Turkey Blue: 14 days Escorted Tours with Cruise (Customizable)

Istanbul - Cappadocia - Pamukkale - Fethiye (Blue voyage) – Ephesus

Guaranteed departure in 2008 !

Day 1 -
Arrival in Istanbul and meeting at the airport, transfer to the hotel, check- in. Leisure afternoon.
Overnight Istanbul.

Day 2 - Sultanahmet - Old Istanbul
Visit The St. (Haghia) Sophia, which was built by the Emperor Justinian. It was the largest building in the world for over 1000 years. See its intricate mosaics and huge central dome. Continue to the Topkapi palace, which was used by the Ottoman Sultans from the 15th to 19th centuries. We will also see the impressive collection of priceless jewels, crystal, silver and porcelain, robes worn by the sultans and relics of the prophet Mohammed. (Entrance to the Harem is extra). After lunch we will see the Blue Mosque, built for Sultan Ahmet I, which is a unique piece of architecture with its six minarets and features 20,000 beautiful Iznik tiles. Visit the ancient Hippodrome with Obelisk of Theodosius, Snake Pillar and German Fountain of Wilhelm II. Visit the hidden Underground Cistern. See the Grand Covered Bazaar. *May be done as a walking tour if your hotel is centrally located. (B)

Day 3 - Bosphorus Cruise with Dolmabahce
The tour starts with a visit to the exotic and aromatic Egyptian Spice Market. You may buy spices, caviar, and almost anything imaginable. Continue over the Galata Bridge and the Golden horn. We will visit the “Selamlik” chambers of the incredible 19th c. Dolmabahce Palace. We continue up the Bosphorus and cross over to Asia to Camlica Hill for a view of Istanbul. After lunch visit the Sadberk Hanim Museum, with its well-organized archaeological and ethnographical sections.  The Bosphorus cruise begins in the afternoon (ferry). We pass by the Rumeli Fortress and you will enjoy crossing from continent to continent traveling down the Bosphorus, which is lined with old Ottoman seaside mansions, marble palaces and small fishing villages.  (B)

Day 4 - Istanbul - Cappadocia
Take a flight from Istanbul to Kayseri. Arrival and meeting at the airport with your guide and driver. Transfer to hotel. Tour to Underground city, Soganli valley, Sobessos mosaics, Keslik monastery and Mustafapasa old Greek town. Overnight Hotel Cappadocia.  (B.L)

Day 5 - Cappadocia
Guided discovery of Cappadocia. Visit to Goreme Open Air Museum with cave churches, devrent imagination valley, Uchisar Rock Castle, Fairy Chimneys in Pasabag, Avanos. Overnight Hotel Cappadocia. (B.L)

Day 6 - Cappadocia - Ephesus
Tour to Kaymaklı Underground City, one of the most interesting underground settlements in Cappadocia. Soğanlı Valley, an Open Air Museum in a wild natural setting near a typical Cappadocian village with its different style Rock-Cut churches and frescoes. Villages in the valleys, surrounded by the "table top" mountains, are spectacular. Lunch and Visit to Sahinefendi newly discovered (01 May 2002) mosaic houses & Archaeological excavation site. Continue with Keslik Monastery near Cemil, that hides its frescoes behind a very thin smoke layer which we can only see by torch light. Our tour finishes with a visit to Mustafapaşa (Sinasos), an old Greek town with its spectacular old Greek houses; very fine examples of late Greek settlements and architecture. Take the evening flight from Kayseri to Izmir 
(Sunday, Monday, Thursday - direct flights by Sunexpress - Departure: 19:30pm Arrival: 20:30pm, the other days via Istanbul by Turkish airlines: 20:30 ASR IST 21:50 TK0265 THY 23:45 IST ADB 00:45 TK0346 THY ) . Arrival and meeting at the airport and transfer to your hotel.
Overnight Sirince or Kusadasi near Ephesus. (B.L)

Day 7 - Ephesus
Visit to the ancient city of Ephesus. We will spend several hours walking in the footsteps of Alexander the Great, Caesar, Cicero, Apostles Paul and John and many other familiar historical names. The recently opened Slope Houses where the wealthiest Romans lived are an excellent example of sensitive excavation and presentation. The mosaics and frescos are spectacular. Tradition has it that Virgin Mary was brought here by St John after the Crucifixion and lived her final years near the city of Ephesus on an isolated mountaintop. A lovely chapel is constructed on the site tended by Franciscans and open to visitors. It has been designated a pilgrimage site by the Pope. Overnight Sirince or Kusadasi near Ephesus. (B)

Day 8 - Ephesus - Pamukkale
Drive to Pamukkale, on the way, visit to Aphrodisias. Aphrodisias was primarily known as a center for the arts, specifically sculpture. The Aphrodisias School of Sculpture had a distinctive style and was very well circulated throughout the Greek and Roman world. Discovery of Travertine terraces and Hierapolis. The travertine terraces at Pamukkale are one of the most spectacular natural wonders we ever have seen from various mineral springs in  a vast white cliff side, about 200 m overlooking the plain, calcite-laden waters have dripped down over a series of terraced levels and created a fairyland of  bizarre solidified cascades and shell-shaped basins. It looks like creations from snow or like balls from cotton, which gave the scenery the Turkish name Pamukkale (cotton castle): “pamuk” for cotton and “kale” for castle. Moreover the water in the basins is changing its color according to how the light enters. Overnight Pamukkale.  (B.D)

Day 9 - Pamukkale - Istanbul  
Drive to Fethiye and overnight Fethiye

Day 10 (3 days mini cruise- B.L.D- On Stardays, departure from Marmaris ) 
Wednesday : Embarking the yacht in Fethiye . After lunch, cruising to Ölüdeniz. (Charter yachts are not allowed to enter the inner side of the bay of Ölüdeniz.) a long swimming stop here and than cruising to Gemile Island for overnight.

Day 11 ( Thursday )
A long cruise approx. 4 hours along the Dişibilmez and Baba islands will bring us again to the region of Ekincik. Overnight in one of the bays here.

Day 12 ( Friday )
Cruise to Inceada - Gebekilise. In the afternoon cruising till Turunç with swimming stops in Kadırga and Kumlubük. Last dinner on board.

Day 13 ( Saturday )
Disembarking in Marmaris after breakfast. Transfer to Dalaman for flight to Istanbul. Arrival and leisure time in Istanbul and overnight. (B)

Day 14
Drive to airport and leave Turkey (B)Drive to airport and leave Turkey (B)

B = Breakfast L= Lunch D = Dinner

PS: Please let me know if you wish to join a group tour or have the tour just for you privately. Below, please check the rates accordingly

NOTE : Aphrodisias is not in the itinerary on group tours. Lunch is excluded on private tours.

• Please let me know if you wish to join a group tour or have the tour just for you privately.