Departure from Montreal airport (P.E. Trudeau) on an international flight to Istanbul.

Note: Arrival at the airport at least 3 hours before departure.

❖ Accommodation: 4* hotel / Transport: air-conditioned vehicle.

• Arrival at Istanbul airport. Welcome and transfer to hotel for check-in.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast / Accommodation: 4* Hotel / Transport: Air-conditioned vehicle.

Discovering the metropolis :

• Visit the Blue Mosque, a magnificent Muslim place of worship known for the predominantly blue ceramics that adorn its interior walls.
• Exploration of the Hagia Sophia basilica , former seat of the Eastern Christian church during the Byzantine era ( ^4th to 15th ^centuries ). The basilica was converted into a mosque under the Ottoman Empire and today houses a museum.
• See the ruins of the Place de l’Hippodrome, an arena dating from^{the 2nd century} that was used primarily for chariot races and remained in use until the^12th century.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast / Accommodation: 4* Hotel / Transport: Air-conditioned vehicle.

• Tour of Topkapi Palace, a sumptuous palace from the Ottoman era that, for centuries, served as the primary residence of the various sultans who ruled the empire. Built on the Golden Horn, it overlooks the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara. The palace is surrounded by 5 kilometers of ramparts and, in its heyday, could accommodate imperial retinues of up to 4,000 people.
• Tour of Dolmabahçe Palace, built in the^mid-19th century in the European style popular at the time, which served as the imperial residence and administrative center of the empire during the final decades before its fall. Set in an exceptional seaside location, this palace—the largest in Turkey—showcases the immense wealth that once belonged to this vast empire.
• Bosphorus cruise (duration: one and a half hours). Pass under the suspension bridge connecting Europe and Asia and enjoy views of the city’s skyline, with its traditional wooden houses, numerous mosques, and opulent palaces lining the riverbanks.

❖ Mealsincluded: Breakfast / Accommodations: 4-star hotel / Transportation: Air-conditioned vehicle.

Exploring Pera(now Beyoglu), a lively historic neighborhood and the vibrant heart of Istanbul’s arts and entertainment scene, and New Year’s Eve celebrations:

• Istiklal Avenue, a pedestrian street connecting Taksim Square to the Galata Tower, is a thoroughfare lined with historic buildings, restaurants, shops, bookstores, and movie theaters. It is also known for its nostalgic red tram and its lively nightlife.
• Taksim Square is the main hub of downtown Istanbul, home to numerous hotels and restaurants, where the metro, the vintage tram, and the funicular—known as “the tunnel”— meet , leading to the neighborhood below. The square is one of the city’s landmarks and is often the site of public celebrations and demonstrations.
• The Galata Tower (Galata district), located at the end of Istiklal Avenue, is a 63-meter-tall cylindrical structure dating back to medieval times, offering a panoramic view of the city. This tower, which is now open to visitors (scheduled tour), originally served as a geographical landmark for the first Genoese colony and later as a watchtower to signal fires, beginning with the early days of the Ottoman Empire.
• New Year’s Eve Dinner at SULTANA’S, a dinner package-show package themed around “One Thousand and One Nights,” featuring a traditional four-course Turkish meal and live music with professional dancers performing belly dancing and other folk dances.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast and dinner / Accommodation: 5* hotel / Transport: Air-conditioned vehicle and plane.

• AM : Free time to enjoy the capital.
• PM: Transfer to Istanbul airport for flight to Pamukkale. Arrival, transfer to hotel and free time until dinner.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast and dinner / Lodging: 5* Hotel / Transportation: Air-conditioned vehicle.

• AM: Free admission to the hot springs of Pamukkale, a place unlike any other in the world, featuring cascades formed by natural limestone pools of pristine white. Pamukkale is an exceptional geological site listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Travel to Hierapolis to explore the ancient city and its beautifully preserved Roman theater, which, in its heyday, could seat up to 10,000 spectators.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast and dinner / Accommodation: 4* hotel / Transportation: Air-conditioned vehicle.

Departure for Konya, cradle of Sufism:

• Guided tour of Konya, a city with a rich religious heritage that served as the first Seljuk capital in the 13th century.
• Tour of the Mausoleum and Museum dedicated to the memory of the mystical poet Mevlânâ Celaleddin-i Rumi, the founder of Sufism. The site was originally a lodge for whirling dervishes.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast and dinner / Lodging: 5* Hotel / Transportation: Air-conditioned vehicle.

Day of discovery of the country :

• Drive to Cappadocia, a region famous for its lunar landscapes and rock formations known as “fairy chimneys.”

• Arrival in the Cappadocia region and a tour of an impressive underground citycarved into volcanic rock, followed by an exploration of ancient survival techniques.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast and dinner / Lodging: 5* Hotel / Transportation: Air-conditioned vehicle.

• Photo stop in the Avcilar Valley, with a panoramic view of the village of Göreme.
• Explore the village of Ortahisar, one of the oldest cave settlements in Cappadocia.
• Tour of the village of Uçhisar, famous for its rock formation—visible from kilometers away—that towers over the entire Cappadocia region (1,300 meters). The village is home to 20 levels of underground galleries that once served as a refuge for early Christians persecuted by the Romans, and later for Byzantines threatened by the Turks. A few cave dwellings are still inhabited today.
• Stop in the Pigeonniers Valley, famous for its dovecotes carved directly into the rock. Take a short break to explore local crafts: jewelry made from semiprecious stones.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast and dinner / Lodging: 5* Hotel / Transportation: Air-conditioned vehicle.

• Visit tothe Valley of Lovers, home to the largest fairy chimneys with basalt caps.
• Take a hot-air balloon or paraglider flight (optional) to discover the Cappadocian landscape in a different way, by taking part in an exceptional activity seen from the sky.
• Tour of the village of Avanos, famousfor its pottery and its red river.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast and dinner / Lodging: 5* Hotel / Transportation: Air-conditioned vehicle.

Departure for the Lake Abant National Park region:

• Lake Abant : Located at an altitude of 1,350 meters, this lake is surrounded by dense forests and mountains. It lies at the heart of a vast national park, 40 km from the city of Bolu and halfway between the capital and the metropolis. Its location and the beauty of its natural setting make it an easily accessible and popular destination for relaxing, enjoying pleasant hikes, and taking magnificent photos of the Anatolian landscape. Arrival at the hotel on Lake Abant, with the rest of the day free to relax and enjoy the surroundings.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast / Accommodation: 4* Hotel / Transport: Air-conditioned vehicle.

• Drive to Istanbul. Arrival at the hotel and check-in.
• Rest of the day free to enjoy the city at your own pace.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast / Accommodation: 4* Hotel / Transport: Air-conditioned vehicle.

• Last day free to enjoy the city at your own pace.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast / Transport: Air-conditioned vehicle and plane.

• Transfer to Istanbul airport and departure for Montreal.

• Istanbul: Hotel OCCIDENTAL TAKSIM 4* (or equivalent)
• Pamukkale: Hotel PAMUKKALE RICHMOND THERMAL 5* (or equivalent)
• Konya: Hotel KONYA BERA 4* (or equivalent)
• Cappadocia: Hotel ALERIA 5* (or equivalent)
• Lake Abant : BÛYÛK ABANT HOTEL 5* (or equivalent)

• International flights (including baggage allowance of 23 kg per person, maximum)
• 1 internal flight Istanbul-Pamukkale
• Airport shuttles
• Transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle with a professional driver
• All accommodations (4- and 5-star)
• 2 meals a day (except in Istanbul, where breakfast is included)
• All activities and site admissions listed in bold on the itinerary and conducted in the company of a local guide
• Certified French-speaking local guide present with the group at all times
• Cruise on the Bosphorus
• New Year’s Eve Dinner and Show
• All taxes
• 24/7 Support
• Organization from A to Z

• Some meals
• Beverages
• Tips
• Personal Expenses
• Optional activities

• Please note that the itinerary may change at any time for logistical reasons, but that the list of activities and visits on the program is always respected.