GULET CRUISE AND LEGENDARY PLACES (13 NIGHTS / 14 DAYS)

DAY 1 (ISTANBUL)

Today, we arrive in Istanbul, where a transferman will meet us at the airport. We transfer to our hotel downtown.

This evening, we can discover any of the Turkish restaurants in the area as we enjoy dinner on our own.

DAY 2 (ISTANBUL FULL DAY TOUR) 

Picking up about from your hotel (free pickup from hotels in the Sultanahmet/Taksim area) the tour starts with Rustem Pasha Mosque constructed by Architect Sinan and decorated with the best examples of Turkish tiles. Rustem Pasha was the Grand Vizier of Sultan Suleiman and was married to his daughter. 

Later, you will walk through the Hasircilar Street leading to Spice Market (Egyptian Bazaar). This area is one of the most crowded sites of Eminonu since there are many shops selling cheese, olives, eggs, meat products, dried fruits and peddlers everywhere. 

You can have a short stop on your way to drink a glass of “Tursu Suyu – Pickle Juice”. There is Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi, the famous Turkish coffee store at the end of the street. This is an excellent place to but Turkish coffee in the city. Spice Market (Egyptian Bazaar) is one of the most colorful sites in the city.

Once the Bazaar was the last stop of the Silk Road from where the staff carried on camels from India and Far East was delivered to Europe with ships. Today, it is still very popular among the local whom want to buy spices, delight, cheese and dried fruits. 

There are also shops selling souvenirs and gold. When you come out of the Spice Market, you will see Yeni Cami (so called The New Mosque or the actual name Valide Sultan Mosque) constructed in 1665. There are bird seeders in front of Mosque and the people sitting on the marble stairs viewing the Golden Horn bridge. 

Later, you will embark the boat for Bosporus Tour. This a large, safe and comfortable public boat with open and covered areas convenient for any weather conditions. There is also a bathroom in the boat. You may buy snacks and drinks in the boat too. The tour taking about 2 hours and you will see Ciragan Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace, Bosporus Bridges, Maiden’s Tower and fabulous Ottoman Yalis (sea-side Mansions) during your tour. Your guide will be with you on the yacht to give you information about the places you see on the tour. 

The boat tour takes about 1.5 hours. The tour ends with free time in Eminonu from where you may either visit Spice Market again for shopping or have a walk over the Golden Horn Bridge. The guide is going to recommend you the best way to get your hotel.

Our cruise will end at Kabatas around 6 pm and you will be transferred to your hotel.

Overnight in Istanbul.

DAY 3 (ISTANBUL FULL DAY TOUR) 

We will pick you up from your hotel at around 08:30 and to day begins with a visit to the amazing Topkapi Palace – home to the Ottoman Sultans for almost 400 years. 

Today, the palace houses amazing artifacts from the Ottoman period as well as many religious pieces and the famous Harem. 

The next stop is the Sultanahmet Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque – built in the 16th century, this working mosque gets its names from the intricate blue Iznik tiles which adorn the inside. 

On to the Roman Hippodrome – this Byzantine scene was home to Constantinople's sporting and political life. Today we can see many monuments including a 3500 year old Egyptian Obelisk. 

After lunch, we continue with our walking tour by visiting the famous Aya Sofia (Hagia Sophia) mosque – this architectural wonder was built in 360 A.D. and was used as a house of worship by different religions . 

The Basilica Cistern is our next stop – also known as the Sunken Water Palace, the Cistern has 336 marble columns and was built in 532 A.D.

You will be transferred to your hotel.

Overnight in Istanbul

DAY 4 (ISTANBUL , ANKARA)

After breakfast ,transfer to Airport for your flight to Ankara. 

Turkey’s capital and second largest city. 

Our first stop will be the fascinating Museum of Anatolian Civilisations(The Hittite Museum) with its display of treasures and artefacts from the Assyrian trade colonies, the mighty Hittite Empire, and the Phyrgian and Urartu civilisations. 

We also visit the Mausoleum of Ataturk. 

This magnificent tomb is in memory of Kemal Ataturk, commander of the Army for National Independence and the founder of the modern Republic of Turkey. 

You will be absorbed by the fascinating, life size depiction of life in the trenches, from the Turkish perspective, during the Gallipoli War.

Drive to hotel for dinner and overnight in Ankara.

DAY 5 (ANKARA -HITTITE, CAPPADOCIA)

The archaeological site of Hattusha, former capital of theHittite Empire, is notable for its urban organization, the types of construction that have been preserved (temples, royal residences, fortifications), the rich ornamentation of the Lions' Gate and the Royal Gate, and the ensemble of rock art at Yazilikaya. 

Afternoon we drive to Cappadocia.Dinner and overnight at hotel.

DAY 6 (CAPPADOCIA)

Today you may have an optional Hot-Air Balloon Ride 

Cappadocia is one of Turkey’s most fanciful and recognizable landscapes, and during this optional hot-air balloon flight, we’ll soar over its amber terrain and fairy-tale chimneys, savoring a unique panorama in the quiet, rosy light of dawn.

We’ll drive to the famous Goreme “open-air museum,” a group of ancient churches carved from the rock. 

Most of these chapels have colorful frescoes inside, which date from the tenth to the 13th centuries. 

Than we drive shortly to Uchisar Castle which is the panoramic watching point Cappadocia. Many rooms, steps, tunnel and galleries inside the castle. 

Avanos, the latter providing us with the opportunity to purchase some of the hand-turned pottery and tile that has been shaped here for millennia and some of the techniques still used date back to Hittite times to 2000 BC. 

This afternoon we visit Zelve open -Air Museum.

This nature site is the perfect place to take photos of remarkable landscape of tufa cones.

Return to hotel for dinner and overnight.

DAY 7 (CAPPADOCIA)

Ths morning we drive to Kaymaklı Underground City .During the Hittite era, as successive armies swept across Asia Minor, underground cities were built as a uniquely defensible community, approximately eight stories underground. 

We can explore some of the hundreds of rooms, wandering the many narrow, sloping passageways between kitchens with enameled food storage areas, water cisterns, stables, and living spaces—all well ventilated by air shafts.

At one time, several thousand people lived here. Following our underground city discovery, we'll see more of this scenic area of Cappadocia.

Dervent valley The small fairy chimneys in the valley form a lunar landscape, or moonscape, by their strange look. The valley also has many animal shaped rocks. It looks like a sculpture zoo made by nature 

After lunch we have hike to Rose Valley is a large valley located between Goreme and Cavusin villages, and it is divided into many smaller valleys: Gulludere, Kizilcukur, Meskendir and Zindanonu valleys. 

This beautiful valley gets its name from the rose-colored rock that varies in hue and intensity depending on time of day, season and weather conditions. 

Return to hotel or before dinner we have an optional Whirling Dervish tour,

you can be witness the "Ritual of Sema." 

The Semazens, also called “whirling dervishes,” believe that the fundamental condition of our existence is to revolve. 

Dinner and overnight.

DAY 8 (CAPPADOCIA-IZMIR, KUSADASI)

After breakfast ,this morning we drive to Kayseri Airport for flight to Izmir Adnan Mendres Airport to explore Ephesus and its environs.

We drive about one hour to Selcuk town ,We also stop en route to view the ruins of the sixth-century Basilica of St. John, said to stand over the burial site of the Apostle of Jesus, who is thought to have authored the Book of Revelation and the Fourth Gospel of the Bible while in Ephesus.

 Then we continue on to our hotel in Kusadasi, a popular seaside town.

DAY 9 (KUSADASI - EPHESUS)

After breakfast, we drive for less than an hour to the world-famous ancient Greco-Roman site of Ephesus, one of the largest and best-preserved ancient cities in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

You can walk on the remarkably preserved wide marble streets, flanked by columns and temples. We see the Library of Celsus, a tiered façade decorated with exquisite statues. 

The amphitheater we’ll see is the same one where St. Paul preached to the Ephesians. And there are also remarkably preserved baths. 

Ephesus was also the site of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. 

We also visit the nearby House of the Virgin Mary, nestled high in the hills overlooking the city of Ephesus. 

We drive to hotel in Kusadası

DAY 10 (GULET CRUISE)

After breakfast , We drive to Marmarisfor four nights stay on the Gulet 

Marmaris, with its impressive marina and perfect sandy beach, is one of the most popular holiday resorts on the Turkish Riviera. 

The town is ideally situated within a spectacular bay area and surrounded by beautiful mountain scenery.

When we arrive in Marmaris, we’ll take a short walking tour of the city, admiring its beautiful beaches and ancient Ottoman castles. 

We then board our traditional Turkish gulet-style yacht,our home for the next four nights. 

Our gulet is a teak and oak beauty with both sails and a motor, an outdoor eating area, and comfortable cushions for relaxing on the observation decks, fore and aft. After we meet our expert captain and his friendly crew, we'll take a short tour of the gulet, then enjoy our first dinner on board.

DAY 11 (GULET CRUISE)

Cruise to Ekincik Cove-Dalyan River boat ride-explore Caaunos city.

We cruise to Ekincik Cove this morning, where a small river boat meets us and takes us on a side trip upriver on the Dalyan River.

A shimmering blue band, the Dalyan River snakes amid bamboo and cattails, glimmering like the nearby Mediterranean Sea. Named for dalyans, the fishing weirs that have supported locals for centuries, the river reveals abundant birdlife. As we cruise this lovely waterway, we may well see some of the many species of birds that live here, from the shy ibis to the fearless gull.

When our small riverboat brings us to Iztuzu Beach, we may also di

Then, we set out to visit the ancient Lycian site of Caunus, a beautiful ancient site where we clamber around the temples, baths, nympheum, and an ancient theater. 

We have striking views along the way of Lycian temple tombs hugging a rock face.

We return to our gulet for lunch, then enjoy the afternoon is at leisure, including another chance to swim in the beautiful waters of the Turquoise Coast. Tonight, we enjoy dinner onboard.

DAY 12 (GULET CRUISE)

In the morning, we cruise to Aga Limani, or "Friendship Cove." 

There's time for a swim this morning before we begin today's hike through forests, meadows, and spectacular coastal scenery to a little-known Greco-Roman site called Lydea. We walk a pine-shaded trail amid the smells of wild herbs, and the music of goat bells, with spectacular vistas of the Gocek Lagoon and Bay of Fethiye.

As we hike, our gulet sails around to meet us in a scenic cove which shelters the sunken baths of Cleopatra, built for her by Mark Antony. Legend says that Antony gave Cleopatra the entire Turquoise Coast as a wedding gift—a present fit for a queen. This is another excellent place to swim, if you feel so inclined.

After lunch onboard, you'll have the afternoon free. Dinner is onboard the ship tonight.

DAY 13 (GULET CRUISE)

Visit Kayakoy,Cruise to Gemiler Island

This morning we cruise along the craggy Mediterranean coast. 

We make a landing on a small beach in the Bay of Gemiler, and drive to a spot near Kayakoy, a Greek “ghost town.”

From here, we begin our hike to Kayakoy. Anatolian Greeks once inhabited this city of about 600 houses. 

During the 1920s, the entire population was relocated to Greece in the aftermath of the Turkish War of Independence against British and Greeks occupancy. 

It is an eerie and moving place, a tragic reminder of how politics can affect human lives.

Leaving Kayakoy, we drive to the cove where our gulet will be waiting for us. 

We enjoy lunch on board, and in the afternoon we cruise to nearby Gemiler Island, where we visit a sixth-century Byzantine monastery and ancient churches and refectories. 

If you like, you can hike to the top of the island for a breathtaking view of the azure channel below. 

We return to our gulet in the afternoon, and you may have time for a brief swim before dinner.

DAY 14 - DEPARTURE DAY

This morning we get ready to be transferred to the Dalaman airport for your flight.

Important information

Passport or ID required. 

This tour is a long day(s) that involves a lot of walking, so it may not be suitable for people with limited mobility or children. 

PRICE INCLUDES:

*Hotel pick up-drop off

*Hotel with half board (Only breakfast at the hotel is included )

*Guidance

*Entrance fees 

Excluded

Flight tickets (International & National) 

All meals and drinks are not included.Only breakfast at the hotel is included

Important information

Please note that all times are approximate and subject to change.

The Guide may make corrections and adaptations in the course of the tour program according to the conditions and situations of the planned places of visits

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