Explore the rock-cut churches and monasteries of Goreme Valley, and Zelve, a natural amphitheater at the junction of three canyons where the cliff faces are riddled with openings to houses and churches, many with frescoes still visible. After a climb to the top of the natural rock citadel of Uchisar, continue to the underground city of Kaymakli and walk through a maze of tunnels and rooms at least eight stories deep. Nearby is the outdoor rock art shrine of Yazilikaya where incised Hittite gods march across the cliff face. If available, the director of the excavations will show us his team's latest discoveries. Overnight in Ankara at the Hotel Neva Palas.
Dinner is free.
Visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, set within a splendid restored bazaar and contains a priceless collection of Hittite art. The 7th-century citadel towering above the city is one of the best surviving Byzantine forts. Lunch within its walls in Zenger Pasa Restaurant, housed within an old Ottoman house. In the afternoon, return to Istanbul. A late afternoon boat ride across the Bosphorus takes you to Resat Pasa Konagi a summer palace built 100 years ago.