ISTANBUL – BASEL – STRASBOURG – (Freiburg Tour) – ALSACE / BASEL
After completing baggage drop, ticket, and passport control procedures at Istanbul Airport’s International Terminal by being present 3 hours before departure, we fly to Basel on Turkish Airlines scheduled flight TK1923 at 07:40. Upon arrival at Basel Airport at 09:45 local time, we meet our private vehicle waiting for us at the airport and depart for Strasbourg. Located at the border of Germany, Switzerland, and France, and also the largest city in the Alsace region, Strasbourg welcomes us like a scene from a fairy tale, with a picture-perfect beauty. During our panoramic city tour on foot in the car-free center and streets of Strasbourg, which was added to the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List in 1988 and has hosted the European Parliament since 1992, we will see, among other places, Gutenberg Square and its statue, Notre Dame Cathedral, the city’s most important structure located right in the heart of the city, and Kammerzell House, the oldest house in the city, which continues to serve as a hotel and restaurant today. After the Strasbourg tour and some free time, we depart for our hotel in the Alsace / Basel region where we will stay overnight. On the way, guests who wish may join the optional Freiburg Tour (€50). In Freiburg, the city of happy people, where only low-carbon-emission vehicles have been allowed since 2010 and transportation is mainly provided by tram and bicycle, our city tour will reveal traces of the historical and architectural cultures of Germany, France, Austria, Spain, and Sweden, which have ruled the city throughout history. Known as the capital of the Black Forest (Schwarzwald), our city tour in Freiburg includes the city’s most important symbol, Freiburg Cathedral, the charming streets with Freiburg’s unique small water channels, Martin’s Gate, the medieval city gate, and Rathausplatz. After the tour, we continue our journey to our hotel in the Alsace / Basel region. Upon arrival at the hotel, room allocation and free time for rest.
ALSACE – HEIDI’S VILLAGES – ST. MORITZ – MILAN
After breakfast and check-out from the hotel, we set off on a panoramic journey through Heidi’s Villages, which feature many images from the beloved childhood story of our sevimli heroine Heidi, who lived in the Alps with her grandfather and her best friend Peter, amid endless mountains and green meadows. Afterward, we proceed to St. Moritz. Following a sightseeing tour of St. Moritz, Switzerland’s natural wonder and a favorite destination of the jet set, we head to our hotel in the Milan region. Upon arrival at the hotel, room allocation and free time for rest.
MILAN – (Milan Masterpieces and Como Tour)
After breakfast, we offer a full day at leisure. During this free time, guests who wish may join the optional Milan Masterpieces and Como Tour (€65). On our tour, our first stop will be Como. Upon arrival in Como, we will visit Lake Como, famous for its luxury lifestyle and natural beauty, home to the summer residences of Hollywood celebrities, European tycoons, and the world jet set, and we will take a photo break while enjoying the lake’s unique scenery. After free time in Como, we head to Milan city center for the second part of our tour. Milan, one of Europe’s fashion capitals, also stands out with its cuisine, opera, and churches. Although known as Italy’s business and finance capital, it is also the right address for shopping and dining experiences. During our city tour in Milan, among the main sights are the famous opera house La Scala, Piazza del Duomo and the Cathedral, and Porta Romano. At the end of the Milan Masterpieces Tour, we return to our hotel.
MILAN – (Outlet Tour) – (Portofino Tour by Boat) – NICE
After breakfast and check-out from the hotel, we set off for Nice. On the way, guests who wish may join the optional Outlet Tour (€35). After free time for enjoyable and affordable shopping at the famous outlet center, home to prestigious stores, cafes, restaurants, and leisure areas that shape Italy’s fashion trends, we complete the tour and continue our journey to Nice. On the way, guests who wish may join the optional Portofino Tour by Boat (€65). Portofino, surrounded by colorful houses and inspiring countless songs with its beauty, enchants visitors with its narrow streets, colorful houses, green hills, and turquoise Mediterranean scenery. After the Portofino excursion, we continue our journey to Nice. Upon arrival at our hotel in the Nice region, room allocation and free time for rest.
NICE – (Cannes & Nice Tour) – (Eze & Monaco & Monte Carlo Tour)
After breakfast, we offer a full day at leisure. During this free time, guests who wish may join the optional Cannes & Nice Tour (€70). On this tour, we first head to Cannes. Famous for hosting the annual Cannes Film Festival, Cannes has a sparkling sea and golden sandy beaches. During our city tour, we will first see the old town, the city’s first settlement. During our walk through its narrow, winding, and traffic-free streets, there will be a chance to browse souvenir shops and shop. After visiting La Croisette Boulevard, home to many luxury restaurants, shops, and hotels, and Meynadier Street, we arrive in Nice. During our Nice tour, sights include Promenade des Anglais, Nice Port, Place Masséna, the Flower Market, and the Courthouse. After some free time in Nice, guests who wish may join the optional Eze & Monaco & Monte Carlo Tour (€80). On this tour, our first stop is Eze Village, one of the most famous villages of the Côte d’Azur, with its magnificent views, where we visit a perfume factory where you can test many beautiful and famous perfumes and purchase them at reasonable prices. After the tour, our second stop is Monaco, the world’s smallest state after the Vatican, located on the French Riviera, and upon arrival we will take a panoramic city tour of Monte Carlo, the center of luxury and splendor. After the tour, we return to our hotel in the Nice region.
NICE – (Annecy Tour) – GENEVA
After breakfast and check-out from the hotel, we depart for Geneva. During our journey amid magnificent natural scenery and with views of Mont Blanc, known as the roof of Europe, on the border shared by France, Switzerland, and Italy, guests who wish may join the optional Annecy Tour (€50). Known as the “Venice of the Alps” due to the canals passing through it and the Thiou River, Annecy captivates visitors with its canal system and extraordinary location between mountains and lake. During our excursion, sights seen panoramically will include Château d’Annecy, built in the 17th century and restored in 1947, St. Maurice Church, and Palais de l’Isle, a favorite spot for photography enthusiasts. After a short free time on the shore of Annecy Lake, the third largest lake in France, we complete our tour and continue to Geneva. Upon arrival at our hotel in the Geneva region, room allocation and free time for rest.
GENEVA – (GOLDEN PASS Express Train to Lausanne & Montreux and Fairy-tale Castles Tour) – (Gruyères Tour) – BERN – ALSACE / BASEL
After breakfast and check-out from the hotel, we conduct our city tour. Geneva, known as “the French city of Switzerland,” located on the shores of Lake Geneva, is a magnificent city where history, culture, science, and nature come together. The presence of the headquarters of international organizations such as CERN, the World Health Organization, UEFA, FIFA, and the United Nations gives Geneva a central cultural and administrative role. During our tour of Geneva, where museums, parks, historical monuments and streets, and clean air come together, the main sights will be St. Pierre Cathedral, the Jet d’Eau fountain, which has become Geneva’s symbol and rises up to 140 meters, and the Reformation Monument. After the city tour, we set off for Bern. On the way, guests who wish may join the optional GOLDENPASS Express train tour to Lausanne & Montreux and the Fairy-tale Castles Tour (€95). The first stop of our tour will be Lausanne, which holds an important place in our national history because it hosted the Treaty of Lausanne signed on July 24, 1923, and is also one of the important episcopal centers of the Middle Ages. After our sightseeing tour in Lausanne, with its medieval castles, D’Ouchy Castle, palaces, cathedrals, and museum buildings that take visitors deep into history and become even more attractive thanks to its location on the shores of Lake Geneva, we head to Montreux. Montreux, another city very well known from our national history, is important not only for its historical castles such as Chillon and Blonay, historical buildings, and natural beauty, but also for the world of music, as it has a statue of Freddy Mercury. After our sightseeing tour in Montreux, we embark on an extraordinary journey into the Swiss Alps with the GOLDENPASS Express. Beginning in Montreux, our train journey offers lake views and mountain silhouettes that will make postcards jealous. After this breathtaking journey through nature, which ends near Gruyères, we continue to Bern. On the way, guests who wish may join the optional Gruyères Tour (€40). Selected as Switzerland’s most beautiful village in 2014 and the homeland of the world-famous Gruyère cheese, Gruyères is a fairytale village that has preserved its medieval character intact to the present day, giving its name to the region and its world-famous cheese, with flower-adorned houses and streets. Located in the upper valley of the Saane River, on a hill at 800 meters elevation and without vehicle traffic, this village is known not only for its cheese but also for fondue, one of Switzerland’s famous dishes. After our sightseeing tour in Gruyères, we complete the tour and arrive in Bern. Bern is one of the few cities in Europe that has remained unchanged since the Middle Ages. Thanks to this historical texture, it is included on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. Located within Switzerland and with German as its official language, Bern also shows the influence of German culture in its architecture. After our city tour in Bern, which is built around the Aare River, we head to our hotel in the Alsace / Basel region. Upon arrival at the hotel, room allocation and free time for rest.
ALSACE / BASEL – (Pearls of Alsace: Colmar & Riquewihr Tour) – ISTANBUL
After breakfast and check-out from the hotel, we depart for Basel Airport for our return flight to Istanbul. On the way, guests who wish may join the optional Pearls of Alsace: Colmar & Riquewihr Tour (€80). On this tour, we first travel to the fairytale city of Colmar, where we will see the Old Customs House, Pfister House, and Petite Venise (Little Venice), the city’s most famous area with its colorful houses around the Rhine River. In this unique setting surrounded by the Rhine River and canals, you will have the opportunity to enjoy many delicious foods according to your taste and buy many souvenirs. Our next stop in the Alsace region is Riquewihr, famous for its vineyards, flower-filled balconies, unique row of shops, cobblestone streets inaccessible to cars, buildings that somehow survived World War II without damage, and charming cafés, and its tower, which includes the Dolder Museum that preserves the town’s story with documents to the present day, making it look like something out of a Grimm fairy tale. After our excursion in Riquewihr, we continue our journey to Basel Airport. Upon arrival at the airport, after completing baggage drop, check-in, and passport control procedures, we fly to Istanbul on Turkish Airlines scheduled flight TK1926 at 19:00. Arrival at Istanbul Airport at 23:05 local time and end of the tour.