Walk Through Classical Turkey
Day 1 / Flight Day
Flight from the U.S.
Day 2 / Istanbul
Arrive to 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.Hippodrome was used for Chariot races and other public games were held here. It was also the scene of many revolts during the time of the Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans. We will continue to St. Sophia, the largest building of its time, was devoted for Haghia Sophia, the Divine Wisdom was built by Justinian in 537. It had been a source of inspiration for the great Ottoman architect Sinan and his followers. Blue Mosque, which was built by Ahmet I , was a work of one of the apprentices of Sinan. With its style and inner decoration of Iznik tiles, it constitutes one of the best examples of late Classical Ottoman architecture.
Dinner on your own and overnight at Ottoman House Hotel overlooking to the St. Sophia.
Day 3 / Istanbul
Today we will visit the Topkapi Palace, the second Ottoman palace after the conquest has been used until the 19th Century.
Topkapi Palace, the maze of building at the center of the Ottoman Empire between the 15th and l9th centuries. In these opulent surroundings the sultans and their court lived and governed.
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, which houses an impressive collection of statues and other artifacts recovered during the excavation of Ephesos.
Than, we will visit Ephesos and its environs. Ephesos, representing many cultures of bygone eras, is the most famous of the cities of Asia Minor. It was once the commercial center of the ancient world. The city was dedicated to the goddess Artemis. Ephesos with its port commanded the west end of one great trade route into Asia and had easy access to the other two.
With its colonnaded arial streets, monumental fountains, administrative, religious and public buildings, including the restored Library of Celsus and an enormous theater, it is an outstanding example of an ancient Roman city.
After visiting the city we will drive to the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The remains of the foundation and some columns are all that can be seen of this once colossal temple.
Dinner will be at a local restaurant and overnight at the Kalehan or Sirince Pension. (B/D)
Day 5 / Priene – Didyma – Labranda Hike / Bodrum
Our first stop will be Priene, one of the 12 cities of the Ionian League. Situated at the foot of a spectacular cliff on Mt. Mykale. The well-preserved remains include the Temple of Athena Polias.
After leaving Priene, we will drive to Didyma, and visit the Temple of Apollon. Didyma was not a city but a sanctuary connected to Miletos by a 12-mile-long sacred road. It was famed as an oracle center of Apollo, which rivaled that of Delphi.
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 Bodrum Kos Hotel. (B)
Day 6 / Kaunos – Dalyan Hike / Dalyan
We will drive to the village of Dalyan on the bank of the Dalyan River, the ancient Chalbis, which connects Lake Koycegiz to the Mediterranean. A short boat ride along the river will take us to the lovely site of the ancient Karian city of Kaunos. Located near the harbor, the agora with its Hellenistic stoa, the Shrine for Aphrodite Euploia and the nypmhaion was the vital center of the town.
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. This beach is one of the well-known spots where Caretta Caretta, the logger headed giant sea turtles, lay their eggs during the summer. After taking time for lunch and swimming, we will cruise back to the village of Dalyan and continue driving to Fethiye, ancient Telmessos. This Lycian town’s necropolis has magnificent examples of rock-cut tombs which have facades similar to those of Ionic temples.
We will cruise with our small boat to Dalyan. Dinner & overnight Dalyan Antik Hotel. (B/D)
Day 7 / Kekova Hike / 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 Kekova Pension. (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 / Beycik - Tahtali Dag Hike / 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 Walk / 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 / Seljuk Caravanserai’s Trails Hike / 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 Valley - 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 / 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 Istanbul airport for return flight to the United States via Istanbul. (B)
What’s Included:
Not Included
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