Best of Turkey 15 DAYS/14 NIGHTS – GROUP TRAVEL SUGGESTED ITINERARY - CAN BE CUSTOMIZED Historically, Turkey has always served as a gateway between eastern and western cultures, INCLUSIONS and even today one can still see the interesting blend of Islamic and Greco-Roman influences. Turkey is home to some of the most famous locations of the ancient world. Over two weeks, 2 nights each in this comprehensive tour will expose you to a remarkable amount of Turkish history and Istanbul, Kusadasi, culture. You will visit the ancient ruins of some of the world's earliest civilized cultures and Canakkale including Roman amphitheaters, early-Christian churches, Greek archeological sites and 1 night each in underground cities. You will gain an understanding of the Ottoman Empire through the Bursa, Ankara, nation’s mosques, which are spiritual houses as well as places of great artistry. You will Pamukkale, Seljuk, sample modern-day Turkish culture in its bazaars and village life. You will enjoy the beautiful and Bergama Aegean coastline and stunning natural wonders. 3 nights in Cappadocia DAY 1 ~ ARRIVE Church that was pillaged by Crusaders, Breakfast daily ISTANBUL converted into a mosque by the Ottomans Lunch and dinner Welcome to Istanbul, the – and today survives as fantastic museum. per itinerary largest city in Turkey. See the ancient Hippodrome, the former Ground transport Formerly called Constantinople, Istanbul center for sports and political activities in via air conditioned served as a former capital of the Roman, Constantinople, as well as the Obelisk of luxury coach Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. Upon Theodosius from Egypt, the Serpentine English speaking arrival to the airport, a local assistant will Column and the German Fountain. You will assistant and guides meet your group in the terminal’s arrival also see Istanbul’s spectacular Blue call and accompany it to the hotel by Mosque, a magnificent 17th-century Admission tickets as outlined in private coach. (While most hotels have structure famous for its six minarets and itinerary official check-in times at 2:00 pm, if rooms for the 25,000 blue Iznik tiles that decorate are not ready you and your fellow travelers its interior. are welcome to store their bags with the Following a lunch break in the Old Town, reception staff). During the arrival, feel you will visit Topkapý Palace. This UNESCO free to get situated and begin exploring this World Heritage Site was the official fantastic city. Tonight enjoy a welcome residence of the Ottoman Sultans for four dinner in the hotel’s restaurant with your centuries. The tour will finish back at the travel companions. hotel. Enjoy an evening at leisure. DAY 2 ~ ISTANBUL DAY 3 ~ BURSA After breakfast at the hotel, After breakfast and check- your group will meet a local out, travel south by private guide in the lobby and bus to Bursa, which was the proceed for a full-day tour of Istanbul by first capital of the Ottoman Empire. Bursa is private coach. During the tour, you will see spectacularly situated at the foot of Mount this city’s truly splendid cultural attractions. Uludag - which in the time of the ancient Visit St. Sophia, the magnificent Byzantine Greeks was known as Mount Olympus. To arrive here from Istanbul, your group will DAY 6 ~ catch the ferry across the Sea of Marmara CAPPADOCIA to Yalova and then continue driving south After breakfast in the hotel, to Bursa. enjoy a full-day guided tour Upon arrival your group will have lunch in a by private bus of this unique region of special kebab restaurant before proceeding volcanic landscapes and “fairy chimneys.” on a guided sightseeing tour of Bursa - You will begin by touring the open-air museum of Göreme. This UNESCO World HIGHLIGHTS during which you will see the Green Mosque, the Green Mausoleum, the Grand Heritage Site is famous for its unusual rock Tour the Blue Mosque and the Old Bazaar. The tour will formations. During today’s sightseeing tour Mosque, a your group will visit some of the rock- landmark of the finish at your hotel this evening. Enjoy the Byzantine and evening at leisure to explore. carved churches that contain ancient Ottoman cultures frescoes. After free time for lunch, your DAY 4 ~ ANKARA group will continue its tour by traveling to See the site where Alexander the After breakfast and check- the Zelve Valley, the earliest-settled and Great cut the out, travel east by private last-abandoned monastic valley. See Gordion Knot bus to Ankara. En route, Uçhisar Castle and visit the underground Explore the fairy your group will stop and visit ruins of city of Kaymakly before returning to your chimneys and rock- Gordion, which was the capital of the hotel in the afternoon. The evening is at carved churches of ancient Kingdom of Phrygia. King Midas leisure. Cappadocia (who turned everything he touched to gold) DAY 7 ~ Visit the pottery and Alexander the Great (who supposedly CAPPADOCIA center of Avanos cut the famous Gordion knot here) both After breakfast in the hotel, Visit the Temple of formed part of local Phrygian legend. After enjoy a second full-day Artemis lunch on own, your group will continue traveling east to Ankara, Turkey’s capital guided tour of this special region. In the Explore Ephesus morning your group will visit the natural one of the world's city, which is home to the Turkish finest government, the State Opera and the Citadel of Uchisar - the tallest point in the archaeological sites National Ballet. After checking in at the Cappadocia region - before continuing on to the town of Avanos, whi is famous for its See the library hotel, the evening is free is Ankara. containing 200,000 earthenware pottery and ceramic trade DAY 5 ~ writings given to that dates back to the Hittites. A group CAPPADOCIA Cleopatra lunch will then be served in a traditional After breakfast and check- Visit the legendary restaurant. In the afternoon, the city of Troy out, you group will tour sightseeing will continue with a visit to the Ankara’s amazing Museum of Anatolian Valley of Ihlara. Your group will return to Civilizations, which is home to an excellent the hotel in the afternoon. The evening is collection of artifacts from the Hittite at leisure. Empire (18th century BC to 1178 BC). After DAY 8 ~ PAMUKKALE the visit to the museum and to the mausoleum of Atatürk, your group will After an early breakfast travel southeast to Cappadocia, a region of and check-out, your group immense historic and cultural heritage. will travel west by private After checking in at the hotel in the late bus to the city of Pamukkale. A spectacular afternoon, the evening is free is natural site known as the “Cotton Castle,” Cappadocia. Pamukkale is home to widely-frequented thermal springs and the remarkable ruins Ephesus also has an interesting history with of the ancient Greek city of Hierapolis and early Christians. It is believed that the the museum both of which you will visit. Virgin Mary eventually settled here and Also during the tour, there will be a group lived until her assumption. St. Paul also lunch in a local restaurant. After lived in Ephesus for two years. After free sightseeing, your group will check-in at the time for lunch, the tour will continue with a hotel and spend the evening at leisure in visit to what is believed to be the house of Pamukkale. the Virgin Mary, which is spectacularly situated above the ruins. As the last stop DAY 9 ~ KUSADASI on today’s comprehensive tour, your group After breakfast and check- will pay a visit to the Archaeological out, your group will travel Museum at Seljuk. The tour will finish at southwest by private bus the hotel in Ephesus, and the evening is at to the ancient city of Aphrodisias. In leisure. ancient times, this city was dedicated to DAY 12 ~ BERGAMA Aphrodite - the goddess of love. While in Aphrodisias, your group will visit the After breakfast and check impressive Temple of Artemis. After free out, your group will travel time for lunch, you will continue traveling north along the coast to west to the lovely resort town of Kusadasi, Pergamum. Mentioned in the Book of which is located on the beautiful Aegean Revelations, the Kingdom of Pergamum’s coastline. Upon arrival to the hotel, you origins date back to the 16th century BC. will check in and have free time to freshen Its library once held 200,000 volumes and up before tonight’s dinner in the hotel’s was one of the best in the ancient world; it restaurant. was pillaged by Marc Antony so that he could gift Cleopatra the library’s best DAY 10 ~ KUSADASI treasures. Enjoy a full day at leisure in While in Pergamum you will tour the spectacularly scenic Asklepion, an ancient medical center Kusadasi. (Should your constructed to honor the god of healing. group wish to add additional sightseeing Your group will also see the great here, our Groups Department would be amphitheater, the monumental altar of happy to make suggestions). Zeus and the sanctuary of Athena. (The DAY 11 ~ SELJUK group will also have lunch in a local After breakfast and check restaurant in between sightseeing). After out, your group will meet a the tour, your group will check into the local guide and travel a hotel and have the evening at leisure. short distance to the Roman ruins of DAY 13 ~ Ephesus (Turkey’s equivalent of Pompeii). CANAKKALE This is one of the world's finest After an early breakfast and archaeological sites. During your tour your check out, your group will group will see the ancient Arcadian Way, continue traveling north the coast to the splendid facade of the Library of Celsus legendary city of Troy.