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Turkey, Emirates and the Indian Ocean Islands, 16 Days · Tour including beach holiday
Turkey, Emirates and Maldives
Immerse yourself in the charm of the East
We recommend taking a unique journey for a glimpse of some of the wonders of destinations known as the gateway to the East. First of all, Turkey: a melting pot of civilisations which awaits you with magical wonders ready to unfold before your eyes, revealing the wonderful aroma of its spices and the unparalleled light of its sunsets.
Follow Turkey with the fascinating sights of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which display stark contrasts - between avant-garde and tradition, between shopping centre bustle and desert silence - to leave you awestruck.
And, as a finishing touch, the Maldives, a place where you can still find yourself in Paradise.
What have you got to lose?
Departure date
December 2024
From
Dublin, Knock, Galway, Shannon, Donegal, Cork, Kerry county...
Travel details
City of origin - Istanbul
Departure with destination Istanbul. Transfer to hotel. Overnight stay.
Istanbul
Breakfast at hotel. Day at your leisure with optional city tour along the Bosphorus and around the Sultanahmet district. Overnight stay at hotel.
Istanbul - Ankara
Breakfast at hotel. Morning at your leisure with optional tour of the Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar. At the prearranged time, departure by coach to Ankara, crossing over Istanbul's intercontinental bridge. Arrival in the country's capital. Dinner at hotel and overnight stay.
Ankara - Cappadocia
Breakfast at hotel. Tour around the Turkish capital, including the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations and the mausoleum of Atatürk, founder of the Turkish Republic. Departure for Cappadocia, visiting en route the underground city, built by Christian communities to protect themselves from Arab attacks. Arrival in Cappadocia, dinner and overnight stay at hotel.
Cappadocia
At dawn, possibility of an optional excursion by hot air balloon, flying over the spectacular landscape of Cappadocia. Breakfast at hotel followed by a day exploring this fantastic region, one of a kind in the world, stopping at places like the Goreme Valley, with its rock churches decorated with paintings from the 10th and 11th centuries; the troglodyte village of Uçhisar; and the Derbent Valley, with its curious natural formations. Time at your leisure to visit local craft workshops selling rugs and semi-precious stones. Dinner and overnight stay at hotel.
Cappadocia - Istanbul
Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to Kayseri Airport and flight to Istanbul. Arrival and transfer to hotel. Rest of day at your leisure. Overnight stay at hotel.
Istanbul - Dubai
Breakfast at hotel (if the flight and transfer schedule allows). Transfer to the airport. Flight from Istanbul to Dubai. Arrival and transfer to hotel. Rest of the day free. Overnight stay.
Dubai
Breakfast at the hotel. A half-day excursion to see classic Dubai that will give us a glimpse of the ancient city of Dubai. We will visit the famous and renowned Heritage Village, an open-air museum where we can take a look at the way of life of the ancient people of Dubai through their crafts and the live shows put on by craftsmen, reflecting the traditional life of the UAE. We continue our visit, passing through the Bastakia area with its old merchant houses, galleries, restaurants and cafes. Continuing with a visit to the Dubai Museum, where we will have a glimpse of life in Dubai as it was in pre-oil industry times. Afterwards, we board an "abra" (water taxi) to experience an atmospheric feeling from the other side of the inlet. We will continue to the exotic and aromatic Spice Souk and the gold bazaars, which are the best known in the world. Lunch in a typical restaurant included. Return to the hotel and free afternoon. In the evening, we will enjoy dinner on board a typical dhow cruise (a traditional boat that was used until the 1970s) to enjoy the stunning view of Dubai's illuminated buildings. Overnight stay.
Dubai
Breakfast at the hotel. We leave the hotel to visit modern Dubai, providing us with an opportunity to become acquainted with the most developed city on the planet. We start with a visit to the Jumeirah Mosque, continuing with a immediate opportunity for panoramic photos of the Burj Al Arab hotel, the highest hotel in the world. Transfer to "Palm Jumeirah" Palm Island to check out the Atlantis The Palm hotel, returning by monorail (which will give us the opportunity to see the whole palm tree and its branches) and continuing by vehicle to the Dubai Marina, the largest coastal master project of its kind. We continue with a trip to the Mall Of the Emirates to see the Ski Dubai. The visit ends in front of the famous Burj Khalifa tower, the tallest tower in the world at a height of 828 metres. Free time and transfer to the hotel. Overnight stay.
Dubai - Abu Dhabi - Dubai
Breakfast at the hotel. Full-day excursion to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the Arab Emirates, regarded as the 'Manhattan of the Middle East' and the administrative centre of the country. To reach Abu Dhabi, you pass by the free zone of Jebel Ali - the largest man-made harbour in the world. Upon arrival in Abu Dhabi, we'll visit the Sheikh Zayed mosque, the third largest mosque in the world with a capacity of up to 40,000 people. Continuing to the modern area of Al Bateen, the location of the royal palaces. After that we'll head to the seafront known as the Corniche, where you can take photos of the artificial island of Lulú. Follow the breakwater, from where you can take panoramic photos of Abu Dhabi, and a panorama of the outside the Emirates Palace, known as the world's most luxurious hotel with a 7-star rating and the exterior of the residence palace of the current Sheikh; it was also the residence of Sheikh Zayed. Finally, entry to the Louvre Museum is included (general admission without assistance or guide), an area that houses more than 600 works of art and represents a bridge between civilisations and between East and West. Lunch is included. On the way back to Dubai, stop to take pictures outside the Ferrari Abu Dhabi theme park. Arrival and overnight stay.
Dubai
Breakfast at the hotel. Free morning. In the afternoon between 3.30 p.m. and 4.00 p.m., we'll leave the hotel to go on a desert safari with 4x4 vehicles (up to 6 people in each vehicle). During this trip you will enjoy driving among the sand dunes and contemplating the camel farms that we pass along the route. Stop to admire the splendid desert sunset and to practise surfing in the sand. Upon arrival at the camp, you'll have free time before dinner to take a camel if you wish, to smoke a hookah, or to have a henna tattoo. Dinner will be an Arabian-style buffet, enlivened with a belly dance show (except during Ramadan when dances are not performed). Return to the hotel and overnight.
Dubai - Maldives
Breakfast at the hotel. At the prearranged time, transfer to the airport. Flight from Dubai to Maldives. Arrival and transfer from the airport to the selected hotel in Maldives. Free time. Overnight stay.
Maldives
Free day. Overnight stay.
Maldives
Free day. Overnight stay.
Maldives - City of origin
At the scheduled time, transfer to the airport. Flight to City of origin destination. Night on board.
City of origin
Arrival. End of the trip and our services.
Your trip includes
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Return flight.
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Internal flight.
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Accommodation in selected hotels or similar category.
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Transfers as per itinerary.
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Transport in air-conditioned vehicles appropriate to the size of the group.
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Visits in a guided tour that are detailed in the program and not considered as optional.
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English-speaking local guides from Ankara to Cappadocia.
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Half-litre bottle of water per person on the minibus/coach.
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Onboard WiFi on the minibus/coach.
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Diet: 6 breakfasts, 3 dinners.
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Flight from Istanbul to Dubai.
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Transport in vehicles appropriate to the size of the group.
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English-speaking local guides.
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Tourist tax for accommodation.
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Diet: 5 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners.
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Flight from Dubai to Maldives.
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Transfer from the airport to the hotel in Maldives.
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Stay in selected hotel in Maldives.
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Selected meal plan in Maldives.
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Transfer from the hotel in Maldives to the airport.
Your trip doesn't include
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Electronic Visa to enter in Turkey.
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Tips for drivers and guides (payment at destination; we recommend €3 per person per day for guides and €2 for drivers).
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Visa to enter in United Arab Emirates.
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Visa to enter in Maldives.
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Departure taxes in Maldives.
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Any other service not previously mentioned as included.
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Insolvency protection.
Destinations Visited
Expected Hotels (or similar)
In this section you will find a selection of hotels according to the category specified in the itinerary.
Category B
Barin Hotel
Sehzadebasi Fevziye Cd No:7, Istanbul
Very Good
7
Laleli Gonen Hotel
Fethibey Caddesi Zeynepkamil Sokak 24, Istanbul
Excellent
9
Hotel Buyuk Keban
Gencturk Caddesi No: 39, Sehzadebasi - Fatih, Istanbul
Very Good
8
Category C
Darkhill Hotel
Mimar Kemalettin Mah. Koca Ragıp Paşa Cad. No: 9 Laleli, Istanbul
Excellent
9
Grand Hotel Gulsoy
Sehzadebasi Caddesi No:9, Fatih, Istanbul
Hotel Vicenza
Kemal Paşa Mh. Fevziye Cd. No:3 34314, Istanbul
Ramada By Wyndham Istanbul Old City
Millet Caddesi 82, Istanbul
Excellent
9
Category D
Occidental Taksim
Topçu Caddesi No:19, Taksim, Istanbul
Excellent
9
Taksim Gonen Hotel
Aydede Cd. No 15, Taksim, Istanbul
Arts Hotel Taksim
Topçu Cad. No. 11 Taksim, Istanbul
Ramada By Wyndham Istanbul Taksim
Receppasa Caddesi 15 Taksim, Istanbul
Category F
Barceló Istanbul
Kocatepe Mah. Abdulhak Hamit Cad No 25/1, Istanbul
Radisson Blu Hotel, Istanbul Pera
Evliya Celebi Mah., Refik Saydam, Istanbul
Elite World Istanbul Taksim Hotel
Sehit Muhtar Caddesi No:42, Taksim, Istanbul
Very Good
7
Important remarks
- The Grand Bazaar and the Egyptian Bazaar will remain closed on religious holidays, Sundays and national holidays. Please consult.
- The tours include cultural stops at local workshops so you can learn about the production of traditional crafts.
- If you'd like to have rooms with double or twin beds during your trip, please let us know in advance.We'll do everything possible to fulfil your wishes, but we can't guarantee anything as it's all subject to availability when you check in at each hotel.
- Please provide the passport details of passengers within 48 hours of making the booking, as requested by the national government for all visitors to Turkey.
- Triple rooms in Europe are generally rooms with twin beds or a double, in which a folding bed is installed to accommodate the third person. Due to the inconvenience this causes, we advise against using this option as far the possible.
- During congresses and special events, the confirmed hotels and other accommodations may be different to those indicated.
- During the circuit by Europe, only one suitcase and one carry-on bag per person are allowed.
- Check-in time at the hotel on the day of arrival depends on each establishment, but in no case will it be before 3:00 p.m., unless otherwise indicated.
- You can book the hot air balloon flight in Cappadocia or Pamukkale prior to departure. Ask us for prices. Flights are always weather permitting and subject to authorisation from the Turkish Civil Aviation Authority.
- The Ataturk Mausoleum in Ankara may be closed to visitors without prior notice due to governmental ceremonies. In the event of such ceremonies, the mausoleum will be open to visitors from the outside.
- As per new security regulations, all passengers visiting United Arab Emirates (organised or otherwise) must carry an identification at all times: either an original passport or a photocopy of it is sufficient.
- United Arab Emirates is a Muslim country and the month of Ramadan is of major significance to its residents. During Ramadan, entertainment and alcohol will be restricted in most of the country. The sale of alcohol will be restricted in many places, although some establishments will offer alcohol for sale to tourists. During this period, local businesses may also have shorter opening hours.
- Depending on the return flight, the trip may be one day longer.
- If you are interested in seeing the Khalifa Tower, we recommend making a reservation in advance. It's more expensive to book on the same day.
- During the visit to the mosque in Abu Dhabi it is not allowed to wear shorts, both for men and women, or short-sleeved shirts (men) or sleeveless (women).
- It is general policy in the Arab Emirates that you can request a deposit of money on arrival at the hotel where you will be staying. This deposit is delivered at the time of check-in and is fully recovered upon departure (if you did not incur any expenses at the hotel). Remember that the agency is not responsible for said payment or the consequences of not paying it.
- The authorities of the Arab Emirates reserve the right to close the public without notice, the Qars Al Watan palace in Abu Dhabi for official reasons. In that case, instead of the entrance to the palace, a stop will be made to take pictures of the Ferrari museum from the outside.
- The order of the itinerary may be altered for logistical reasons, without prior notice, but no scheduled trips will be cancelled (except in the case that adverse weather conditions prevent its realisation).
- A credit card is considered a guarantee, so sometimes you will need one for check-in at hotels.
- Prices are calculated based on admission fees to the sights as of the date of publication. If there is an increase in these prices, you will be promptly informed.
- If you are a person with reduced mobility, please contact us to confirm the suitability of the trip.
- Consult the necessary documentation to enter the destinations visited and for transit in the countries where air stopovers are made.