13-Day Highlights of Turkey and Jordan Tour

Day 1: Arrival in Istanbul, Airport Transfer and Free Day

Arrive at any time. Upon your arrival at Istanbul New Airport(IST) or Sabiha Gökcen Airport(SAW), our team will be waiting for you at the exit of the international line of the Airport, holding a sign with your name written on it. After which, you will be transferred to your hotel. The afternoon is free for you to spend at leisure. Alternatively, you can join the Night Cruise on the Bosphorus with Dinner & Show.

• Overnight in Istanbul
• Included Meal(s): No meals are included on this day
• Accommodation: Muyan Suites OR Deluxe Golden Horn Hotel OR Ayasultan Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 2: Istanbul Byzantine and Ottoman Relics Tour

Breakfast at the hotel, and your tour guide will pick you up and lead you to explore this charming city, which separates Europe and Asia. The first stop of your best Turkey tours is the ancient Hippodrome, which is now a public square, and only three monuments still stand there. Then we move to the nearby Blue Mosque, one of Istanbul’s landmarks. The origin of its name is because its walls used more than 20,000 pieces of blue and white İznik tiles. Next, we will visit Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya in Turkish), which is a masterpiece of religious architecture that combines Christian and Islamic styles.

After lunch, we will continue to visit the Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar. The bazaar has 65 streets and houses more than 4,000 shops. There are tea sets, spices, porcelain, carpets, gold and silver ornaments, lamps and lanterns, paper art gadgets, and so on. Some shops also serve local Turkish delicacies such as barbecued meat and burritos. This is a must-visit spot in Istanbul for tourists. After the trip, we will return to the hotel.

• Overnight in Istanbul
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: Muyan Suites OR Deluxe Golden Horn Hotel OR Ayasultan Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 3: Bosphorus Cruise — Fly from Istanbul to Kayseri

After breakfast at around 8:30 am, you will join the Half-day Morning Bosphorus Cruise. At the start of this tour, you will enjoy a drive to the pier in Eminonu for a short visit to the historical Spice Market (Egyptian Bazaar) Following this, you will join a shared boat tour and cruise along the Bosphorus which is a narrow strait between the continents of Europe and Asia connecting the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara. You will be able to view the Ottoman palaces, Bosphorus bridge, citadels, centuries-old mansions, and the European and Asian shorelines while onboard the boat.

At the end of the tour, you will be dropped back to your hotel to pick up your luggage and then will be transferred to the Istanbul domestic airport for your flight to Kayseri which is approximately 1 hour and 25 minutes in duration. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel in Cappadocia. Check in to your hotel in Cappadocia and the rest of the day is free.

• Overnight in Cappadocia
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast
• Accommodation: Holiday Cave Hotel OR Heaven Cave House OR Dedeli Konak Cave Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 4: North Cappadocia Tour

For an additional option, you can book an early morning hot air balloon ride and enjoy breathtaking aerial views of the valleys. Please be aware that this activity comes at an extra cost.

After breakfast around 9:30 am, you will be picked up from your hotel to join the full-day tour of North Cappadocia. Your tour will start with a visit to the Devrent Valley to see the unique fairy chimneys. Next, you will visit the Pasabag Valley (Monks Valley) to see the mushroom-shaped pinnacles. After this visit, you will drive to the city of Avanos. After lunch, you will visit the Zelve Open Air Museum in Cappadocia. The museum features a series of carved caves and ancient churches, providing a glimpse into the region’s monastic history. Finally, towards the end of the day tour before returning to your hotel, you will have around 15 minutes to take panoramic pictures of the natural castles of Uchisar. After the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel around 4:00 pm. You will have the rest of the day free to relax, explore the city on your own, or take part in any optional activities that are offered.

• Overnight in Cappadocia
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: Holiday Cave Hotel OR Heaven Cave House OR Dedeli Konak Cave Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 5: South Cappadocia Tour – Fly to Izmir

After breakfast at the hotel around 9:30 am, you will be picked up and met by your tour guide to begin your full-day tour of South Cappadocia. Your tour guide will brief you on the day’s activities. Your tour will begin with a visit to the Red Valley where you will be able to explore the famous rock-cut churches and hike approximately 5 km through the Rose Valley (Gulludere Vadisi). Next, you will visit Cavusin Village which is famous for its houses and churches of Christian Clergymen. We will take a break for lunch around noon. After lunch, you will drive to the Pigeon Valley (Guvercinlik Vadisi). In the afternoon you will visit the Kaymakli Underground City or Ozkonak Underground City where early Christians lived. This will be the end of your full-day tour. At the end of the tour, you will be transferred to Kayseri or Nevsehir airport for your late evening return flight to Izmir. Upon your arrival in Izmir, you will be met at the airport and transferred from the airport to your hotel in Kusadasi.

• Overnight in Kusadasi
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: Efe Boutique Hotel OR Neopol Hotel Deluxe OR Derici Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 6: Pamukkale and Hierapolis Tour

After breakfast around 7:30 am, you will be picked up from your Kusadasi hotel and taken to the meeting point in Selcuk where the full group will first meet. You will then begin the Pamukkale tour with a drive from Selcuk starting at 8:30 am to Pamukkale which will be around 3 hours. En route to Pamukkale after 1.5 hours, there will be a 10-minute stop for a restroom break. Upon arrival around 11:45 am, the group will be first taken to have lunch and after lunch, at around 1:00 pm you will begin your guided tour of the Pamukkale and Hierapolis area with a professional licensed tour guide. In Pamukkale, you will see the Cotton Cliffs, one of the natural wonders of the world formed by deposits of calcareous salts. Also, you will visit the ancient ruins of the City of Hierapolis with its basilica, theatre, and Roman Baths. At the end of the guided tour, you will have some free time to explore the area on your own. As an option, you may choose to swim in the Pamukkale antique pools (at your own expense) during this free time. The tour guide will inform you about the exact meeting point and time. At the end of the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel in Kusadasi.

• Overnight in Kusadasi
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: Efe Boutique Hotel OR Neopol Hotel Deluxe OR Derici Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 7: Ephesus Tour

After breakfast at the hotel around 8:30 am, you will be picked up and met by your tour guide to begin your full-day tour of Ephesus. You will visit the ruins of Ephesus, the ancient Greek city that became an important centre of this time. Visit the Temple of Hadrian, Great Theater, and Trajan Fountain. After lunch, let’s visit the House of the Virgin Mary, where it is believed she spent her last years. We will pass by the Temple of Artemis; there is little to see of this that was one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. Afterwards, you will visit the Isa Bey Mosque. Next, you will be taken to the Sirince Village; which is an old Greek village and is well-know for its quaint beauty and wine tasting and production. Here you will have one hour free to explore on your own without a guide the different foods and wines of the area and visit various small traditional village shops. At the end of the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel.

• Overnight in Kusadasi
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: Efe Boutique Hotel OR Neopol Hotel Deluxe OR Derici Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 8: Fly from Izmir to Amman (Flight Not Included)

After breakfast, you will proceed to Izmir International Airport to board your international flight to Amman. Upon arrival, you will be met by our representative and will be transferred to your Amman hotel for check-in. The rest of the day will be free.

Kindly note that the international airfare from Izmir to Amman is not covered in this tour package. Arranging and purchasing this flight is your responsibility.

• Overnight in Amman
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast
• Accommodation: Amman International Hotel OR Sulaf Luxury Hotel OR Downtown Hotel Apartments or similar (Standard quality)

Day 9: Amman Hotel – Jerash – Amman City Tour – Amman Hotel

Drive 1 hour to Jerash, once a member of the Decapolis, but its heyday had been under the Romans. It is considered the best example of a Roman provincial city in the whole Middle East. A local guide will make history come alive. Explore the spectacular Forum, the Roman colonnaded street, the Nymphaeum, theatres, and the Temple of Artemis. Back in the capital continue to the historical places in downtown Amman. You start with the visit to the Citadel to enjoy views over the hilly capital. On the Citadel itself, you see remains from the Roman to the early Islamic period, like the Hercules Temple and the Umayyad Palace, and the small Archaeological Museum. Not far away we find the Roman Theatre, which can accommodate up to 6,000 visitors. In the heart of downtown, we stroll the markets (Souq), where to find fruit, vegetables, spices, herbs, clothes, household goods, and more. Return transfer to hotel in Amman.

• Overnight in Amman
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast
• Accommodation: Amman International Hotel OR Sulaf Luxury Hotel OR Downtown Hotel Apartments or similar (Standard quality)

Day 10: Amman Hotel — Madaba — Mt Nebo — King’s Way — Kerak Castle — Petra Hotel

Check-out from the hotel and drive to Mt. Nebo believed to be the burial site of Prophet Moses. If the weather allows you will have like him a view of the Promised Land. In the remains of the Moses Memorial Church, constructed in the 4th century, you see beautiful mosaics. Short ride to the town of Madaba, known for its Byzantine and Umayyad mosaic art. Certainly, you see the popular 6th-century map of Palestine in the Greek Orthodox St. George’s Church. If open, visit St John’s Baptist Church to climb the bell tower. Afterward, we drive to Kerak along the famous ancient biblical caravan route, the King’s Way. We have a short stop in Wadi Al-Mujib, a great wide valley with magnificent geological formations. Visit Kerak the famous Crusader castle built in 1132/34 by King Baldwin I. of Jerusalem. Proceed 2 hours to Petra.

• Overnight in Petra
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast
• Accommodation: Petra Moon Hotel OR Petra Boutique Hotel OR Petra Guest House or similar (Standard quality)

Day 11: Petra Tour — Wadi Rum Camp

Today visit the highlight of Jordan, the red-rose city of Petra! You are able to start as early as 06:00, but early birds, don’t forget to ask the hotel for a breakfast box the day before. Meet your local guide and pass the narrow canyon, the so called Siq, with its colourful sandstone. At the end, you will be rewarded with a view of the most beautiful monument: the Treasury. Continue via the Street of Facades to the Royal Tombs and Pharaoh’s Castle. After around 2 hours the guide says farewell to you at the restaurant area. You have free time to explore Petra on your own. The young at heart for instance have the chance to climb the 800 stairs to the 45 meters high Monastery El Deir. Return to the main gate. In the afternoon 1.5 hours transfer to Wadi Rum desert.

• Overnight in Wadi Rum
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Dinner
• Accommodation: Rum Oasis Luxury Camp OR Rum Stars Camp OR Sun City Camp or similar (Standard quality)

Day 12: Wadi Rum 3 hours jeep ride — Dead Sea Hotel

Embark a 4×4 and with your Bedouin driver uncover more of the vast desert. The rugged scenery, the changing colours of sands and mountains, and the serene atmosphere will make you understand why Wadi Rum is one of the most impressing desert landscapes in the world. The setting had been used for Hollywood movies. You see canyons, red sand dunes, Nabatean rock inscriptions, and a natural rock bridge formed over centuries. Journey 4 hours to your hotel at the Dead Sea beach. Chance to do the floating experience and try the dark mud on the shores promising positive effects for your skin.

• Overnight in Dead Sea
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast
• Accommodation: Holiday Inn Hotel OR Hilton Dead Sea Resort & Spa or similar (Standard quality)

Day 13: Departure from Dead Sea — End of Tour Service

Free time in the morning to enjoy the resort and the beach area. You will check out from your hotel in Dead Sea (hotel check-out is before 12:00 noon) and will then be transferred to the Amman Airport according to your flight details. This will be the end of our tour and services.

• Included Meal(s): Breakfast

INCLUDED in the Tour Price:

• Arrival, departure airport transfers and ground transportation.
• Domestic flight tickets from Istanbul to Kayseri or Nevsehir and Kayseri or Nevsehir to Izmir.
• Two nights accommodation in a 4-star hotel in Istanbul including breakfast.
• Two nights accommodation in a cave hotel in Cappadocia including breakfast.
• Three nights accommodation in a 4-star hotel in Kusadasi including breakfast.
• Two nights accommodation in a 4-star hotel in Amman including breakfast.
• One night accommodation in a 4-star hotel in Petra including breakfast.
• One night accommodation in a Desert Camp in Wadi Rum including breakfast and dinner.
• One night accommodation in a 4-star hotel in Dead Sea including breakfast.
• English-speaking guide during the tours in Turkey.
• English-speaking local guide in Petra for 2.5 hours.
• English-speaking local guide in Jerash for 1 hour.
• English-speaking driver during the tour in Jordan.
• 3-hour jeep tour in Wadi Rum.
• Meals as per itinerary (B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner).
• Entrance fees are mentioned in the itinerary.
• Local taxes and service charges.

NOT INCLUDED in the Tour Price:

• International Flight Tickets.
• Flight ticket from Izmir to Amman.
• Entry visas to Turkey and Jordan.
• Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Ride.
• Optional tours mentioned in the program, they will be provided at an additional cost.
• Services not mentioned in the program.
• Drinks with meals.
• Travel insurance (recommended).

IMPORTANT INFO:

• This tour will be private in Jordan but in a shared group tour in Turkey.
• The regular group tour has shopping stops included in the tour.
• Please be advised that the order /sequence in which the daily tours occur within the above day-by-day package tour itinerary can be subject to change depending on the availability of domestic flight tickets per the itinerary, opening/closing of various historical sites, etc.
• Please note that the Blue Mosque is not open for visitation on Fridays as it is closed for religious prayer services. You will only be able to visit the outside of the Blue Mosque area on tours operated on Fridays. No visitation will be allowed inside the Blue Mosque for tourists on Fridays.
• Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesday, it will be replaced with the Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnici).
• Grand Bazaar is closed on Sunday.
• During religious holidays, the Spice Market and Grand Bazaar are closed.