ISTANBUL – LJUBLJANA – TRIESTE – FLORENCE
After completing ticketing, baggage drop, and passport procedures at Istanbul Airport International Departures Terminal, we fly to Ljubljana at 11:45 on Turkish Airlines’ scheduled direct flight TK1051. Upon arrival at Ljubljana Airport at 12:55 local time, we will meet our private coach and depart for Trieste. During our Trieste tour, Piazza Unita Building, San Giusto Basilica, Campo Square, and especially Piazza Unita d’Italia, considered one of Italy’s most impressive squares for its seaside location, elegant and serene grandeur, and the fact that it reflects both Italian and Central European architecture, are among the highlights. After our tour in Trieste, known worldwide as the birthplace of Illy Coffee due to its history as one of the main ports of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the city from which coffee beans spread extensively into Europe, we will have a short free period and then continue to our hotel in the Florence region for check-in and free time to rest.
FLORENCE – (Pisa & Cinque Terre Tour by Train)
After breakfast at the hotel, we offer a full day at leisure. During this free time, guests who wish may join the optional Pisa & Cinque Terre Tour by Train (95 Euro). Our first stop on the tour will be Cinque Terre. Cinque Terre consists of a series of villages lined up one after another and connected by walking paths. With its colorful houses and distinctive local flavors, it is located on Italy’s west coast. Thanks to its culture and historical features, it is included on UNESCO’s World Heritage List and is also protected as a national park. After free time in Cinque Terre, we continue our journey to Pisa. Upon arrival in Pisa, our tour will include the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Cathedral, the Baptistery, and Miracoli Square. After a short free period for photos, we transfer back to our hotel in the Florence region and have free time to rest.
FLORENCE – (San Gimignano & Siena Tour) – ROME
After breakfast and check-out from the hotel, we depart for Rome. Along the way, guests who wish may join the optional San Gimignano & Siena Tour (80 Euro). Our first stop will be San Gimignano. San Gimignano, which has preserved its medieval architecture and appearance to the present day, is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List and is also known as the “Town of Beautiful Towers” thanks to the 14 magnificent towers that survived wars and natural disasters out of the original 76. In the streets of San Gimignano, where time seems to stand still and visitors feel as if they have traveled back to the Middle Ages, and in the squares where these 14 impressive towers can be seen panoramically, we will enjoy a sightseeing walk. We then continue to Siena, our next stop. Siena is famous for its narrow streets dating back to the Middle Ages, its small avenues, and Campo Square, considered one of the largest squares in Europe. After our pleasant walk through Campo Square and the historic narrow streets leading to it, we complete the tour and continue to Rome. Upon arrival at our hotel in the Rome region, check-in and free time to rest.
ROME – (Rome Icons & Vatican and Local Neighborhoods Tour)
After breakfast at the hotel, we offer a full day at leisure. Guests who wish may join the optional Rome Icons & Vatican and Local Neighborhoods Tour (95 Euro). We take you on a historical journey through Rome and its icons, a city described as Urbs aput mundi, meaning “the city at the center of the world,” with its art, history, music, shopping, sunshine, and food, and its buildings in styles ranging from antiquity to the Renaissance. While works created by architects competing with one another attract thousands of tourists to the city in every season, Rome carries even these crowds without overwhelming the visitor, with all its beauty and elegance. On our tour in Rome, the city that shaped European civilization and has witnessed 23 centuries of history, we will first see the Colosseum, the symbol of the city and the ancient theater that hosted gladiatorial battles during the Roman Empire, the Roman Forum, the ceremonial center of the city during imperial times, the Fountain of Love, where it is believed that anyone who throws a coin will return to Rome, the Spanish Steps, famous for street artists, and Piazza Pietra and Piazza Popolo panoramically. At the end of the Rome Icons Tour, we offer free time at the Pantheon. Then we continue by viewing Castel Sant’Angelo, the Castle of the Angels, and Navona Square, and visit Vatican / San Pietro, the center of the Catholic branch of Christianity and the world’s smallest country by area. In St. Peter’s Square, where thousands of Catholics come to worship every year and where, on special occasions, the Pope comes out from his residence to greet the public, we offer free time at San Pietro Square, home to St. Peter’s Basilica, the world’s largest cathedral with 140 statues of saints. After the free time, we begin our Rome Local Neighborhoods tour. In this tour, where we mingle with the people of Rome and feel like residents of the city, we will experience the authentic Italian atmosphere in Trastevere, Piazza Trilussa, Ponte Sisto, and the Ghetto district, with its cafés, small family restaurants, boutiques, greengrocers, butcher shops, and many other small and charming shops. The Ancient Tiber Island, connected to the city by two bridges, will also be seen panoramically. After our walk through the narrow winding back streets with small tables set out, we conclude the tour and return to our hotel in the Rome region.
ROME – (Amalfi Pearl Sorrento Tour) – ROME
After breakfast at the hotel, we offer a full day at leisure. During this free time, guests who wish may join the optional full-day Amalfi Pearl Sorrento Tour (95 Euro). Sorrento, whose history dates back to prehistoric times and which captivates visitors by combining Italian character and charm with a Mediterranean style, is famous for its small tourist boutiques, breathtaking beaches, stunning views, and Limoncello, the Italian lemon liqueur. After our city tour and sightseeing in Sorrento on the Amalfi coast, we offer free time for sea, sand, and sun at the area’s most beautiful beaches. After this enjoyable free time, we complete the tour and return to our hotel in the Rome region.
ROME – FLORENCE – (Ferrara Tour) – VENICE
After breakfast and check-out from the hotel, we depart for Florence. Upon arrival in Florence, we begin our city tour. In Florence, the capital of the Renaissance and the hometown of Pinocchio, we first see from the outside the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, which immediately stands out with its orange dome and is the fourth largest church in Europe. One of the cathedral’s most notable features is its bronze doors, known as the “Gate of Paradise,” on which some of the prophets’ stories mentioned in the Quran are depicted. We then see Giotto’s Bell Tower, once used to summon the public to parliament, Piazza della Signoria, which was the political and social center of Florence for centuries and also houses Michelangelo’s famous David statue, and the Old Bridge (Ponte Vecchio), famous for its antique and jewelry shops. At the end of the Florence city tour, we head to our hotel in the Venice region. Along the way, guests who wish may join the optional Ferrara Tour (40 Euro). In Ferrara, we will panoramically see areas and architectural structures characteristic of the Renaissance, as well as medieval traces, old brick houses, churches, monasteries, and the historic Este Castle, then continue our journey to Venice. Upon arrival at our hotel in the Venice region, check-in and free time to rest.
VENICE – (Venetian Masterpieces & Colorful Islands by Boat and Outlet Tour)
After breakfast, guests will have a full day at leisure, during which those who wish may join the optional Venetian Masterpieces & Colorful Islands by Boat and Outlet Tour (135 Euro – including Vaporetto transportation fees). We will first enjoy free time at an outlet center home to stylish stores of world-famous brands, cafés and restaurants, and personal activity areas for affordable and quality shopping. After the free time, we depart for our Venetian Colorful Islands program. On this tour, where we will have the opportunity to observe the Venice island from different angles while passing through the lagoons by sea, we will see Lido and Murano from the water and visit Burano Island, a fishing village famous for its lacework and known as one of the 10 most colorful places in the world. After the Colorful Islands program, we head to the canal area to carry out our Venetian Masterpieces program. In this part of our tour in Venice, we will see iconic structures such as St. Mark’s Square, built of stone and marble with its columns brought from Istanbul, St. Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace, designed and used as a symbol of power and grandeur, the Clock Tower, the Bridge of Sighs, and the historic Campanile Bell Tower, and then enjoy a pleasant walking tour through the streets of Venice connected by bridges and lined with narrow canals. After the Venetian Masterpieces tour, we complete our program and return to our hotel in the Venice region for free time to rest.
VENICE – (Ljubljana & Bled Lake Tour) – LJUBLJANA – ISTANBUL
After breakfast and check-out from the hotel, we depart for Ljubljana Airport for our return flight to Istanbul. Along the way, guests who wish may join the optional Ljubljana and Bled Lake Tour (65 Euro). We begin with a city tour of Ljubljana. As the capital and largest city of Slovenia, and due to its location at the meeting point of Alpine, Central European, and Mediterranean cultures, Ljubljana has great cultural and architectural richness. During our tour, we will see Vodnik Square, Ljubljana Castle, St. Nicholas Cathedral, Zmajski Most, the Old Square, the Historic Fountain, and the People’s Square. After a short free period at the end of the tour, we continue to Bled. We will enjoy a peaceful sightseeing tour of Bled, famous for the island in the middle of the emerald-green mountain lake bearing the same name, as well as its church on the island and the Bled Castle on the high hills. After completing the tour, we continue our journey to Ljubljana Airport. Upon arrival at the airport, we complete baggage drop, ticketing, and passport control procedures and fly to Istanbul at 20:15 on Turkish Airlines’ scheduled direct flight TK1064. Arrival at Istanbul Airport at 23:40 local time and end of the tour.