MAY 13 – JUNE 9, 2015 Tour Hosts: Michael Beaty, Professor of Philosophy Douglas Henry, ASSC. PROF. OF PHILOSOPHY organized by TURKEY & GREECE MAY 13 – JUNE 9, 2015 Assos, Turkey May 24 Sun Pamukkale - Laodicea - Kusadasi Tour Itinerary: Drive to Laodicea and see its newly excavated early churches. Stop in Ephesus at carpet school for lunch and viewing of the making of beautiful, hand-woven carpets. May 13 Wed Dallas - Istanbul Continue to Kusadasi for dinner and overnight. (B, D) Depart DFW for Istanbul. May 25 Mon Kusadasi - Ephesus - May 14 Thu Istanbul Kusadasi Arrive Istanbul (mid-afternoon), check into hotel in Istanbul. Dinner at hotel and Visit the famous ancient city of evening is free. (D) Ephesus, walk its marble streets, and May 15 Fri Istanbul visit the magnificent Terrace houses, Guided tour of Sultanahmet area; Blue Mosque, then visit the 6th century St. the Ephesus Archaeological Museum Sophia (Hagia Sophia) built by the emperor Justinian, to be the grandest church of and the Basilica of St. John. Optional Christianity, which now is a museum. Visit the Underground Cistern Basilica. Free visit to the House of Virgin Mary. afternoon. Dinner & overnight at hotel. (B, D) Dinner and overnight in Kusadasi. (B, D) Ephesus Meeting in Ephesus after May 16 Sat Istanbul dinner. Enjoy a morning boat ride on the Bosphorus, seeing both the European May 26 Tue Kusadasi - Priene - and Asian shores. Take the funicular Kusadasi from Kabatas to Istiklal Street. Visit Visit the Greco-Roman city of Priene. St. Antoine Church. Have free time Then visit Miletus theatre where for lunch and strolling on the street. Paul spoke to the locals and then the Meet with the group later; visit Galata new museum. Lastly, visit the Apollo Hagia Sophia, Istanbul Tower then return to hotel for dinner Temple in Didyma, the famous oracle and overnight. (B, D) Ephesus, Turkey center of Asia Minor. Return to Kusadasi. (B, D) May 17 Sun Istanbul In the morning, visit the archaeological museum containing the greatest treasures May 27 Wed Kusadasi of Greek and Roman antiquities discovered in Turkey. After lunch on own, visit Enjoy a relaxing boat tour along the Turkish coast with a privately chartered Gulet Topkapi Palace, home of the Ottoman rulers for 400 years, now a museum housing boat (a traditional, Turkish made yacht). Dinner and overnight in Kusadasi. (B, D) a world renowned collection of jewelry and porcelain. Dinner & overnight at hotel May 28 Thur Kusadasi - Bodrum in Istanbul. (B, D) Morning departure from Kusadasi to Bodrum by bus. After lunch in the charming May 18 Mon Istanbul seaside town of Bodrum, visit Halicarnassos. Check into hotel, dinner and overnight Morning visit to Patriarchal Church of St. George. Afternoon visit to the famous in Bodrum. (B, D) Grand Bazaar and then free late afternoon in Istanbul. Dinner & overnight. (B, D) May 29 Fri Bodrum - Rhodes May 19 Tue Istanbul - Assos Take the morning ferry to Rhodes, an island of Greece, from Bodrum, Turkey. After Depart Istanbul. Cross the Dardanelle Straight by ferry and visit Troy to see the lunch, afternoon tour of Old Town and Palace of the Grand Master. Dinner and legendary city and the replica of the wooden horse. On to Assos for dinner and overnight in Rhodes. (B, D) overnight. (B, D) May 30 Sat Rhodes May 20 Wed Assos Morning tour of Rodini Park and Visit Temple of Athena and the statue of Aristotle in Assos. Overnight in Assos. (B, D) Saint Stefanos Hill. Afternoon free in Rhodes. Dinner and overnight in May 21 Thur Assos - Pergamon - Izmir Rhodes (B, D) Leave for Pergamon after breakfast. Visit the Acropolis with the steepest theater of the ancient world and the Temple of Trajan. Then visit the Red Basilica, which May 31 Sun Rhodes - Athens was an Egyptian Temple, later converted to a church in the 1st century. It is also After breakfast, morning flight considered as one of the Seven Churches of the Revelation. Continue to Izmir, to Athens. Transfer to hotel in dinner and overnight at hotel. (B, D) Rhodes, Greece Athens. Panoramic tour to see: Panathenian Stadium, Lycabettus May 22 Fri Izmir Hill, Temple of Olympian Zeus, Visit ancient Smyrna Agora & its newest excavations, St. Polycarp Church, the Hadrian’s Arch, Constitution Square, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Parliament national monument and Kemeralti bazaar. Overnight in Izmir. (B, D) House, the Academy, the University of Athens, the National Library. Dinner and overnight at our hotel in Athens. (B, D) May 23 Sat Izmir - Sardis - Pamukkale Drive to Sardis capital of the ancient Lydia where the first coin of the world is Jun 1 Mon Athens invented. See the ruins of the 1st century; Synagogue, gymnasium, and Temple After breakfast enjoy a tour of the famous Acropolis. Visit the temple of Athena of Artemis. Tour of Hierapolis, the ancient healing site with thermal waters and Nike, the Parthenon and Erechtheion and see the Odeon, the theatre of Dionyssus, spectacular travertine terraces. Visit the Temple of Apollo and Necropolis. Dinner and Philopappou Hill, walk down to Plaka for free time. At 5 p.m. return to hotel. and overnight in Pamukkale. (B, D) Evening at leisure. Dinner and overnight at hotel. (B, D) Athens, Greece GREECE Jun 2 Tue Athens Morning visit to Acropolis Museum. The museum was built to house every artifact found on the rock and on its feet, from the Greek Bronze Age to Roman and BLACK SEA Byzantine Greece. It also lies on the archaeological site of Makrygianni and the ruins CE of a part of Roman and early Byzantine Athens. Nearly 4,250 objects are exhibited E ISTANBUL over an area of 14,000 square meters. After the tour either we return to hotel or E spend some more time in Athens on our own. Dinner and overnight at hotel. (B, D) R G Jun 3 Wed ASSOS Athens - Eleusis - Corinth - DELPHI PERGAMUM Nauplion TURKEY Morning drive to Eleusis, which ELEUSIS CORINTH SARDIS was an ancient centre of religious MYCENAE ATHENS EPIDAURUS IZMIR HIERAPOLIS devotion that culminated in the NAUPLION LAODICEA AEGEAN SEA EPHESUS annual Eleusinian mysteries. PRIENE Continue on to Ancient Corinth with a stop at the historic Corinth BODRUM Canal before visiting the ancient Nauplion, Greece city and Acrocorinth (the citadel TOUR MAP RHODES of Corinth). After the visit, drive to Nauplion, a picturesque seaside town for check-in at hotel. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. (B, D) LAND ONLY RATES in US $ Jun 4 Thur Nauplion - Mycenae - Epidaurus - Nauplion After breakfast we drive to Mycenae, to visit the remains of the prehistoric citadel fortified with the Cyclopean Walls, the Lionesses’ Gate, the remains of the $4,990 Per Person in Double/Triple Room Mycenaean Palace and the Tomb of King Agamemnon in which we will actually $1,150 Single Supplement enter. After a short lunch break we continue on to Epidaurus the Sanctuary of Asclepeios, ancient god of healing. After the tour return to hotel in Nauplion for INCLUDING: dinner and overnight. (B, D) TURKEY HOTELS (15 Nights); Jun 5 Fri Nauplion - Olympia • 5 Nights at 4 star Blue House Hotel in Old City Istanbul www.bluehouse.com.tr or similar • 2 Nights at 4 star Dove Hotel in Assos www.assosdovehotel.com or similar Depart Nauplion for Olympia. Visit the archaeological site in Olympia, see the • 2 Nights at 4 star Ege Palas Hotel in Izmir www.egepalas.com.tr or similar Temple of Zeus, built by Livon, which contained the 12 meter high statue by • 1 Night at 5 star Colossae Hotel in Pamukkale www.colossaehotel.com or similar Phedeas, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The Temple of Hera • 4 Nights at 4 star Önder Hotel in Kusadasi www.onderhotel.com or similar where the Olympic flame was lit from the sun and taken by runners to light the • 1 night at 4 star Atrium Hotel in Bodrum www.atriumbodrum.com or similar torch wherever the games were being held. Visit the museum across the road. GREECE HOTELS (11 Nights); Check-in at hotel in Olympia for dinner and overnight. (B, D) • 2 Nights at 3 star hotel in Rhodes • 3 Nights at 3 star Philippos Hotel in Athens www.philipposhotel.gr or similar Jun 6 Sat Olympia - Delphi • 2 nights at 4 star hotel in Nauplion • 1 night at 4 star Hotel Neda in Olympia www.hotelneda.gr or similar After breakfast drive towards Patras, the second largest port of Greece and cross • 2 nights at 3 star Parnassos Hotel in Delphi www.parnassos.org or similar over the bridge from Rion to Antirrion. Passing by Nafpaktos, arrive at Delphi. Visit • 1 Night at 3 star Philippos Hotel in Athens www.philipposhotel.gr or similar archaeological site, Sanctuary of Apollo, and the Treasury of the Athenians. Dinner • Sightseeing as per the itinerary and overnight at hotel in Delphi. (B, D) • Bodrum-Rhodes ferry tickets • Rhodes-Athens domestic flight • All escorted transfers Jun 7 Sun Delphi • Daily breakfast and dinner as in the itinerary (B: breakfast, D: dinner) Morning visit to Delphi’s archaeological museum containing such masterpieces of • Transportation by private A/C bus with driver throughout the tour ancient Greek sculpture as the bronze Charioteer and the famous athlete Aghias. • Tolls, parking fees, gasoline Afternoon free in Delphi for final exam study or leisure. Dinner and overnight in • Licensed English speaking professional tour guides during all sightseeing • Entry fees to the sites & museums Delphi. (B, D) • Service charges & local taxes Jun 8 Mon Delphi - Athens Morning final exams. Depart Delphi late morning for Athens. Possible stop at Hosios EXCLUDING: Loukas along the way.