History of Byzantium Tour II with Robin Pierson & Serif Yenen (October 11-20, 2025)

History of Byzantium Tour with Robin Pierson & Serif Yenen

Istanbul – Nicaea – Ankara – Cappadocia (10 Days)

Tour Date: October 11-20, 2025

Robin Pierson is the author of ‘The History of Byzantium Podcast.’ He tells the story of the Roman Empire from 476 to 1453 AD. He says that “Byzantine history is fascinating, world changing and largely forgotten. Listen and discover who they were.” Robin is from London in the UK. His web site is the History of Byzantium ↗.

It has been Robin and Serif’s great idea to put this tour together, and they have made this tour a few times with great success. Now new ones are coming up.

History of Byzantium Tour

While the Roman capital Rome was shrinking to a cow town, Constantinople was on the rise with a population of half a million. After seeing resplendent metropolis with its harbor full of vessels, with its markets filled with silks, spices, furs, precious stones, perfumed woods, carved ivory, gold and silver and enameled jewelry, the Crusader Villehardouin was in shock and said: “One could not believe there was so rich a city in all the world.”

History of Byzantium Tour with Robin Pierson & Serif Yenen

Byzantium was a buffer shielding medieval Europe from the empire-building Persians, Arabs, and Turks. It was a bridge between East and West. Byzantines were law makers, developed religious, political, and social practices vibrant to this day. They were masters of mosaics. They pictured Christ enthroned as the Pantocrator, Creator of Universe in the domes of many of their churches.

While Charlemagne, King of the Franks, could barely write his name, many Byzantine emperors were scholars. While men in the West for centuries tested guilt or innocence by subjecting the accused to severe pain, Justinian set scholars to compiling his famous Corpus Juris Civilis (Body of Civil Law), the foundation of Roman Law in continental Europe today. Via the Code Napoléon, Byzantine precepts were transmitted to Latin America, Québec Province, and Louisiana, where they still hold sway.

Today, as we go back and investigate more, and in the course of recent construction projects, new discoveries are being made constantly, and long-lost traces of previous occupants of the city are being uncovered. History is being re-written.

In the company of Robin Pierson and Serif Yenen, you can discover many Byzantine monuments and artefacts, which have been standing in Istanbul for thousands of years.

History of Byzantium Tour

Come join us to discover the Roman and Byzantine monuments in the Old City of Istanbul (Constantinople), which is now called as the Historic Peninsula. Then we continue with the Ottoman Culture. We extend the tour to Cappadocia and Ephesus as well.

Cappadocia is the name of a large region covering many big cities in Central Anatolia. It is such a unique place with very interesting natural formations, underground cities, rock-cut churches. It does not look like a place on earth. Definitely, Cappadocia is a must-see place in the world.

Ephesus, one of the most important ancient cities in the world, is located on the Aegean coast. Excavations in Ephesus have been continuing for more than 100 years. The hightlights in the Ephesus area are the Celsus Library, Great Theater of Ephesus, Hadrian’s Temple, Virgin Mary’s House, Basilica of St. John, Artemis Temple and Ephesus Museum.

Rather than driving long-distances, we fly between Istanbul-Cappadocia, Cappadocia-Ephesus and Ephesus-Istanbul.

October 11, Saturday

• Arrivals in Istanbul & Airport pick-ups
• Private hotel transfers
• Recital Hotel

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October 12, Sunday (Walking Tour)

• Breakfast at the hotel
• 10.00 a.m. An orientation briefing by Serif Yenen
• Column of Constantine & Forum of Constantine
• Mese, Processional Road & Milion Monument
• Basilica Cistern
• Included lunch at a local restaurant
• Hagia Sophia
• Free time to rest or discover more on own (i.e. Blue Mosque or Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum)
• Welcome Dinner at Kumkapı (walking distance from the hotel)
• Recital Hotel

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October 13, Monday (Walking Tour)

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Hagia Eirene Church
• Topkapi Palace with the Harem
• Lunch on own
• Free time to rest or discover more on own (i.e. Archaeological Museums of İstanbul or Binbirdirek Cistern)
• Recital Hotel

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October 14, Tuesday (Tour with Transportation)

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Hippodrome
• Nakkas Cistern with the exhibition on Hippodrome
• Meet the bus and drive to the Süleymaniye Mosque
• Included lunch
• Chora Church
• Blachernae and walk down to the Golden Horn
• Free time to rest or discover more on own (i.e. Balat neighbourhood, Spice Bazaar or Grand Bazaar)
• Recital Hotel

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October 15, Wednesday (Tour with Transportation)

• Breakfast at the hotel
• 09.00 a.m. Walk to the Küçük Ayasofya Mosque (Church of St Sergius and Bacchus)
• Meet the bus
• Boukoleon Palace (From outside)
• Visit the Golden Gate, Yedikule Fortress and drive along the Land Walls from Porte Aurea to Silivrikapı
• Included lunch at a local restaurant
• Bosphorus Cruise (14.30 -16.30)
• Free time to rest or discover more on own (We can drop you at Taksim Square, if you like or drive you back to the hotel) & Overnight at Recital Hotel

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October 16, Thursday (Drive to Ankara via Iznik)

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Drive to Iznik
• A short sighseeing in Iznik (Nicaea)
• Lunch on own
• Drive to Ankara
• Overnight in Ankara

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October 17, Friday

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations
• Drive by the Mausoleum of Atatürk and see it from outside
• Lunch on own
• Drive to Cappadocia
• Overnight in Cappadocia

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October 18, Saturday

• Hot-air Balloon flight (optional & weather-permitting)
• Breakfast at the hotel
• Goreme Open Air Museum,
• Goreme Panorama,
• Lunch break
• Craft Demonstration in a Carpet Village (Traditional Carpet Weaving)
• Whirling Dervish Ritual
• Uçhisar Kaya Hotel or similar

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October 19, Sunday (Tour with Transportation)

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Kaymakli Underground City
• Devrent Valley
• Pasabag Valley
• Craft Demonstration in Avanos (Traditional Pottery & Ceramics)
• Uçhisar Kaya Hotel or similar

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October 20, Monday (Departures)

• 08.50 flight from Kayseri to Istanbul
• 10.30 Arrival at the Istanbul Airport – IST
• Catch your international flight from the Istanbul Airport IST (Note: When booking your onward international flight, please account for possible flight changes and delays. For added safety, schedule your departure for mid-afternoon or later to ensure ample time for airport procedures and unexpected delays.)

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Price

• $3400.00 USD per person (accommodation in double room)
• $3850.00 USD per person (accommodation in single room)

What is included in History of Byzantium Tour price:

• Airport transfers from and to the airports in Istanbul and Kayseri.
• Accommodation at the Recital Hotel ↗ ↗ in Istanbul for 5 nights
• Accommodation at a 4-star hotel in Ankara for 1 night
• Accommodation at the Uçhisar Kaya Hotel ↗ ↗ or a similar hotel in Cappadocia for 3 nights
• All breakfasts at the hotels
• Three lunches in Istanbul (at local casual restaurants with good traditional food)
• Guiding services by Serif Yenen as an official guide
• All public transportation costs in Istanbul
• Private transportation in a private bus for two days in Istanbul, and all other days outside Istanbul
• All museum entrance fees and costs as mentioned in the itinerary
• Complimentary copies of Serif Yenen’s maps and pamphlets
• Headsets (Whispers) will be provided to hear your guide at each site
• Welcome dinner in Istanbul with a glass of wine included
• Bosphorus Cruise with a private yacht
• Whirling Dervish Ritual in Cappadocia
• Dinners at the hotel in Cappadocia
• Farewell dinner at the hotel in Cappadocia with a glass of wine included
• One domestic flight (Kayseri-Istanbul flight) Note: You are allowed to check in one suitcase or bag with a maximum weight of 20 kg (44 lb), and bring a cabin-size bag onto the plane.

What is NOT included in this price:

• International flights
• Four dinners in Istanbul and one dinner in Ankara
• One lunch in Istanbul and other lunches in other cities
• Drinks in the included meals will be extra
• Hot-air Balloon flight (optional & weather-permitting)
• Travel insurance
• Personal expenses
• Gratuities

History of Byzantium Tour Capacity

• Minimum 12, maximum 25 guests.

Physical requirements for History of Byzantium Tour

• Not appropriate for travelers using wheelchairs, walkers, or other mobility aids.
• This tour involves a lot of walking! We will be on foot throughout the ancient cities as well as several days in Istanbul. We will be climbing up walls and restaurant staircases and down into cisterns and other substructures. Please bring sensible footwear that is supportive and comfortable.

Travel Insurance

• You must take out comprehensive travel insurance before you travel. Your insurance protection must include cover for cancellation, medical and repatriation expenses, personal injury and accident, death, and loss of personal baggage and money and personal liability insurance. Evidence of such insurances must be produced to us on request.

Our Liability

• You acknowledge that you are choosing to travel at a time where you may be exposed to COVID-19 other infectious diseases. It is your own responsibility to acquaint yourself with all relevant travel information, including applicable health risks. You acknowledge that your decision to travel is made based on your own consideration of this information, and you acknowledge and agree that you are aware of, and assume responsibility for, the risks associated with travelling at this time.
• We will have no liability for any refunds, compensation, costs, expenses or other losses of any kind incurred by you (including, where applicable, the cost of medical treatment), in the following circumstances:

• 1. you fail any tests, checks or other measures imposed by a travel service providers or government body or fail to submit for testing or assessment when requested to do so, and as such you are denied entry to board the flight, entry to the destination, access to the services or you are otherwise unable to proceed with the trip, or that portion of the trip; or
• 2. if you, or anyone in your group, test positive for COVID-19 or other infectious diseases, and have to quarantine for a period of time, or are notified or otherwise become aware that you have, or suspect you may have, come into close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 (or where they otherwise suspect they may have COVID-19) and have to quarantine for a
  period of time. If this happens within 14 days of your departure date, you must contact us as you may no longer be able to travel. If any of the above occur whilst you are on your trip, please notify us without delay and we will provide such reasonable assistance as we can in the circumstances. However, we will not be responsible for covering the cost of any curtailment of your tour,
  missed transport arrangements, additional accommodation required, or other associated costs incurred by you. You must ensure you have adequate travel insurance with specific COVID-19 coverage which covers these costs for you.

Terms & Conditions and Cancellation Policy

This tour is operated by A-group Travel Agency “Serif Yenen Travel” licensed by the Turkish Ministry of Tourism (Licence number: 8860)