Glorious Quartet Benelux & Switzerland & France & Germany 7 Nights - with THY on 07 November (November Semester Special)

1st Day İstanbul – Basel – Strasbourg Meeting at Istanbul Airport international departures terminal, in front of the Turkish Airlines counter, 3 hours before the flight. After baggage, ticket, and passport procedures, departure to Basel at 08:50 on Turkish Airlines flight TK 1923. Upon arrival at 10:00 local time, our city tour of Basel begins with the vehicle waiting for us at the airport. Basel, Switzerland’s third most populous city after Zurich and Geneva, is a magnificent city that combines both modern and historical textures, and although small in area, it contains many treasures. During our city tour, the Basel Cathedral, where the grave of the famous Renaissance writer Erasmus of Rotterdam is located, the city’s main square Marktplatz, the Government Building, and Hotel Les Trois Rois will be among the places to see. After the tour, we proceed to Strasbourg, one of the most beautiful cities in France and the pearl of the Alsace region. While exploring Strasbourg, you will feel as if you are traveling through history in Europe’s largest cobblestoned medieval districts. With its fairytale-like nature and historical structures, wooden houses, medieval churches, cathedrals, and many works of art, it is a place well worth seeing. Strasbourg, also historically significant as the place where the French national anthem “La Marseillaise” was written, appears as a city where Alsace culture blends with French architecture. During our city tour, Strasbourg Cathedral, Rohan Palace, Kleber Square, and the Petit France district decorated with traditional Alsace houses will be among the places to see. After the tour, guests who wish may join the Splendid Alsace Fairytale Villages tour (Eguisheim & Colmar & Kaysersberg & Riquewihr). (110 Euro) In this tour, where we will want to take photos at every opportunity from beginning to end, our first stop will be Eguisheim. Eguisheim, which was awarded the title of “Favorite French Village” in 2013, is a village where history and nature dance together. The colorful houses reflecting the typical architecture of the Alsace region create Eguisheim’s postcard-like appearance. After the tour, we head to Colmar, famous for its medieval buildings, Gothic-style churches, and colorful houses. While walking through Colmar’s well-preserved streets, the completely pink-stone-built St. Martin Cathedral, Little Venice reminiscent of Venice in Italy with its small canals, Maison Pfister, one of Colmar’s oldest houses, and Maison des Tetes, a Renaissance building adorned with faces, will be among the places to see. Our third stop on the tour is Kaysersberg. Kaysersberg is a charming part of the Alsace region as a medieval town in France. It is famous for its colorful houses, narrow streets, and historical atmosphere. In particular, the Château de Kaysersberg castle, dating back to the 13th century, is one of the town’s most distinctive landmarks. Sainte-Croix Church in the town center attracts attention with its Gothic architecture. After the tour, we move to Riquewihr, one of the most enchanting towns in Alsace, with many half-timbered houses that give the town its charm. This historic village fascinates visitors with its old houses decorated with colorful flowers, narrow streets, and medieval atmosphere surrounded by walls. In our tour, we will also see the ruins of Riquewihr Castle and feel the medieval atmosphere while walking along the old city walls. After the tour, transfer to our hotel in Strasbourg. Overnight in Strasbourg or a hotel in the surrounding area. 2nd Day Strasbourg – Luxembourg After breakfast at the hotel, we set off for Luxembourg. Upon arrival, our Luxembourg city tour begins. Notre Dame Cathedral, the Ducal Palace, City Hall, and Constitution Square are among the places to see. After the tour, guests who wish may join the extra Splendid History and Mosaics tour (Trier & Remich & Schengen). (65 Euro) Our first stop on the tour is Trier, founded by the Romans in 15 BC and known as the oldest city in Germany. Located in the Moselle Wine Region among low red sandstone hills covered with vineyards along the Moselle River, Trier’s city tour includes Porta Nigra, the largest surviving Roman city gate north of the Alps, Roman ruins listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, St. Peter’s Cathedral and the Church of Our Lady, the Basilica of Constantine, and the house where revolutionary thinker Karl Marx, the father of scientific socialism, was born. After Trier, we head to Remich, the spot where you can shop at the lowest prices during our tour, a tax-free town. Due to Luxembourg’s low tax policies and border location, you can buy products such as chocolate, coffee, and alcoholic beverages very cheaply here. Finally, we visit Schengen, the point where the borders of Germany, France, and Luxembourg meet, where the free movement agreement eliminating passport controls between European Union member states was signed. In this village, one of Europe’s important wine regions, you will have the chance to taste local wines and see the monument and building where the Schengen Agreement was signed. After the tour, transfer to our hotel. Overnight in Luxembourg or a hotel in the surrounding area. 3rd Day Luxembourg – Paris After breakfast at the hotel, we depart for Paris, one of the most romantic cities in the world. Upon arrival in Paris, the places we will see include the Arc de Triomphe and Charles de Gaulle, Champs-Élysées, Louvre Museum and Pyramid, Place de l’Étoile, Grand Palais and Petit Palais exhibition palaces, Place de la Concorde and the Obelisk, the French Parliament Building, Pont Alexandre III, the Seine River, Napoleon’s Tomb, and the Eiffel Tower. After the tour, transfer to our hotel and free time. Overnight in Paris or a hotel in the surrounding area. 4th Day Paris After breakfast at the hotel, guests who wish may join the extra Splendid Paris Masterpieces & Seine River Cruise tour (Eiffel Tower & Seine River Cruise & Montmartre Painters’ Hill & Sacré-Cœur Basilica & Notre Dame Cathedral). (110 Euro) Our first stop is the Eiffel Tower, the city’s iconic landmark visited by millions of tourists every year. By going up to the 2nd floor of the Eiffel Tower, you will have the chance to see Paris from above. Then we take a boat tour on the Seine River, which divides Paris in two. After seeing the historic structures on both banks of the river, we take the funicular up to Montmartre Hill, the highest hill in Paris. On this hill, where important artists such as Pablo Picasso, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Dalida, Vincent van Gogh, and Jean Marais left their traces, Sacré-Cœur Basilica will be the first place to see. After viewing this structure up close, we take a break at Place du Tertre, where you can shop and have your portrait drawn, then visit Notre Dame Cathedral, considered both a symbol of French history and an indispensable part of the Paris skyline. Notre Dame Cathedral was built by order of King Louis VII, who reigned between 1137 and 1180, to demonstrate Paris’s political, economic, and cultural power to the world. After seeing this magnificent structure, we take a short photo break. Then transfer to our hotel. In the evening, guests who wish may join the extra Paris Under the Lights tour. (35 Euro) Paris is beautiful both by day and by night. On this tour, you will have the opportunity to see Champs-Élysées, Place de la Concorde, Louvre Museum, and many more boulevards, buildings, and squares illuminated at night. After the tour, transfer to our hotel. Overnight in Paris or a hotel in the surrounding area. 5th Day Paris – Brussels We depart for Brussels. One of the most remarkable stops of the Benelux tours, Brussels stands out with its versatility. Thanks to its cosmopolitan structure, the city offers travelers many different opportunities, and we will visit several valuable landmarks. Upon arrival, the places we will see include the Royal Palace, Chinese and Japanese Houses, Brussels Cathedral, the city square, the Stock Exchange Building, Atomium Monument, and Manneken Pis Statue. After the tour, transfer to our hotel and free time. Overnight in Brussels or a hotel in the surrounding area. 6th Day Brussels – Bruges – Ghent – Amsterdam After breakfast at the hotel, we depart for Amsterdam. On the way, guests who wish may join the extra Splendid Cities Bruges & Ghent tour. (90 Euro) Our first stop is the magnificent city of Bruges. Today, Bruges is one of the most visited cities in Europe and was placed under UNESCO protection in 1991. With its medieval architecture, canals, narrow streets, bridges, historical structures, and squares, it has become one of Europe’s gems. After exploring this beautiful city, we head to Ghent, another city where time seems to stand still. With a history of 1,400 years, Ghent was founded where the Scheldt and Lys rivers meet, and was one of the largest and richest cities of the Middle Ages. Famous for its medieval monuments and university, after our tour here we continue to Amsterdam. In Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, which borders Germany to the east and Belgium to the south, our city tour includes Dam Square, Central Station, the National Monument, the Royal Palace, the Flower Market, and the Red Light District. After the tour, transfer to our hotel. Overnight in Amsterdam or a hotel in the surrounding area. 7th Day Amsterdam – Zaanse Schans – Marken – Volendam – Giethoorn – Amsterdam After breakfast at the hotel, guests who wish may join the extra Fairytale Villages and Canals tour (Zaanse Schans & Marken & Volendam & Giethoorn Hobbit Village). (110 Euro) Our tour starts with Zaanse Schans. Zaanse Schans, one of the hidden paradises of the Netherlands, is famous for its historic windmills that date back to the 17th century and still operate today, as well as its untouched nature. With its historic windmills and wooden houses, you will feel as though you are walking through an open-air museum in the beautiful town of Zaanse Schans, which has no equal anywhere in the world. Our second stop is Marken. After visiting this wonderful island, which was once an island but later connected to the mainland by land reclamation, we move on to Volendam. Volendam is a place that immediately captivates visitors with its harbor, typical Dutch houses, and people in traditional clothing. Here, you can enjoy delicious seafood and cheese, and buy inexpensive souvenirs. Our last stop is Giethoorn Hobbit Village. Considered one of the most beautiful places in the world, Giethoorn is one of the most fairytale-like places in Europe. Its popularity came from the 1958 film “Fanfare,” which was shot here, and since then its fame has only grown; it now welcomes more than 800,000 tourists a year. After the tour, transfer to our hotel. Overnight in Amsterdam or a hotel in the surrounding area. 8th Day Amsterdam – Cologne – Düsseldorf – Istanbul After breakfast at the hotel, we depart for Cologne. Upon arrival, our city tour begins. Cologne is one of Germany’s most important centers of transportation, culture, science, art, and trade. During our city tour here, the Gothic Cathedral, the Rhine River, and shopping streets will be among the places to see. After the tour, we continue to Düsseldorf, one of Germany’s most important cities for culture, art, and industry. On our city tour there, the revolving restaurant Rheinturm, Schloss Benrath, where some of Germany’s most important thinkers were educated, the shopping street Königsallee, and the green areas of Hofgarten will be among the places to see. Then we proceed to the airport. After baggage, ticket, and passport procedures, departure to Istanbul at 18:35 on Turkish Airlines flight TK1528. Arrival at 23:55 local time and the end of our tour.