5 DAY PILGRIMAGE TO CAPPADOCIA

DAY 1:

Meeting at Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport were we depart for Constantinople International Airport at 10:15 am. Upon arrival we will continue on with our connecting flight to Kaisaria. Once we receive our luggage our tour bus and guide will be waiting to greet us and begin our tour. Tour of the city of Kaisaria where we will see its Castle dated from 3^rd century BC, its elaborate mosques and markets. From there we move on to the city of Prokopi with in-between stops at the historic Greek villages of Intzesou, Moutalaski, and Anrdoniki. Arrival at our hotel. Dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 2:

(Early in the morning, for those who do not have a fear of heights, we will have the opportunity to see the view from a hot air balloon.  Seeing the Cappadocian scenic lunar hills from the sky is breathtaking).

We’ll meet up for breakfast, and then we begin with a tour of the birthplace of the Great Martyr Saint George at Karvali. Karvali is situated in the valley of Ihlara with its rock hewn churches and underground cities of Malakopi (Derinkuyu) and Saint Theodore. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 3:

After breakfast, we’ll tour a few old Greek neighborhoods along with the town were Saint Ioannis the Russian had lived. From there it’s off to Soando where we will visit the churches of Saint George, Ioannis and Eusthatios and admire their beautiful frescos. We continue to Siansos with a visit to the churches of Saint Basil the Great and Saints Constantine and Helena. Return in the evening to our hotel. Dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 4:

After breakfast we’ll visit the fortresses of Ortahisar and Uchisar located in the Goreme Valley. The Göreme valley and its surroundings contain rock-hewn Christian sanctuaries that provide unique evidence of Byzantine art in the post-Iconoclastic period. Dwellings, troglodyte villages and underground towns – the remains of a traditional human habitat dating back to the 4th century – can also be seen there. Close by are the valleys of Zelve and Cavusin where it’s all worth a visit. At Cavusin we will see the church where Nikophorus Fokas was crowned Emperor. From there we continue on to the city of Avanos. The city is built on the banks of Turkey’s longest river,  Kızılırmak. The city is famous for its ceramics. Return to our hotel. Dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 5:

After our breakfast we depart for Kaisaria. Free time for shopping at its famous bazaar and lunch. Arrival late afternoon at the airport for our return flight home.

Included:

• Airfare Athens – Constantinople – Kaisaria – Constantinople – Athens with direct flights from Aegean.
• Airport tax.
• Transportation during our stay with air conditioned tour buses.
• 4* hotel accommodation.
• Breakfast and dinner during our stay.
• Tour guide.
• Travel insurance.

Not included:

• Entrance fees to museums and archaeological sites.
• Hot air balloon ride.
• Tips and luggage transport.
• Drinks during our meals.

Notes:

• Passports must be valid at least 6 months before the date of our return.
• There is a possibility of our program altering due to unexpected reasons. In such cases our agency will do it’s best to alter the program to still include all sites, or even add other sites to the program.