"TURQUOISE COAST VOYAGE"
|
 |
Cost per person (double occupancy): $4,399.00 Land only including domestic flights within Turkey. (The price is based on a minimum of 6/maximum of 12 participants per group. Adjusted prices for smaller groups available upon request.) Single Supplement: $600.00 Dates for 2009: 06/05/09 to 06/17/09*09/18/09 to 09/30/09 Need a special date for your group? Please contact us!! |
| DAY 1 Fri: |
Depart your home city for your flight to Istanbul. |
| DAY 2 Sat: |
Arrive in Istanbul. You'll be met at the airport by your guide and transferred to the five-star Divan Hotel. The afternoon will be at leisure for you to settle in and relax after your flight. In the evening your group will gather for a Welcome Dinner at an excellent local restaurant. (Breakfast on the plane; lunch on your own; dinner included.) |
| DAY 3 Sun: |
The entire day will be spent seeing some of the major sights of this exciting and historic city, including the Blue Mosque, with its exquisite Iznik tiles; the awe inspiring Aya Sofya; the Topkapi Palace and Museum, the seat of power of the Ottoman Empire; the remains of the ancient Roman Hippodrome, with its remarkably well-preserved Egyptian obelisk; and the haunting, underground Basilica Cistern (featured in the James Bond movie "From Russia with Love"). Lunch will be at the Konyali Restaurant on the grounds of the Topkapi Palace, which overlooks the Bosphorus. Before dinner we will walk through the colorful market adjoining the Cicek Pasaji and then on to our restaurant for a typical Turkish meal. After dinner, we will walk along the vibrant Istiklal Caddesi back to the hotel. |
| DAY 4 Mon: |
Morning departure for your flight to Dalaman, the nearest airport to the seaside city of Marmaris. There you will board your gulet, a traditional Turkish wooden motor-sail yacht and begin your magical voyage along the famed Turquoise Coast. |
| DAY 5 Tue: |
Today you will cruise to a small island off the shore of Turtle Beach (one of the last Mediterranean nesting sites of the loggerhead turtle), where the Dalyan River meets the sea. You will then board a small boat for a ride up the river through a maze of channels lined with bamboo and cattails and visit the ancient site of Kaunos, with a break for lunch in the charming town of Dalyan. After lunch, you will travel by riverboat as far as Lake Koycegiz where you will board a minibus for a short ride to Ekincik to meet the gulet. |
| DAY 6 Wed: |
The morning begins with a cruise to Aga Harbor. After breakfast you will hike (approximately three hours) through a fragrant pine forest to the little known Greco-Roman site ofLydea. The hike continues to a spectacular cove that shoulders the sunken Baths of Cleopatra, built for her by Marc Antony; the gulet will be waiting in the cove. After lunch the gulet will sail around this area and in the late afternoon you will anchor for the evening. |
| DAY 7 Thu: |
After a hearty breakfast, you will cruise to a beautiful coastal lagoon where you will board a minibus for a short drive to Kayakoy, a Greek "ghost town" and a fascinating historical monument. You will then hike (approximately one hour) from Kayakoy to the cove Soguksu to rejoin the gulet. After lunch and a swim break, you will cruise to Gemiler Island, where you will visit a 6th Century Byzantine monastery and other ancient churches, all the while surrounded by breathtaking views. |
| DAY 8 Fri: |
Today, after breakfast, you will cruise to Kas Harbor and to the ancient Roman site known as Aperlae where the remains of an ancient town extend into the crystal clear water and where you can swim and snorkel among the ruins. A thirty-minute hike will take you to another cove to meet the gulet. Your next destination is Kekova, which has been described as "heaven on earth", and where you will cruise along the sunken ruins of Simena. In the afternoon you will climb to the site of a crusader castle at Kalekoy. The panoramic view from the castle includes an extensive necropolis of many fine Lycian sarcophagi. A hike of approximately two hours will bring you to an adjacent cove to rejoin the gulet. |
| DAY 9 Sat: |
Today you will cruise to Myra, where you will visit the Church of St. Nicholas (Santa Claus), a pilgrimage site for devotees of the 4th Century Saint. You will also visit the ruins of Myra, with its striking honeycomb of rock-hewn Lycian tombs and a well-preserved Roman theatre. |
| DAY 10 Sun: |
After a relaxing breakfast you will cruise to Finike; here you will disembark the gulet and bid farewell to your Captain and Crew. A drive along the enchanting Turquoise Coast will bring you to Antalya. On the way to Antalya, you will visit the ancient ruins of Olimpos, which lie just inland from a beautiful beach. After hiking along the beach, a short drive and another hike will find you at the remarkable Chimaera, a cluster of spontaneous and inextinguishable flames that blaze from the crevices on the rocky slopes of Mt. Olimpos. Ancient peoples attributed these extraordinary flames to the breath of a monster! You will also stop at the charming ancient site of Phaselis, famous for its three small perfect bays. Your home for the evening will be the five-star Talya Hotel, located in the center of Antalya and overlooking the sea. You will enjoy dinner at a picturesque restaurant in the "kaleici", a protected historic zone in the old city of Antalya. |
| DAY 11 Mon: |
Antalya is rich in historical sites, and today you will be seeing some of the most important, including the ancient city of Perge. You will be awed by a visit to Aspendos, site of the best-preserved Roman theatre in the world. It stands in almost perfect condition, which is absolutely amazing considering that it was built in the time of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius (161-180 A.D.) Performances are still held there today. Your day includes a visit to Antalya's rich museum, filled with artifacts of the region. You will also be able to participate in an educational, entertaining visit to a carpet farm in order to see firsthand the fascinating process of making a Turkish rug or kilim. |
| DAY 12 Tue: |
Morning flight to Istanbul. You will spend the afternoon brushing up your bargaining skills in the captivating Grand Bazaar, and the aromatic Spice Bazaar. This evening we have a special Farewell Dinner planned that will be a fitting finale to your Turkish adventure. |
| DAY 13 Wed: |
Morning departure for the U.S.A. (Breakfast included.) |
