Turkey Itinerary
TURKEY: TENTATIVE ITINERARY
Time: MI +7 or -17 hoursNo Visa Needed. 33 Overnights (33 days)Time Frame: Tuesday, March 1 through Saturday, April 2 Must see UNESCO + More (red).
Preferred Hotels (green)Arrive Istanbul (4-6) by plane from Cairo (1)
Arrival 4:10 PM with TK 0691.
Hotel Peninsula.
Historical Istanbul (2+3+4) Mosques, Hagia Sophia, Kariye, Topkapi, Ferry, etc.Excursion to Sina’s Mosque at Edirne by bus. 250 km. 4+ hours. (5)Flex Day (6)Transit Istanbul to Safranbolu (2) by bus. (7)411 km. 7-8 hours.
Hotel Bastoncu Pansiyon.
Exploration of historical Ottoman city and houses at Safranbolu (8)Transit Safranbolu via Karabuek to Ankara (3) by bus. (9)230 km. 3+ hours.Hotel Angora House.One day at the Ankara Museum (10)Flex day (11)Transit from Ankara to Bogazkale (2) by bus. (12)200 km. 3-5 hours plus transfer times.Baskent Hotel.Day excursion to Hittite Site of Hattusa. (13)Day excursion to Hittite Site of Yazilikaya. (14)Flex Day (15)Transit from Bogazkale to Cappadocia/Goereme (5) by bus 5h+ (16)235 km back roads. 5 hours minimum.Kookaburra Pension in Geroeme.Open door museums, landscape, Underground Cities and caves (17-18)Hot Air Balloon Excursion? (19)Flex Day (20)Transit from Cappadocia to Kahta (Nemrud) preferably Karadut! (3) by bus. (21)550 km. 10-12 hours plus transfer times.Zeus Hotel.Climb or drive to Mount Nemrut. (22)Transit from Kahta to Divrigi (2) by bus and train combination or just by train? (23)300 km. 6 hours minimum plus transfer – could be two days…Hotel? Nothing on line.Divrigi Mosque and town (24)Flex Day (25)Transit from Divrigi to Trabzon (3) by train, plane, and bus combination? (26-27)400 km. 10-12 hours back roads plus transfer times. Two days?Hotel Ani.Day at “hanging”, rock-cliff Sumela Monastery (28)Byzantine churches and old town of Trabzon (29)Transit from Trabzon to Denizli (Pamukkale) (3) by plane. (30)Plan A: Fly back to Istanbul. Book flight!Kervansary Pension.Day at Salt-cliffs and Hierapolis. (31)Plan B: If I am ahead of schedule by several days, drive up the cost and hit Ephesus, Pergamum, Troy, and Bursa on the way to Istanbul.Transit from Pamukkale to Istanbul (1) by plane. (32)Hotel Peninsula.Mailing Day. Istanbul.(33)Night off in transit to Iraq. (33/34)Missing: Grecco-Roman West coast. Troy, South-West Mediterranean Towns. Transit from Istanbul to Baghdad via plane (34)April 2/3, Departure at 3:15 AM with TK 0802 from Istanbul International Airport