BİG ITALY & GREECE & BALKAN TOUR
7 Nights – 9 Days
Sofia – Belgrade – Ljubljana – Verona – Milan – Venice – Florence – Pisa
Siena – Rome – Pompeii – Igoumenitsa – Thessaloniki
Tour Departure Dates:
January 23 / March 14 / April 17 / April 24 / May 15 / May 22 / May 23 / June 5 / June 12 / June 19 / June 26 / June 27 / July 3 / July 4 / July 10 / July 11 / July 17 / July 18 / July 24 / July 25 / July 31 / August 1 / August 7 / August 8 / August 14 / August 15 / August 21 / August 22 / August 28 / August 29 / September 4 / September 18 / September 25 / October 9 / October 16 / October 23 / November 6 / November 7
Special Days:
January Semester: January 23
April Semester and Ramadan Feast: March 14
April 23 National Sovereignty and Children's Day: April 17
May 19 Atatürk Commemoration Youth and Sports Day: May 15
Kurban Bayramı: May 22 / May 23
July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day: July 10 / July 11
Republic Day: October 23
November Semester: November 6 / November 7
Day 1/2 – Istanbul – Sofia – Belgrade
On the first day of our trip, we will depart at 22:00 from Kadıköy Marriage Bureau, at 22:30 from Mecidiyeköy Oto Ekspertiz front, and at 23:00 from Incirli Ömür plaza front, arriving at Kapıkule via Edirne. After customs and passport procedures, we will enter Bulgaria. After that, we will arrive in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. Following our arrival, a panoramic city tour of Sofia will be held. The places to be visited during our trip include St. Nedelya Church, Rotunda Church, Russian Church, Hagia Sophia Church, Aleksander Nevsky Cathedral, the Prime Ministry, Parliament, Sofia University, and the Banya Bashi Mosque. After our Sofia tour, we will head towards Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. After our arrival, we will transfer to our hotel. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 3: Belgrade- Venice
After breakfast and vacating the rooms, we will head towards Venice. Guests wishing to do so may visit Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, which was awarded the 2016 European Green Capital (Extra €45) organized by your guide, during our journey. During our panoramic city tour, we will see the Ljubljana River, the Parliament building, Ljubljana University, the Old Square, the Dragon Statue, Dragon Bridge, Tivoli Park, St. Nicholas Cathedral, and Prešeren Square. After leaving the city, we will arrive in Venice. Transfer to our hotel. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 4: Venice- (Milan & Verona)
Following breakfast, there will be free time. Guests wishing to do so will participate in the full-day Extra ( €95) Milan & Verona tour organized by your guide. During our trip, we will first arrive in Verona, known for its marble and as the home of the famous love story of Romeo and Juliet. We will have the chance to see the old town, the Historical Arena where concerts still occur, the Casa di Giulietta, the Dante and Erbe Squares. After leaving Verona, we will head towards the fashion capital Milan city center. During our Milan city tour, we will walk along the chic streets to arrive at the famous Duomo Square. In the square, we see the Duomo Cathedral, one of Italy's most important and architecturally magnificent works. We will complete our time in Milan with shopping at the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele Market and the famous Buenos Aires Boulevard. Transfer back to Venice and arrival. Accommodation in our hotel.
Day 5: Venice - Florence
After breakfast, we move to the center of Venice. Upon arrival, we will walk towards San Marco Square to get acquainted with Venice. If guests wish, they can reach the historical San Marco Square with special water taxis ( €15). The places to be visited include the Square and St. Mark's Cathedral, the Doge's Palace, the Grand Canal, and the Rialto Bridge, accompanied by our guide. Guests wishing to do so may also participate in the extra Gondola ride (Extra €45) organized by your guide. By participating in the gondola tour, we get a chance to explore the romantic and historic canals in more detail from the water. After our visit to Venice, we will head towards Florence. Guests who wish can participate in the Pisa tour. We will see the places we remember Etruscans for, such as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Campo dei Miracoli (Duomo Square), and the Baptistery shaped like a cylinder in Pisa. ( €55) Transfer to our hotel. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 6: Florence – Rome
After breakfast and vacating the rooms, we will conduct a city tour of Florence upon arrival. During this tour, we will see the Arno River, Ponte Vecchio Bridge, Uffizi Art Gallery, Baptistery of San Giovanni, Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, and Palazzo Vecchio panoramically. After the tour, there will be free time for our guests to get to know the city better and do some shopping. After the tour, we will head towards Rome. Guests who wish can join the extra tour of Siena, a significant historical city in the Tuscany region. While exploring the medieval streets left behind by the Etruscans, we will have a time journey from present to past; we will see the Siena Square and Gothic Roman architectural examples ( €65). Transition to our hotel, room distribution, and overnight in the hotel.
Day 7: Rome
After breakfast, we will conduct a city introduction tour of Rome. The places to see include; Vatican, accepted as the center of Christianity, St. Peter's Cathedral, and Venice Square designed by the famous architect Bernini. Afterward, we will see the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Trajan Forum, Circus Maximus racetrack, the square where Mussolini addressed the people, Vittoriano Monument of Victory, the Trevi Fountain {Fontana di Trevi}, and the Spanish Steps {Piazza di Spagna}. Free time in the city. Overnight at your hotel. After a short rest, our guests who wish can participate in the extra Night Tour of Rome (by night) organized by your guide (Extra €45). During this trip, we will have the opportunity to capture the view of Rome under lights from the Lovers’ Hill, and afterward, we will see Navona Square, Pantheon, Colosseum, Via Del Corso, Piazza Del Popolo under evening lights. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 8: Rome – Brindisi (Bari)
After breakfast, we will depart for the port city of Bari or Brindisi in Italy. Our guide will provide the opportunity to visit the ancient city of Pompeii at a discounted price (Extra €80). In this tour, we will visit Pompeii, one of the few ancient cities that best reflects its ancient state, located at the foot of Mount Vesuvius and preserved due to volcanic eruption. We will see the shops that have remained in ruins due to the eruption, the houses where the villagers lived, the amphitheater, and the town square. After the tour, we will proceed to the port. After completing customs procedures, we'll proceed to the reserved locations for our group and depart at 23:30. Our night will be spent on a ferry journey.
Day 9: Igoumenitsa – Thessaloniki – Istanbul
In the morning, we will arrive at the Igoumenitsa port and proceed to Thessaloniki. Afterward, we will have a city tour of Thessaloniki. During our city tour, we will see the waterfront, White Tower, Rotunda, Exhibition Square, Ottoman and Byzantine artifacts, and the largest Cathedral in Greece, St. Dimitrios Cathedral, as well as the Statue of Alexander the Great. Finally, we will visit the house of our Great Leader Atatürk. After a short rest, we will take a stroll along the waterfront known for Thessaloniki's cafes and taste the famous Greek coffee Frappe at the cafes. After the city tour, there will be free time. Meeting at the time indicated by our guide and arrival at İpsala via İskece, Gümülcine, Dedeağaç. After customs procedures, we'll arrive in Istanbul through Tekirdağ. Our trip ends. Hoping to see you in another tour organization. (Estimated arrival time will be 02:30 on the next day, depending on customs crossings.)