11 Night Turkish Gastronomy and Cooking Vacation
Tour Information
ITINERARY
Tour guide
All of the tours include professional and knowledgeable tour guides. The guides have all the information that may be requested by you whether historically, culturally, or locally with very good English spoken. Although regular tours will have an English-speaking guide, for private tour options, you will have multi-lingual professional tour guides available as you may need.
HIGHLIGHTS
- 1 ceramics lesson
- 4 cooking classes and 1 wine tasting
- A chat with gourmet experts in Turkish cuisine
- Guided Istanbul, Safranbolu, Cappadocia, Egirdir, and Pamukkale tours
- 11 breakfasts, 1 welcome dinner, and 9 dinners will be served
- There will be professional English-speaking tour guides
- 11 nights’ accommodation
Day 1: İstanbul Tour- Arrival Day -Welcome Dinner
Welcome to Turkey, and congratulations on your arrival in Istanbul. Arrive at the airport and check into your accommodation. You will be greeted with a welcome drink and the opportunity to speak with culinary masters in Turkish cuisine. Tonight, you’ll have a welcome meal, meet the cheerful staff and other tourists, and taste traditional Turkish cuisine while taking in the mystical aura of Istanbul at night. In Istanbul, spend the night.
Day 2: İstanbul City Tour- Turkish Cooking Lesson İn İstanbul
Following a morning introduction and sightseeing trip of Istanbul, you will have your first Turkish cookery lesson. During this Istanbul culinary tour, you will sample distinct Turkish tastes from various places while creating a meal that you will appreciate!
Professional daily culinary tours expose you to the greatest professional cooking lessons Turkey has to offer (typical cooking menu, vegetarian menus available upon request); following the cooking class, relax with the meals you prepared.
After lunch, visit Topkapi Palace, the great Ottoman sultan’s palace from the 15th to the 19th centuries, which houses an exquisite collection of crystal, silver, and Chinese porcelain, robes worn by the sultans and their families, the famous jewels of the Imperial Treasury, miniatures, the Holy Mantle, and enshrining relics of the Prophet Mohammed.
You will also visit Sultanahmet Imperial Mosque, which is located across from St. Sophia and was erected in the 16th century by architect Mehmet. It is known as the Blue Mosque because to its exquisite interior design of blue Iznik tiles. Hippodrome, old Hippodrome, site of chariot racing, featuring three monuments: Theodosius’ Obelisk, the bronze Serpentine Column, and the Column of Constantine. In Istanbul, spend the night.
Day 3: İstanbul – Safranbolu Tour – Cooking Lesson
Depart for Safranbolu at 8:30 a.m., which was an important caravan post on the major East-West trade route from the 13th century until the early twentieth century. In 1322, the Old Mosque, the Old Bath House, and the Suleyman Pasha Medrese were erected. Safranbolu’s architecture affected urban development throughout most of the Ottoman Empire at its height in the 17th century.
When you arrive, stroll through the old Safranbolu Bazaar before continuing on to Cinci Hodja Caravanserai, Cici Hodja Bath House, and Kaymakamlar House (Museum). Prepare some classic Turkish dishes for your meal with traditional Turkish women. In Safranbolu, we had dinner and stayed the night.
Day 4: Safranbolu – Cappadocia
After breakfast, take a four-hour journey to Cappadocia and settle into your accommodation. Tonight, participate in an optional activity, the famous traditional Turkish night, where you will experience Whirling Dervishes, Belly Dancing, and Traditional Turkish Folklore, as well as traditional Turkish cuisine and drink. This evening is highly recommended because it is one of the few spots in Turkey where you may see the Whirling Dervishes. In Cappadocia, stay in a cave hotel for supper and the night.
Day 5: Cooking Lesson And Cappadocia Tour
Following breakfast, participants will participate in another culinary instruction in Cappadocia. You will be able to sample the amazing gastronomy of Central Turkey, such as classic pancakes and tasty kebabs. Visit the Goreme Open Air Museum in the afternoon, which is known as the “Heart of Cappadocia.” The Goreme Open Air Museum is well-known for its murals from the 10th century depicting the lives of Jesus Christ and monks.
The next destination is Cavusin, an abandoned hamlet with old cave Greek dwellings, where you may visit a pottery workshop and learn how to produce potteries. Then you’ll travel to Pasabagi to witness the three-headed fairy chimneys. In Cappadocia, have supper and spend the night.
Day 6: Ceramics Lesson And Cappadocia Tour
After breakfast, make your way to the pottery lesson. Professional ceramic artists will assist you in creating your own ceramic artwork, which you will take home as a memory and remembrance of your journey to Turkey. Ceramic art is the most well-known artwork from the Cappadocia area.
In the afternoon, guests will enjoy a guided tour of Cappadocia’s breathtaking sights, including Ozkonak Underground City, where the habitation was begun by the Hittites (2000 BC) and grew into a large refuge for 12 different countries. In Cappadocia, have supper and spend the night.
Day 7: Cappadoica – Eğirdir
Drive to Konya this morning to view the towering green-tiled Mausoleum of Mevlana and museum, the spiritual founder of the Sufi religion (Whirling Dervishes). Stop in Egirdir, on the southern edge of the most magnificent of the Pisidian lakes. Egirdir is a nice area to halt in the middle of your tour for two days of calm relaxation and thought. In Egirdir, have supper and spend the night.
Day 8: Eğirdir Cooking Fish Lessons
Egirdir is stunning and reveals a whole different side of Turkey. If you want to be active, swimming, boating, and hiking can occupy a few days. You may also swim in the lovely natural lake in Egirdir. There are several notable fish that may be caught here that appear to have no bones. In Egirdir, the fish is incredibly tasty, therefore you will cook fish for yourself and enjoy the renowned Turkish drink “Raki.”
There are a lot of tiny farms in this region where you may watch employees employing traditional agricultural practices. Everyone in this area will warmly greet you. Have supper and spend the night in Egirdir.
Day 9: Eğirdir – Pamukkale
Depart for Pamukkale after breakfast at 8:30 a.m. You must see the Pamukkale calcium terraces (cotton castle) and the Hierapolis ruins; wandering around this natural phenomena allows you to lie in the waters of the natural springs that flow down the calcium terraces. In Pamukkale, have supper and spend the night
Day 10: Pamukkale – Kusadasi – Ephesus Tour
Depart from the hotel at 8:30 a.m. for a fully guided tour of Ephesus, one of the best-preserved ancient monuments in the world en route, including stops at the Temple of Artemis, Curetes Street, the famed Roman baths, the Celsus Library, and the Grand Theater. In Kusadasi, have supper and spend the night.
Day 11: Tour Of Village Sirince And Wine Tastign
It’s time to learn how to produce fruit wine with Turkish winemakers today. Sirince’s building style is now associated with Anatolian Greeks. The white-painted buildings on the hill are completely original. There is a wonderful view of the slope, and all of the buildings are still painted white. The entrance to the hamlet has a nice view, and the streets are likewise lovely.
Sirince is well-known for its architectural style, houses, streets, and apple wine produced by the inhabitants. Anatolian Greeks returned to Greece in 1922, and Turks from Greece moved there. It’s time to visit the vineyards and learn how to brew fruit wine with Turkish winemakers.
You will be assessed on your knowledge of creating fruit wine in the evening. On the way, stop at one of the region’s well-known leather production facilities, where you may receive a fantastic factory deal. On this guided tour, you will escape the incessant pestering and, at times, bullying that is common in Turkish marketplaces. Allowing you to enjoy your shopping experience while learning about the historical craftspeople. In Kusadasi, have supper and spend the night.
Day 9: Kusadasi – İzmir – İstanbul – End Of Tour
Today, depart for Izmir Airport for your domestic flight to Istanbul and then back home. Elite Turkey Tours hopes your tour was a memorable one and they would like to see you in the future on one of their tours again. Have a nice trip back home and thanks for choosing Elite Turkey Tours!
Included/Exclude
- 1 cooking class in Istanbul
- 1 cooking class in Safranbolu
- 1 cooking class in Egridir
- 1 cooking class in Cappadocia
- 1 wine tasting
- 1 ceramics lesson
- All entrance fees mentioned in the itinerary
- 11 nights accommodation (2 nights hotel accommodation in Istanbul, 1 night authentic wooden house accommodation in Safranbolu, 3 nights hotel accommodation in Cappadocia, 2 nights hotel accommodation in Egirdir, 1 night hotel accommodation in Pamukkale, and 2 nights hotel accommodation in Kusadasi)
- Guided Istanbul tour
- Guided Safranbolu tour
- Guided Cappadocia tour
- Guided Egirdir tour
- Guided Pamukkale tour
- Guided Ephesus tour
- Guided Sirince village tour
- 11 open buffet breakfasts
- 1 welcome dinner
- 9 dinners
- Professional English-speaking tour guides
- Transportation in a fully air-conditioned, non-smoking coach
- Roundtrip Istanbul Airport transfers
- Hotel room taxes (8%)
- International flights
- Izmir to Istanbul domestic flights (The domestic flight price for adult travelers is approximately 50 EUR for one way and for under 2 years old, approximately 20 EUR as an insurance policy)
- City tax
- Insurance: All types
- Tipping: Tips for guides and drivers
- Türkiye entry visa
- Items of a personal nature such as alcoholic drinks, cold drinks, laundry, etc.
- Any other expenses which are not mentioned in the included section
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1. More than 50 days prior to departure – 65% of the product cost or 40 GBP, whichever is higher.
2. 48 to 45 days prior to departure – 75% of the product cost or 40 GBP, whichever is higher.
3. 40 to 35 days prior to departure – 85% of the product cost or 40 GBP, whichever is higher.
4. 0 to 35 days prior to departure – no refund is given.
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3. If any number of the party is prevented from travelling because of death, injury or serious illness of the client, close relative or friend, redundancy or jury service, it may be possible to transfer the booking to another suitable person or departure date or tour of similar standard and cost provided that written notice is confirmed by Elite Turkey Tours.
4. If a refund is payable by Elite Turkey Tours to the Client, the refund amount will be calculated according to the conditions set out in Section 2.1 and with consideration of evidence of exceptional circumstances. All bank fees incurred for processing/transferring the credited amount to the client will be the responsibility of the client.
5. In the event that a minimum number product fails to secure sufficient bookings on any departure date, Elite Turkey Tours will inform the Client or Client’s Agent. In such a case the Client will be given the option of changing to an alternative date or Product of comparable value or upgrading to another tour or a refund of all monies paid. In this case, Elite Turkey Tours will use their best endeavours to find a suitable alternative.
Amendments and Cancellations by Clients
1. Clients can cancel at any time. The cancellation will be effective as at the time that Elite Turkey Tours receives a written request from the Agent or for direct bookings from the Client, and the following cancellation charges will apply.
1. More than 50 days prior to departure – 65% of the product cost or 40 GBP, whichever is higher.
2. 48 to 45 days prior to departure – 75% of the product cost or 40 GBP, whichever is higher.
3. 40 to 35 days prior to departure – 85% of the product cost or 40 GBP, whichever is higher.
4. 0 to 35 days prior to departure – no refund is given.
5. No refund is given for a partially used Product.
2. After the booking has been confirmed proposed amendments must be written by ‘the Lead Client’ and will incur an administration fee of equivalent to GBP 30.00 except for the first change that will incur no fee or as otherwise agreed. No requested change can be guaranteed.
3. If any number of the party is prevented from travelling because of death, injury or serious illness of the client, close relative or friend, redundancy or jury service, it may be possible to transfer the booking to another suitable person or departure date or tour of similar standard and cost provided that written notice is confirmed by Elite Turkey Tours.
4. If a refund is payable by Elite Turkey Tours to the Client, the refund amount will be calculated according to the conditions set out in Section 2.1 and with consideration of evidence of exceptional circumstances. All bank fees incurred for processing/transferring the credited amount to the client will be the responsibility of the client.
Cancellation By Elite Turkey Tours
1. All Elite Turkey Tours Products are subject to a minimum number of participants except for Guaranteed Departure Products listed in Clause 17.
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5. When booking 50 % of the product cost is expected. 60 days before the trip rest of the amount is expected.