Day 01: (Sunday) ANKARA - CAPPADOCIA
In the morning visit to the Anatolian Civilizations Museum at which numerous remnants from Stone Age, Neolithic Age, Hittites, Urartians, Phrygians and many others are on display; Mausoleum of Ataturk, the burial place of the national hero who founded modern Republic of Turkey. Then continue on to Cappadocia with lunch on the way. After a picturesque trip along the Salt Lake visit to the 13th century Seljukian Caravanserai Agzikarahan. After visiting Kaymakli Underground City, the place early Christians hid from persecutors, proceed to the hotel for overnight in Cappadocia (Lunch & Dinner).
Day 02: (Monday) CAPPADOCIA
(Optional balloon tour). Depart from the hotel at 09.30-10.00 depending on the arrival time of the participants and visit the Imagination Valley where animal-like natural formations like camels and fair chimneys are abundant. Drive on to Pasabagi in Zelve area where monks used to live in seclusion in rock cut rooms. Proceed to the pottery town of Avanos where Kizilirmak (Hallys), the longest river of Turkey, meanders leaving the red clay on its banks that has been the raw material of pottery for centuries. After lunch break visit to the Pigeon Valley near Uchisar. Continue on to Open Air Museum in Goreme to visit to the early Christian churches decorated with unique frescoes depicting various scenes from the Bible. After shopping time for the well-known merits of the area, drive back to the hotel (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner).
Day 03: (Tuesday) PAMUKKALE
Today's ride will be fairly long and tiring due to the long distance between Cappadocia and Pamukkale and lack of convenient lodging location. Drive to visit to the 13th century Seljukian masterpiece Sultanhan Caravanserai and arrive in Konya. Lunch. Visit the Mausoleum of Mevlana, the world-wide famous mystic and then proceed to Karatay Theological School in which beautiful tiles are on display. After lunch time drive to Pamukkale and overnight (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner).
Day 04: (Wednesday) KUSADASI
Tour the beautiful snow-white "Cotton Castle" and the ruins of Hierapolis including the magnificently preserved cemetery "Necropolis", the Main Street and Gates, the Thermal Baths, the Roman Theatre and the Museum. After lunch tour Aphrodisias, the city of Aphrodite; visit the Museum, the Temple of Aphrodite, the Theatre, the Stadium, the Agora, the Hadrian Baths, the Odeon, and the Bishop's Palace. Proceed to the hotel in Kusadasi (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner).
Day 05: (Thursday) KUSADASI
Morning tour to Ephesus area with Ephesus Antique City (Hillside Houses are excluded; entrance requires additional admission fee), one of the most popular ancient sites of Turkey with many acres of carefully excavated ruins; Virgin Mary's House, where St. Mary is supposed to spend her last years together with St. John. Lunch. Selcuk Ephesus Museum or St. John Church. Time for shopping. Overnight in Kusadasi (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner).
Day 06: (Friday) CANAKKALE
Early departure for Bergama and visit to the Asclepion and Acropol with the well preserved remains. After lunch continue on to Troy, the place where the legendary Trojan War took place in the historical work of Homer of Smyrna. After visiting the site with nine inhabitation levels covering a period of 3000 years, drive to Canakkale for overnight. (When there is unavailability at the hotels in Canakkale there might be overnight in Assos as well) (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner).
Day 07: (Saturday) CANAKKALE- ISTANBUL - LEAVE
After breakfast sail to the other side of Dardanelles by a ferryboat and drive to Istanbul with visit to Gallipoli, historically famous for being the site of many battles - particularly involving the Allied Forces including Australians and New Zealanders during World War I. Arrive in Istanbul early afternoon (due to the flight schedules of some participants) and transfer to the hotel or airport (Breakfast & Lunch). |
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
On our price lists you will find regular tour rates. The main difference between private and SIC tours is that there might be some other participants as well in a regular tour whereas private tours are made without any others rather than the clients who have booked it. Though private tours are relatively more expensive they are more convenient for the people who are keen on their privacy.
For the private tour rates pls. contact us.
All the tour rates include guidance in English, air-conditioned transportation, admission fees and taxes
The included meals are identified by letter codes in the tour descriptions as shown below : -
(B) = Breakfast (L)= Lunch (D)= Dinner
All the minimum 2 day tour rates include accommodation at the designated hotels on the specified basis. On our tours, no breakfast on the first day and no dinner on the last day are served unless otherwise noted.
At regular tours the latest pick up time on the tour commencement day is 10h00 and the earliest drop-off time is 17h30.
25 % discount is made for children between 03-10 years old while 00-02 years old ones are free. (It applies if the children share the same room with their parents for the accommodation portion. No child discount for the independently booked rooms for the children)
Smoking is strictly prohibited in the tour vehicles.
On some certain periods like New Year's Eve, Religious and National Festivals, Conventions, International Competitions, Special Anniversaries, etc. almost all the hotels apply surcharge. The same surcharged amount will be added on to our rates and you will be informed about these along with our confirmation message.
Though our guides show the utmost care to follow the itineraries in the same sequence there might be alterations in the sequence of the visits to the scheduled sites and no refund can be demanded for that reason unless any sites or museums are missed.
Timings given for the daily tours are approximate ones and they are all subject to change. Pick-up times may vary depending on the number of the participants and hotel locations.
Airport Transfer Problems:
Due to the delays emerging from lost luggage problems at the planes or passport problems at the customs Stic holidays cannot be held responsible and the guests can be waited up to maximum 30 minutes on the regular tours if some other participants are already awaiting in the tour vehicle. However, if there are no other participants waiting or it is a private tour then our team will do their best to assist the problem to be settled.
Those who have lost luggage problems sometimes do not get through the customs and inform our staff promptly about the case by just waiting inside for quite a while. This could make our staff think that our guests were not at the plane as all the other passengers of the same plane were already out. Therefore we kindly ask our guests to go out of the customs and inform our staff that they are still awaiting inside before inquiring the issue as otherwise our staff can leave the terminal after having waited 30 minutes further to the leave of the last passenger of the same plane and no refund is given on such a case.
While our team is already waiting at the airport, some guests may have difficulties in spotting them on arrival to the airports due to the extreme crowd despite their names are written on the boards that are held by our staff and also due to the early landings of the planes. If the guests take a taxi to their hotel without extensively looking for our staff and calling our office promptly no refund will be given in case our staff is still at the airport. Similarly, all the guests who arrive at the airport earlier than the scheduled time are supposed to contact our office as our staff arrives to the airport 15 minutes ago prior to the scheduled landing time of the planes. For the delayed flights our staff can wait up to maximum 2 hours. For further delays our guests are expected to take a taxi to their hotel without any refund from our side. However, if the delays are advised to us in advance then there is no problem at all as our transfer service will be amended accordingly.
Guaranteed departures are valid in case the guests join the tour on the very first day of the tour. Demands for joining to these tours at a different stage and location are needed to be confirmed by us since a private rate will be applied if there become no other participants on these tours. Additionally, further to our confirmation, if the already available participants cancel the tour and consequently no more people join the regular tour then Stic Holidays keeps the right to cancel the arrangements for the clients who will join the tour at a different stage rather than the original commencement date or to charge on private basis.
All our regular tours are carried out with minimum 2 participants. For only one traveler no guarantee is given and this should be inquired in advance. Even if payment is made for total 2 persons in lieu of 1 single person this is not acceptable.
If the services are not cancelled prior to 48 hours ago prior to the commencement date full invoice amount will be charged. Some hotels may also charge cancellation fee for the bookings canceled within the last 30 days prior to the check-in date. If such a remark is noted on our confirmation sheet this hotel fee will also be charged in full. |
