special and oldest bazaars in Turkey. You can find variety of copper handcrafts. We will also have the chance to taste famous baklava; a sweet pastry made of layers of filo filled with chopped nuts and sweetened and held together with syrup. (Baklava is originally from Gaziantep).
Transfer to the airport to take the flight back to Istanbul.

P.S: If you want, you can spend the night in Gaziantep and take the morning flight to Istanbul (or another destination in Turkiye). Please ask for additional night.

Abbreviations

B = Breakfast L= Lunch D = Dinner (Lunch excluded on private tours)

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