This 14 day tour, starts from Istanbul, Turkey, and ends at Izmir, Turkey.
Welcome to Istanbul! You will be transferred to your hotel and the remainder of the day is yours, free to explore. There are no activities planned until our evening welcome meeting, hosted by your tour guide.
After breakfast, you enjoy a fully guided tour of the only city to span two continents, visiting the Blue Mosque, St Sophia Museum, Topkapi Palace (including Hagia Irene) and the Hippodrome.
Tonight, you will enjoy a welcome dinner with all your group members in a traditional local restaurant.
Explore the beauties of Bosphorus shores with this short trip which includes a Bosphorus Cruise and visits the Spice Bazaar and Rustempasa Mosque. When we return to Eminonu, we will board our coach and head to the airport for our onward flight to the extraordinary Cappadocia.
Marvel at the lunar landscape of Cappadocia today as we visit the Goreme Valley Open Air Museum and the fairy chimneys, and explore the many levels of an underground city.
During the tour, we will be hosted by a local family in a village house. Ladies will serve us the samples of their local cuisine, recipes will be available and your tour guide will help you to get some tips from the ladies for interested travelers.
oday we will cross the Taurus Mountains towards the resort town of Antalya. Along the way, we'll discover Konya, a bastion of Seljuk culture and home of the Mevlevis also known as the Whirling Dervishes due to thier dramatic practice of whirling which they include in their formal ceremonies. We will also have a lunch break in Konya before heading to Antalya.
Full day tour of the ancient ruins of Perge and Aspendos and Side. In Aspendos, you can see the Roman Theatre built in the 2nd century and seating 15,000 people. Side is one of the best classical sites in Turkey with its Temple of Apollo and ancient ruins.
Tonight we will dine at a highly recommended Antalya restaurant for a classic Turkish dinner, multiple mezes, main and dessert. Maybe a good time to sample the local drink, Raki, or Lions Milk as the locals call it !!
Visit the ruins of Hierapolis, the Temple of Apollo, Necropolis, and stroll over the magnificent white calcium terraces of Pamukkale. You will have option to swim in ancient pool while you are in ancient city. Alternatively, you could enjoy the thermal spa facilities of your hotel in the afternoon.
After breakfast, we will drive towards to Fethiye and you will have some free time in the town before boarding the Gulet at Fethiye Harbour afternoon. Relax at the pre-cruise information session. Enjoy an onboard dinner in Fethiye's Çiglik (Scream) Bay.
We will sail towards Gocek Gulf and anchor at Tersane Island for breakfast and swimming break. We will cruise to Monastery Bay which is also known as Cleopatra Bay or Sunken Bath Bay due to the beautiful underwater ruins of an old bath.
After having breakfast at Boynuz Buku, we will go to Red Island. Here we will have lunch on the boat after swimming at the unique beaches at Red Island.
This morning we head to Kayakoy. The morning light provides excellent photos of this deserted Greek village. Afterwards we drive to the resort town of Kusadasi.
Absorb yourself in history today with a guided tour of Ephesus and a visit to the site of the Temple of Artemis. Feel the mystical atmosphere of the ancient city and theatre before continuing to the former Greek village of Sirince, famous for its fruit wines. Carpet weaving has long traditions in Turkey and at the carpet village we learn how the carpets are made by hand and what determines their value.
Tonight we will dine at a highly recommended Kusadasi seafood restaurant. The Turkish people adore their seafood and what better place than the Aegean coast to join them.
Today we follow the Aegean coast, passing through Turkey's primary olive growing region. Here there are olive trees still producing olives that are over 1,800 years old. Firstly, we will visit Sigacik Kaleici. Within the small castle walls ladies at the local market sell all sorts of hand made treats with olive oil being the primary ingredient. From here we will continue on visit the nearby olive oil museum.
Then we will continue to Alacati which has become one of Turkey's most popular summer destinations thanks to its pristine beaches and authentic Aegean charm. With its signature stone houses and cobblestone streets, you can spend a few blissful hours sightseeing, shopping and trying the local flavors. Afterwards we will continue to Izmir for our farewell night.
After breakfast, our tour concludes and we say goodbye to our new friends before being transferred to the airport for your onward flight.