1
Istanbul
We’ll greet you at the airport and get you to your hotel – you’ll spend the night in the city that brings together East and West, Istanbul….
2
Istanbul
There may be no city on earth quite as beautiful – join your expert guide on a tour you’ll remember always….Marvel at the jewel encrusted treasures of Topkapi, tributes paid to the sultans for safe passage east and west, the Emperor Justinian’s Hagia Sophia covered in glorious mosaics, the Blue Mosque, the Byzantine Hippodrome (the bronze snake statue was a monument set up at Plataea to celebrate the Greek victory over the Persians; it’s traveled from Persia to Greece to Rome to here…). You’ll end the day exploring the fabled Grand Bazaar – under this roof, one can find anything from linens to gold…. Later, if you choose, we offer the option of a traditional dinner accompanied by belly and folk dancing. You’re here for another sunset…
Breakfast
3
Gallipoli Dardenelles Canakkale
We’ll leave Istanbul and journey to Gallipoli, site of the tragic WWI battle and a pivotal instance in the creation of modern Turkey. You’ll walk the beach at ANZAC Cove, contemplate the cemetery at Chunuk Bair and see the conflict come to life at the Kabatepe War Museum. From here we’ll cross the Dardenelles for Canakkale and the site of a battle far in the past, Troy. We’ll have dinner and spend the night in Canakkale.
Breakfast
Dinner
Dinner
4
Troy Pergamon
Today is a journey back in time – Achilles, Ajax, Hector and Agamemnon – these legendary figures were all given life when Heinrich Schliemann discovered ancient Troy. The foundations ofwestern literature all derive from the stories of this place – the Iliad and the Odyssey. To gaze at the sea from its walls is an inspiring treat. Forward a thousand years, the Sanctuary of Asclepius at Pergamon will leave you with a true sense of the scale and grandeur of a classical city at its height. You’ll have dinner and spend the night in nearby Kusadasi.
Breakfast
Dinner
Dinner
5
Ephesus •St. Mary’s House Kusadasi
Our destination is Ephesus, home to one of the wonders of the ancient world. That wonder, the temple of Artemis, is fugitive, but the site remains one of the grandest in the eastern Mediterranean – the theatre is thought to have held 24,000 citizens. We’ll travel on to the House of the Virgin Mary, long thought a place of refuge for the saint. The afternoon offers two optional tours – Sardis and the Greek ruins found there, or Sirince, a tiny hillside town known for its winemaking. Tonight we’re in Kusadasi.
Breakfast
Dinner
Dinner
6
Kusadasi Pamukkale
This morning we’ll drive through lush countryside and visit Hierapolis, a source of natural hot springs known for millennia – we’ll stay in neighbouring Pamukkale and sample the thermal pools of our hotel – after all, we have the night….
Breakfast
Dinner
Dinner
7
Pamukkale•Perge•Antalya
This morning, after breakfast, we’ll make a trip to the coast – before we reach Antalya (where we’ll spend the night) we’ll make a stop at ancient Perge, a city central to the rise of Christianity. You’ll have the afternoon and evening to explore the seaside resort of Antalya – we’re here for the night.
8
Antalya
Today is yours to explore, relax, recharge – you might consider one of our optional tours. We offer a lovely trip to the ancient coastal town of Phaselis – when you combine ancient ruins, a lush forest and a swimming beach, you have a special place. If ruins seem daunting, we offer the perfect alternative: a lazy cruise along the coast (all the sights, none of the walking….). We’ll take in a last sunset over the sea and sleep in Antalya.
Breakfast
Dinner
Dinner
9
Departure
Enjoy breakfast with your fellow travelers, share memories and exchange numbers – we’ll get you to the airport in plenty of time for your flight.
Breakfast
