Join us for this small group, intimate tour of Turkey.
Caravan-Serai's tours are always much more personal, getting you even
closer to the people and cultures we are visiting. With only 15 people
you will be able to have more contact with our guide and hear them better
and ask more questions. And we make sure we use comfortable, air conditioned
buses, with room for everyone to spread out and relax in between stops.
We are mostly staying in smaller boutique hotels, often
found in the center of the historical districts, and located in older
buildings that have been renovated. Our lunches and dinners will be
at local restaurants - where the locals dine, not tourist-oriented venues.
It's our mission to provide you with an experience
of a lifetime, and we are good at what we do.
$4720 pp/do, land only
Maximum group size is 15 people
Mar 22: Welcome
to Turkey! On arrival in Istanbul, you will be met and transferred to
the hotel for overnight.
Mar 23: Istanbul -
Ankara After breakfast we will depart for Ankara with stops on the
way for photos and breaks. Arrive in Ankara and check in to our hotel
for overnight.
Mar 24: Ankara - Cappadocia
After breakfast we will take a tour of Ankara, visiting the Haci Bayram
Mosque, the Temple of Augustine, the Roman Bath, the Mausoleum of Ataturk
and the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, famous for its unique collection
of Hattian sun discs and stag cult figures as well as spectacular Hittite
statues and reliefs. Continue to the Agzikarahan Caravan-Serai and then
to Avanos, in the central region of Cappadocia, noted for its lovely
traditional homes, pottery and onyx. Overnight in Avanos.
Mar 25: Cappadocia
Today we will have a full day of sightseeing in Cappadocia. Settled
around 4000BC, the dwellings have been carved into the surrounding rocky
hillsides and include churches painted with beautiful frescoes from
the Byzantine era. Wind and rain have eroded the brittle rock into a
spectacular surrealistic landscape of cones, capped pinnacles and fretted
ravines of many colors. Continue to explore the Zelve Valley, and Goreme
and the underground cities of Derinkuyu, Kaymaki, and Cuvasin. Stop
at the village of Uchisar to enjoy the typical life style of this area
and ride donkeys. Dinner and overnight.
Mar 26: Cappadocia
- Konya This morning we travel to Konya, the center of the Seljuk
culture. En route, we visit one of the best preserved caravanserias
called Sultanhani. This caravanseria was built in the 13th century as
a highway inn and used as a camel stop by the traders. Upon arrival
to Konya we will visit the stunning green tiled Mevlana Mausoleum, known
as the Green Dome and is Konya's most conspicuous landmark. There will
be a stop at the Karatay Medrese, once famous for its colored tiles;
this former theological school is now a museum of Seljuk and Ottoman
ceramics, and we will see the Ince Minara and Ulu Mosque. Dinner and
overnight in Konya Kartay.
Mar 27: Konya - Alanya
After breakfast we will depart for Alanya. On arrival we will visit
the vast Seljuk Turkish fortress which dominates the town from its promontory;
the tall, octagonal Seljuk Red Tower; and the Tersane (shipyard). We
will also visit Dalmatas and the museum. Overnight in Alanya.
Mar 28: Alanya - Antalya
After breakfast we will depart for Antalya, another coastal city with
a central old town called Kaleici. On the way we will stop at the ancient
cities of Perge and Aspendos to view the ruins and an amazing amphitheater.
In Antalya we will see the Roman harbor, the old city wall and one of
the most visible monuments - the stone tower called the Kalekapisi which
marks the castle gate. Enjoy the souk and the pedestrian district where
you can explore and see the old city up close. Overnight in Antalya.
Mar 29: Antalya - Pamukkale
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel then we depart for the city of Pamukkale,
known for its mineral water pools, in particular the spectacular white
mineral pools that have formed a cascade down the slope. Pamukkale,
"Cotton Fortress", has been a spa since the Romans built the spa city
of Hierapolis around a sacred warm-water spring. The Sacred Pool is
still there, littered with marble columns from the Roman Temple of Apollo.
Overnight in Pamukkale.
Mar 30: Pamukkale -
Kusadasi This morning, after breakfast, we will head to the coast
and the city of Kusadasi. Along the way we will stop at Aphrodisias,
dedicated to the goddess of love, Aphroditie. Nearby the site we will
visit the museum of Aphrodisias. During Roman times Aphrodisias was
home to a famous school for sculptors and the museum has an excellent
collection of the statues. Kusadasi is a seaside resort where many cruise
ships on the Aegean islands circuit stop. Overnight in Kusadasi.
Mar 31: Kusadasi -
Izmir After breakfast we will check out and depart for a full day
sightseeing tour of Ephesus. Ephesus is the best preserved and restored
ancient city in Turkey. A visit to Ephesus which is known to be the
commercial, the religious and the social center of antiquity, is one
of the highlights of any visit in Turkey. Ephesus is probably the best
combination of Greek, Roman and Byzantine civilizations, and with its
mythological stories and spectacular ruins you will feel the life in
ancient Ephesus. We will visit the Fountains of Trajan, Polio, the Temple
of Hadrian and Domitian, private house, the Library of Celcius, Varius
and Scholostica Baths, Bouleterion and the Great Theatre with a capacity
of 25.000 spectators. After enjoying our optional Turkish cuisine at
lunch, we will visit the House of the Virgin Mary, where she spent last
days of her life on top of the Nightingale Mountain. Afterwards, we
will visit rest of the ruins of the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven
wonders of the ancient world, and Archaeological Museum in Selcuk town.
In the late afternoon we will drive to Izmir. Once famous for figs,
Izmir (formerly Smyrna), is now Turkey's 3rd-largest city, the "capital"
of the Aegean region, a major port and commercial center set dramatically
around a huge bay and backed by mountains to the south. Continue to
Izmir for overnight.
Apr 1: Izmir - Pergamon
- Izmir After breakfast we will have a full day excursion to Pergamum.
This city was renowned in Hellenic and Roman times for its great library
and as the medical center where Galen laid the foundation for medical
practice. Pergamum (or Pergamon) was an important kingdom during the
second century BC, having grown from a city-state captured by Alexander
the Great. The Asclepion (Asklepieion) of Pergamum was perhaps the world's
most famous ancient medical center, and is the second-most important
site in Bergama. Return to Izmir for overnight.
Apr 2: Izmir - Sardes
- Izmir Today we will have an excursion to Sardis. Sardis was the
capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia, one of the important cities
of the Persian Empire, the seat of a proconsul under the Roman Empire,
and the metropolis of the province Lydia in later Roman and Byzantine
times. Its importance was due to its military strength, its situation
on an important highway leading from the interior to the Aegean coast,
and to its command of the wide and fertile plain of the Hermus. Return
to Izmir and we will see the Izmir Museum, the Old City and the Agora.
Overnight in Izmir.
Apr 3: Izmir - Istanbul
Check out after breakfast and if time permits we will have a city
tour of Izmir before going to the airport for our flight to Istanbul.
Overnight in Istanbul.
Apr 4: Istanbul
with dinner at the Bosporus We will spend the day exploring this fascinating
city of the Byzantines. Our tour includes visits to Topkapi Palace where
the Ottoman Sultans ruled parts of Europe, the Middle East, and North
Africa for over 500 years, the Blue Mosque, Suleyman Mosque, the Haggia
Sophia, the Hippodrome, the Islamic Museum, Yerebatan - the Byzantine
underground cistern, and shopping in the Grand Bazaar -- Istanbul's
covered souk, and the Misr Charshi - Egyptian Spice Bazaar. In the evening
we will have a farewell dinner cruise on the Bosporus. Overnight in
Istanbul.
Apr 5: Transfer
to the airport for departure.
End of services.
Includes:
-
Airport transfer on arrival and departure
-
Air conditioned minibus with 31 seats with a microphone
-
Accommodation in boutique or 4 star hotels based on double occupancy
-
14 breakfasts at hotels, 14 lunches outside of the hotel, and 13 dinners
-
Sightseeing with entrance fees as listed in itinerary
- 1 liter of water on the bus per person, per day
-
Izmir - Istanbul domestic flight
-
English speaking guiding services throughout the journey
-
Hotel tips
-
Bosporus Cruise tour by night including dinner and unlimited local drinks
Not Included:
-
Visa expenses to enter into the country
-
Personal expenses such as minibar, telephone calls, etc.
-
Hot and cold drinks during the meals
-
International flights
-
Tips to the guide & driver
-
Trip insurance
Single Supplement: $300
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