CAPPADOCIA THREE DAYS FROM SIDE

CAPPADOCIA 3 DAYS FROM SIDE

Day 1

• Our guests will be picked up from hotels
• Stop for breakfast
• Visit to the "Mevlana Museum" located in the city of Konya
• Lunch in Konya
• Visit to the underground city of Saratly
• Arrival in Cappadocia
• Check in at the hotel
• Dinner
• Dervish Ceremony "Sema" (Dervish Ritual Dance) (optional)

Day 2

• Balloon flight (optional)
• Breakfast at the hotel
• Visit the Valley of Fantasy and the Valley of the Monks
• Visit to the rock city of Cavusin and the Church of St. John
• Visit to a pottery workshop in Avanos
• Lunch break
• Visit the Valley of Love
• Visit to the Goreme Open Air Museum
• Visit Uchisar
• Checking in at a leather goods store
• Dinner at the hotel
• Turkish night in Cappadocia. (optional)

Day 3

• Balloon parade (optional)
• Breakfast at the hotel
• Stops near the Three Beauties Fortress (Uchguzel) and Ortahisar
• Visit to the stone center of Anatolia
• Valley of pigeons. Panorama stop
• Departure from Cappadocia
• Stop at Caravanserai
• Traditional lunch in Konya
• Return to hotels

• The guide reserves the right to change the order of the tour without changing the program as a whole

• Children who travel for free on the tour are not provided with separate seats on the bus. Children take places together with adults (sitting on their hands).
• If you would like your child to occupy a separate seat on the bus, please designate it at the time of booking as a child for which you need to pay or as an adult.

• According to the rules set by the Turkish Ministry of Tourism, children under 8 years of age enjoy discounted admission to museum sites and must have their passport with them for registration.
• For the discount, the year of birth is taken into account, not the date of birth (for example, 2022-8=2014). It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to ensure that the child's age is correct when booking the tour.

PICK-UP TIMES FROM HOTELS BY REGIONS (Approximately)

• At 07:00 from Gundogdu hotels
• At 07:00 from Cholakly hotels
• At 07:00 from Evrenseki hotels
• At 07:00 from Kumkoi hotels
• At 07:00 from Side hotels
• At 07:00 from Sorgun hotels
• At 07:00 from Titreengel hotels
• At 07:00 from Kyzylot hotels
• At 07:00 from Kyzylagach hotels

Please Note

• After booking, we will send you the exact time and details of the excursion via WhatsApp or Viber.

DROP-OFF TIMES TO HOTELS BY REGIONS (Approximately)

• At 18:30 - 19:30 from Gundogdu hotels
• At 18:30 - 19:30 from Cholakly hotels
• At 18:30 - 19:30 from Evrenseki hotels
• At 18:30 - 19:30 from Kumkoi hotels
• At 18:30 - 19:30 from Side hotels
• At 18:30 - 19:30 from Sorgun hotels
• At 18:30 - 19:30 from Titreengel hotels
• At 18:30 - 19:30 from Kyzylot hotels
• At 18:30 - 19:30 from Kyzylagach hotels

DISTANCE TO CAPPADOCIA

• Distance from Kizilot to Cappadocia: 6 hours 10 minutes - 462 km
• Distance from Kizilagac to Cappadocia: 6 hours 10 minutes - 461 km
• Distance from Titreyengol to Cappadocia: 6 hours 10 minutes - 476 km
• Distance from Sorgun to Cappadocia: 6 hours 10 minutes - 474 km
• Distance from Side to Cappadocia: 6 hours 10 minutes - 477 km
• Distance from Kumkoy to Cappadocia: 6 hours 15 minutes - 481 km
• Distance from Evrenseki to Cappadocia: 6 hours 15 minutes - 485 km
• Distance from Colakli to Cappadocia: 6 hours 15 minutes - 486 km
• Distance from Gundogdu to Cappadocia: 6 hours 15 minutes - 490 km

TOUR PRICE INCLUDES

• Hotel pickup and drop-off
• Transport by air-conditioned coach
• Insurance
• Guiding services
• Dinner first day at the hotel
• Second day dinner at the hotel
• Breakfast second day at the hotel
• Breakfast on the third day at the hotel
• Overnight stay at the hotel in Cappadocia (Kral Otel 3*)
• Overnight overnight at the hotel in Cappadocia (Kral Otel 3*)

TOUR PRICE EXCLUDES

• Personal expenses (photos, souvenirs, etc. . . )
• Any drinks during the tour
• Entrance fees to museums ($20) (optional)
• Capadocian Night Show ($30) (optional)
• Visit the ritual dance ceremony of the dervishes "Sema" ($30) (optional)
• Visit the observation deck during the balloon parade at dawn.($30) (optional)
• Lunches ($10 each)
• Balloon flight (optional)
• Supplement for single room ($20 per night)

Important information about flying in a hot air balloon!

• The approximate price of a balloon flight varies from $150 to $200. The exact price for the flight is announced by the guide on the first day of the tour.
• This price is determined taking into account the prices of the current year. Please note that balloon prices may exceed the listed prices. In such cases, our agency is not responsible. Before the COVID-19 virus, balloon prices were as high as $250.
• During an excursion to Cappadocia for 3 days, all responsibility for the life and safety of tourists lies entirely with us!
• In this regard, we and other organizers of excursions to Cappadocia, do not accept tourists who book a balloon flight in a place other than our guide.
• In the event of such a situation during the Cappadocia tour for 3 days, your tour will be canceled without refund, and the agency will not be responsible for providing a return transfer!

PLEASE BRING WITH YOU

• Camera, water
• Comfortable shoes, sunglasses
• Warm clothes
• Money for personal expenses
• Passport

MORE ABOUT THE TOUR

• Cappadocia – valley of beautiful horses, stone mushrooms and fairies. This amazing region is located in the heart of the Republic of Turkey and attracts the attention of tourists with its unique lunar landscapes, interesting centuries-old history and the search for answers to unsolved mysteries.
• Cappadocia – one of the main attractions of Turkey, which appeared more than 60 million years ago. Collisions and breaks of tectonic plates, and a little later, volcanic eruptions were the result of the fact that the entire surface of the soil was covered with a thick layer of rock – volcanic tuff. Further, it is a matter of time, wind and rain from the impact of which the soft volcanic rock, on the one hand, collapsed, and on the other, thanks to this, stone pillars, mountains, valleys, and canyons of bizarre shape were created. Amazing natural formations are often called "mushroom-rocks", and the locals - "fairy pipes". "Leg" mushroom – this is tuff, and the "hat" - basalt, basalt is denser than tuff and is destroyed more slowly, because of this, the landscape of Cappadocia is constantly changing and makes us understand that nature – the best creator who managed to create a real masterpiece with the help of the destructive forces of cataclysms.
• Sometimes Cappadocia is called the cradle of Christianity. The thing is that in the 1st century AD. the walls of the rocks gave shelter and protection to the first Christians who fled to them from their persecutors.
• As part of the tour, you will be able to visit multi-level dungeons, rock fortresses, monks' houses and churches. Walk through the valleys with an unearthly landscape: Pink, Red, Love, Pigeon. And at dawn, enjoy a fantastic view when hundreds of hot air balloons take off into the sky, and maybe the flight itself.

• Jalaladdin Rumi – the spiritual ancestor of the dervishes, a Persian Sufi poet who lived in the 11th century on the territory of Asia Minor, in the city of Konya, which at that time was the capital of the Seljuk Sultanate. The followers of Jalaladdin Rumi gave him the nickname – Mevlana, which means "our lord" in Arabic. Rumi's poetry is still very popular today.
• After Mevlana's death, his son Sultan Veled founded the Mevlevi Sufi order.
• Museum complex Mevlana is located in the premises of the monastery of dervishes. Many buildings were erected in the 14-15 centuries, their appearance and interior decoration have come down to us almost in their original form.
• The towering conical dome of the mausoleum, covered with emerald tiles, is considered the hallmark of the city of Konya. Inside the walls of the mausoleum are luxuriously decorated with ornaments, inscriptions, in the center, above the dome, there is a tomb with two sarcophagi – Mevlana and his eldest son. The tombstones are covered with expensive brocade with quotes from the Koran embroidered on it with gold threads; at the head of the – dervish turbans. The father, wife and children of Mevlana, as well as prominent personalities of the order and sheikhs are also buried here.
• In other rooms there is an exhibition about the life and life of dervishes, cells of members of the order. In the courtyard there are fountains from the 15th-16th centuries, as well as the graves of dervishes.

• Avanos – the city of potters. It is located on the banks of the longest river in the Turkish Republic, Kyzylyrmak, or as it is also called the Red River. This water artery got its name because of the large accumulation of clay near its banks. The inhabitants of Avanos have been engaged in pottery and carpet weaving since ancient times.
• The main attractions of the city – these are, of course, pottery and carpet weaving workshops, in which anyone can participate in a master class; museum of ceramics; monument to the crafts of Avanos. Not far from the city is the Pasabag valley, popularized by the rock church of St. Simeon and the Derwent (Fantasy) valley.

• Underground cities – the biggest mystery of Cappadocia. To date, there are more than 200 such hidden shelters, of which 30 have been studied so far. Until now, there is no consensus on who and when exactly they were created, some claim that the ancient Hittites built them, others attribute them to the period of the formation of Christianity, and still others say about previously unknown advanced civilizations. Only the purpose of these cities does not cause controversy – protective.
• Each city is designed for 50 families and goes many floors down. Everything was thought out to the smallest detail: the ventilation system, wells, sanitary facilities, rest rooms, wine cellars, storage rooms, barns, stables, and rooms where other livestock were kept, schools, a church. In such dwellings, people could be underground for 3 months without the need to go outside.
• The largest and most famous settlements – Derinkuyu, Kaymakli, Ozkonak and Saratly. You will visit Saratly, which was discovered by archaeologists quite by accident in 1991. And for the past 30 years, archaeological work has been carried out here. At the moment, 7 floors have been cleared, the first 3 levels are available for tourists.

• Goreme Museum – National park and open-air museum complex, which is included in the list of objects protected by UNESCO. On its territory with a total area of 9600 hectares there are about 10 monasteries carved into the rocks and dating back to 900-1200 years. BC, open to the public. At the same time, it is believed that in ancient times there were about 400 churches. On their walls, ancient paintings and frescoes depicting the faces of saints or important events for the entire Christian world have been preserved.
• So, you will visit the Apple, Serpentine, Dark churches, the church of St. Barbara and St. Catherine, the chapel of St. Basil, the church with a buckle, which is considered the largest and the church with sandals.
• And also from the stories of the guide you will learn a lot of interesting and informative information about the life of the great Cappadocians. Basil the Great (Caesarian), Gregory of Nyssa and Gregory of Nazianzus (theologian). These saints lived in Cappadocia in the 4th century and encouraged the creation of monastic complexes and temples here.
• The most common frescoes that can be seen on the walls of churches in Cappadocia:
• Supplication
• Journey to Bethlehem
• Birth
• Adoration of the Three Wise Men
• Escape to Egypt
• Baptism
• The Resurrection of Lazarus
• Transformation
• Entrance to Jerusalem
• The Last Supper
• Betrayal and Crucifixion.

• Balloons are rightfully recognized as a true symbol of Cappadocia. With the first rays of the sun, up to 200 multi-colored airships rise into the sky, in the baskets of which there can be from 2 to 35 passengers at the same time. For about an hour you will soar in the air, then rising higher, then descending lower, in order to properly consider all the sights and admire the unearthly beauty.
• Flights are operated all year round, the main condition – favorable weather without strong wind and precipitation. The permit is issued by the Turkish Civil Aviation Authority, and the pilot must be trained and have the appropriate certificate. The best period is from April to October.
• Another mesmerizing sight – a parade of balloons that you can enjoy from any observation deck and take spectacular photos.

• Dervishes achieved unity with God during their ecstatic dance, circling in one place around their axis. The dance called "sema" was performed in the "semahan" room; and consisted of three parts. The first part symbolizes the vision of God, the second - the knowledge of God, the third - unity with God. The dervishes felt like they were between heaven and earth, neither in the world of the living nor the dead.
• The dervishes began their dance with their arms crossed over their chests - the position of the deceased. And then they opened, the right hand went up, the left went down, this symbolized that the dervish takes the divine grace from heaven and passes it through him.
• Every item of their clothing symbolizes something. The white color of the clothes symbolizes death, the shroud is the clothes of the deceased. The black veil they throw off after 3 spins is a burial. The soul, as it were, ascends and is freed from its grave. And a felt hat symbolizes a tombstone

Which cities do you pass during the tour of Cappadocia

Konya

• Konya has a population of more than 2 million inhabitants and is the largest city in terms of area among Turkish cities. Konya was founded in Byzantine times and was called « Iconium » - « the city where icons are made. In the 13th century the city became the capital of the Seljuk Empire. The Seljuks began to call her Konya. Now it is a large industrial center.

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• Additional discount can be added to the discount for early booking of the tour.

EARLY BOOKING DISCOUNTS

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• The number of coupons is limited - only 10 coupons per excursion day.
• If the date of the excursion is postponed, your discount will not be canceled

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