CLassical Turkey Tour

This 16 -day small-group tour begins in Istanbul and visits Ankara, Antalya, Kusadasi and Pamukkale, as well as biblical Cappadocia, Konya, and the ancient cities of Ephesus, Aphrodisias, Didyma, Hierapolis, Miletus, Priene, Perge, Aspendos, Side and Termessos.
Really, you see all the high points of Turkey in slightly more than two weeks

The boutique hotels you'll stay in are among my favorites: small, charming, historic, perfectly located. You benefit from our ability to reserve rooms in these choice places even at preferred travel times. The touring party is limited to 10 travelers—more like a group of friends than a "tour group:" enough fellow travel enthusiasts to promote camaraderie, not enough to bog you down.
The tour's two departure dates are May 10th, and September 6th : the two best times of the year to travel in Turkey. Combine with Egypt

Day 1: Arrive in Istanbul (D)
Our local representative greets you at Istanbul's Atatürk Airport and escorts you to your hotel, the famous Blue House (Mavi Ev) in Sultanahmet. The major sights of Istanbul are literally right outside your door: the Blue Mosque, the Byzantine Hippodrome, the Sunken Palace Cistern, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and many more. Feel free to wander and browse until dinnertime.

Day 2: Istanbul (BLD)
After a buffet breakfast, we walk to Eminönü to visit the Rustem Pasha Mosque, an Ottoman gem famed for its beautiful faïence (colored tiles). We continue along the Street of the Mat-Makers (Hasircilar Caddesi), a market street lined with spice and snack shops, to the Egyptian (Spice) Bazaar 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 by way of Egypt.
We then board a ferryboat and take a leisurely Bosphorus Cruise from northward to the village of Sariyer.
After lunch at a local restaurant we return to the city and enter the splendid realm of Topkapi Palace, one of the world's premier historical treasures, with its sumptuous pleasure kiosks, verdant gardens, mysterious Harem, and a Treasury filled with the incredible wealth of the sultans. The walk back to the Blue House for dinner is short, but filled with history ....

Day 3: Istanbul (BLD)
We start our explorations with a tour of sumptuous Dolmabahçe Palace, home to the Ottoman sultan and imperial family for decades, and the place where President Kemal Atatürk died in 1938. We penetrate Istanbul's ancient city walls to visit the Kariye Museum, built as the Church of the Holy Savior in Chora and noted for its splendid 13th-century Byzantine mosaics. Then it's off to the huge Süleymaniye Mosque, Istanbul's largest, a work of Süleyman the Magnificent's genius architect, Mimar Sinan.
After lunch, we dive into Istanbul's world-famous Grand Bazaar: 4000 shops selling everything from priceless antiques to everyday necessities. Laden with purchases—or just dazed by the glitter of window-shopping (one bazaar street is lined with nothing but jewellers' shops) —we make our way back to the Blue House for a relaxing dinner and overnight.

Day 4: Istanbul & Kusadasi (BLD)
We walk across the street from the Blue House to visit the Byzantine Hippodrome and its most famous architectural monument, the fabled Blue Mosque, built on the site of the Byzantine imperial palace. Then we walk next door to Hagia Sophia, the grandest church in Christendom for 1000 years. Finally, we descend into the dank, eerie depths of the Sunken Palace Cistern (Yerebatan Sarayi Sarniçi) for a look at this strategic Byzantine water-storage facility featured in the James Bond movie, From Russia With Love.
Continuing to the airport, we fly to Izmir, then drive for about an hour through the rich countryside famous for its figs to reach Kusadasi. Our hotel here is the famous Kismet, founded by a branch of the Ottoman imperial family in the town's most splendid setting. We watch the sunset over the Bay of Kusadasi and Bird Island at dinnertime.

Day 5: Ephesus (BLD)
We start today's explorations at the pine-shaded hilltop site proclaimed by the pope to be the House of the Virgin Mary. Then we descend to the marble streets of ancient Ephesus, the most impressive ancient city in the Mediterranean, with its marble temples, mosaic-rich houses, its noble library, 25,000-seat Great Theater, public baths and latrines, and even a brothel.
Later in the afternoon we visit St John's Basilica, believed to be built atop the tomb of the Apostle. From the basilica, we will be able to look down on the remains of the great Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. We end the day with a visit to the grand Isa Bey Mosque, just down the hill from the basilica. Then it's back to our hotel in Kusadasi for a relaxing dinner.

Day 6: Priene, Miletus & Didyma (BLD)
We drive south to Priene, a leading member of the ancient Panionic League and the first city to plan its streets on a grid. The ancient city, backed by a dramatic mountain, overlooks the sweeping floodplain of the Meander River, on the far side of which is ancient Miletus, our next stop. We visit the gigantic theater of Miletus, then continue south to the stupendous oracular Temple of Apollo at Didyma. After lunch at a local restaurant we explore the huge marble temple, which was as important as the one at Delphi in ancient times. As the afternoon draws to a close we return to our hilltop hotel in Kusadasi for dinner and a restful evening.

Day 7: Aphrodisias & Pamukkale (BLD)
Driving east up the fertile Meander River valley, we pass fruit orchards and cotton fields on our way to ancient Aphrodisias, the City of the Goddess of Love. This is among Turkey's best-preserved and most magnificent cities, especially as it was the home of a renowned school for sculptors. Beautiful statues and carvings abound in both the ruins and the modern museum. The great marble theater, the smaller Bouleuterion, the vast Temple of Aphrodite, the perfectly-preserved stadium, and the stupendous Tetrapylon (triumphal gate) cannot be missed.
Continuing our drive up the river valley, we reach the ancient spa city of Hierapolis, now called Pamukkale. We have time to explore the ruins, including the triumphal way, the vast necropolis, the beautifully-restored theater, the museum, the sacred pool of warm mineral water, and the natural travertine terraces of gleaming white calcium. Then we settle in for a mineral-water swim and dinner at the Richmond Thermal Hotel Pamukkale.

Day 8: Termessos & Antalya (BLD)
We drive through gorgeous mountain scenery (yayla in Turkish), descending from the Anatolian plain toward Antalya. After a lunch stop, we take a detour to the mountain fastness of Termessos, an ancient city high at the top of a steep valley. It was so remote and well-defended that Alexander the Great passed it by. The mountain panoramas are simply spectacular!
Descending to Antalya, the "capital of the Turquoise Coast," we penetrate the Roman walls of Kaleiçi (Old Antalya) where we settle in at the charming Marina Residence boutique hotel within sight of the Roman harbor (now filled with yachts). Take a stroll before or after dinner—you're right at the center of everything there is to see!

Day 9: Perge & Aspendos (BLD)
We drive to the eastern outskirts of Antalya to visit the impressive ruins of ancient Perge, then continue to Aspendos, with the best-preserved Hellenistic theater on the Mediterranean, still used for performances.
After lunch near the theatre, we return to Antalya for an afternoon at leisure. Relax by the pool, stroll through Kaleiçi or the nearby bazaar, take the tram to the excellent Antalya Museum and/or the beautiful long Konyaalti Beach. The Roman harbor is right in front of your hotel.

Day 10: Antalya & Konya (BLD)
In the morning we visit the Antalya Archeological Museum before starting our drive north into the mountains. The scenery is spectacular as we ascend from sea level to the Anatolian Plateau (elevation 1016 meters/3333 feet) and Konya, the ancient city of the Whirling Dervishes.
Arriving in Konya, we check in at the Rumi Hotel, then stroll to a local restaurant. After lunch we visit the spellbinding Mevlana Museum and the tomb of Rumi (Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi), the 13th-century mystic poet and philosopher whose life and work inspired the founding of the Mevlevi (whirling) dervish order.
After our visit we walk across the street to our hotel for dinner and a good night's rest.

Day 11: Silk Road, Ihlara & Cappadocia (BLD)
We drive east along the ancient Silk Road toward biblical Cappadocia, stopping enroute to visit the 13th-century Seljuk Turkish caravanserai called the Sultanhan.
Turning off the Silk Road, we drive along the rim of the dramatic Ihlara Valley to Belisirma (the ancient Peristrema) to a local restaurant overlooking the Melendiz Creek. After lunch, we walk along the creek into the rock-walledcanyon, visiting the many 11th- to 13th-century Byzantine rock-hewn cave churches decorated with medieval frescoes.
After our walk, we continue our drive into the moonscape of Cappadocia to Ürgüp and our comfortable cave rooms at the Yunak Evleri, where we enjoy a late supper.

Day 12: Cappadocia (BLD)
After breakfast, we plunge into the lunar landscape of Cappadocia at the Dervent Valley, then we head to Zelve Open Air Museum, which is one of the earliest inhabited and latest abandoned monastic settlements of Cappadocia. Seeing the best examples of the fairy chimneys at Pasabag Fairy Chimneys Valley, we drive to Avanos, famous for its pottery. After lunch at a local restaurant, we tour Göreme Open Air Museum, with its dozens of beautifully painted cave churches, monasteries, refectories and other troglodyte dwellings. We end the day with the climb to the top of Uçhisar, a natural rock fortress that is the highest point in the region, offering us a breathtaking panorama of the Cappadocian moonscape. Then it's off to dinner and our comfortable cave quarters at Yunak Evleri.

Day 13: Cappadocia (BLD)
We start the day with explorations of the Soganli Valleys—very different from Ihlara—with their rock-hewn Byzantine churches and dovecotes above traditional Turkish villages.
We then explore the Cappadocian countryside, stopping at Taskinpasa to visit a Seljuk Turkish medrese (theological college) on our way to Mustafapasa (ancient Sinasos), the seat of a modern Turkish university. Lunch today in Mustafapasa is a real treat: a home-cooked meal in a traditional Anatolian Greek mansion.
Ready for the afternoon, we drive to the fabled Underground Cities, and enter the subterranean labyrinth of Kaymakli that protected local people from marauding armies over the centuries. Imagine being in a huge "Swiss cheese" made of volcanic stone! Wandering through the labyrinth is an unforgettable experience.

DAY 14 - CAPPADOCIA - Istanbul
After breakfast , we check-out , off to the airport and fly back to Istanbul , airfare within Turkey is always included in our rate . In Istanbul , we are back at the Blue House Hotel ( or similar ) .

Day 15 - Cooking class then tour : "Imperial Constantinople in the Belle Epoque"
(late 19th century), the exotic romance of the "Paris of the East:" (BL) Sunday

This morning we'll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread . . .Cooking Alaturka: Half-day Turkish Cooking Classes and Restaurant Learn How to Cook Authentic Turkish Foods in Between Visiting Istanbul’s Many Sights . classes are generally held from 10:30 to 14:30 . We prepare 5 typical Turkish dishes in a group of 6-10 persons and then have them for lunch in our restaurant. We have aprons at your disposal and you will get the recipes to take with you. Private classes are held as well
. ( supplement applies ). For private groups, evening classes can be considered as well, starting at 16:30, with dinner served from 19:00 to 21:00: Cooking with Chef : Eveline Zoutendijk

Cooking Classes in Istanbul

Later in the day : walking tour : We start with our guide in Karaköy where the foreign bankers and shipping companies had their headquarters, then take the Tünel up to istiklal Caddesi; stop in the whirling dervish tekke, and walk past the various old embassy buildings (now consulates), and point out the architecture. Stop for tea (included) at the famous Pera Palace Hotel.
Walk at least as far as Galatasaray Square, and have lunch in the Çicek Pasaji (Flower Passage); then walk up to Taksim Square and be picked up for the afternoon tour. In the afternoon the tour visit Yildiz Palace Park and the Ihlamur Kasri, a mini-palace south of Yildiz, and finish up with a visit to the Military History Museum in Harbiye in time to hear the "Mehter," or Ottoman military band (mid-afternoon).

Day 16 : Departure Istanbul (B)
We escort you to Istanbul Airport for your to catch your homeward flight. Bon Voyage .

Tour Details:

Guaranteed departure dates : May 10 , September 6, and Oct 4

Private departures for couples/ families and private parties on other dates are possible; rates vary depending on the number of persons in the group)


— Minimum 6, maximum 10 persons on guaranteed departure dates

— Tour fee: US$ 4681 per person double occupancy

— (single supplement: US$ 1054)

— Infants 0-2 years free; children 2-12 years 50% discount

Your Tour Includes:


—Accommodation as described in the tour itinerary

—Most meals, as shown in the tour description (B= buffet breakfast; L = lunch; D = dinner)

—Transportation within Turkey, including flights (but international transport to Turkey is NOT included), and ground transport in a luxury air-conditioned minivan

—Licensed professional multilingual guide

—All admission fees to museums and sights

—All taxes





Your Tour Does NOT Include:

—International airfares (from / to your home country )

—Visa fee on arrival in Turkey (details)

—Personal travel insurance

—Drinks
—Gratuities (tips), which are customary, but voluntary at your discretion

Extend your  stay in Turkey on board a comfortable Gulet

Amusing airplane/train/bus or end-of-the-day reading? Turkey: Bright
Sun, Strong Tea, my humorous travel memoir:
http://www.brightsunstrongtea.com/