BEST OF ISTANBUL AND AEGEAN

DAY 1            WELCOME TO TURKEY!
Welcome to Istanbul! You will be transferred to your hotel located in the heart of the old city, Sultanahmet and the remainder of the day is yours free to explore at your own pace.

Most short-stay visitors spend all their time in Sultanahmet, home to Istanbul’s main sightseeing attractions. The monumental architecture, attractive parks and gardens, street-side cafés, and the benefits of a relatively traffic-free main road combine to make this area pleasant for both sightseeing and staying. Overnight Istanbul. (D)

Oriental and Occidential – Turkish Night Show and Dinner cruise on the Bosphorus (Premium Seating)
Last call! All aboard, set sail and dine on fabulous hand-picked local delicacies with a 3-hours Bosphorus dinner cruise on our two-floor yacht. Indulge in a 4-course gourmet dinner with unlimited drinks. Unique way to sight-see stunning Istanbul, enjoy vibrant entertainment and eat well at a private table. From the resurrected buildings of great empires, to eye opening wonders of nature, this adventure encompasses the best of Istanbul.

Including traditional Turkish folklore show, belly-dancing show, performance of a whirling dervish, transfers to and from the venue, fine-dining and unlimited drinks. Finish off a legendary night with DJ Entertainment, Turkish dessert and a cup of Turkish coffee with its intense aroma and strong taste. Turkey is widely known for its colorful, rhythmic, elegant, stylish and traditional folk dances, which vary according to the region. Be enticed by Turkish folklore dances from different regions of Anatolia.

Just to name a few: Halay, the most popular folk dance particularly in the eastern and southeastern Anatolia regions. Origins stretch right back to old Turkish mythology and its shamanistic roots in Central Asia. Performed along with an upbeat rhythm consisting of drums and a shepher’s pipe. Extremely similar to the Greek Sirtaki or the Arabic Dabke.. Zeybek is western and southern Anatolian folk dance represents symbol of courage and heroism of irregular militia and guerrilla fighters living in the Aegean region of the Ottoman Empire.. Horon folk dance in the northern Pontus and Black Sea regions, the melodies are rendered very fast and dancers dressed in black with silver trims.

Today you get to choose! Variety of dishes to choose from include; fresh fish off the sea, whole mediterranean sea bream or bass served with soy sauce, olive oil, oven baked potateos, garnish and lemon.. Chef’s vegeterian meal choice of the day; vegetable pizza, pasta or stewed vegetable casserole.. Protein-rich Turkish meatballs or kofte – minced beef or lamb, seasoned with a variety of spices and herbs, and then grilled to perfection.. Chicken breast or cutlets seasoned with red pepper powder, olive oil, salt, rosemary, thyme and soy sauce.. Both meatballs and chicken breast is served with mashed potateos, rice and and garnish. Your culinary journey also includes hot and cold appetizers, seasonal salad and dessert or fruits. It’s the kind of cruise event that lasting memories are made of!

DAY 2                      SULTANAHMET UNPLUGGED
Perfect introduction tour in the footsteps of Byzantine and Roman Emperors and Ottoman Sultans. The tour begins with a guided walking tour of Mehmet Akif Ersoy Park. A great Turkish poet, he has also written the lyrics of Turkish national anthem. Excavations carried out intermittenly between 1642 and 1964, led to the discovery of two impressive palace complexes situated next to each other; Lausos and Antiochos Palace. Lausos is a spectacular palace that was large enough to house a famous collection of antique sculpture. Aphrodite of Knidos, Athena of Lindos, Eros of Myndos, Hera of Samos and numerous sculpted beasts. Enjoy one of most well-known and popular attractions, Hippodrome of Constantinople, sporting and social centre Byzantine Empire for 1000 years and of Ottoman life for another 400. A masterpiece of ancient architecture. It is the location of the Obelisk of Theodosius, the Serpent Column, and the Masonry Obelisk and German Fountain of Wilhelm II.

A nice lunch will be served in a quaint local restaurant before we visit the Million Stone, originally marks the start of all roads throughout the empire. Visiting labyrinthine and chaotic, Grand Bazaar. At its prime, the market was locked down and guarded by more than a hundred soldiers every night, like a fortified castle.

Sultanahmet‘s two great timeless monuments, side by side. Blue Mosque famed for it’s blue tiles, boasting magnificent curves and six towering minarets sees countless worshipers pass through its main doors every day. Contains a visual tip-of-the-hat from its architect, Sedefkar Mehmet Aga, to the architects of Hagia Sophia, Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus, who worked their miracle a thousand years earlier.

On the 26th of December, A.D. 537, Emperor Justinian the Great stood in the Imperial Door, gazed at the cathedral which he had built, and exclaimed, “Glory to God that I have been judged worthy of such a work. Oh Solomon! I have outdone thee!”

At this same spot on May 29, 1453, almost a thousand years later, Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror, fresh from the final battle for Constantinople, stood in this doorway and ordered the great church to be cleansed, repaired, beautified, and converted to a mosque. Another five centuries, and it was proclaimed a museum by Kemal Ataturk and opened to all. Overnight Istanbul. (B, L)

DAY 3                      GOLDEN HORN UNPLUGGED
Go behind the scenes of your favorite soap operas as we explore the Golden Horn shores, a natural harbour and former commercial center of Ottoman Era. It offers a unique blend of the three monotheistic religions; Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. See traces of Ottoman life, including mosques, churches, and synagogues, standing together and demonstrating the multicultural and religious ways of the Ottoman Empire. We will drive past along the Golden Horn, City Walls, initially built to protect the city againist attack from both sea and land, ultimately fell from sheer force of Ottoman forces on 29 May 1453 after a 6-week siege. St. Stephen Church, the only church in the world constructed entirely of iron and steel and Feshane where military uniforms and world famous Fez (flat-topped conical red hat with a black tassel on top) was produced.

Hit the top 3 most photographed sights made famous by instagram influencers. Have the chance to snap great photos of Patriarchate of Constantinople believed to have been used in the binding and flogging of Jesus in Jerusalem. Fener Greek Orthodox College on Sancaktar Yokusu. Just down the road is courtyard of Rainbow Stairs and Umbrellas known locally as Renkli Merdivenler which is part of Dimitrie Cantemir Museum Café. It was home of the former Balkan Prince and a global man of music. Potential Russian victory against Ottomans forced him and his family to exile from Ottoman territory. Ladder Street or Merdivenli Yokus and the Colourful Houses also known as Renkli Evler on Kiremit Avenue. The tradition of painting houses in bright colors dates back to the Ottoman era, when residents of Balat were required to paint their homes in a specific color to indicate their religious affiliation. Greeks painted their houses blue, Jews painted yellow and Armenians painted red. In recent years, many of the houses in Balat have been restored and preserved, thanks in part to a government-led initiative to revitalize the neighborhood.

No time to see all of Turkey’s historic sights? No problem. Enjoy a comprehensive overview of Turkey’s many treasures at Miniaturk, the largest miniature park in the world. The park contains 105 models converted into a 1:25 scale. 45 of the structures are from Istanbul, 45 from Anatolia, and 15 are from the Ottoman territories that today lie outside of Turkey. All just like the real thing – except displayed on a 1:25 scale. Stay fueled with a local lunch, soft drinks, water, and hot drinks.

Before tour’s end, enjoy a visit to the Mosque and Mausoleum of Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari, standard-bearer of the Prophet Muhammed (PBUH). Perhaps the most sacred place of pilgrimage in the Islamic world; indeed after Mecca and Jerusalem. Sahaba is said to have fallen in battle during the attack on the walls of Constantinople by Arab armies in the 700s. After Conqueror Sultan Mehmet’s siege of Constantinople, his grave miraculously rediscovered and buried here. He was not only a friend of the Prophet but the key to the greatest Ottoman victory over the Byzantines, Hence Ottoman Sultans would be girt with the Sword of Osman in here, signifying their ascension as monarch of the Ottoman Empire. Ride the cable car uphill to the Pierre Loti to sip a drink while enjoying the panoramic view.

This evening you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Izmir. You will be met upon arrival and transferred to your hotel located in the sea side town of Kusadasi approx. 1 hour drive south along the Aegean coast from Izmir. Overnight Kusadasi. (B, L)

DAY 4                      EPHESUS, SIRINCE, MOTHER MARY’S HOUSE
Step back in time as you wander through UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ephesus open-air museum, one of the world’s best preserved ancient Greek city on the coast of Ionia. Contains more then 30 buildings and structures adorned with columns and statues of the Gods, Goddesses and Emperors linked together by streets that still have the marks of ancient chariot wheels. Walk on the ancient roads where Holy Mother Mary, St John, St Paul, Mary Magdalena (one of the few people who witnessed crucifixion and resurrection), Cleopatra and Mark Anthony, once walked and see monuments such as Harbour Street, the Brothel, Gymnasium, Agora, Trajan Fountain, Odeon Temple, Celcus Library, one of the richest libraries of the ancient world after Alexandria and Pergamon. It counted more than 12,000 hand-written scrolls. Facade niches hold replica statues of the Four Virtues. From left to right, they are Sophia (Wisdom), Arete (Goodness), Ennoia (Thought) and Episteme (Knowledge). Temple of Hadrian, where the main keystone arch is still in place nearly 2,000 years after its construction. The Grand Theatre is where St Paul gave his famous sermon. Opt to see famous Terrace Houses, in many regards, the remains are on a par with the famous ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum in Italy – making them one of the world’s key sites to experience and admire the sophistication, luxury and aesthetic refi nement of upper-class Roman domestic life. Enjoy a delicious lunch of Turkish cuisine at a local restaurant.

You will also have the chance to visit the pilgrimage point claimed to be the last home of the Virgin Mary at Mount Koressos before eyewitnessing one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, Temple of Artemis aka the Temple of Diana, built in around 550 BC destroyed in AD 268 in a raid by the Goths. Later, drive past vineyards, apple and peach orchards to the quaint Ottoman-Greek village of Sirince, where charming, red-roofed houses clamber up the hillside. Here are the sounds of the village: birds chirp, mourning doves coo, dogs bark, roosters crow, children play, tractor passes. Before tour’s end, visit the wonderful example of the Seljukian architecture, Isabey Mosque.  Overnight Kusadasi. (B, L)

DAY 5                       KUSADASI
Day at leisure to explore the city independently. Maybe you would prefer to visit Kusadasi castle, Ephesus archeological museum. Everybody visits Ephesus but some travelers also come for the city’s vibrant nightlife and shopping, others come for Kusadasi’s beaches in summer between April to October.

There are some stretches of beach right in the city, the prime beach—rather narrow, and also backed by city—is Ladies Beach (Kadinlar Plaji) south of the center. Serious beach fans make the 15-minute, 8-km drive north to Pamucak Beach, which is wide, long and uncrowded, and nearer to Ephesus. Overnight Kusadasi. (B)

DAY 6                      WHITE CALCIUM FORMATIONS OF PAMUKKALE
This morning, following the winding Taurus Mountaints, passing through rural villages and fruit orchards as we journey inland to Pamukkale, which means ‘cotton castle’ in Turkish. It is a surreal natural wonder of rippling semi-circular, pure-white travertines that sit among green farming fields. This pure white hillside is one of Turkey’s most photographed spots and famous natural tourist attraction with a stunning backdrop to the ancient Greco-Roman city of Hierapolis. Made up of 17 hot water springs, mineral-rich volcanic spring water outpouring over basins and natural terraces, crystallizing into travertines. The hot springs at Pamukkale are believed to cure rheumatism, musculoskeletal system, heart and blood vessels and other ailments, ancient Greeks and Romans considered the thermal springs sacred. Just above the travertines lies Hierapolis. Don’t miss the Roman Theatre, largest surviving Necropolis, the Agora, Martyrium of St Philip the Apostle and Temple of Apollo where people came to consult the temple’s oracle. We gain a sense of the daily life during those times.

Swimming in the Cleopatra’s Pool offers a separate pleasure with mineral water bubbling from its bottom at 35°C or 95°F, so a dip in the middle of November is not out of the question. Changing rooms are available, as are drinks and snacks. There is an additional entrance fee to swim in this pool, but it is well worth it. When visiting Pamukkale, remember to pack your bathing suit, towel and slippers.

Evening transfer to the airport and return flight back to Istanbul. Tour ends where we began with an airport to hotel transfer. Opportunity to finish up your sightseeing or get in some last minute shopping at your own pace. Our tour draws to a close and we say goodbye to our new friends.

Please note that check-out time from the hotel is normally noon, but luggage storage facilities are available. We are able to organise extra post-trip accommodation and day tours/activities if you wish to extend your stay. Happy travels! (B, L)