Istanbul & A Short Balkans Tour
Starting:
Istanbul, Turkey
Time
8 Nights / 9 Days
Tour Type
Avrupa Turu, Yurt İçi Turları
About Tour
ISTANBUL(2) – KAVALA(1) – SELANİK – BİTOLA – OHRİD(2) – ÜSKÜP(1) – SOFYA – PLOVDİV(1) – EDİRNE – ISTANBUL(1)
8 Nights / 9 Days
Tour Plan
We land in Istanbul with our scheduled flights from different places in Europe. We meet with our travel companion at Istanbul Airport. Then we will take a private bus to our hotel where we will stay overnight. After checking in at our hotel, you will have free time to experience the beauties of Istanbul and discover new places. Overnight stay in our hotel.
Accommodation: Istanbul
In the morning after breakfast at the hotel, we will meet at the lobby and start our Istanbul tour with our professional guide. On our Sultanahmet tour, you will discover Sarayburnu / Sultan Ahmet Square, the heart of Istanbul, the most important and dynamic place of the city at any time, the first of the seven hills of the historical peninsula, and its surroundings. We start our tour with the area known as Sultanahmet Square, which was used as a hippodrome in Byzantine times and as a horse arena in Ottoman times. In Sultanahmet Square we see first the Egyptian Obelisk, which is one of the oldest structures in Istanbul and was brought from Egypt in the 3rd century AD. Next, then the Serpent Column and the Knitted Column, brought from the Greek island were brought to Delphi. After the Hippodrome tour, visit the building which was once the palace of İbrahim Pasha, the famous vizier of Suleiman the Magnificent’s reign, but is now known as the richest carpet museum in the world and used as a museum of carpets.(Turkish- Islamic works). Just opposite the museum, the Blue Mosque, the only structure with 6 minarets from the Ottoman era and famous for its blue tiles, is one of the places we will visit.
The next stop is Hagia Sophia Mosque/Museum, known as the eighth wonder of the world. Finally, we visit Topkapı Palace, the heart of the empire, where the Ottoman Empire ruled for 450 years and dozens of important events took place. After our tour, we will return to our hotel and stay overnight at our hotel. Our guests who wish can reach Taksim on foot from our hotel where we will stay for the evening. Overnight stay in our hotel.
Accommodation: Istanbul
We leave our hotel early in the morning and with our private bus we start our journey to Greece via our region of Thrace. After our arrival at the Ipsala border gate and the passport procedures, our journey to Kavala continues with the lectures and breaks of our tour guide. Upon arrival in Kavala we will start our panoramic city tour. One of the sights in Kavala is the old town called Panagia. The first place we will see on the way to the old town is St. Nicholas Church. The mosque, built in 1530 by Suleiman the Magnificent in the name of İbrahim Pasha, was converted into a bell tower in 1926 by shortening its minaret and converted into a church and decorated with Christian mosaics in front. Other historical places we will see on our tour: Kavala Castle, the house and statue of Kavalalı Mehmet Ali Pasha, the soup kitchen that is now used as a hotel, the aqueduct and the old town inside the castle. After our panoramic city tour of Kavala, we will drive to our hotel where we will stay overnight.
Accommodation: Kavala
After breakfast at the hotel in the morning we move to Thessaloniki, the second largest city in Greece. After our approximately 2-hour drive, the first thing we do in Thessaloniki is of course the house where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was born and grew up, which means a lot to us. After this special visit we will see the traces of Ottoman Turkish baths and mosques in Thessaloniki. Then we will visit the point recognized as the administrative building of the Macedonian region of Greece and the most important cathedral of the Greek Patriarchate within the country’s borders, Aya Dimitri. After that, we will pass the promenade, which is striking for its resemblance to İzmir Karşıka Beach, and see the statue of Alexander the Great, the White Tower and other important structures. With our Thessaloniki tour over, we now turn to our route to Bitola/Manastır in Macedonia, one of our other Rumelian relict countries. Upon arrival in Bitola, here we will visit the Military İbadi High School building where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk received his education during his high school years. Then we will do our city tour in Şirok street. We see many beautiful architectural embassy buildings and churches. At the end of our tour we will see the statue of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great, and its place.After our lunch break, we continue to the world famous city of Ohrid with another paradise lake of Macedonia. Arrive at our hotel and overnight at our hotel.
Accommodation: Ohrid
*For our guests who, in the early hours of the morning after breakfast, add “Sv. We’re going to Naum. Here at Lake Ohrid
We will see the Ayazma “Black Drim” river which is the largest source of the lake and is a river and we will take a boat trip where you will collect unforgettable moments. Then we will take a photo break to have our morning coffee with this incredible view and engrave unique moments in our memories. Then we will visit the Monastery of St. Naum, one of the most important figures in Macedonian history.
After breakfast we leave our hotel for our city tour of Ohrid. In our city tour of Ohrid, the plane tree and its square planted by the 500 year old Ottoman Empire, the Turkish Bazaar, the Ali Pasha Mosque, the famous Long Bazaar with its shops selling pearls and jewelry that can only be found in Ohrid there, the Square of Sculptures, the Church of Hagia Sophia are among the sights. In Ohrid we will give you free time to shop at your leisure and take photos of this beautiful city. We recommend you try the famous Ohrid trout for lunch.
*Our guests can join the “Ohrid Lake Boat Tour” in their free time. 15 euros per person
After free time we return to our hotel.
*Our guests can, if they wish, rate the dinner alternative at the famous Macedonian night, which we organize with our guide. With food and 1 drink per person / 35 EUR per person
Accommodation: Ohrid
We leave our hotel in the morning after breakfast at our hotel. Arrive in Skopje after a 2.5 hour drive. Our tour starts from the historical 6th century Skopje Castle where you can see the panoramic view of Skopje and take photos. Then the Turkish Bazaar, with its stone streets and historical buildings, which has been the center of the city’s commercial activities throughout history and has not lost its importance to this day. Today the bazaar is known as Old Skopje and is one of the centers of the city. During our trip we will see Mustafa Pasha Mosque, Sultan Murat Mosque, Gazi Isa Bey Mosque, Clock Tower, Double Bath, Sulu Han, Kapan Han, Kurşunlu Han and Davut Pasha Bath. After that we finish Turkish Bazaar passing historical Stone Bridge and Vardar River. Sights include the Jewish Holocaust Museum, buildings and squares from the socialist era, Victory Gate, Alexander the Great Statue, Macedonia Square, Government Building, Parliament and Mother Teresa Memorial House. After the end of our tour, you will check into our hotel.
*Our guests who wish to be kept at leisure are kept as additional “Tetoshnade and Matka”.
Canyon Tour. (EUR 20)
Accommodation Skopje
After breakfast at the hotel in the morning we make our way to Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. On the city tour we will do after our arrival in Sofia; St. Nedelya Church, Rotunda Church, Russian Church, Hagia Sophia Church, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Prime Minister’s and Parliament Buildings, Sofia University and National Palace of Culture, and Banyabaşı designed by Mimar Sinan -Mosque are among the sights. After lunch and free time to get to know the city, we will move to Plovdiv (Plovdiv), where we will have our accommodation. Plovdiv, the second largest city in Bulgaria, has rendered outstanding service to Islamic-Turkish culture throughout its long history. It is the city where life has continued for 4000 years. The place that perfectly combines modern and ancient architecture. The most interesting part of the city, called Old Plovdiv, is on Nöbet Tepe. We have the opportunity to see the traces of the Byzantine, Greek and Ottoman states, the city’s shopping centers and the old town which is under protection. You can also visit Batenbergstrasse, the liveliest shopping and entertainment center in the city. The house of Argır Kuyumcuoğlu (converted into an ethnography museum), the perfectly symmetrical private house of Plovdive, the house of Balabanov (with its original house layout, it now hosts all kinds of cult activities) and the house of Georgi Mavridi. Aya Konstantin, Elena and Aya Nedelya, one of the oldest churches in Plovdiv, the ancient amphitheater from ancient Roman timest and the Djumaya Mosque, which attracts a lot of attention with its Turkish architecture, are among the places worth seeing. Free time for shopping and sightseeing at leisure. Then we will move to our hotel where we will stay overnight. Overnight stay in our hotel.
Accommodation: Plovdiv (Plovdiv)
After our breakfast in the morning after leaving our hotel, we make our way back to Istanbul where we started this beautiful journey. Border gate Kapikule after about 2 hours drive. Then we will visit the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne and have a lunch break to eat the famous Edirne fried liver. About 3 hours after leaving Edirne we arrive in Istanbul. We settle into our hotel where we will stay overnight. Overnight stay in our hotel.
Accommodation: Istanbul
After breakfast at our hotel in the morning, we will leave our hotel to drive to Istanbul Airport after room clearance and check out. We arrive at the airport by our private vehicle. Follow the ticket, luggage and passport procedures upon our arrival
Our tour of Istanbul and the short Balkans comes to an end.
hope to see you again Discover the world with us!
Services Included / Not Included in the Price
8 nights in the specified hotels, bed & breakfast
All transfers (Airport – Hotel – Airport)
All panoramic city tours
Luxury Vehicle Transport – Vehicles are assigned based on the number of people.
Compulsory travel insurance according to Tourism Law No. 1618
Turkish Tour Guide Service
Gratuities of 5€ per person (given to your guide at the end of the tour)
entrances to the museum ruins
All organizations indicated X Extra
Additional food and drinks
All types of health insurance and PCR test
All private expenses and purchases
Use of the minibar in hotel rooms
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