Day Trip Edirne Kakava Festival Tour (Hıdrellez)
Tour Detail
One of Edirne’s most colorful and exuberant traditions, the Kakava Hıdırellez Festivities welcome the arrival of spring with music, dancing, entertainment, and the shared enthusiasm of thousands of people. Held every year in May, this special event features
the energy of Romani culture and the deeply rooted traditions of Hıdırellez coming together with Edirne’s historic atmosphere. Wishes are made around the magnificent Kakava Fire lit in Sarayiçi, music fills the air, and the arrival of spring is celebrated with great excitement. The traditional Hıdırellez rituals held along the banks of the Tunca River add a special meaning to the festivities. Accompanied by colorful clothing, the sounds of drums and zurnas, dancing, and unforgettable scenes, you will feel as though you are inside a giant open-air festival.
We invite our guests who wish to experience Kakava’s unique atmosphere firsthand, share in the excitement of spring, and discover one of Edirne’s most special traditions to an unforgettable journey!
Tour Program
Istanbul-Edirne
🚍 𝐃𝐄𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐃𝐄𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒 🚍
⏰ 06:00 - Kartal Bridge
⏰ 06:10 - Bostancı Bridge
⏰ 06:20 - Kadıköy Marriage Office Parking Lot Front
⏰ 06:40 - Mecidiyekoy Square (In front of Asli Borek)
⏰ 07:00 - In front of İncirli Metrobus Stop Omur Plaza
⏰ 07:15 - Yenibosna Metrobus Stop
⏰ 07:30 - Sefaköy Metrobus Stop
⏰ 07:40 - In front of Avcılar E-5 Bus Stops
⏰ 07:50 - In front of Beylikdüzü Marmara Park
⏰ 08:10 - In front of Silivri Kipa
Our arrival time in Istanbul is between 23:00-01:00 depending on regional congestion and traffic conditions.
In order for our valued guests to make the most of the day, we start our pleasant exploration journey with the participation of our guests from all departure points at the departure times we have determined. At the end of our journey, which takes approximately three and a half hours with our luxury buses and breakfast served on the vehicle, we arrive at the Keçeçizade Production Factory where Edirne’s famous Almond Paste and Kavala Cookies are produced. Here we take both a rest stop and a short shopping break where our guests can buy these delicious products. While watching the making of Almond Paste and Kavala Cookies, we also taste and try the treats of other famous local products. After free time, we arrive at Selimiye Mosque, the masterpiece of Mimar Sinan, our first stop on our Edirne trip, and after completing our visit accompanied by our guide’s narration, we also tour Ali Paşa Bazaar, where we can find handmade fruit soaps and decorative brooms, which is our next stop. To have lunch, we go to our restaurant to eat Edirne’s famous fried liver (extra). After lunch, we go to Beyazıt Complex, built by Bayezid II, our first stop, and here we tour the mosque, madrasa, hospital, guesthouse and soup kitchen in the complex built in the 15th century. Right after touring the complex, which also includes the Medical History Museum, which received an award from the European Union, we head towards Sarayiçi, where our tour’s fun-filled Kakava Festival is held, and participate in the Hıdırellez (Hz. Hızır and Hz. Ilyas) Spring Welcome Ceremony. According to a Muslim belief, Hz. Hızır and Hz. Ilyas meet every May 5th and the world turns green on that date; winter ends and the preparation period for summer begins with spring. We also welcome spring by living the atmosphere of this fantastic culture together with you, accompanied by the "KAKAVA FESTIVAL" and making wishes. In the festival we enjoy to the fullest, our free time here, where the biggest Kakava fire is lit and we will jump over it 3 times according to the belief of the region and the spirit of the environment, will last approximately 2 hours; completing this fun with pleasure, around 18:00 we say goodbye to Edirne with unforgettable memories and begin our return journey to Istanbul. Upon our arrival in Istanbul, we bid farewell to our valued guests at the departure points we picked them up from, hoping to meet again at another unique ITC TOUR event.
***Please do not forget to read the Important Information, Recommendations, Reservation Information and Vehicles to Be Used sections in the "Additional Information" part in the menu above.***
Breakfast: Onboard Lunch Box
Lunch: Extra
Dinner: Extra
Tip of the Day: Do not forget to bring spare clothes for taking nice photos, your spare battery so your charge does not run out, and of course to enjoy the festival to the fullest :)
General Information
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
During the tour, a specific seat number or seat guarantee cannot be given under any circumstances. Please do not insist.
Our vehicles depart at the specified times from the designated departure points for each tour; please be ready at the departure point at least 5 minutes before departure time. Our vehicles depart at the scheduled time. Guests who arrive late and cannot join the tour cannot claim any rights.
Before the tour participation date, the contact number of the tour staff will be sent as a text message to the phone number you provided during reservation. Please make sure that the contact number you provide is correct. Otherwise, responsibility lies with you.
In cases where children under 18 who are not considered adults do not join the tour with one or both of their mother or father, the consents required for participation in the tour must be kept with them during the trip.
If the Guide deems it necessary in situations such as adverse weather conditions, heavy traffic, or the density of places to be visited in the region, he/she has the right to make changes to the timing, program flow, and region to be visited, provided that the tour program is carried out. The hotels specified in the program may be changed provided that they are similar in terms of standards and location.
Our tour is a package including guiding, transportation, accommodation, and excursions, and cannot be considered separately. Unused transportation, accommodation, excursions, etc. rights are not refundable. If sufficient participation is not reached, provided that guests who purchased the package are informed in advance, the tour may be postponed to another date, guests may be transferred to a different tour program, or the tour may be cancelled and the fee of the guests who made the purchase will be refunded. In such a case, our Agency is obliged to inform our guests personally 1 (one) day in advance. The minimum number of participants is 25 people.
itctur.com is not responsible for places that cannot be visited in our tour program due to force majeure (weather, road, closures of places/regions due to congestion at places visited, special days, or renovation work, etc.) or due to our guests not complying with the timings given by our guide.
If the agency does not reach a sufficient number, it may send its guests to a different agency with the same or similar tour program in order not to cancel the tour; in this way, our guests can complete the tour program they purchased without disrupting their holiday plan.
The return times of the tours may vary according to traffic density; no exact or definite return time is given.
In overnight tours, the 0–6 age child discount is used for one child with two adults.
Foreign guests who are not citizens of the Republic of Turkey do not pay an additional difference for this tour. Since the museum card application is specific to Turkish citizens, no museum card is issued. The latest published circular supersedes the previous circular.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Comfortable walking shoes or sneakers should be preferred during the trip.
We recommend that you bring a cardigan and similar clothing for the night. Since we will make all our trips during the day, do not forget to bring lip balm, sunscreen and a hat, a small bag for your shopping and, most importantly, a camera and spare memory card and charging kit, spare battery.
RESERVATION DETAILS
As a result of the reservation you made online, your Tour Registration confirmation will be sent to the email address you specified. You can participate in our tour after the Tour Registration confirmation reaches you. Guests who do not receive the tour confirmation email cannot participate in our tour.
It is mandatory to provide the necessary contact information for the person for whom the reservation is made. itctur.com is not responsible for any possible problems that may arise if this information is incomplete.
VEHICLES TO BE USED
Our vehicles to be used in the tours are determined according to the number of people and road conditions, regional conditions; the type of vehicle to be used in the tours cannot be guaranteed.
All vehicles used in our tours are tourism vehicles.
For 38 people and above: Otokar Doruk, Mercedes Travego – Tourismo, Man Fortuna, Mitsubishi Safir, Neoplan Tourliner-Cityliner; for up to 31 people: luxury Otokar Sultan Maxi; for up to 27 people: luxury Isuzu Novo – Isuzu Turkuaz - Otokar Sultan; for up to 15 people: luxury Mercedes Sprinter – Volkswagen Crafter vehicles are used.
Additional Information
MUSEUM AND HISTORICAL SITE ENTRANCE FEES
If our guide deems it necessary, he/she has the right to make changes to the flow of the tour, provided that the entire program is implemented. Private business entrance fees, museum and historical site entrance fees are the responsibility of our guests. Our guests between the ages of 7 and 12 who wish to enter the museums participating in the tour will pay the student fee, provided that they present identification. All guests participating in the tour who want to enter the museums are obliged to pay this fee.
Departure Points
- In front of Kadıköy Marriage Office Parking Lot (Istanbul, 06:20-06:20)
- Under Bostancı Bridge (Toward Ankara) (Istanbul, 06:10-06:10)
- Kartal Bridge (Ankara Direction) (Istanbul, 06:00-06:00)
- Mecidiyeköy Square (In front of Aslı Börek) (Istanbul, 06:40-06:40)
- Incirli Metrobus Stop, in front of Omur Plaza (Istanbul, 07:00-07:00)
- In front of the Avcılar E-5 bus stops (Istanbul, 07:40-07:40)
- Silivri Kipa Front (Istanbul, 08:10-08:10)
- Sefaköy Metrobus Stop (Istanbul, 07:30-07:30)
- Yenibosna Metrobus Stop (Istanbul, 07:15-07:15)
- Beylikdüzü (Istanbul, 07:50-07:50)
What's Included
Professional Guidance Service
Round-trip Transportation Service
All side tours specified in the program
In-vehicle breakfast package (sandwich + fruit juice)
Mandatory travel insurance according to tourism law No. 1618
Not Included
All personal expenses
Lunch
II. Beyazid Complex Health Museum entrance fee
All excursions indicated as extra in the program