Çukurova (COV)-Frankfurt-Alsace
Meeting our valued guests at the international departures terminal of Çukurova Airport at least 3 hours before the flight. Following ticketing, baggage, and passport procedures, departure for Frankfurt at 14:15 on SunExpress Airlines’ scheduled flight XQ1610. Arrival in Frankfurt at 16:40 local time. Following passport and ticket procedures, transfer to our hotel and overnight stay.
ALSACE – EGUISHEIM – COLMAR – RIQUEWIHR – ALSACE
Free time after breakfast at the hotel. Guests who wish may join the optional Eguisheim & Colmar & Riquewihr tour (€100).
Our first stop is Eguisheim, one of Alsace’s charming villages. As you stroll through its narrow, picturesque streets, among houses with colorful geraniums hanging from their wooden windows and balconies, you will feel as though you are getting lost in stories from the past. A member of the “Most Beautiful Villages of France” association since 2003, Eguisheim was chosen as “France’s Favorite Village” in 2013.
Following our visit to Eguisheim, we depart for our second stop, Colmar. With its colorful houses, flower-adorned streets, and captivating beauty, Colmar is one of the region’s most enchanting towns and is highly significant as the starting point of the Alsace Wine Route. The canals add even more charm to Colmar; they are branches of the Rhine River. The colorful historic buildings lining the waterways, dating back as far as the 1200s, are the town’s most distinctive and noteworthy feature. During our tour of Colmar, while strolling through its carnival-like streets, we visit Saint Martin’s Cathedral, with its enormous stork nests, Rue Marchand (Merchants’ Street), and the area known as “Petite Venise,” meaning “Little Venice.”
Our final stop on the tour is Riquewihr, known as Alsace’s most famous village. The harmony of the Alsatian half-timbered two-story houses, with their varied colors and distinctive designs, makes this charming town—home to 1,200 residents—a popular destination visited by 2 million people every year. You will not be able to get enough of taking photographs in this wonderful town, where history, culture, and nature blend together.
Following the tour, transfer to our hotel. Overnight at the hotel.
(Depending on regional availability, accommodation may be provided in surrounding cities, such as Mulhouse, Colmar, Strasbourg, Basel, Belfort, or Karlsruhe.)
ALSACE – SCHAFFHAUSEN RHINE FALLS – ZURICH – LUCERNE – ALSACE
Free time after breakfast at the hotel. Guests who wish may join the optional Schaffhausen Rhine Falls, Zurich & Lucerne tour organized by our guide (€110).
Our first stop is the Rhine Falls. Following a walk around Europe’s largest waterfall, which is 150 meters wide and 23 meters high, accompanied by the captivating sound of the water, we depart for Zurich, Switzerland’s largest city. Located on the shores of Lake Zurich and at the foot of the Alps, Zurich welcomes millions of tourists throughout the year with its rich history and culture. The city’s history dates back to the Neolithic and Bronze Ages, while its name derives from “Turus.” The city, which was under Roman occupation in the 2nd century AD, was named Turicum. When translated into Swiss German, this name is pronounced “Zuri.” According to recent data, Zurich is the most livable city in Europe and is also known as Switzerland’s cultural capital.
Upon arrival, we see the Grossmünster and Fraumünster churches, as well as St. Peter’s Church, home to the largest clock tower in Europe. We then explore Bahnhofstrasse, regarded as the city’s main shopping district. After our tour, we depart for Lucerne. In this enchanting city, we see the Lion Monument, built in memory of the 800 Swiss soldiers who were martyred while protecting King Louis XVI and his family, the Chapel Bridge, and the magnificent views of Lake Lucerne. We then conclude our tour and transfer to our hotel. Overnight at the hotel.
(Depending on the availability in the area, accommodation may take place in nearby cities such as Mulhouse, Colmar, Strasbourg, Basel, Belfort, or Karlsruhe.)
Alsace–Stuttgart–Çukurova (COV)
After breakfast at the hotel, check out of the rooms. At the time specified by your guide, we depart for a city tour of Strasbourg. Strasbourg holds historical importance as the place where the French national anthem, “La Marseillaise,” was written, and is a city where Alsatian culture blends with French architecture. We visit Strasbourg Cathedral of Notre-Dame, which held the title of the world’s tallest structure until 1874, the Rohan Palace, Kleber Square, and the Petit France district, adorned with traditional Alsatian houses. Following the tour, transfer to the airport. After completing your baggage and ticket procedures, depart for Çukurova at 19:30 on SunExpress Airlines’ scheduled flight XQ1703. Arrival at Çukurova Airport at 01:05 local time, marking the end of our tour.