The morning will bring with it the savory and sweet scents of breakfast, such as tantalizing baked breads and honey. The familiar aroma of Turkish coffee will welcome the memory of the strong flavor. Your guide will meet you at your hotel after breakfast ready to show you the beauty of Istanbul on a half-day tour beginning with the Blue Mosque. The structure was built in the 17th century under the patronage of Sultan Ahmet I. The sultan wanted to construct a place of worship that was grander than the Hagia Sophia.

The morning will fill with rapid color and energy as locals enjoy their morning Turkish coffee and sweet pastry. After breakfast you are taken to the Spice Bazaar with your private guide finding the marketplace that dates back to the 17th century. After your visit to the marketplace you will step aboard a boat and begin your cruise of the Bosphorus. You will stop at Dolmabahce Palace to see the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire. The palace was constructed in the 19th century and is the largest palace in Turkey with over 285 rooms.

The culture of Istanbul is an image of the city’s history, from the mosques to the coffee, the spices to the palaces. Your private transfer will meet you in the hotel lobby and escort you from your hotel to the airport where you will board your flight bound for Cappadocia. You will arrive in the stunning region to find the famous landscape encompassing honeycombed hills and boulders towering over the unearthly plain. The foothills roll and the mountains shift from orange to cream. The stone is soft and has been carved into homes and churches in order to create shelter for local residents for thousands of years.

Sunrise over Cappadocia will offer a breathtaking rainbow of colors as the light peeks over the ridge. After breakfast your private guide will meet you at the hotel and lead you to the famous Goreme Open-Air Museum where Byzantine monks carved churches out of the soft rock and created tremendous chapels and monasteries. In the 17th century, the collection of churches became a pilgrimage site. The complex is hidden in the mountainside and could have gone unnoticed if you did not know it was there.

The day will be yours to spend as you wish in the tremendous setting of Cappadocia. The sky will show a clear blue. You will see the remarkable boulders rise into the air and twist like independent karsts. To enjoy the impressive landscape, you could indulge in a hot air balloon ride. The magnificent balloon will inflate and carry you away into the sky. The rush of the flame and the swelling balloon will take you into the air. There are a remarkable number of other balloons in the sky that will look like vivacious clouds.

The rugged and spellbinding landscape of Cappadocia will disappear beyond the horizon in the morning when your private transfer takes you to the Kayseri Airport. You will soon arrive in the coastal city of Kusadasi. The city sits on the sapphire shores of the Aegean Sea. That famous beach of Kadinlar Denizi pulses with a distinctive energy adding to the inviting whir of beachside and luxury ambiance. Umbrellas will help create comfortable shade under the hot, Mediterranean sun. The water will lap gently at the sand.

The aroma of sweet mint tea will emanate from the cafes in the morning. You will hear the Turkish coffee percolating. After breakfast, you will make your way to the ancient city of Ephesus with your guide for a private tour of Europe’s best-preserved classical metropolis. Attic-Ionian Greek colonists founded the city in the 10th century BC. The Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, once towered over the cityscape. A single pillar remains and stands over sixty feet tall.

The day will be at your leisure to enjoy the charming coastline along the Aegean Sea. The sand will feel warm and the water will offer a refreshing cool feeling against the golden Mediterranean light. You could also enjoy another trip into the ancient history of the surrounding countryside with a visit to Pergamom. The ancient city remains filled with tranquil streets and a classic splendor. The Acropolis retains the adornments of grand temples and the dramatic theater.