- Itinerary
- Day 1 New York - Istanbul
- Fly from New York's JFK airport to
Istanbul, Turkey.
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- Day 2 Istanbul
- Arrive in Istanbul. Transfer to your
hotel for overnight.
- Overnight in Istanbul.
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- Day 3 Istanbul
- After breakfast depart for a full day
sightseeing tour of Istanbul. Visit the remnants of the Roman
Hippodrome, the magnificent sixth-century Byzantine church, Haghia
Sophia, the 17th-century Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, once the
residence of the Ottoman Sultans from the 15th to 19th centuries,
and the Grand Bazaar. Welcome dinner. Overnight in Istanbul.
(B, D)
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- Day 4 Istanbul
- A full day of sightseeing in Istanbul.
After visiting the historical Spice Market near Galata Bridge,
a cruise along the Bosphorus, the waterway connecting the warm
waters of the south to the Black Sea, is scheduled. (In winter,
cruise may be substituted with Suleymaniye Mosque and Chora Church.)
In the afternoon you will cross Bosphorus Bridge connecting Asia
and Europe and visit Beylerbeyi Palace, a 19th-century Ottoman
palace. Overnight in Istanbul. (B)
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- Day 5 Ankara - Cappadocia
- Morning flight to Ankara where you'll
visit the famous Museum of Anatolian Civilizations and the Mausoleum
of Ataturk, founder of the Turkish Republic. (For Thursday departures,
the museum can be replaced with Ankara Castle & Haci Bayram
Mosque). Then, drive to Cappadocia, while enjoying the view of
the beautiful Turkish countryside along the way. Overnight in Cappadocia. (B, D)
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- Day 6 Cappadocia
- Full day tour of the Cappadocia region.
Enjoy the amazing scenery of unusual rock formations and man-made dwellings, and churches and chapels
from the early Christian and Byzantine periods. Your visits will
include Goreme Open Air Museum, Uchisar, Valley of Zelve, and
the Underground City of Kaymakli. Overnight in Cappadocia. (B,
D)
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- Day 7 Konya - Pamukkale
- Depart from Cappadocia for Pamukkale.
On the way you'll visit the Sultanhan Caravanserai which was
built along the ancient Silk Road in the 13th century, and Konya.
In Konya, once the capital of the Seljuk Turks in the 13th century,
you'll visit the Museum of the Whirling Dervishes. Arrive in Pamukkale late afternoon.
Overnight in Pamukkale. (B, D)
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- Day 8 Pamukkale - Aphrodisias - Kusadasi
- After breakfast visit the ancient city
of Hierapolis where you'll visit a fascinating necropolis and
theater from the Greco-Roman period. After taking pictures of
cotton-white cascades, drive to ancient Aphrodisias, a city named
for Aphrodite, the goddess of love. After visiting wonderful
ruins and the museum you'll drive to Kusadasi.
- Overnight in Kusadasi. (B, D)
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- Day 9 Kusadasi - Ephesus - Izmir
- A full day tour of Ephesus. This glorious
city, founded about 4,000 years ago, still surprises the visitor
with its ruins. Visit the ruins and the site museum, the House
of Virgin Mary, where she is believed to have spent her final
years, and the sixth-century Basilica of St. John. Overnight
in Izmir. (B)
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- Day 10 Izmir
- In the morning an excursion to Sardis,
capital of Lydian Empire in the 6th century BC. Visit the Temple
of Artemis, gymnasium and one of the oldest synagogues in the
world. In the afternoon visit Pergamon: the majestic Acropolis
with its Temple of Trajan and theater. Also visit Asclepion,
the ancient world's great healing center.
- Overnight in Izmir. (B)
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- Day 11 Izmir - Bodrum
Before noon you will be transferred
to Bodrum. Embarkation, welcome drink and program briefing in
Bodrum harbor. Dinner and overnight stay in the harbor or at
a nearby cove. (If arrival of guests is sufficiently early, it
may be possible to spend the night in Cos harbor.)
- (B, D)
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Day 12 Bodrum - Cos
Arrival in Cos around noon. After lunch on board opportunity
to see Asclepieion, Castle or the Museum (all open until 14:30).
Choice of swimming in the warm waters of Empros thermal baths
on the south coast. Overnight stay in Cos harbor. (B, L , D)
Day 13 Leros
Arrival at Leros around noon. After a swim at Xirokambos, arrival
in Lakki or Ayia Marina. Because Leros is not a "tourist
paradise", the island has been able to preserve much of
its traditional way of life. Afternoon and evening open for excursions
on foot or by rented motorbike. Overnight stay in Leros harbor.
(B, L , D)
- Day 14 Leipsi - Fournoi
Early morning departure. Breakfast and swim at Leipsi. Arrival
at Fournoi islands, a tranquil region untouched by mass tourism.
(B, L , D)
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- Day 15 Patmos
Arrival in Scala harbor of Patmos, situated at the base of a
mountain crowned by a 13th century monastery of St. Jon the Divine.
The island with its monasteries is of great importance for the
Greek Orthodox Church. Its many lovely coves and characteristic
villages are similar to those fount on other Greek Aegean islands.
(B, L , D)
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- Day 16 Kalimnos
Today's destination is the island of Kalimnos. Although its days
in the sun as a major sponge fishing center are over, Kalimnos
still bares traces of those times in some of its stately homes
dating from that era. (B, L , D)
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- Day 17 Cos
Arrival in Cos around noon, after a morning swim in Pserimos
with departure timed to avoid the rush of daily tour boats. Opportunity
to sightsee places missed at the beginning of the cruise. Overnight
stay in Cos or Bodrum in accordance with the guests' preference.
(B, L , D)
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Day 18 Bodrum - Istanbul
After breakfast, you will disembark at Bodrum and you will be
transferred to Bodrum airport for your flight back to Istanbul.
In Istanbul you will be transferred to your hotel. (B)
Day 19 Transfer
Transfer to the airport after breakfast for the departure flight.
(B)
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