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Highlights of Turkey Tour
This 14-day small-group tour (maximum 10 people) begins in Istanbul and visits Cappadocia, Pamukkale and after a 4 day cruise along the Mediterranean, takes you to the ancient cities of Didyma, Miletus, Prienne and Ephesus. You see most of the highlights of Turkey and do an unforgettable cruise in 14 days.
Departure Date Group Size Price
- 26 April 2025 Max. 10 people7295 USD per person
- 20 September 2025 Max. 10 people7295 USD per person
Add - Ons and Reductions
- Single supplement 1295 USD
- Infant discount (0-2) 100 %
- Child discount (2-12) 50 %
Included services
- Domestic flight tickets as described in the itinerary
- Accommodation at the mentioned hotels including breakfast
- 4 days cruise on a private gulet
- Transportation with an A/C luxury minivan
- Professional guiding
- Lunches and dinners as described in the itinerary
- Admission fees to the museums and sights
- 60-minute standard hot air balloon ride (up to 28 people in the basket)
- Taxes
Excluded services
- International flight tickets
- Personal travel insurance
- Drinks
- Tips
Day 1: Arrive in Istanbul
Upon arrival at The Istanbul Ataturk Airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Dinner in Istanbul.
Dinner
Day 2: Istanbul
Our first day in Istanbul takes us to a number of Byzantine Relics. We first stroll to the great square which was once the . Now it is a great park like area surrounded by the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and the Underground Cistern. The Hippodrome exhibits the Walled Column, The Serpent Column and the Egyptian Obelisque from the Byzantine times and the German Fountain is located in the North end of the Hippodrome. Next we visit the , the most important Byzantine building in the world. After lunch at a local restaurant, we take a short drive to The to see the climax of Byzantine Mosaic Art. We end the tour with a visit to the , commonly called the Basilica Cistern. Dinner in Istanbul.
BreakfastLunchDinner
Day 3: Istanbul
Your guide will meet you after breakfast for a tour of the Ottoman Istanbul. A short walk takes you to the which was completed in 1616. Our next stop will be the , more than just a palace, it is an assemblage of museums containing collections amassed by the Sultans for almost five centuries. Our visit also takes you to the famous Harem where the Imperial Family resided. We then walk out to Divan Yolu, the old "Road to the Imperial Council’ now a busy thoroughfare, for lunch at a local restaurant. Next we walk through the old cobbled streets down to , designed by Mimar Sinan in 1561, and then the , where Genoese and Venetian goods were sold at a time when there was no Suez Canal, and all the spices from the East were also brought here after being loaded on vessels in Egypt. We end the tour with a visit to the greatest Bazaar of them all, the , one of the most extraordinary shopping experiences in the world. Dinner in Istanbul.
BreakfastLunchDinner
Day 4: Istanbul - Flight to Nevsehir - Cappadocia
On our last day in Istanbul, we check out after a leisurely breakfast and take a short drive to the shores of the Bosphorus to visit the . Overlooking the Bosphorus, its beauty is incomparable with 14 tons of pure gold used for its interior decoration, its priceless paintings, furniture, and a rich collection of Bohemian crystal in addition to its famous Harem section. Then we get on board at Kabatas Pier for a 2 hour private . After lunch at a local restaurant, we are transferred to Istanbul Airport for the evening flight to Nevsehir, then we take an hour’s transfer to our hotel in Urgup. Dinner in Cappadocia.
BreakfastLunchDinner
Day 5: Cappadocia
60-minute standard at dawn. Our first real encounter with Cappadocia’s almost Martian landscape is in the , where the rock formations are amazing. A walk through the is a journey into the past, with its troglodyte houses. This is one of the earliest inhabited and latest abandoned monastic settlements in Cappadocia. After Zelve we visit ’s “fairy chimneys”, where the voice of the wind harmonizes with the songs of the fairies. From here we pause at , a centre of terracotta art since 2,000 BC, for a demonstration in a traditional pottery workshop. After lunch in Avanos, we visit the famous to see the best examples of Byzantine art in Cappadocia. These are found in rock-cut churches with frescoes and paintings dating from as early as the 10th century. We complete the tour with a visit to the , giving you a panoramic view of the valleys of Cappadocia. Dinner in Cappadocia.
BreakfastLunchDinner
Day 6: Cappadocia
Our first stop is the , an open air museum in a wild natural setting near a typical Cappadocian village with its different style rock-cut churches and frescoes. After this, we drive to Mustafapasa through the unspoiled villages of Cappadocia, surrounded by the “table-top” mountains. On the way, we visit the near Cemil village, which hides its frescoes behind a very thin smoke layer which can only be seen by torch light. After lunch in at an old Greek house hosted by a local family, we descend towards the centre of the earth, with a trip to the , one of the largest and deepest of Cappadocia’s many such settlements. Dinner in Cappadocia.
BreakfastLunchDinner
Day 7: Cappadocia - Konya - Pamukkale
As we check out, we start our long but pleasant and spectacular drive to Pamukkale. We make a visit to the , where the medieval merchants used to stay overnight, and then we stop at Konya to visit the world famous , formerly the place where the mystic philosophy of Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi was taught. Strolling through the streets of Konya, we will have lunch at a local restaurant before heading on to Pamukkale. Dinner and overnight in Pamukkale.
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Day 8: Pamukkale - Hierapolis - Bodrum - Embark on the gulet
We start the day by visiting , only a stone's throw away from our hotel. After we enjoy walking on the calcareous terraces of , we start for Bodrum, taking an en route visit to , where there was a fertility cult dedicated to Aphrodite. After a well-earned lunch, we drive to Bodrum, and embark on our gulet. Dinner on board.
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Day 9: Gulet
Departure after breakfast. We will cruise for about 3 hours to cross the mouth of the Gokova Gulf and reach Knidos. This city, moved to this strategic important point in the 4th century BC was one of six cities forming a league called the Dorian Hexapolis. Knidos can be considered the point where the Aegean meets the Mediterranean. It has two ancient harbours and we will drop anchor in the larger eastern harbour from where we can see the ruins. The harbour is unfortunately relatively unprotected from the wind so the captain will often dock overnight in Mersincik instead. Dinner on board.
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Day 10: Gulet
After breakfast we will sail to Kisebuku Bay, where we have a nice swimming break. After lunch, we leave in the afternoon for Cokertme Bay. Dinner on board.
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Day 11: Gulet
Departure to Orak island where we will have a swimming and lunch break. The second stop will be in Çiftlik. In the late afternoon, we will arrive at the harbour in Bodrum. Dinner on board.
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Day 12: Didyma - Miletus - Prienne
After breakfast on board, we say good bye to the crew, disembark from the gulet and head to Kusadasi. On the way, we will first visit . As the historian Pausanias wrote: "The sanctuary of Apollo at Didymoi, and the oracle there are more ancient than the Ionian settlement." As we drive further North, we visit and then arrive at , formerly a leading member of the Panionic League. Dinner in Kusadasi.
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Day 13: Ephesus
We start early in the morning to beat the crowds and first drive to the ; afterwards, we visit which was founded in the eleventh century BC by the Ionians. Strolling through the streets of Ephesus, we see the Fountain of Traian, the temple of Hadrian and the Library of Celsus to name a few. We also visit the Terrace Houses: A number of living units where the rich and the dignitary of Ephesus with the most beautiful ground mosaics, frescoes, terra cotta pipe lines and private baths. Later in the afternoon we will visit , believed to be the tomb of the Apostle John, Christ's beloved disciple. From the basilica, we will be able to look down on the remains of the temple of Artemis. We end the day with our visit to the , then we head on to Kusadasi for a well-earned rest. Dinner in Kusadasi.
BreakfastLunchDinner
Day 14: Izmir - Home
Transfer to Izmir Airport to board the flight to Istanbul that gives best connection to your international flight out of Istanbul.
Breakfast