Classical Turkey by Land and Sea
2022 Dates and Rates
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Arrival in Istanbul and transfer to hotel. Dinner on your own. Your guide will show you several restaurants in the area, or you may simply have dinner at the hotel. Overnight at the Istanbul Ottoman Imperial Hotel in the Historical part of Istanbul.
Full day visit in Istanbul. St. Sophia, The Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace including the Harem. Dinner at a fish restaurant by the Bosphorus and overnight at the Istanbul Ottoman Imperial Hotel in the Historical part of Istanbul.
Morning transfer to airport for flight to Izmir. Visit Ephesus and environs. Sites include the remains of the Artemis Temple, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and the Church of the Virgin Mary. Visit the museum in which most of the finds from Ephesus are exhibited. Dinner and overnight at the La Vista or Kismet Hotel.
Day 5 / Priene – Didyma / Gocek (Gulet)
Visit the most important cities of the classical period, the Ionian cities of Priene and Didyma. Drive to Gocek along Bafa Lake and visit the ancient city of Euromos, which provides a brief introduction to Caria. Arrive Gocek to embark on the gulet, a traditional Turkish wooden-hulled boat. Cruise to Gocek Island to anchor for the night.
Day 6 / Gocek Bays (Gulet)
Cruise along Gocek’s beautiful bays and coves, enjoying nature at its best. Overnight at Agalimani, one of the most beautiful bays on the Turkish Mediterranean coast, or Hamam where you can see an ancient sunken church and the ruins of Cleopatra’s sunken baths. We will walk to the ancient city of Lydae and hike the beautiful trail to Hamam.
Day 7 / Kaya / Gemiler Island (Gulet)
Cruise to Sarnic Bay. Optional walk to the abandoned Greek mountain village of Kayakoy. Return to Gemiler Island to anchor for the night.
Day 8 / Xanthos – Patara / Kalkan (Gulet)
Early morning cruise to Kalkan, a lovely, small coastal village. Stop for breakfast on the way to Firnaz. Drive to Xanthos, an ancient capital of Lycia, then Patara, where St. Nicholas was born. Relax and enjoy the beautiful beach. Optional hike to Delikkemer, the piece of aqueduct of Patara. Overnight Firnaz bay.
Day 9 / Kas (Gulet)
Today we will cruise to Kas, ancient Antiphellos. Visit the town of Kas in the afternoon. Overnight Kas marina or nearby bay of Bayindir.
Day 10 / Kekova (Gulet)
Cruise to Aperlae for snorkeling over the sunken city. Continue to Kekova Bay. Visit the Lycian necropolis at Theimiussa and ancient Simena, overlooking the bay and situated below the ramparts of a Roman castle which houses a small theatre cut into rocks. Overnight in Kekova Bay.
Day 11 / Kekova – Myra (Gulet)
Cruise along Kekova Island and see the sunken city as well as the ruins on the island. Continue to Cayagzi, the ancient city of Andriake. Disembark and drive to Myra, where outstanding examples of Lycian funeral architecture can be seen. Visit the church of St. Nicholas, who was once bishop of Myra. Overnight at Karaloz bay.
Day 12 / Arycanda / Antalya
Cruise to Finike and disembark in the morning. Drive to Arycanda, the great Lycian city located in the mountains. Lunch at a lovely mountain trout farm. Drive to the hotel in Antalya for dinner. Overnight Antalya Tuvana Hotel.
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. Picnic lunch and drive to Antalya to visit the museum. Dinner in town, overnight at Tuvana Hotel.
Day 14 / Konya – Whirling Dervishes / Cappadocia
Take a long drive through the scenic Taurus Mountains with various stops and visits before arriving at Konya, the center of the Whirling Dervishes, and visit the Mevlana Museum. On the way to Cappadocia visit a caravanserai, dating from the 13th century and reflecting the high quality of Seljuk art and architecture. Dinner and overnight at Alfina Cave Suites in Urgup.
Day 15 / Cappadocia
Wake up in a totally different landscape dominated by deep valleys and fairy chimneys. Visit Goreme and Zelve open-air museums and Uchisar Fortress, where early Christians found shelter. Optional afternoon walk in one of the valleys. Dinner in town, overnight at Alfina Cave Suites in Urgup.
Optional balloon trip over Cappadocia in the early morning. Visit the Soganli valley cave dwellings and churches, the Eskigumus monastery near Nigde, and the castle of Nigde. Visit the underground city of Kaymakli. Dinner in town, overnight at Alfina Cave Suites in Urgup.
Day 17 / Departure Day
Transfer to airport for return flight back home.
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