Treasures of Turkey

You’re on your way to Turkey, a country straddling two continents (Europe and Asia) and brimming with rich culture, diverse people, and sublime landscapes. From the vast Greek and Roman archeological sites dotting the countryside to the modern cultural hub and historic city of Istanbul, Turkey is a confluence of past, present, and future and its customs, traditions, and values. Born out of the Silk Road trade and its nomadic path, Turkey’s heritage is layered like an intricately woven carpet.
Hotel Name: Elite World Hotel

Welcome to Istanbul, the bridge between east and west, and a hub of intermingling cultures, complex history, and legendary architecture. Settle into your hotel for the next three nights, and then meet your fellow travelers at a welcome briefing before taking the rest of the evening to relax as you please.

Visit Area: Istanbul
The largest city in Turkey, Istanbul constitutes the country’s economic, cultural, and historical heart. With a population of 14.4 million, the city forms the largest urban agglomeration in Europe as well as the largest in the Middle East. Founded on the Sarayburnu promontory around 660 BC as Byzantium, the city now known as Istanbul developed to become one of the most significant cities in history. Istanbul once served as an imperial capital for the Roman and Byzantine, the Latin and the Ottoman empires. The city’s strategic position along the historic Silk road, rail networks to Europe and the Middle East, and the only sea route between the Black Sean and Mediterranean. Today, Istanbul attracts millions of visitors each year due to its historic center, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its cultural and entertainment hub, which can be found across the city’s natural harbor.

Today, sample some of Istanbul’s most iconic sites, which connect Greek-Roman heritage with Ottoman-Islamic Art. First is the 17th-century Blue Mosque with its impressive domes and minarets, followed by Hippodrome, the former sporting and social center of the Roman Empire. Visit Hagia Sophia (UNESCO), a church-turned-mosque and a true embodiment of Byzantine Architecture, and then Topkapi Palace and Harem, former home to the Ottoman Sultans. While exploring the city’s legendary history and architecture, please know that Istanbul is also known for its legendary traffic, which is also an iconic experience — one that requires great patience! This evening, gather at a local restaurant where the chef will delight you with Ottoman-inspired cuisine.

Breakfast Included
Dinner Included

Admittance: Hagia Sophia
From the date of its construction in 537, Hagia Sophia was a former Greek Orthodox patriarchal basilica, which later became an imperial mosque in 1453, and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. The church was dedicated to the Wisdom of God, the Logos, the second person of the Holy Trinity. Famous in particular for its massive dome, it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture. It remained the world’s largest cathedral for nearly a thousand years, until Seville Cathedral was completed in 1520. In 1953, the first Turkish President, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, transformed the building into a museum. Today, the museum attracts millions of visitors a year.

Explore Turkey’s culinary heritage as you taste your way around Istanbul’s Golden Horn district during a walking tour that includes a visit to the city’s famous Spice Market and multiple tastings of Turkish specialties sampled from local street vendors. This afternoon, take in Istanbul’s majestic skyline as you sail between two continents during a cruise of the Bosphorus Strait, which divides Europe from Asia. The rest of the afternoon is yours to explore. Perhaps you’ll visit the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art, home to rare artifacts, sculptures, and one of the most important collections of woven carpets in the world, some dating back to the Ottoman Empire. Or, choose to go on an optional excursion to an historic Hammam, where you’ll enjoy an authentic Turkish scrub and foam bath.

Breakfast Included
Lunch Included
Hotel Name: En Hotel

Admittance: Topkapi Palace
Once the primary residence of the Ottoman sultans for approximately 400 years, Tokpai is a palace located in the historic part of Istanbul. The palace was once a setting for state occasions and royal entertainments as well as the royal residence. Today, it museum and a major tourist attraction. It contains important holy relics of the Muslim world, including Muhammed’s cloak and sword. In 1985, the museum became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Following the end of the Ottoman Empire in 1923, the palace was transformed by a government decree that is dated April 3, 1924, to a museum that includes many examples of fine Ottoman architecture. It also houses large collections of porcelains, robes, weapons, shields, armor, Ottoman miniatures, Islamic calligraphic manuscripts and manuals, as well as a large display of Ottoman treasures and jewelry.

Early this morning, leave the bustle of Istanbul behind and take a flight to Izmir (known as Smyrna in antiquity), Turkey’s third most populous city and your home for the next two nights. Enjoy free time this evening to explore the seafront promenade with its shops and restaurants, just a short walk from your centrally located hotel.

Breakfast Included
Lunch Included

Visit Area: Spice Market

This morning, your in-depth tour of Ancient Ephesus (UNESCO) takes you to the Terrace Houses for a walking tour of these impressive residential villas. See the imposing Library of Celsus, the ruins of the Temple of Artemis, and walk the paths that Paul the Apostle once walked. Conclude the morning with a visit to the Archeological Museum. This afternoon, travel to charming Sirince, a hilltop village once inhabited by the Greek community and abandoned during the population exchange between Turkey and Greece in 1923. The village today is a rare and protected example of Ottoman Christian architecture, known for its locally produced olive oil, wine, and peaches. Here, relax at a local café, taste a traditional Turkish coffee, and meet with locals who offer Turkish coffee ground readings for those who want to get their fortunes told! Afterwards, return to your hotel for some time to relax, and this evening, sample the cuisine of Izmir with Diner’s Choice – choosing from a variety of local restaurants for an included dinner.

Breakfast Included
Dinner Included
Hotel Name: Arp Hotel

Admittance: Food Tour

Start the day by learning about the folklore of the nazar boncuk (evil eye) at a workshop where these traditional talismans are crafted using a process passed down through generations. Next, continue your journey inland to Pamukkale (UNESCO) to visit the famous Cotton Castle* — named for its natural cascading thermal pools and white limestone — as well as the ruins of the Greco-Roman period. While here, take a guided tour of the archeological site via golf cart and visit the local museum followed by some free time to visit the site’s “Cotton Candy” pools. This evening, arrive in the quaint riverbank town of Dalyan and check into your home for the next two nights at a small, family-run bed & breakfast with simple accommodations and a deck overlooking the river. The evening is yours. Perhaps you’ll stroll the streets of Dalyan browsing the local shops or find your favorite café and soak in the local life.

Breakfast Included

Admittance: Bosphorus Straight Cruise

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast this morning before setting off for a relaxing boat trip along the river that connects Dalyan to the Mediterranean Sea. Enjoy the unique environment as you pass through the marshland that is home to birds, fish, and turtles. Take in views of the Aegean coastline and make some stops (weather permitting) along the way for swimming.** After lunch in a local restaurant, get ready for your Impact Moment at a loggerhead turtle rescue and conservation center. Return to Dalyan for an evening at leisure.

Breakfast Included
Lunch Included
Hotel Name: Bayir Diamond Hotel

Visit Area: Ephesus
Ephesus is the best preserved classical city of the Eastern Mediterranean and among the best places in the world enabling one to genuinely soak in the atmosphere of Roman times. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ephesus was once historically known for being the most important commercial center of the ancient world and a religious center of early Christianity.

Prepare for a full day of travel, beginning early and following the path of the ancient Silk Road trading route that once led from China all the way to Istanbul. Take some time to explore the downtown of Burdur during a quick lunch stop. Continue on to Konya, arriving in the early evening, where dinner is included at the hotel.

Breakfast Included
Lunch Included
Dinner Included
Hotel Name: Vigor Hotel

Admittance: Pamukkale Archeological Site

Begin the morning in Konya with a visit to the Mevlâna Museum, the world center of the Whirling Dervishes. Next, visit Sultanhani Caravanserai, one of the largest surviving caravanserai along the Silk Road. After viewing the soaring vaults of this fortified road stop, travel on, arriving in Cappadocia in the early afternoon for a tour of one of the region’s famous underground cities. These subterranean towns, some built almost 3000 years ago, provided refuge for their inhabitants during times of war and invasions. As you head towards your hotel, take in the ethereal scenery and mesmerizing rock formations created by thousands of years of volcanic activity and erosion. This evening, check in to your home for the next three nights.

Breakfast Included

Admittance: Aegean Coast Boat Ride

Get an early start with an optional balloon ride*** that takes you soaring above the “fairy chimneys” and rock dwellings dotting the hills and valleys below you. After reconvening with your fellow travelers, immerse yourself in Cappadocia’s lunar landscape. Visit Göreme’s Open-Air Museum (UNESCO), a vast site comprising of 11 early Christian rock-cut churches and monasteries often adorned with colorful frescoes. For lunch, join a local family at their home for a taste of home-cooked burek (a savory pastry filled with cheese or potatoes), accompanied by tea. This evening, come together for a Whirling Dervishes ceremony.****

Breakfast Included
Lunch Included

Admittance: Impact Moment

Start the day with a countryside walk in Love Valley, famous for its conspicuous rock formations. Follow the winding path among the fairy chimneys and contemplate the otherworldly view. Then, visit a pottery workshop and learn how locals make use of the area’s natural resources by extracting clay from the surrounding soil and developing pottery into an art form. This afternoon, participate in a hands-on cooking class learning how to make traditional Cappadocia dishes, like slow-roasted testi kebab, before enjoying the results for dinner.

Breakfast Included
Dinner Included
Hotel Name: Elite World Hotel

Visit Area: Konya

Head to the airport in Kayseri this morning for a short flight back to Istanbul. After a drive back to the city, stop at the colorful Grand Bazaar. This intricate complex of covered streets and shops has been in operation for over 600 years and is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world. Later this afternoon, check in to the hotel before regrouping for a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

Breakfast Included
Dinner Included

Visit Area: Cappadocia
The earliest record of the name of Cappadocia dates from the late 6th century BC, when it appears in the trilingual inscriptions of two early Achaemenid kings, as one of the countries of the Persian Empire. Following the Battle of Manzikert, a battle between the Byzantine Empire and the Seljuq Turks, in 1071, various Turkish clans under the rule of the Seljuks began setting in Anatolia. Today, the area is a popular tourist destination, which has several unique geological, historic, and cultural features. Touristic Cappadocia includes four cities: Nevehir, Kayseri, Aksaray and Nigde.

Your exploration of Turkey comes to a close today.

Breakfast Included

Visit Area: Grand Bazaar