Troy, Ephesus, Pamukkale, Cappadocia and Istanbul Coach Tour

Distance: ~550 km

• Departure: Early morning (around 6:00 - 7:00).
• Coffee break: Ruse (approx. 60 km, 1h from Bucharest).
• Lunch break: Lapseki (approx. 490 km, 8h, at one of the seaside taverns).
• Crossing the 1915 Canakkale Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in the world, inaugurated in 2022, an engineering and construction first that has been featured in many television documentaries and travel articles.
• Evening: Arrival in Canakkale, walking tour of the city center and promenade, visit to the traditional Aynali Carsi market and tasting of the famous Peynir Tatlisi cheese pastries. Accommodation.

Distance: ~390 km

• Morning: Visit to the Troy Museum, the place where the dramatic confrontations between Greeks and Trojans took place, later becoming the subject of the Iliad and Odyssey epics. Together we will discover at this UNESCO site what the Trojan Horse truly looked like and what lies among the ruins of this amazing ancient city.
• Lunch break: Ayvalik (seafood and traditional atmosphere).
• Departure to the House of the Virgin Mary in Selçuk (approx. 140 km).
• Visit to the House of the Virgin Mary, an important Christian pilgrimage site, considered the last home of the Virgin Mary after she was entrusted to the Apostle John. We will stop here to visit the House itself, the spring with beneficial water, the Wishing Wall where pilgrims leave notes with prayers and hopes, the outdoor altar for services and open-air liturgies, and the Garden of the Virgin Mary.
• Evening: Accommodation in Kusadasi.
• Departure: After breakfast towards Ephesus.

Distance: ~185 km

• Visit to Ephesus, the most complete example of a Roman port city in Anatolia, with early Christian importance (UNESCO World Heritage site), where we will see the Library of Celsus, the Great Theatre, Curetes Street, the Temple of Hadrian, and the Terrace Houses (separate ticket).
• Arrival: in Pamukkale, visit to the travertine terraces and Hierapolis, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Here you can follow in Cleopatra’s footsteps by bathing in thermal waters with therapeutic properties and contemplate the perfect harmony between nature, history, and legend, a journey that nourishes both body and soul.
• Evening: Accommodation at a hotel in Pamukkale, relaxation.

Distance: ~392 km

• Departure: after breakfast, we head to Lake Salda, one of Turkey’s natural wonders, then continue our journey to Sagalassos, the most beautiful ancient city of southern Anatolia, known for its strategic importance, which made it a target of Alexander the Great’s military campaigns. We then continue to Isparta, the land of roses, where we will stop for shopping focused on products made from rose and lavender essential oils. Afterwards, we travel to Konya, where we will visit the Mevlana Museum, the resting place for the past 800 years of the poet and Sufi sage Rumi.
• Evening: accommodation at a hotel in Konya

Distance: ~244 km

• Morning: departure from Konya towards the center of the Cappadocia region. The first stop will be at a caravanserai, a marketplace for the goods and merchandise that traveled along the Silk Road, perfectly preserved since the 13th century. We will then continue towards the heart of Cappadocia through the Ihlara Valley, visit the underground city of Kaymakli, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and then head to Urgup through Pigeon Valley.
• Evening: Accommodation in Urgup

Distance: ~302 km

• Morning: Hot air balloon ride (optional).
• Break: Breakfast at the hotel after the ride.
• Visit to the Goreme Open-Air National Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage site, where we will see the 12 churches built in the caves of Cappadocia, whose paintings have been preserved since the first millennium of Christianity. We continue our journey through Avanos, where we will visit a traditional pottery workshop that has operated continuously for 200 years, then visit the Zelve Valley and Pasabagi Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Transfer to Ankara with a stop at the salt lake Tuz Golu for photos and shopping.
• Evening: Accommodation in Ankara.

Distance: ~440 km

• Departure: In the morning we leave Ankara, but not before visiting the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in this city, as well as Ataturk’s Mausoleum.
• Lunch: stop in Bursa for lunch and a visit to the city center.
• Evening: Arrival in Istanbul, accommodation.

Distance: ~40 km (local)

• Morning: Panoramic coach tour (Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia). Istanbul is the city with the most impressive biography: capital of two empires (the Byzantine Empire, with a history of almost 1,500 years, and the Ottoman Empire, with a history of almost 500 years), a strategic trade point connecting two continents, Europe and Asia, and a religious center for Christians and Muslims. The historic center of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Free time: Shopping (Grand Bazaar or Kadikoy).
• Evening: Dinner on the Bosphorus with cruise.
• Accommodation: Istanbul.

Distance: ~640 km

• Departure: Morning departure to Edirne (230 km).
• Visit stop: Selimiye Mosque and a short city tour.
• Lunch: In Edirne, at a local tavern.

Departure: Towards Bucharest (410 km, with gas station breaks in Bulgaria).