A Taste of Turkey - Istanbul to Cappadocia

Our trip begins in Istanbul. As Constantinople, the city was the capital of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman Empires, so today it is steeped in history and fascinating architecture. Geographically, the city straddles Europe and Asia and because of this, it was an important stop on the old Silk Road and a melting pot of different cultures which is demonstrated in its gastronomy. Turkish food is a hearty mix of Middle Eastern, Asian, Mediterranean and Balkan style dishes that range from barbecued meat kebabs to vine leaf wrapped vegetable and rice parcels.

For those arriving on time our tour leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 7pm for the welcome meeting and, for those that wish, there is the chance to join an optional orientation walk to the impressive Galata bridge over the Golden Horn. There's an array of street food stalls that the locals head to after work and the restaurants under the bridge serve a variety of dishes including 'Balik Ekmek' (freshly caught fish grilled and served in freshly baked bread).

There are no other activities planned today, so you are free to arrive in Istanbul at any time. If you miss the briefing, your tour leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up.

If you'd like an airport transfer, you'll need to arrive at Istanbul Airport (IST) (a 90-minute drive from the centre) or Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (SAW) (a two-hour drive from the centre). If you are arriving into Istanbul Airport (IST) and have an arrival transfer confirmed with us - once you have collected your luggage, please proceed towards the airport exit. Your transfer driver will be waiting for you outside exit gate 13 next to the H&B sign or outside exit gate number 9 next to the NP sign if you land into Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (SAW).

Our hotel for the next four nights has a prime location within easy walking distance of the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar.

This morning we'll get our first chance to try a traditional Turkish breakfast, one of the most important meals in Turkish culture. Breakfasts are big and leisurely, including; fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, different kinds of cheese, eggs, jams, honey, and a clotted cream known as kaymak, along with tea and fruit juice. The hotel in Istanbul also offers western options as well.

We strike out into the more modern areas of Istanbul today. Taking the tram across the Golden Horn, we switch to the 'tunel', one of the world's oldest underground trains, up to the Galata area. We'll stroll through the fashionable Istiklal Caddesi district and visit the famous Inci Pastanesi, an iconic bakery and café, once the basement of the French Consulate in Istanbul particularly well known for its profiteroles, to try the sweetest tastes of Turkey. Our tasting trail continues as we arrive in Taksim Square. No food tour in Istanbul is complete without trying the legendary Islak burger. This beloved street snack features a juicy, spiced beef patty tucked inside a soft bun that's drenched in a garlicky, tomato-based sauce. The burgers are then steamed, creating their signature 'wet' texture - soft, savoury, and bursting with flavour. It's the ultimate comfort food and a must-try experience for anyone exploring Istanbul.

After lunch, we take the funicular railway down to the shore at Kabatas. The afternoon has been left free to explore this district under your own steam. You may wish to visit Dolmabahce Palace, the largest palatial residence in Turkey with 285 rooms on the banks of the Bosphorus, one of the last homes of the Ottoman Sultans, or visit Karakoy, which was once a down at heel working neighbourhood and red light district, now transformed and full of fashionable cafes and a great place to try 'su boregi' - a multi layered cheese pastry. We return to our hotel by tram.

This evening, you might choose to enjoy Istanbul's nightlife, with its large selection of restaurants, bars and entertainment. There will be the opportunity to book your own dining experience in Istanbul for tonight if you wish, be sure to book well in advance of travel. Our tour leader will be able to offer you advice based on your preferences.

Heading out on foot, we walk to the Sultanahmet district, passing through historic Istanbul's lively and colourful streets to reach the hub of Sultanahmet Square. Also known as the Hippodrome of Constantinople the square was used for chariot racing in the Roman era; nowadays it's more sedate with a number of landmarks including the Serpentine Column, Obelisk of Theodosius and the Walled Obelisk. We have a guided tour of the square, ending up at its most famous building the impressive Sultanahmet Blue Mosque, one of the most widely recognized sites in Istanbul, which still dominates the skyline to this day.

Colourful and varied, Istanbul is a street food lover's paradise. It's diverse, delicious and sold everywhere from small carts, to street corners, shop fronts & restaurants. We'll continue on foot along the Divan Road to Selim Usta, the historical home of Sultanamhet Kofte.

After lunch, we'll continue our tour to the Grand Bazaar to try Turkish coffee in the 'Bedesten' which is the refectory area where the traders still meet for a rest and a chat. We'll continue along the great maze of shops down to the Mosque of Rustem Pasa, a fine example of the famous architecture of Mimar Sinan after which we head to the spice market, an expansive covered market filled with delicious treats and exotic smells. We'll snack on a pick 'n mix of baklava and lokum (Turkish delight) - the local's favourite is plain jelly combined with pistachios.

The rest of the afternoon is left free to continue your exploration of the city independently. You may choose to visit the impressive 6th-century Sunken Palace cisterns or there is the chance to take a boat trip on the Bosphorus, offering stunning views of the Istanbul skyline. To appreciate the wonderful skyline of domes and minarets further, you may opt to climb the Galata Tower. Your tour leader can give advice on the options available.

Our final full day in the great city of Istanbul, we'll take the tram along the Golden Horn, visiting the Iron Church of the Bulgarian Orthodox community, before continuing to the cable car that take us up to Pierre Loti, with panoramic views. After taking in the sights there is the option to try the famous tea, locally grown on the eastern Black Sea. Alternatively you might want to try a glass of 'sahlep', a thick sweet drink, made with the tubers of Anatolian orchids. This is also a good spot to try Maras Dondurmasi, a Turkish ice cream with a thick elastic texture, flavoured with sahlep.

Heading back to the Suleymaniye Mosque, the great monument to Suleiman the Magnificent, we'll have Kuru Fasulye for lunch; a bean stew traditionally cooked in the kitchens of the mosque complex for visitors to the mosque. We'll also have the chance to taste 'Kokorec,' a heady mix of grilled sheep intestine and spices.

This afternoon will be free to pursue your own interests or join a cookery course. Our tour leader will advise us of dinner options and details of the cookery classes available.

Today we travel inland to Konya. We'll take the metro under the Bosphorus to Sogutlucesme station to board a high-speed train, whisking us to central Turkey at speeds of up to 300km/h in comfort.

On arrival in Konya we'll drop our bags at the hotel before visiting a branch of the 'Kommagene' chain for 'cig kofte' wraps. This street food from the south-east of Turkey is a spicy mix of bulgar wheat and 'salca' a puree of peppers and tomatoes, spread onto a flat bread and stuffed with salads and pickles, washed down with 'ayran' the endemic soft ink of Turkey, a fresh salty yoghurt shake.

We'll visit the Mevlana Museum to learn of the Sufi Order of Dervishes who made Konya the spiritual heart of Turkey with their mystic form of Islam. This evening we hope to try the famous Konya 'etli ekmek'; an extremely long flatbread pizza covered with spicy meat, crisply cooked and served with salad, with versions also available for vegetarians.

We'll travel across the plain of Konya today, the great prairies that are the breadbasket of Turkey, first visiting Catalhoyuk, recognised as the world's first true settlement, when mankind, while still a hunter-gatherer, started to live in a permanent location in mud huts accessed through the roof. We'll then continue on to Sultanhani, one of the largest 'caravanserai' inns of the Silk Road supporting the flow of commerce between the East and the West, built during Ottoman times. We'll have the Turkish classic lunch of lentil soup and doner kebab.

Continuing across the plain to Ihlara Valley, the first of the Cappadocian valleys, we'll have a short walk and visit some of the painted rock churches. We continue to Goreme in the heart of Cappadocia. You may also like to try the excellent wine of the area. Cappadocia has an ancient wine growing tradition, the vines are fertilised by the guano of the doves that are kept in the dovecots cut into the soft rock of the area.

We'll spend our final three nights in a modern, centrally-located property in Goreme. Our hotel has indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a sauna, terrace bar, restaurant and beautiful mountain views - if you're up early enough in the morning, you'll be able to see hot air balloons filling the sky.

If you're considering a ballooning optional excursion, we advise you book this yourself for today in case of cancellation, so you have the chance to rebook for tomorrow. Please see optional excursions for more details.

Today we'll have a full day to explore Cappadocia. We start by visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Goreme Open Air Museum, located a short distance from our hotel. We'll take our time to explore its many rock-carved churches and monastic buildings, some of which feature a stunning collection of wall paintings. We make our way back, stopping at Uchisar castle, a citadel perched on a rock, giving expansive panoramic views over Cappadocia and the surrounding valleys.

On the menu for lunch is Turkish pide - Turkey's version of pizza - a savoury oval-shaped baked bread with various combinations of toppings or stuffings. The most common toppings are cheese and egg or ground meat and red pepper. Or you would be recommended to try Sucuklu pide, embellished with a garlicy spicy sausage produced in the nearby city of Kayseri.

There'll be the option of taking a walk through one of the iconic valleys of Cappadocia such as the Love or Red Valleys, giving us an astounding view of the local landscapes. According to interests, the temperature and tour leader suggestions, the walk will vary - lasting approximately two to three -hours and covering 4-5 kilometres/3-4 miles. Formed by volcanic eruptions that covered the valleys with mud, ash, and blocks of hard rock, over the ages this volcanic 'tufa' has been sculpted by erosion into strange shapes. Byzantine hermits settled in this area and carved churches, houses and fortresses into these cone formations known as fairy-tale chimneys as well as complete underground cities.

We have left this evening's dinner free for those who would like some free time. For those who want to join the tour leader for dinner, we suggest you try “Kayseri yaglamasi” - a unique and delicious Turkish dish originating from the city of Kayseri in central Anatolia. It's often described as a "Turkish taco cake" because of its distinctive structure made of several thin layers of flatbread (like a very thin, savory crepe or pancake) stacked on top of each other.

This morning we'll visit Kaymakli Underground City. Built by Christians escaping Arab oppression and once home to 3,500 people, this troglodyte cave-city is one of the largest of 34 similar excavations in Cappadocia. Built under the Citadel of Kaymakli, it contains nearly 100 tunnels on eight subterranean floors. We will explore the four that are open to the public, containing stables, a church and storage places. This is followed by a gentle walk in the famous Soganli valley, visiting some rock churches along the way.

The afternoon we make a visit to a vineyard. Cappadocia is considered to be one of the regions where the making of wine originated, nearly 7000 years ago. The mineral-rich volcanic soil and temperate climate makes the perfect growing conditions for grapes and fruits. We'll have a cellar tour and sample the different varieties - red, blush and white wines, as well as dessert wines, are produced here. Grape growing and harvesting is still carried out with ancient techniques in the many small vineyards and orchards that dot the landscape.

Tonight's dinner is a real taste of Cappadocia, the speciality dish of 'pottery kebab' - meat and veg cooked slowly in special clay pots sealed with dough. The high temperature and pressure inside the sealed pots increase the flavour and tenderness of this dish. When ready, the blazing hot pot is cracked in front of us, releasing the aromas and adding a bit of spectacle to the evening!

The trip ends after breakfast at our hotel in Goreme.

There are no activities planned today, so you're free to depart from Goreme at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you'd like an airport transfer today, you'll need to depart from Kayseri Airport (ASR), which is about a one-hour drive from the hotel.