Istanbul & Cappadocia - Small Group Tour of Turkey View Basket

Gorgeous, fun & interesting holidays with Dave Best

14 Days: 1-14 September 2011

Join Dave Best on this unique small-group escorted 14 days/13 nights tour starting and finishing in Istanbul.

Turkey offers a heady mix of stunning architecture, superb museums, wonderful vistas - as well as the extraordinary and quite unique landscapes of Cappadocia. In addition, its climate is benign, its people ever-friendly and its cuisine offers a wonderful melange of Greek, Armenian and Ottoman influences. With such cultural richness, this tour focuses on Istanbul and Cappadocia, trying not to bite off more than can be chewed.

Starting in Istanbul, capital of the Ottoman Empire for over 450 years, spend five full days really getting to grips with this wonderful city, which has so many places of interest to see. Explore the splendid Topkapi Palace, Haghia Sofia and the Basilican Cistern. Head out to the Theodosian Walls to visit the stunning Kariye Cami (Church of St. Saviour in Chora). In addition to the major sights, you will also visit a number of places that are off the 'tourist trail', including the fabulous mosques of Rustem Pasa and Sokullu Mehmet Pasa, which together contain some of the finest Iznik tilework ever produced. Several museums are included, notably the outstanding Museum of Islamic & Turkish Art, the Mosaic Museum and the superb Pera Museum - with its wonderful permanent collection of Orientalist paintings.

Take the sleeper train to Ankara and continue to Goreme, in the heart of Cappadocia, the base for the next five nights. Enjoy a number of day walks, following ancient riverbeds, exploring nearby valleys, visiting local villages and experiencing the dramatic landscapes for which Cappadocia is justly renowned. Return to Istanbul by train, for a final day of exploration.

About Best Travels

Best Travels focuses on providing quality walking and cultural holidays for small groups of people who wish to visit some of the most beautiful areas on the planet, where there is also much to see and learn of cultural and historical interest.

Dave Best, who founded Best Travels and who has been managing and leading such holidays for 16 years, is dedicated to providing these gorgeous, fun and interesting holidays.

If you are unfamiliar with the Dave Best travel style, think of it as adding the ‘extra’ to the ‘ordinary’, providing good value tours filled with the ‘must do’ attractions but enhanced with insights into the culture, history, cuisine and people of the destination.

Although the company is Australian-based, currently all the holidays offered are in Africa, Asia and Europe, and each year different destinations are added to the repertoire. This keeps Dave perennially on his toes and as many of the participants come back for more, it’s always a challenge to keep coming up with holidays to retain their interest and support.

Local guides and experts are sometimes employed for sections of the tours. After all, while speaking French is one thing, the Turkish or Bhutanese languages provide more of a challenge!