Day-by-day itinerary
IMPORTANT — confirmation required: The short route names Ihlara and Konya, while the daily itinerary describes Eskişehir. The source also contains a historical exchange rate and January 2024 admission prices. The office confirms the exact route and current supplements.
Day 1
Departure from Sofia, Serdika Bus Station, at 7.00; OMV in Mladost by the Regional Hospital at 7.10; Ihtiman Motel at 7.40; Insa Oil on the Trakia motorway in Pazardzhik at 8.10; Plovdiv, OMV beside St Petersburg Hotel, at 9.00; Haskovo, OMV at the city entrance, at 10.30. Travel via Edirne to Istanbul. Check-in. Optional Bosphorus panoramic cruise, booked in advance, passing Dolmabahçe, the new sultan's palace; Çırağan Palace, a former sultan's residence now one of the world's most prestigious hotels; Ortaköy, popular with Istanbul's young people and artists; Rumeli Hisarı and Anadolu Hisarı defensive fortresses; Beylerbeyi summer palace; and the Maiden's Tower. Overnight stay.
Day 2
Breakfast. Departure for Ankara, capital of the Republic of Turkey and one of the country's liveliest cities. Late-afternoon arrival. Visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations, with exhibits from the Palaeolithic and Neolithic periods, and Atatürk's Mausoleum. Check-in, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 3
Breakfast. Departure for Cappadocia, a wonderful combination of natural beauty and cultural wealth, formed by volcanic eruptions millions of years ago and shaped by wind and erosion into fantastic chimney formations. En route, photo stop at Salt Lake, Turkey's second largest lake, at 905 m above sea level. In summer, much of its water dries up, leaving a salt layer; salt processing and refining are the main activities around the lake. Visit Kaymaklı underground city, constructed between the 5th and 10th centuries as a refuge from foreign invaders. Check-in, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 4
Breakfast. Full-day excursion to the 8th-century rock churches of Göreme; Ürgüp, the main commercial centre; and Avanos, a charming town on both banks of the Kızılırmak River. Explore the Red Valley of Devrent with its unusual volcanic formations. Dinner. Optional folklore evening at Yaşarbaba, Cappadocia's most popular restaurant. Overnight stay.
Day 5
Opportunity for a balloon ride. Breakfast. Departure for Eskişehir, arriving in the afternoon. Check-in, free time and overnight stay.
Day 6
Breakfast. Departure for Bursa, arriving late afternoon. City tour with a local guide: Green Mosque and Ulu Mosque, Koza Han and Bursa's symbol, the Ottoman tomb. Check-in, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 7
Breakfast. Departure for Bulgaria. Afternoon arrival in Haskovo; evening in Plovdiv and Pazardzhik; late evening in Ihtiman and Sofia at Shell, 113 Tsarigradsko Shose Boulevard beside Sofia Press, and Serdika Bus Station.
Programme duration: 7 days
Travel type: organised tour
Transport: coach
Accommodation / validity (from–to) / price:
Twin room, not guaranteed / – / included in the base price
Double room with one double bed, not guaranteed / – / included in the base price
Single room / – / EUR 112
Extra bed in a double room / – / included in the base price
Additional services / age group and prices:
Bosphorus cruise, minimum 20 participants / EUR 25.5
Folklore evening at Yaşarbaba in Uçhisar, Cappadocia's most popular restaurant, with oriental dancers and 2 drinks of choice; minimum 20 participants / EUR 35.7
Two coach seats for one traveller / EUR 134
Optional excursions and services paid for during the trip cost 20% more / EUR 0
For travellers over 69, a higher insurance premium supplement is automatically added / EUR 0
Discounts / age group and amounts:
School pupils and university students: ages 6–26 / EUR 8.69
Children up to 12 sharing both parents' room: ages 3–12 / EUR 20.4
Notes:
Optional services and activities must be requested when signing the organised-tour contract because advance reservations are necessary.
Departure and return locations: Plovdiv, OMV beside St Petersburg Hotel; Haskovo Bus Station.
Exchange rate: EUR 1 = TRY 2.21
Local time: Bulgaria 12; Turkey 12.
The trip as a whole is not suitable for people with reduced mobility.
Fuel surcharge: the diesel-price base is BGN 2.50 per 1 litre. An increase up to 9.99% is absorbed by the company. At 10% or more, the company may introduce a fuel surcharge. An increase of 10%–19.99% over the base results in BGN 14.00 per traveller on this programme. For each further 10% increase, this amount is multiplied accordingly.
No medical or health requirements apply to the trip.
Bulgarian citizens must have a valid passport or identity card valid for at least 6 months after entry.