"CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION"
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| Cost per person (double occupancy):
$2,899.00 Land only including domestic flights within Turkey. (The price is based on a minimum of 8/maximum of 16 participants per group. Adjusted prices for smaller groups available upon request.) Single Supplement: $300.00 Dates for 2009: 05/06/09 to 05/15/09*10/07/09 to 10/16/09 Need a special date for your group? Please contact us!! |
| DAY 1 Wed: | Depart your home city for your flight to Istanbul. |
| DAY 2 Thu: | 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 Fri: | 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 Sat: | Morning flight to Kayseri, the nearest airport to the famed Cappadocia region, where volcanic stone sculpted by centuries of wind and rain have created a surrealistic landscape. The day will be spent sightseeing, including the mysterious underground city at Kaymakli, which was inhabited by upwards of ten thousand people. Your hotel will be the Club Med Kaya or the Kapadokya Lodge. |
| DAY 5 Sun: | The entire day will be spent experiencing incredible Cappadocia, including the Goreme Open Air Museum, home of numerous churches carved directly into the volcanic rock; and the magical Zelve Valley. If the weather permits, you will take a hike through this otherworldly terrain. |
| DAY 6 Mon: |
Today you will be transferred by motor coach to Ankara; driving time will be around four hours. We will stop for lunch, and pay an educational, entertaining visit to a carpet farm in order to see firsthand the fascinating process of making a Turkish rug or kilim. Before checking into your hotel (Gordion), you will visit the Mausoleum of Ataturk, the resting place of the founder of modern Turkey. |
| DAY 7 Tue: |
Today we will visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, one of the finest archeological museums in the world, and home to a priceless collection of Paleolithic, Neolithic, Hittite, Hatti, Urartian, Phrygian, and Assyrian artifacts. A late afternoon flight will take you to Izmir (Symrna), the home of the father of Western Literature, Homer. Your hotel in Izmir will be the Crowne Plaza. |
| DAY 8 Wed: | Your day will be spent exploring the extensive ruins of Ephesus, the best-preserved Greco-Roman site in the world. Visits will also be paid to the House of the Virgin Mary, reputed to be Mary's final home on earth and sanctified by the Vatican as a holy shrine; St. John's Basilica; and the Ephesus Museum, featuring artifacts from the Temple of Artemis (Diana), one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Lunch today will be a special treat: a meal in a home in the charming village of Sirence. |
| DAY 9 Thu: |
Morning flight to Istanbul. You will spend the afternoon brushing up your bargaining skills in the captivating Grand Bazaar, and the aromatic Spice Bazaar. We will also pay a visit to the Sulemaniye Mosque, the largest in Istanbul. After your special Farewell Dinner, you will take a final, scenic ride around one of the most captivating cities in the world, no doubt inspiring thoughts of a return journey. |
| DAY 10 Fri: | Morning departure for the U.S.A. (Breakfast included.) |
