Istanbul and Cappadocia in 6 Days

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1. Day1 Arrival in IstanbulAthens → Istanbul

   A short flight from Athens brings you to Istanbul. After settling into the hotel, your coordinator takes you to the Galata Bridge: anglers with their long rods, gulls overhead and the skyline of the old city, domes and minarets glowing in the evening light. Welcome dinner in a traditional restaurant.

   • Flight
   • Dinner
2. Day2 The old city and the Grand BazaarSultanahmet · Grand Bazaar

   We begin at the Hippodrome and the Blue Mosque, with its six minarets and thousands of blue tiles, then continue to Hagia Sophia, a masterpiece of sixth-century Byzantine architecture, visited under the rules in force on the day. In the afternoon we lose ourselves in the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar, among pyramids of spices, Turkish delight and brass lanterns.

   • On foot
   • Breakfast · Lunch
3. Day3 The Phanar and the BosphorusPhanar · Bosphorus → Cappadocia

   In the morning we visit the Phanar (Fener): the patriarchal church of Saint George, seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, with respect for the living worship of the place, and the colourful houses of the quarter. A Bosphorus cruise follows, between Europe and Asia, past palaces and timber villas on the shore. In the afternoon we fly to Cappadocia, with dinner at the hotel.

   • Boat
   • Breakfast · Dinner
4. Day4 Göreme and the valleysGöreme · Uçhisar

   Those who wish rise before dawn for an optional balloon flight, always subject to the wind, while the others watch the balloons fill the sky from the terrace. The day continues with the Göreme Open-Air Museum, its rock-cut churches painted with Byzantine frescoes, the valleys of fairy chimneys and sunset from the viewpoint at Uçhisar.

   • Coach
   • Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
5. Day5 The underground city and SinasosUnderground city · Sinasos · Avanos

   We descend into one of Cappadocia's underground cities, with narrow tunnels, kitchens, stables and the round stone doors that once sealed the passages. We go on to Sinasos (today Mustafapaşa), with its stone mansions and the churches of the Greek Orthodox community that lived there, and to Avanos for a pottery workshop. Dinner features testi kebab, a stew cooked in a sealed clay jug.

   • Coach
   • Breakfast · Dinner
6. Day6 Departure for AthensCappadocia → Istanbul → Athens

   A last breakfast looking out over the rocks of Cappadocia and a transfer to the airport, depending on the flight time. A domestic flight takes you to Istanbul and from there the flight home to Athens, with suitcases full of spices, ceramics and images to remember.

   • Flight
   • Breakfast