EURORIENTE: TURKIYE AND JORDAN COMPLETE (16 Days)

Day 1: ISTANBUL

Upon arrival, you will be welcomed and transferred to your chosen hotel. Accommodation

Day 2: ISTANBUL / SULEYMAN THE MAGNIFICENT (B)

Breakfast. Departure at 08:00 am to visit the mosque of Suleyman the Magnificent located on the third hill of Istanbul with one of the most famous panoramas of the city. Built by the order of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent, it was constructed by the famous imperial architect Sinan. After the visit, free time to explore the city on your own or optionally hire a Full Day tour to the Historic part of Istanbul where you can visit Hagia Sophia (exterior), the culmination of Byzantine art, and the pearl of Istanbul, the famous Topkapi Palace, the residence of the Ottoman sultans for four centuries. Enjoy a typical lunch at a local restaurant in the Sultanahmet area, admire the Blue Mosque, a prodigy of harmony, proportion, and elegance; and the Hippodrome which preserves the Obelisk of Theodosius, the Serpentine Column, the Emperor's Fountain, and the Egyptian Obelisk. In the late afternoon, visit the famous Grand Bazaar where you will enjoy free time to wander among its 4,000 shops. Accommodation.

Day 3: ISTANBUL / BOSPHORUS CRUISE / SPICE BAZAAR (B)

Breakfast. Departure for one of the most famous activities in Istanbul, a boat trip on the Bosphorus, the channel that separates Europe and Asia. During this journey, you will see the palaces of the Sultans, ancient and typical wooden houses, and enjoy history in a different way. Next, we will make one of the star visits, the Spice Bazaar, established by the Ottomans 5 centuries ago and used ever since. Our included visit ends at the bazaar where you can enjoy its atmosphere and variety of shops. In the afternoon, you can optionally take a tour with lunch to the Asian part of the city, visiting the "Beylerbeyi" Palace located on the Asian side of the Bosphorus. The former summer residence of the sultans of the Ottoman Empire, we will also see the famous suspension bridge of the Bosphorus that connects the European part with the Asian part of the city. After lunch, we will visit Camlica Hill Located in the undervalued district of Üsküdar, on the Asian side, one of the seven hills of Istanbul and the highest point in the city. At 268 meters above sea level, Camlica Hill offers panoramic views of both sides of the city. At the end of the day, return to the hotel. Accommodation

Day 4: ISTANBUL / ANKARA (B - D)

Breakfast. Departure on route to Ankara passing through the Bolu mountains. Upon arrival, we will take a panoramic tour with our bus to get to know the capital of the Turkish Republic and the second most populous city in Turkey (Ankara), a modern and cosmopolitan city steeped in history and ancient culture. Later we will visit the Anitkabir Mausoleum, a symbol of Ankara, as it is the place where the founder of the Turkish Republic lies. At the end of the afternoon, arrival at our hotel Dinner and Accommodation.

Day 5: ANKARA / CAPPADOCIA (B - D)

Breakfast. Departure for Cappadocia. En route, we will see the second largest lake in Turkey, Lake Tuz, and a 13th-century caravanserai (medieval inn). Arrival in Cappadocia. Optionally, you can book a Jeep Safari tour in Cappadocia, one of the most exciting adventures in Cappadocia that allows you to explore the region in an off-road vehicle, where you can reach unique landscapes of the formations and valleys of this region. Dinner and Accommodation.

Day 6: CAPPADOCIA (B - D)

Breakfast at the hotel. Visit to this fascinating region and its original landscape, formed by lava thrown by the Erciyes and Hasan volcanoes 3 million years ago. We will visit the Göreme Valley, an incredible Byzantine monastic complex consisting of churches carved into the rock with beautiful frescoes. Next, we will visit the Avcilar Valley and the Pasabagi and Güvercinlik Valleys where you can admire the best view of the volcanic formations called "fairy chimneys." We will visit typical carpet and Onyx and Turquoise stone workshops. Dinner at the hotel and Accommodation

Day 7: CAPPADOCIA / PAMUKKALE (B - D)

Breakfast at the hotel. Early departure to Pamukkale. Arrival and Visit to Hierapolis, ancient Hellenistic city now in ruins. Visit to the famous Cotton Castle, a natural wonder of gigantic white waterfalls, stalactites, and Natural Pools formed over centuries by the passage of water loaded with calcareous salts from thermal springs. Arrival at the hotel Dinner and Accommodation.

Day 8: PAMUKKALE / EPHESUS / IZMIR / FLIGHT / ISTANBUL (B)

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure in the morning to Ephesus City, an ancient Greco-Roman city, the former capital of Asia Minor, and one of the best-preserved cities of antiquity where you will find the Temple of Hadrian, the Temple of Trajan, the theater, and the Library of Celsus. Visit to the House of the Virgin Mary, the place where she spent the last years of her life. Continue to Izmir Airport to board a domestic flight to Istanbul, upon arrival transfer to your hotel and Accommodation

Day 9: ISTANBUL / AMMAN (B)

Breakfast and at the indicated time transfer to the airport. To board a flight to Jordan. Arrival in Amman and transfer to the Hotel. Accommodation

Day 10: AMMAN / BETANIA / AMMAN (B - D)

Breakfast and departure for the Baptism of Jesus "Bethany beyond the Jordan" (Al-Maghtas) The archaeological complex located on the eastern bank of the Jordan River, about 9 km north of the Dead Sea, is of immense importance for Christianity because It is recognized as the place where Jesus of Nazareth was baptized by John the Baptist. After the visit, return to the hotel. Free time. Dinner and Accommodation.

Day 11: AMMAN / AJLUN / JERASH / AMMAN (B - D)

Breakfast and departure to visit Ajlun Castle, a fortress built in 1185 and later rebuilt in the 13th century by the Mamluks after its destruction by the Mongols. It is a castle from the time of the Crusaders, located at the top of the mountain and from which you can see a beautiful view. Continuation to visit Jerash, one of the cities of the Decapolis. Jerash is located north of Amman, approximately 45 km and an hour away by road. During the excursion, we will visit the Arc de Triomphe, the oval square, the cardo, the colonnade, the temple of Aphrodite and finally, the Roman theater, with wonderful acoustics. The conservation of the ruins of Jerash is still surprising today, giving us a very accurate idea of ​​what the cities were like at the time. At the end of the visit, return to Amman. Dinner and accommodation.

Day 12: AMMAN / CITY TOUR / MADABA / MT NEBO / PETRA (B - D)

Breakfast. Meeting at the hotel and departure for a panoramic tour of the city of Amman. Continue to Madaba to visit the Orthodox Church of Saint George, where the first mosaic map of Palestine is located. Continuation to Mount Nebo to admire the panoramic view of the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea from the mountain. This place is important because it was the last place visited by Moses and from where the prophet saw the promised land, which he would never reach. In the afternoon, Continue to visit Um al Rassas a Jordanian archaeological site containing ruins from the Roman, Byzantine and proto-Muslim civilizations. It is located 30 km southeast of Madaba, which is the capital of Madaba Governorate in central Jordan. Departure to the nearby town of Al BEIDA, also known as LITTLE PETRA. Visit of this caravanserais. Transfer to Petra. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 13: PETRA / AQABA (B - D)

Breakfast. Full day dedicated to visiting the pink city, the capital of the Nabataeans. During the visit, we will see the most important and representative monuments sculpted in the rock by the Nabataeans. We start with The Treasury, a famous and internationally known monument taken to the cinema in one of the Indiana Jones movies, the Colored Tombs, the Royal Tombs, the Monastery... Petra is one of those places in the world where at least there are I have to go once in my life. Next, departure to the Red Sea coastal city of Aqaba. Dinner and accommodation.

Day 14: AQABA / WADI RUM (B - D)

Breakfast. Free time to enjoy the city of Aqaba. Stroll through the market, enjoy a morning at the beach, etc... Late in the morning, departure to Wadi Rum, one of the most important nature reserves in the Middle East. We are in the desert of Lawrence of Arabia. The visit lasts two hours, and is carried out in peculiar 4 x 4 vehicles driven by Bedouins, (6 people per car) and consists of a small foray into the lunar landscape of this desert. On our walk we will observe the wonders that nature has done and the erosion with rocks and sand. Also famous in cinema, with filming of enigmatic films, such as Lawrence of Arabia or lately The Martian. At the end of the visit, continue to the Bedouin camp where you will spend the night under the stars. (Included standard tents in the camp) If you wish to stay in the capsule tents, consult the supplement. Dinner and accommodation.

Day 15: WADI RUM / DEAD SEA (B - D)

Breakfast. At the indicated time, the corresponding transfer to the Dead Sea will be made. Arrival at your destination. Free time for swimming and mud. Dinner and accommodation.

Day 16: DEAD SEA / AIRPORT (B)

Breakfast and at the indicated time transfer to the airport. End of Services