Enthralling Greece with Turkey

Greetings from Kundu World Travels your one stop travel guide.

Your presence at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport 3 hours prior to the departure is mandatory. Our experienced Tour Manager will meet you there. Board the flight from Kolkata to Athens.

WELCOME TO ATHENS. Upon arrival, complete all the immigration formalities before leaving the airport. Transfer to the hotel for check-in followed by dinner in a restaurant and an overnight stay in Athens.

From Acropolis to Plaka, with half-day Athens sightseeing and Acropolis Museum tour, see all the famous sites of ancient and modern Athens on this comprehensive morning tour. Offering a perfect overview of the city, this guided half-day tour will start with a photo stop at Panathenaic Stadium where the first modern Olympic Games took place in 1896. It is the only stadium in the world that is built out of white marble. We then proceed for a guided tour of ACROPOLIS Museum. The main attractions include votives, artifacts of everyday life, statues from archaic period, Caryatids, and of course the Parthenon Hall with the metopes, the pediments and the frieze that will amaze you. In the evening we will take you to Plaka area. In the shadow of the Acropolis and its ancient temples, hillside Plaka has a village feel, with narrow cobblestone streets lined with tiny shops selling jewellery, clothes and local ceramics. Sidewalk cafes stay open until late. You can have the opportunity for shopping in this area.

Later, have dinner & return back to hotel for overnight stay at Athens.

After breakfast, check-out from the hotel and board the ferry to Mykonos. Reach Mykonos in the afternoon. Mykonos is a top Greek destination where all the fun happens. Famous for its minimal Cycladic architecture, Mykonos is full of traditional whitewashed houses and blue domed churches. The trademark of the island is the beautiful traditional windmills in front of Little Venice, where you can enjoy the magical sunset which is a sight of pure bliss. Located in the centre of the Cyclades island group, Mykonos is one of the most famous Greek islands known for its cosmopolitan atmosphere and vivid nightlife.

Have dinner and stay overnight at Mykonos.

Today we will have our breakfast packed as we will have to check out early to board a ferry to Santorini. We will reach Santorini in the afternoon. Santorini is a land of thousand sunsets, colors of blue red & gold streaking the sky. This is the unsurpassed magic of Santorini. This tiny Greek island in the Aegean Sea, rich in history & steeped in myth, is situated on the southern-east tip of the Cyclades Cluster.

Upon arrival at Santorini, proceed for a cruise at the caldera and its hot springs. During this tour, you will have the unique chance to visit the active volcano of Santorini and see the steam of sulphuric gases emerging from the earth bowels.
Check-in to the hotel after dinner at restaurant & stay overnight in Santorini.

After breakfast, proceed for a full day city tour of Santorini. Visit Monastery of Prophet Elias, built on the highest peak of Santorini, at 565 meters above the sea. Next, visit the Perivolos & Persia beach. Next, visit a village called Pyrgos. It is a village on the Aegean Island of Santorini. Lastly, visit Oia, a coastal town on the north-western tip of Santorini, a Greek Aegean Island. The town has whitewashed houses carved into the rugged cliff tops and overlooks a vast caldera filled with water. From there, see the sunset. It is said that Oia’s sunsets are among the most sought-after phenomena in the world.

Later, have dinner in a restaurant and return back to the hotel for an overnight stay in Santorini.

Today after breakfast we will proceed towards the Santorini Airport. Our lunch will be packed. After reaching Athens, board the connecting flight to Izmir. Reach Izmir. After completing immigration formalities, check-in to the hotel followed by dinner & stay overnight in Izmir.

We will check out from the hotel after breakfast & proceed to visit the House of the Virgin Mary. The House of the Virgin Mary is a Catholic shrine located on Mt. Koressos in the vicinity of Ephesus.

The house was discovered in the 19th century. Catholic pilgrims visit the house based on the belief that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was taken to this stone house by Saint John and lived there for the remainder of her earthly life.

Then we will proceed towards Pamukkale. Pamukkale is a traveler’s delight and a site of geological phenomenon. It is a town in western Turkey best known for its mineral-rich thermal waters that flow down the bright white terraces of a steep valley side. The collection of bright blue pools of water amongst a pristine, all-white landscape is surely a pleasure to the eyes. Also known as ‘’Cotton Cliffs’’, the deposition of bright calcium carbonate comprising natural basins results in the formation of an unreal landscape.

Upon arrival, stroll through the ruins of the ancient Roman City Hierapolis. Hot mineral waters burst from the earth and cascade over cliffs forming pools and stalactites.

Next, check-in to the hotel, have dinner and spend a memorable night at Pamukkale.

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Konya. Konya is a city south of Ankara in Turkey’s Central Anatolia region. It is a pilgrimage destination for Sufis, focused on the tomb of the founder of the Mevlana order, Jelaleddin Rumi, in the Mevlana Museum.

First, we will visit Ephesus, the Roman capital of Asia Minor. Visit the ruins of the Deon, Hercules Gate, the temple of Hadrian, the magnificent library, Agora and the fantastic Greco-Roman theatre.

Later, visit the Mausoleum of Mevlana, the worldwide famous mystic in Konya.

In the evening, enjoy a Traditional Sufi dance show at Konya and slide into a meditative mode connecting with the divine.

Check-in to the hotel, and have dinner followed by overnight stay at Konya.

Today after breakfast, we will check out from the hotel & proceed towards Cappadocia. En-route visit Pasabag Valley or the valley of Monks. Pasabag Valley contains some of the most striking fairy chimneys in Cappadocia with twin and even triple rock caps.

Later, proceed towards Cappadocia and enjoy a visit to Pigeon Valley.

Visit the Goreme Open-Air Museum, which is full of pink, rose and white tapering columns. These tall free-standing cones of stone curve and twist as if pulled from earth like taffy. The caves were settled in the 4th century as monasteries. Visit some caves on the cliffs to see Byzantine frescoes decorating early Christian churches.

After lunch, visit underground city where at least 3000 people used to live to save themselves from enemies.

Later, check in to the designated hotel and have dinner at the hotel or local restaurant. Enjoy your overnight stay in Cappadocia.

After breakfast, checkout from the hotel & proceed to Kayseri Airport. Board the flight to Istanbul.

Istanbul, located in northwest Turkey, is the largest city and principal seaport of Turkey, constituting the economic, cultural and historical center. It was formerly known as Constantinople or ancient Byzantium the old walled city of Istanbul stands on a triangular peninsula between Europe and Asia. It is a major city in Turkey that straddles Europe and Asia across the Bosphorus Strait.

Upon arrival, hop on to the coach and proceed for Bosphorus Cruise.

Later, have dinner at a restaurant and check-in to the hotel for an overnight stay in Istanbul.

After breakfast, proceed for whole day city tour of Istanbul covering Blue Mosque & Hippodrome.

Next, visit Topkapi Palace, which developed and grew over the centuries and had a design that played an important role in Ottoman governmental philosophy and in the relations between the palace and its subjects. Topkapi Palace is built atop the Byzantine Acropolis on Sarayburnu, at the tip of the Istanbul peninsula.

After lunch, visit St. Sophia Museum. It was used as a church for 916 years but following the conquest of Istanbul by Fatih Sultan Mehmed, the Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque. Afterward, it was used as a mosque for 482 years. Under the order of Atatürk and the decision of the Council of Ministers, Hagia Sophia was converted into a museum in 1935. It is one of the most visited museums and most prominent monuments in the world in terms of art and the history of architecture. It has also been called “the eighth wonder of the world” by East Roman Philon as far back as the 6th century.

Later, have dinner at the restaurant and stay overnight in Istanbul.

Today after breakfast, check-out from the hotel at Istanbul and proceed towards Istanbul airport to reach Kolkata.

Arrive at Kolkata and complete all the immigration formalities.

Bid goodbye to all the friends you have met during the tour. We will look forward to your next trip with us.