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Walking
Tour Turkey
Istanbul &
Aegean & Lycia & Cappadocia
Walking makes you aware of the environment in a way that no other means of traveling can.
The main stops during our walks are less known and less accessible sites such as nomad
camps, summer villages on high meadows, unusual sights of fairy chimneys, troglodytic
dwellings, open-air sanctuaries, rock-cut tombs, and Cappadocian monasteries.
2010
Tour Dates
|
Date |
Rate* |
Single Sup. |
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Apr 09 -
Apr 26 |
$2475 |
$411 |
|
Oct 08 - Oct 25 |
$2475 |
$411 |
(You may join one of our
scheduled tours or form your own group and dates)
18 Days: Friday -Monday
Day 1 Flight Day
Flight from the United States.
Day 2
Istanbul
Arrival in Istanbul meet with your guide and transfer to the
historical part of Istanbul.
We will have an orientation walk and visit the Hippodrome,
the Blue Mosque and the St. Sophia. Dinner on your
own and overnight at the Ottoman House Hotel. (D)
 Day
3 Istanbul
Today we
will visit the Topkapi Palace, the second Ottoman palace
after the conquest has been used until the 19th
Century.
Having lunch
in the Palace grounds, we will visit the Basilica Cistern,
an enormous underground gallery which collected the palaces
main water supply. In the afternoon we will visit The Grand
Bazaar is a labyrinth of streets and passages housing more
than 4,000 shops. We will have dinner at the famous Kumkapi
Fish market and overnight at the Ottoman House Hotel. (B/D)
Day 4
Ephesos / Kusadasi
Transfer in
the morning to the airport for flight at 08:00 TK 312 to
Izmir. Meet with your guide in Izmir and drive to Ephesos.
We
will have a morning hike along Polio Aqueduct, and continue
to Selcuk for lunch. After lunch we will visit the Museum.
Than, we
will visit Ephesos and its environs. After visiting the city
we will drive to the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven
Wonders of the World. Dinner will be at a local restaurant
and overnight at the
Kismet Hotel. (B/D)
Day 5
Priene - Didyma - Labranda Hike / Bodrum
Our first stop will be
Priene, one of the 12 cities of the Ionian League. After
leaving Priene, we will drive to Didyma, and visit the
Temple of Apollon.
After
visiting Didyma, we will drive to Labranda, a Carian city
located in the mountains, after having a light picnic lunch
we will have a brief visit of the city and take a hike for 3
hours to Kargicak Village following the ancient trail that
led from Labranda to Mylasa. We will drive to Bodrum for
dinner and overnight. Dinner on your own & overnight Bodrium Hotel. (B)
 Day 6
Caunos - Dalyan Hike / Dalyan
We will
drive to the village of Dalyan on the bank of the Dalyan
River, the ancient Chalbis. A
short boat ride along the river will take us to the lovely
site of the ancient Karian city of Kaunos. We will take a 3
hours hike over the Kaunos ruins and see the magnificent
view on the Acropolis. Our
boat will take us to the beach where the river meets the
Mediterranean. After taking time for lunch and swimming, we
will cruise back to the village of Dalyan
. Dinner & overnight Dalyan Antik Hotel. (B/D)
Day 7
Kekova
 Today
we will drive to Kekova, a whole ensenblage of picturesque
islands and numerous bays. We will have a morning hike for
about 3 hours from the Ancient road leading down to
Theimiussa, the central village of Kekova Island.
Having lunch in Theimiussa, we will have a boat ride to the
Lycian site of Simena, overlooking Kekova Bay and situated
below the ramparts of a Roman castle which houses a small
theater cut into the rock.
Having a swimming break, we will have a optional 1 hour hike
from Simena back to Theimiussa. Dinner on your own in a fish
restaurant by the sea and overnight
Aquarius Hotel. (B)
Day 8
Myra - Ulupinar - Chimera Hike / Olympos
Today we
will drive to Myra. At this site many splendidly carved rock
tombs overlook a magnificent Roman theater. St. Nicholas was
the bishop of Myra during the fourth century and died there
in 342 AD. We will visit the church where he is buried.
We will continue to Ulupinar for a light lunch, and take the
wonderful 2 hours hike to Chimera, home of the legendary
Homeric Dragon, which was killed by Bellerophon and buried
seven layers below the ground. The flames of the monster can
still be seen, as believed for centuries by both the Lycians
and the local people. After the walk we will have time to
swim on the preserved beach of Chimera and visit the ruins
of the coastal city of Olympos. Dinner and overnight at the
Blue Garden Hotel. (B/D)
Day 9
Tahtali Dag / Antalya
Today we will drive to the “Beydagi Mountains”, a National
park along the Mediterranean, a beautiful mountain chain
rising immediately from the coast to almost 10.000 feet
high. We will
begin our 8 hours hike, from Godene Village, crossing
through old cedar forests we will cross over Tahtali
Mountain down to Beycik. Our van will meet us in Beycik and
we will drive to Antalya. Dinner & overnight Dogan Hotel,
which is a renovated Ottoman House from the 19th
century. (B/D)
Day 10
Termessos / Antalya
Meet the bravest and toughest people of Anatolia, the
Pisidians. Visit Termessos, the biggest and most impressive
city within the
 grounds
of Termessos National Park. We will have a nice leisurely
hike through the ruins scattered in the mountains. Picnic
lunch at Termessos and drive back to Antalya. Dinner in town
and overnight at the Antalya Dogan Hotel. (B/D)
Day 11
Selge - Koprulu Canyon National Park / Bungalows
Drive to the entrance of the canyon where the ancients built
a
stone bridge, still in use since the 2nd century A.D. We
will drive
to the ancient city of Selge, where we will begin our walk
through the village and the ruins, down to the path where
the nomads wandered for centuries and still do. Dinner and
overnight at the Bungalows overlooking the Great Canyon.
(B/D)
 Day 12
Caravan Trails / Konya
In the 12th century A.D., the Seljuk Turks
rebuilt the entire Roman Road System and built Caravanserais
along the trade routes. Today, we will walk the Kargihan –
Eynif Han trail. Our bus will meet us the Eynif Han and we
will drive to Konya. Dinner & Overnight Konya Ozkaymak
Hotel. (B/D)
Day 13
Ihlara Valley /
Cappadocia
Drive to
Aksaray for lunch. Continue to Ihlara Valley. Visit the
rock-cut churches of Ihlara and walk along the stream down
to Belisirma. Drive to Goreme for dinner and overnight at
the Kelebek Cave Suites Hotel. (B)
Day 14
Pigeon Valley - Goreme / Cappadocia
Walk through Pigeon Valley to Goreme open air museum. We
will
have a picnic lunch on the way. Dinner in town and overnight
at the Kelebek Cave Suites Hotel. (B)
Day 15
Red & Rose Valley / Cappadocia
Walk through the Kizilcukur and Gulludere Valleys. Both
valleys offer the most spectacular views of the Cappadocia
region. Dinner in town and overnight Kelebek Cave Suites
Hotel. (B/D)
Day 16
Phallic Valley - Cavusin / Cappadocia
Walk in the phallic valley noted for its interesting rock
formations called "fairy chimneys", followed by a visit to
the underground
 cities,
carved 7 layers below the ground in the 6th century B.C. We
will route our way through the galleries carved into the
rock. Dinner in Goreme and overnight at the Kelebek Cave
Suites Hotel. (B/D)
Day 17 Cappadocia - Istanbul /
Istanbul
Transfer to Kayseri airport for flight TK261 at 10:55 am to
Istanbul. Arrive to Istanbul and transfer to your hotel. Day
on your own in Istanbul. Overnight Ottoman House Hotel. (B)
Day 18 Departure Day
Transfer to airport for return flight to the United States.
(B)
What's Included
- 4 and 5 star and equivalent special category hotel accommodations. Note: Depending on availability, listed hotels may be substituted with similar class without notice.
- All meals as indicated: B=Breakfast, D=Dinner. Most of the dinners in restaurants specializing in local cuisine.
- Professional, English-speaking guide.
- Air-conditioned vehicle with professional tour bus driver.
- Only hotel and restaurant tips, where meal is included.
- Group flight transfers.
- All entrance fees and admissions.
- Tea, coffee, and soft drinks with meals.
- Baggage handling.
- Tour folders with brochures and maps of Turkey
- No hidden costs!
Not Included
- Lunches.
- Guide and driver tips.
- International flights.
- Visa
- Domestic flights in Turkey.
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