Itinerary

Day 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….

Day 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… (B)

Day 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. (B, D)

Day 4 | Troy•Pergamon•Kusadasi

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 of western 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. (B, D)

Day 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. (B, D)

Day 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…. (B, D)

Day 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.

Day 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. (B, D)

Day 9 | Antalya•Aspendos•Konya

This morning we’ll head east, and explore the incredible Roman theatre in Aspendos – the best-preserved example anywhere. From this spectacular setting we’ll head to Konya and the magnificent Mevlana Museum, a 13th century masterpiece of a mosque boasting a minaret sheathed in turquoise tile. We’ll spend the night here.

Day 10 | Konya•Cappadocia

Welcome to a landscape like no other… the rock formations known as “Fairy Chimneys” give this region an otherworldly quality. You’ll have a chance to explore the beautifully preserved 13th century caravansary at Agizkarahan and the underground city of Kaymakli, a place of refuge for the early Christian community. We’ll overnight in Cappadocia – if you choose to, join us for a performance by the famous ”Whirling Dervishes”. (B, D)

Day 11 | Cappadocia

If you choose to, have an early breakfast and see the valley from a new perspective – a hot air balloon! For those who prefer ground under their feet, we’ll trek the same landscape and join our expert guide in exploring Goreme, with it’s open-air museum of churches and chapels cut into the living rock, Pasabagi, a valley once populated by monks living in remarkable secret cells. In Avanos, we’ll have a chance to see the pottery works for which the region is famed. (B, D)

Day 12 | Cappadocia•Ankara

Today you’ll depart cities of stone for the capital of a modern nation: Ankara. You’ll visit the Mausoleum of Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey and view countless treasures in the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. We’ll spend the night in this modern, vibrant city. (B, D)

Day 13 | Istanbul

After breakfast we’ll make the leisurely drive to Istanbul. In the afternoon you have the option to join us for a cruise on the Bosphorus, taking in the ancient city from a new angle and gaining a sense of the thriving commerce that has made this a pivotal place for millennia. The rest of the day is yours – wander the souk, explore one of the many museums, shop for spices or a traditional coffee mill…. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner and one of the world’s most exotic sunsets … (B, D)

Day 14 | Departure

Relax and enjoy breakfast with your fellow travelers – we’ll get you to the airport in plenty of time for your flight.

Departures 2014:

SEPTEMBER 04,07,11,14,18,21,25,28

OCTOBER 02,05,09,16,23,30

NOVEMBER 02,06,20

DECEMBER 18

Departures 2015

January 15

February 12

March 05,19.26,29