GULET CRUISE AND MAGICAL PLACES (18 NIGHTS/19 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 (İSTANBUL-TRABZON, AYDER PLATEAU-BLACK SEA) 

After breakfast we drive to  Airport to fly to Trabzon.

With the arrival to  Trabzon airport we drive to Ayder plateau.

The highlands in foothills of the Kaçkar mountain range with their unspoiled natural surroundings and charming highland houses are a must-see.  

The Ayder Highland is the most well-known highland along the Black Sea. 

With the time permiting we may have an hike in one of the valley of Ayder  Plateau before arriving to hotel. 

The infrastructure is totally in place and it almost has the appearance of a small town. 

Besides the abundant plant and wildlife, it is also very famous for its thermal spring. 

Drive to the Hotel for dinner and overnight.

DAY 3 ( AYDER-KAVRAN HIGHLANDS)

Today we enjoy the beauty of black sea mountains with its plateaus There we have an optional hike and lunch.

With an elevation of 1350 m. The Ayder Highland is the most well-known highland along the Black Sea. 

The area around this highland village, used as part of the ascent up the Kaçkar mountains, has abundant wildlife. 

The village is the base camp for climbers on their way to Kaçkar. This village, which has no infrastructure, does have a small market that can provide basic necessities. 

Than we drive back to our hotel to have some rest and enjoy efternoon. 

Dinner is at  hotel.

DAY 4  (AYDER, TRABZON)

After breakfast we drive to Trabzon , Before we leave Ayder region  you may have chance to have an Optional Rafting tour in Fırtına River. 

After lunch on the way to see Sumela Monestary which is UNESCO World Haritage Site.Its construction began in AD 385. 

Clinging perilously to the sheer face of a cliff overlooking a lush valley, the 72-room monastery complex dedicated to the Virgin Mary. 

Trabzon is birthplace of Suleiman the Magnificent, the most influential and longest-reigning sultan of the Ottoman Empire.

Drive to hotel for dinner and overnight in Trabzon.

DAY 5 (TRABZON) 

Tour of Trabzon to see Hagia Sophia Mosque in Trabzon.

Aya Sofya, a Byzantine-era cathedral adorned with spectacular frescoes.

Leaving the Aya Sofya, we discover more of Trabzon as we stroll from the Zagros Bridge to our hotel.

Overnight at hotel in Trabzon.

DAY 6 (TRABZON, SIVAS) 

The province of Sivas is located at the eastern part of the Central Anatolian Region and is located on the course of the historical Silk Road and the Kings Road. 

The province of Sivas provides interesting vacation possibilities for visitors with its natural beauties, historical background and thermal springs. 

After lunch we visit highlights of Saljuk Turkish State and Mongolians buildings.

Şifaiye Theological School: The structure is located at the city center inside the Seljukian park just opposite of the Double Minaret Theological School. 

The theological school was one of the oldest and greatest of the Anatolian Seljukian Medical schools and hospitals. 

The Sultan of the Seljukians I. İzzeddin Keykavus died in 1220 and rests at a mausoleum south of the Şifaiye Theological school as he had willed. 

Çifte Minareli (Double Minaret) Theological School: The theological school is located in the city center. The building was constructed by the vizier of İlhanlı, Şemseddin Mehmet Cüveyni in 1271. Only the original eastern side of the structure is still standing. 

Than drive to hotel for dinner and overnight.

DAY 7 ( SIVAS- DIVRIGI UNESCO SITE) 

The magnificent building called Divriği Ulu Camii and Daru'ş-şifa (old Mosque and Hospital) in the World Art History was built by lord of Mengücek Feudal Ahmet Şah in 1228. 

This building has some differences from the others. For example, the 3D geometric styles and botanic designs were said "unique" by art historians and architects. Designs which embroider on doors and walls are asymmetric and every square have over then a thousand patterns. The foreman had always renovated himself. All the styles were arranged for showing unity of God.

Divriği Ulu Camii and Daru'ş-şifa has four doors. They are Şifahane Taç Door, North Taç Door, West Taç Door, Şah Mahfili Taç Door. Each of them is different from the other and glorious. Divriği Ulu Camii is a marvellous architecture and engineering example with it's every units. After tour ,we drive back to Sivas to hotel for dinner and overnight.

DAY 8 ( SIVAS- HITTITE SITE ,ANKARA) 

After breakfast we drive to see Hittites capital city and open air temple.

The archaeological site of Hattusha in UNESCO Sites List, former capital of the Hittite 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. The city enjoyed considerable influence in Anatolia and northern Syria in the 2nd millennium B.C.

Afternoon we drive to Ankara city which is capital of Turkey..

Dinner and overnight at hotel in Ankara.

DAY 9  (ANKARA, CAPPADOCIA)

After breakfast 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 drive to Cappadocia on the way we will have lunch.

Upon arriving cappadocia we visit 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 

Than we drive to hotel for dinner and overnight in Cappadocia.

DAY 10  (CAPPADOCIA)

Cappadocia is one of Turkey’s most fanciful and recognizable landscapes.

Today you may have an Optional Hot Air Balloon tour 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.

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 11  ( CAPPADOCIA) 

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 ,this afternoon 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 12 ( CAPPADOCIA, PAMUKKALE)

After breakfast drive to the petrified white lime cascades of Pamukkale.

Lunch on the way to Pamukkale. 

Pamukkale, "The Cotton Castle" with its snow-white terraces formed by thermal waters cascading down the hillside. 

At nearby Hierapolis we will see the stadium and take a fascinating stroll through the tombs of the Necropolis .

DAY 13 ( PAMUKKALE-APHRODISIAS, KUSADASI)

After breakfast visit Aphrodisias, one of Turkey's most important archaeological discoveries of recent decades. 

These marvellous ruins rival Ephesus and include the Temple of Aphrodite with its dazzling white marble and a vast, virtually intact amphitheatre.

Later we drive to Ephesus area,tovisit also 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.

Than drive to Kusadası for dinner and overnight.

DAY 14 (KUSADASI) 

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. 

No longer standing it was said to be one of the most colossal temples ever built. . 

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 15 ( 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 16  (GULET)

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 17 (GULET)

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 18 (GULET)

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 19 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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