Itinerary

Day 1 ... . . . .**Click on any blue word to see photos for each day of the tour.** . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .............. .. . . . .As we say in Turkey, HOS GELDINIZ! Welcome to Turkey. We will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel. After a short briefing about your tour you will have the afternoon free to rest and explore Istanbul on your own.:
*In early evening we will take a walking tour of nearby Ortakoy. Located on the banks of the Bosphorus and underneath the Bosphorus Bridge, Ortakoy is in a lovely setting, known by all Istanbulites for it’s stunning views and trendy coffee and tea shops.
*In the evening we will join together for dinner. Dinner will be your first introduction to the cuisine of Turkey .
>Dinner provided<overnight in ISTANBUL

Day 2 . . . . . . This will be a full day of exploring the historical sites of Istanbul.
Sites you’ll see today
Byzantine Hippodrome-The focal point of the Byzantine Empire during the reign of Constantine. Within it’s center you will see the Egyptian Obelisk and Serpentine Column.
Topkapi Palace--the residence and leadership center of the Sultans during the Ottoman Empire. It was built in 1459-1465 shortly after the conquest of Constantinople. You will see the Treasury that includes the Topkapi Dagger, the 86 carat Spoon Maker’s Diamond, and the jewel encased bones of St. John the Baptist’s skull and arm bone. You also will see the Harem where all the women of the Palace were "kept", and the Pavilion of the Holy Mantle that is home to some of the holiest Muslim relics...including the mantle worn by the Prophet Mohammed and hairs from his beard.
*Blue Mosque--World renown for it’s architecture and focal point for worshipping Muslims
*Haghia Sophia--1,400 year old supreme church from Byzantium times which houses famous Byzantine Mosaics
*Underground Basilica Cistern built in the 6th century--Wander underground in this cavern built during the time of Justinian and view classical columns including one with the base carved as the head of Medusa
*In the evening we will join for another Turkish dinner.
>Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner provided<overnight in ISTANBUL

Day 3
In the early morning we will drive west, heading towards the Aegean Sea.
Sites you’ll see today
*The Stone Village is as authentic of a Turkish village experience as you will ever get. Set within the Gallipoli peninsula, we will have time to walk around this farming village made of stone houses and eat lunch with the villagers who have prepared our traditional lunch.
*Gallipoli and The Dardanelles --after our lunch we will stop to visit Gallipoli, a place of fierce WWI fighting between Allied forces and the Turks. At ANZAC Cove thousands lost their lives in one fateful dawn morning. We will also see other famous battle sites of World War 1 in this area, such as Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair. From here we go to a ferry and cross the Dardanelles. For World War 1 buffs, you will know the Dardanelle Straits were a strategic crossing point for the allied armies to cross from Europe to Asia Minor. Over a nine month campaign, more than half a million soldiers lost their lives in the fight to control this strait of water and nearby Gallipoli peninsula. Many villagers of this region speak of seeing ghosts wandering the cemetery sites or hearing battle cries.....still today!
*Canakkale will be our final destination for today and where we will spend the evening. After dinner, you might want to stroll the harbor walk and experience the local culture. The locals buy sunflower seeds and stroll with their families, gossiping and looking at the sunset. When they reach the harbor's end, they turn around, buy their ice cream and walk the other direction.
>Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner provided<overnight in CANNAKALE

Day 4
We continue our scenic drive along the Aegean, stopping for photo opportunities and perhaps to indulge the taste buds at one of the many farmer road side stands that sell olives, figs, seasonal fruit and pistachios. We then will head east towards our first site of the day.
Sites you’ll see today
*Troy --is the ancient site written about by Homer in the Iliad. It dates back as far as 3000 BC and has been the site of nine different cities through the thousands of years it has existed. As you enter the site a large wooden Trojan horse dominates your view. You will definitely want to climb up and get your picture taken!
*Pergamum was known to have the second largest library of books in the ancient world. Egyptian librarians, worried that they would be outdone, stopped allowing Pergamum to use it’s papyrus for books and scrolls. Therefore, ever competitive, the Pergamum kingdom came up with the solution of inventing it’s own source...animal hides, known as parchment. Pergamum was rivaled only by Ephesus in its wealth, temples, and beauty. The ancient acropolis dominates the view from all around. Most memorable to you will probably be Pergamum’s ancient theatre. Carved straight out of the high hill-side, it is one of the steepest ancient theatres in the world--and the view is amazing. Sites in Pergamum to see include the acropolis, asclepion, and red basilica.
*We will stop to learn how the infamous Turkish carpets are handcrafted and created by Turkish women. You might even get a chance to tie your own knot on a carpet!
*You will reach your hotel in Kusadasi located on the Aegean Sea in the late afternoon. You will have the rest of the day to rest, swim, or sunbathe beside the crystal blue Aegean.
>Breakfast /Lunch/Dinner provided<overnight in KUSADASI

Day 5
We will visit Turkey’s most impressive Roman and Biblical site today, in what may well be one of your most memorable days in Turkey. We will also visit other significant sites of the area.
Sites you’ll see today
*Ephesus is one of the best preserved cities from Roman times. At the time St. Paul lived in Ephesus in the 60’s AD, it was at it’s Roman heyday with a population around 250,000. Ephesus was a great ancient city and much of it has been preserved for you to see. More than any other site, you can walk the streets, stand in the great theatre, wander in the library, see the ancient Roman toilets and baths, and feel that you are walking back into ancient history.
*The House of The Virgin Mary where it is believed St. Mary came to live with St. John in the last years of her life.
*The Church of St. John was erected by Emperor Justinian in memorial to St. John whose tomb is within it’s walls. St. John came here towards the end of his life with the Virgin Mary whom he cared for. He wrote the gospel of St. John and his other letters during the last years of his life here.
>Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner provided<

Day 6
We will visit three ancient cities today while driving through beautiful Turkish farmland and countryside.
Sites you'll see today
*Priene is found in a dramatic setting high up in the mountains, overlooking the farmland way below. It dates back to 300 BC when it was one of the League of Ionian Cities. It’s ancient population was 5,000 and had a well planned grid system design for its streets. In early days it had a port but by the Roman period the nearby Maiandros River silted up the land into a swamp. The swamp created perfect conditions for mosquitoes and as a result malaria struck in epidemic proportions. By 1400 the city was completely abandoned. Today there is no swamp, but a lot of fertile farmland.
*Miletus was an important commercial and governmental center from 700 BC until 700 AD. Although today this ancient city is surrounded by farm land, when it was at it’s peak the Aegean Sea rose to it’s city walls. You can still see where the harbor once brought goods to and fro. The most memorable part of visiting Miletus is to sit in one of the 15,000 seats of it’s ancient theatre, and then wander the passageways that connect the sections of the theatre. Miletos was known as a city of philosophers who were at the forefront of scientific inquiry. Important Milesians were some of the first to make maps, explain the lunar eclipse, plan towns, recognize the atom and construct an accurate sundial.
*Didyma was not an ancient city, but rather a sacred place of pagan worship. It’s fame rests in it’s Temple of Apollo that was built in the 7th-8th century BC, although the works seen today are from the 4th century efforts of Alexander the Great. The Diymaion Temple was the 3rd largest temple in the ancient world. Soothsaying and prophecies were told here by an elite group of priests for 1400 years until Christianity became the state religion of the Byzantines and ended pagan practices. The temple was famous for its Oracle that gave divine information about the future to the priests who then relayed such prophecies to the worshipping people.
>Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner provided< overnight in KUSADASI

Day 7
A cotton castle, a hillside of tombs, and an ancient sculpture school....there is never a day in Turkey that you are short of eclectic sites to see!
Sites you'll see today
*Afrodisias was named after Aphrodite, the goddess of love, fertility, and nature. It was a famous site for the cult worship of Aphrodite. Besides the fame of the cult of Aphrodite, the settlement was famous for its school of sculpture. Nearby marble supplies, as well as famous scholars, attracted students to its school and created a demand for its work throughout the Roman Empire. As a result an amazing collection of quality sculpture has been found. Today Aphrodisias is a wonderful site to explore and one your favorites places will probably be the oval shaped 30,000 seat stadium. As you sit down and look at the field you can almost hear the ancient roar of the crowd as they watched chariot races or gladiators. You can also visit the Tetrapylon, the Bishop’s Palace, the city baths, and of course what would an ancient city be without a theatre. This one comes complete with individually labeled seats.
*Pammukale which means cotton castle, is the result of limestone formations built over thousands of years. Warm calcium rich mineral water flowed over the cliffs and as it cooled it deposited the calcium into the formations that are seen today. Pammukale is now a world heritage site.
*Hierapolis was founded as a healing care centre in 190 BC, taking advantage of the mineral waters in the area. It was one of the most important intellectual, artistic, religious and commercial centres of the Roman Empire.
*In the afternoon you will have free time at your hotel to relax in it’s natural and thermal spring waters that are used in it’s pools....or perhaps you will treat yourself to a mud bath, massage or manicure!
>Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner provided<overnight in PAMMUKALE

Day 8
Today we will head south towards the Mediterranean town of Antalya.
Sites you'll see today
*Termessos is a ruined city high up in the rugged Antalya mountain range. The city was built by the warlike Termessians who built their fortress to greatly withstand enemy attack. Both Alexander The Great and the Romans could not conquer it. Because of it’s rugged locale, it is argued that this ancient city is the most stunning of all Turkey s sites. The theatre backdrop of rugged mountains is a magnificent setting.
*Karain Cave archeological evidence shows that it has been continuously inhabited for 25,000 years. It can be an uncanny place to see with it s three large chambers and countless signs of ancient human occupation.
*Duden Waterfalls will be a nice relaxing reward after our climbs to see Termessos and Karain. Here you can cool off by the falls while sipping tea or a nice cold cola.
*In the evening you can stroll on your own through Kaleci, the old part of Antalya.
>Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner provided<overnight in ANTALYA

Day 9
Excursions today will be around the Antalya area
Sites you'll see today
*Perge is a grand exhibit of what an ancient Greek and Roman city looked like. Records date it back as far as the 4th BC. It was visited by Greek colonists after the Trojan War, by St. Paul and companions when it was one of the leading cities of Pamphyilia, and fell under the leadership of Alexander the Great and also the Byzantines. During the reign of Constantine, Perge became an important centre of Christianity. Perhaps in part due to St. Paul’s sermons here centuries before. During the 5th and 6th centuries it continued it’s Christian status.
*Aspendos is most famous for its theatre that dates to 160-180 AD. If the dates are available, we will see one of the world reknowned evening opera and ballet performances that is performed at this ancient theatre in the summer months.
*Manavgat Waterfall is where we will take a nice cool rest , sitting right next to the falls. Local restaurants provide iced drinks or ice cream.
*Side was the site of Pamphyilia’s largest port and was probably first colonized in the 7th BC. It has a beautiful theatre that is one of the largest in Anatolia and a wonderful seaside setting for the 2nd century Apollo and Athena Temple.
>Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner provided<overnight in SIDE

Day 10
We travel inland today with our destination of Konya, home of the whirling dervishes. Konya is also known as one of the most conservative Islamic towns in Turkey and a pilgrimage site for devout Muslims. Before reaching Konya we will stop to see a medieval mosque at a lakeside town.
Sites you'll see today
*Beysehir is a quaint lakeside town. We will visit the Esrefoglu Mosque, said to be the second most architecturally important mosque in Anatolia.
*Upon reaching Konya we will visit the Mevlana Museum which is a holy site for Muslims. It is the former lodging place for the whirling dervishes. The architecture and turquoise tiles are a beautiful site for all. Then we will visit the Karatay Medrese which houses an outstanding collection of ceramics and tiles. The eight- hundred year old building was once a Selcuk Islamic theological seminary.
>Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner provided<overnight in KONYA

Day 11
Today will be spent walking through an underground city where ancient people once fled for their lives escaping the Arab invaders, wandering through Ilhara Gorge and spending time in an Anatolian village. As we will need to drive for awhile in order to reach our first destination, we will be starting out quite early this morning.
Sites you'll see today
*Ihlara Gorge will seem like an oasis in the middle of the Anatolian plain. Delve into the gorge and see the beautiful greenery as you follow the river. Around you will see ancient monasteries complete with pigeon holes cut into the cliffs by the monks. They used these pigeons as messengers to communicate with their monk friends!
*Traditional Anatolian villages--The head-scarved women out at work in the fields from sun up until sun-down, and the mustached, vest-wearing men hard at work playing cards in the coffee shops. You will get time to stroll in such a village and see the average Turkish villager at work...or play.
*Underground City of Derinkuyu--You will gradually stroll your way down into the depths of the earth in this ancient underground city that has 18-20 floors as deep as 40 meters below the ground. Don’t worry, you will only go down to the 8th floor. Cappadocia has around 36 underground cities. Archeologists date these back to the time of the Hittites which lived 4000 years ago. Others believe they were inhabited around the 7th century BC.....Regardless of how old or young they are, undoubtedly they will leave you with a sense of awe of how the dwellers of these cities lived. As you wind down you will begin to feel as if you are in a huge block of Swiss cheese. Everywhere you look there will be nooks and crannies carved into the rocks: holes, windows , paths, alleys, little rooms. . . it is really a maze of mass proportions. You will see ancient kitchens and stables; storage jars for oil, wine and water; rock carved tables, chairs, and beds; and deep wells for water supplies. You will be amazed at the elaborate ancient ventilation system in place. These cities were fortified and prepared for it’s inhabitants to hide out for months from attackers, especially during the Arab invasions. During Christian times the hiding worshippers even built little chapels that you can still see.
>Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner provided<overnight in URGUP

Day 12
This day will be spent exploring the amazing sites of Cappadocia. Very, very early in the morning we will wake up to take a hot air balloon ride over the area. After this we will come back to the hotel for breakfast and a rest before setting out in late morning to see the rest of the sites.
Sites you'll see today
*The World Heritage Site of Goreme Open-Air Museum--This is a cluster of rock cut Byzantine churches, chapels and monasteries which include some wonderful 11th and 12th century frescoes on the cave walls. This place was used by the Christians as a place of refuge from those opposed to Christianity and also was a major monastery. Rooms, churches, houses, and gathering halls have all been cut into the rock or formed from natural caves. Within the caves you can explore and see the preserved mosaics and frescoes.
*Zelve Open Air Museum--Three natural valleys surrounded by steep rocks form a dramatic site as you can wander around looking at the thousands of rock houses, churches and tunnels carved into the cliffs here. Mosaics in the churches typify the type associated with the pre-Iconoclastic Period, meaning that you will see symbols such as the cross, deer, fish, grapes, etc.
*Fairy Chimneys-these geological phenomenon have been shaped over millions of years. They were formed during volcanic eruptions in the region. Reaching at times 40 meters in height, they are conical in shape and have a "hat" top to them.
*Devrent Valley--This valley is know as "the pink valley" because of the color of it’s soil. This is a lovely place to wander around and look at the magical rock formations indicative to Cappadocia, including the Fairy Chimneys.
*Uchisar Castle--Also called a fortress, this is actually a formation of two gigantic rocks surrounded by smaller rocks that together form a natural fortress with towers. These formations were inhabited during both the Byzantine and Ottoman times. You can climb and explore the different caves and rooms throughout the fortress, experiencing first-hand what it must have been like to hide in these fortified rocks, waiting for the ancient enemy to pass by or give up.
*We will also get the chance to visit local craftspeople and learn how they make dolls and create traditional pottery.
In the evening we will take a flight back to Istanbul.
>Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner provided<overnight in ISTANBUL

Day 13
After breakfast we will sightsee again in Istanbul, making sure to give you time for last minute shopping!
Sites you'll see today
*We will go to the Eminonu waterfront, Egyptian Spice Bazaar, and Grand Bazaar. In the evening the tour will take it’s final night out on a dinner cruise of the Bosphorus, passing all of the lit up historical buildings, palaces, mosques and fortresses.
**Note that lunch will be on your own today.
>Breakfast/Dinner provided<overnight in ISTANBUL

Day 14
Gule, Gule! It is time to go home. We will transfer you to the airport and wish you well, asking that you keep Turkey in your hearts and prayers, and hoping that our paths cross again in this life. If you have extended your time with an additional add-on trip, we will be confirming this day with you your additional schedule.