13 Days Classical Turkey
CLASSICAL TURKEY – 13 DAYS
Day 1: Arrive in Istanbul
Upon arrival at The Istanbul Ataturk Airport, you will be met and assisted to The Blue House Hotel in Sultanahmet.
You are going to meet your guide and other tour participants for a cocktail and a brief of your trip before dinner.
Accommodation: The Blue House Hotel
Meals : Dinner (D)
Day 2: Istanbul
Your guideis going to meet you after breakfast for a tour of the Ottoman Istanbul. A short walk takes you to the Blue Mosque which was completed in 1616. Our next stop will be the Topkapi Palace, more than just a palace, it is an assemblage of museums containing collections amassed by the Sultans for almost five centuries. Our visit also brings you to the famous Harem where the Imperial Family resided. Then we stop at Divan Yolu for lunch at a local restaurant.
Next we walk through the old cobbled streets down to Rustem Pasha Mosque and then the Spice Market, where Genoese and Venetian goods were sold at a time when there was no Suez Canal, and all the spices from the East were also brought here after being loaded on vessels in Egypt.
We will end the tour with a visit to the Grand Bazaar.
Dinner will be at one of our selected restaurants serving you specialties of Turkish Cuisine.
Accommodation: The Blue House Hotel
Meals : Breakfast (B), Lunch (L), Dinner (D)
Day 3: Istanbul
Our second day in Istanbul brings us to a number of Byzantine Relics.
We first get to the great square which was once the Byzantine Hippodrome. Now it is a great park like area surrounded by the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque and the Underground Cistern, commonly called the Basilica Cistern. The Hippodrome exhibits the Walled Column, The Serpent Column and the Egyptian Obelisque from the Byzantine times and the German Fountain is located in the North end of the Hippodrome.
Next we will visit the Hagia Sophia.
After lunch at a local restaurant we are going take a short drive to The Chora Church to see the climax of Byzantine Mosaic Art.
Dinner and overnight in Istanbul.
Accommodation: The Blue House Hotel
Meals : (B, L, D)
Day 4: Istanbul – Flight to Izmir – Kusadasi
In ?stanbul, on our last day, we will check out after a leisurely breakfast and take a short drive to the shores of the Bosphorus to visit the Dolmabahce Palace.
Overlooking the Bosphorus, its beauty is incomparable with 14 tons of pure gold used for its interior decoration, its priceless paintings, furniture, and a rich collection of Bohemian crystal in addition to its famous Harem section.
Then we will get on board at Eminonu for the leisurely cruise of the Bosporus to the still unspoiled village of Sariyer.
In the afternoon, we will be transferred to Istanbul Airport for the 17:00 flight to Izmir, then we take an hour’s transfer to our hotel in Kusadasi.
Dinner and overnight in Kusadasi.
Accommodation: La Vista Hotel
Meals : (B, L, D)
Day 5: Ephesus
We will start early in the morning to beat the crowds and first drive to the Virgin Mary’s House; afterwards, we are going to visit Ephesus which was founded in the eleventh century BC by the Ionians. Strolling through the streets of Ephesus, we see the Fountain of Traian, the temple of Hadrian and the Library of Celsus to name a few. We also visit the Terrace Houses: A number of living units where the rich and the dignitary of Ephesus with the most beautiful ground mosaics, frescoes, terra cotta pipe lines and private baths.
Later in the afternoon we will visit St John’s Basilica, believed to be the tomb of the Apostle John, Christ’s beloved disciple. From the basilica, we will be able to look down on the remains of the temple of Artemis. We end the day with our visit to the Isa Bey Mosque, then will we head on to Kusadasi for a well-earned rest.
Dinner and overnight in Kusadasi.
Accommodation: La Vista Hotel
Meals : (B, L, D)
Day 6: Priene – Miletus – Didyma
After breakfast, we will drive first to Prienne, formerly a leading member of the Panionic League. As we drive further South, we will visit Miletus and then arrive at Didyma, where we have lunch at a local restaurant, circumstances permitting, across the road from the temple. As the historian Pausanias wrote; ‘The sanctuary of Apollo at Didymoi, and the oracle there are more ancient than the Ionian settlement.’
Dinner and overnight in Kusadasi.
Accommodation: La Vista Hotel
Meals : (B, L, D)
Day 7: Aphrodisias – Pamukkale
As we check out, we will drive to Pamukkale giving an en route visit to Aphrodisias, which was the city dedicated to the cult of Aphrodite. As we visit the Sculptor’s Museum in Aphrodisias, we will have lunch at a local restaurant. We will visit Hierapolis on arrival, then have time to stroll over the calcareous terraces ofPamukkale, or to enjoy the thermal facilities.
Dinner and overnight in Pamukkale.
Accommodation: Richmond Thermal Hotel Pamukkale
Meals : (B, L, D)
Day 8: Phaselis – Antalya
Do not forget to bring your swim wear for this day. After a spectacular drive enjoying views of the mountains, and then pine and cedar trees, we arrive at the scenic coastal route which is surrounded by the turquoise blue waters of the Mediterranean and the pine forests above. Phaselis, where Alexander the Great wintered before he marched on for the rest of his campaign, is a beautiful Roman port city. If Alexander ever took his armour off and went for a swim, it should be the harbor at Phaselis; and our guests will enjoy swimming in the same harbor with a view of the ruins and the Taurus Mountains.
On arrival to Antalya, we visit the Archaeology Museum which was awarded the Museum of the Year in Europe.
Dinner and overnight in Antalya.
Accommodation: Rixos Downtown Antalya
Meals : (B, L, D)
Day 9: Perge – Aspendos
In the morning, we will first visit Perge, one of the most impressive sites of Pamphylia, and then Aspendos, the world’s best preserved ancient theatre. After lunch at a local restaurant near the Aspendos Theatre, we are going to allow you time in the afternoon to rest & relax at the Lara Beach.
Dinner and overnight in Antalya.
Accommodation: Rixos Downtown Antalya
Meals : (B, L, D)
Day 10: Antalya/Konya
An early departure after breakfast and a scenic route through Burdur takes us to the beautiful site of Sagalassos. This is one of the very few ancient cities where we can witness how sacred fountains function. After lunch at the town of Aglasun, we continue our drive to the town of Beysehir to visit Esrefoglu Mosque. We arrive at Konya in the late afternoon hours to visit the world famous Mevlana Museum, formerly the place where the mystic philosophy of Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi was taught.
Dinner and overnight in Konya.
Accommodation: Rumi Hotel Konya
Meals : (B, L, D)
Day 11: Konya/Cappadocia
Today, we are going to drive to Cappadocia, with an enroute visit to Sultanhan Caravanserai, where the medieval merchants used to stay overnight. After this, we will arrive in Ihlara Valley and have our lunch at a local restaurant by the river. After the lunch, we walk through the canyon via the Steps of Anatolia to Belisirma village, the ancient Peristrema. Set by the Melendiz River this is known as the “Valley of the Sky”. Churches carved from the rocks form a gallery of early paintings that are remarkable for their accuracy.
Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia.
Accommodation: Yunak Evleri
Meals : (B, L, D)
Day 12: Cappadocia
Today we will introduce you to the lunar landscape of Cappadocia at Dervent Valley, then we head on toZelve Open Air Museum, which is one of the earliest inhabited and latest abandoned monastic settlements of Cappadocia. Seeing the best examples of the fairy chimneys at Pasabag Fairy Chimneys Valley, we drive further to Avanos, where we have lunch at a local restaurant. Goreme Open Air Museum is where we visit the rock carved churches and colorful frescoes. We end the day hiking up to the top of Uchisar Castle, which is the highest and the most dominant point, giving us a breathtaking panorama view.
Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia.
Accommodation: Yunak Evleri
Meals : (B, L, D)
Day 13: Cappadocia
Our first stop is the Soganli Valley, which is one of the earliest settlements in Cappadocia. After this, we will drive back to Urgup through the unspoiled villages of Cappadocia, surrounded by the “table-top” mountains. On the way we will visit the Medrese in Taskinpasa, a Theological School of the Seljuk Turks. After lunch in Mustafapasa at an old Greek house hosted by a local family, we descend towards the centre of the earth, with a trip to the Underground City of Kaymakli, one of the largest and deepest of Cappadocia’s many such settlements.
Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia.
Accommodation: Yunak Evleri
Meals : (B, L, D)
Day 14: Cappadocia – Home
Private Transfer to Nevsehir Airport for a flight to Bodrum, Marmaris or Gocek over Istanbul or direct flight to Izmir and Private transfer to your boat . Check in to your gullet.
Accommodation: You may book additional nights in Cappadocia or Istanbul
Luxury Yacht Charter in Turkey with a super yacht is a very relaxing holiday after such an intensive land tour programme. You will have chance to enjoy the south coast.