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Blue
Water * Bright Islands
Istanbul
, Athens , Naxos , Santorini
in 14 Days
Fantasty Honeymoon Tour of Turkey and Greece |
What's
your preferred destination around the Aegean Sea? The Classic sites beckon
with the glories of empires past. Thriving bazaars exude the mystery of
the Orient. Hidden coves, sun, beaches and sails seduce you to a legendary
island removed from the everyday world. Which will you choose ? Fortunately,
you can do it all! On this 10-day adventure, Travel in Style weaves the
great travel adventures of Greece and Turkey into a seamless classic of
its own. You'll gaze in awe at the treasures of Istanbul. You'll ascend
to the Acropolis in Athens, and plumb the pleasures of the Plaka. Then
it's away from the madding crowds, to treasure three full days in a hideaway
on the Greek isle of your dreams: Santorini .
Compare with 11 day Ephesus
, or the 14 day edition
.
DAY
1 - ISTANBUL -Arrive
on any day of your choosing, from April through October
Our local personnel will be on hand when you arrive at the international
airport, to escort you to your lodgings, where a fruit basket awaits.
You'll have time to rest up from your flight, and stretch your legs
as you make your initial discoveries of this capital of Byzantine emperors
and Ottoman sultans, where East and West have long clashed, met, and
blended.
DAY
2 - ISTANBUL (BLD)
We'll visit historic and modern Istanbul today. High points will include
the Hippodrome, the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, and the stunning
Blue Mosque. Then it's on to Aya Sophia, whose heritage as both a basilica
and emblem of Islamic architecture neatly sums up the strains that have
created modern Turkey. We'll fit in the fabled Topkapi palace, with
its formal gardens, salons of state and stately boudoirs of the sultan's
harem; as well as the Treasury, whose collection includes priceless
Chinese porcelain. At the Grand Bazaar, there will be occasion to assemble
your own treasure from over 5000 stands, kiosks, and shops, filled with
carpets, leatherwork, and treasures and trinkets from all points eastward.
After a short rest, we'll gather for dinner, accompanied by live music,
and the extraordinary Oriental art form that we know as the belly dance.
DAY
3 - ISTANBUL (BL)
This morning, we'll stretch our legs as we take in the sights, sounds,
and aromas of Istanbul up-close. We'll start off with our guide to re-discover
the Belle Epoque, when Constantinople was the Paris of the East. From
the traditional Karaköy district, where overseas bankers and shipping
companies had their headquarters, we'll ascend via the Tünel-an
antique subway line-up to Istiklal Caddesi, a sedate nineteenth-century
thoroughfare lined with former embassies. We'll stop in at the tekke
of the renowned whirling dervishes. And in keeping with the traditional
surroundings, we'll be hosted to tea at the landmark Pera Palace Hotel.
We'll continue on foot, at least as far as Galatasaray Square, and lunch
in the Çicek Pasaji (Flower Passage); then it's on to busy Taksim
Square to rendezvous with our coach. We'll venture farther afield in
the afternoon, to Yildiz Palace Park and the Ihlamur Kasri, a refined
little palace south of Yildiz, and the Military History Museum in Harbiye,
arriving in time for the strains of Mehter, the traditional Ottoman
military band.
DAY
4 - Istanbul (B)
Breakfast
at the hotel ,then we
visit Yildiz Palace Park and the Ihlamur Kasri, a mini-palace south of
Yildiz, and finish up with a walking tour of the Egyptian Spice Bazaar
.
Istanbul's Egyptian Bazaar (or Spice Market, Misir Çarsisi, built
1664) is filled with the fragrance of the exotic East, remainder of the
day at leisure to explore the city on your own.
Complimentary
Dinner is included at a local home:
Meet the locals: This evening we'll venture where few ordinary visitors
ever tread . . . right into the homes of some of the people of Istanbul
l! You'll be invited to a family dinner, and while you enjoy wholesome
home-cooked specialties, you'll learn about and appreciate the outlook,
aspirations, and way of life of your hosts. Be assured, as curious as
you may be about your new friends, they're sure to have questions about
your own background. Once the ice is broken, you'll enjoy a lively evening,
and find that you have more in common than you ever suspected. Of course
. You may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family (T
shirt , small souvenirs of your home town)
DAY
5 - ISTANBUL , ATHENS (B)
After
breakfast, we'll call for you and escort you to the airport, where you'll
board your flight (Domestic air fare in Greece and Istanbul/Athens are
included in our rates ), fly to to Athens , where our representative assist
you through customs and immigration, and escort you to your hotel in the
bustling city center. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy as you wish.
Stroll, browse for curios and treasures, and perhaps dine at a cafe in
the old Plaka district and take in a folklore show
DAY 6 - ATHENS (BD)
Enjoy the sights, sounds, and flavors of the Greek capital, today we have
included a half day tour of Syntagma Square, and the towering Acropolis.
An evening dinner at a charming local Greek restaurant .
Add
private tours to Delphi and Argolis: please click here.
DAY
7 - ATHENS ,SANTORINI (B)
We'll call for you and see you to the airport for your flight over the
blue Aegean to Santorini (Air fare included, Isle of Ancient "
Atlantis ?!", where you'll find a room waiting in a four-star beach
hotel. Or a cliff -side Villa .
DAY
8 - Santorini (B)
Enjoy breakfast at your lovely hotel (or Villa),or venture out,to explore
ON YOUR OWN. Akrotiri,reputedly the site of fabled Atlantis.
Then on to Athinios port to take a boat across to eh dormant volcano,
and ascend through a crater-pocked moonscape to the crater. Visit Thirassia
Island and watch sunset in Oia. Return to your hotel/villa early evening,
the decision is totally yours.
Sample optional tours available based on Private arrangement or Local
Group tour.
For
guests who are interested , a complimentary full day Greek cooking class
( available only on Thursdays -except during Easter week):
Advance reservation required, space is limited, must book this at the
time you book your tour package with us
ONE
DAY COOKING COURSE AT "SELENE" RESTAURANT.
Weekly
on Thursday : at 10 30 a.m. we will welcome you at Selene Restaurant with
fresh juice, coffee and traditional Greek cookies. A lecture by Evelyn
Volikas and George Hatziyianakis will give you an introduction to the
cuisine of the Cycladic Islands and particularly of Santorini .Following
the lecture, we will introduce to you the unique local products of our
island. The volcanic eruption that broke the island of Santorini apart
almost 3500 years ago left the dramatic caldera that you see today. With
more than 300 days of sunshine and its rich volcanic soil, the island
yields a bounty of unusual indigenous herbs and vegetables. White eggplant,
capers and caper leaves, fava (small yellow peas), exquisite baby tomatoes
- all grown virtually without water.We will introduce you to the Santorini
wine, to the grape varieties and to the Santorini vineyard, and you will
have the chance to sample four different wines in the wine tasting we
have arranged for you.
Cheeses and sausages from several other Cycladic islands, including Naxos,
Siros, Ios, Tinos, brought especially for this occasion, will accompany
the wines.At about 12.0 the presentation and the demonstration of four
different recipes will take place. You will learn how to prepare an entire
Greek menu: an appetizer,
a salad, a main course, and a dessert.
-Fava
beans with tomato caper sauce or Tomato fritters (tomatokeftedes)
-Eggplant
salad with octopus or Taramosalata
-Rabbit
with egg- cheese sauce or Lamb in grapevine leaves
-Cheese
and honey sweet pastry or Melitinia (traditional Santorini cookie)After
we have prepared the dishes, at about 2.0 p.m. you will be able to enjoy
the fruits of your labors accompanied by a bottle of delicious wine from
Santorini.
The cooking class takes place every Thursday. Web site for the world famous
" Selene" Greek restaurant : www.selene.gr
DAY
9- Santorini- Own activities(B)
To stay in your lovely hotel and enjoy the beach, the service, and the
amenities, or to venture out to explore some of the dramatic cliffs, coves,
and villages . . . that is the question! No doubt, you'll mix a bit of
both; Relax, and revisit a favorite café or shop ,sip an ouzo or retsina
at a waterside café, discover a beach or two, pick up a loaf of fresh
bread and cheese and olives, and picnic on a hillside as you look out
to sailboats at sea.
DAY
10 - Naxos (B)
Spend another relaxing morning. We'll rendezvous in time to take you
to your fast ferry/hydrofoil for NAXOS
( subject to days of the week and availability), where you'll find a
room waiting in a charming four-star beach hotel:Porto Naxos Hotel
.
DAY 11 - Naxos
(B)
Enjoy breakfast at your lovely hotel and linger for as long as you wish
or explore the island on your own.
Day
12 - Naxos (B)
Another day of Mediterranean fantasy.
While in Naxos, you should definitely take a stroll around the tangled
paved streets, where you can admire the white houses with the colorful
doors and windows, with the flowerpots and the people with their smiling
faces. The calmness that surrounds everything will surely relax you
and offer you special moments of tranquility and peace, unforgettable
images of a wonderful, rich land.
.
Day
13 - Naxos/Athens (B)
We'll rendezvous in time to take you to your fast ferry/hydrofoil
for Santorini then fly to Athens
DAY
14 - DEPARTURE (B)
Do your last-minute shopping this morning, or just linger deliciously
in bed. Then we'll call for you and see you to the airport to begin
your journey home. If you wish to extend your stay , please let's know
in advance.
Bon
Voyage.
RATE
in US $
Per person in double occupancy
Minimum 2 guests
Tourist
Class : $ 5490.00
First
Class: $ 5715.00
.
Deluxe : $ 6640.00
RATE
in US $
Per person in double occupancy
Minimum 4 guests:
Tourist
Class : $ 5080.00
First Class: $ 5115.00
.
Deluxe : $ 6080.00
Price
includes:
- Air
transportation from Istanbul / Izmir/ Athens / Santorini, as
per the itinerary & dates you choose (subject to your availability)
.
- Transportation
between airport and hotels in Greece , always on a private basis ,
- Guided
sightseeing as indicated in ATHENS, including entrance fees .
- preset
menu meals as indicated , please check each day for the code : "B"
for breakfast, " L" for lunch and dinner as indicated "D",
etc .
- Accommodations
with breakfast (B) as indicated
below, or at comparable properties, according to availability:
- Athens:
Divani Palace Acropolis : 5 Stars Moderate . For upgrade to King
George Hotel , Gran Bretagne . St. George Lycabettus Hotel ( Acropolis
view room) , or similar: please add $ 400 per person in double to the
deluxe rates
Electra Palace (four stars).
- Istanbul
:
Hyatt, Hilton or Ceylan Intercontinental
or similar for the deluxe, Madison , Arena , Aygun Plaza or similar
for 4 stars
Kusadasi :
Korumar or similar for the deluxe,
Adakule or similar for 4 stars
- Sample
Villas/ Apartments in Santorini:
- For
Deluxe rates : Dana Villas with a view of the Caldera
& the sea ( Firostefani)
, "Astra Apartments", " On The Rocks" or Chromata
Apartments with a view of the caldera and the sea (Imerovigli.).
For Katikies please add $ 450 USD per person in double to the deluxe
rate.
- For
first class accommodation in the: "Cliff Side Suites, Volcano
View Villas, Tzekos Villas
Or Rose
Bay on Kamari Beach Hotel (four stars)
- Naxos
hotel:
Porto Naxos (4 stars - there
is no 5 stars on the island) is located at 1 kilometer distance
from Naxos Town, 2 kilometers from the Ports and the Airport
and 200 meters from the beach of Aghios Georgios. Each
room features a large balcony. (Honeymooner's room please
add : $25 per person per night.)
Not
Included:
-
International air transportation. Ask us about the special air fare.
- Trip
Cancellation insurance
-
Optional excursions, such as tours on Santorini, sailing, cruising Any
meal not specifically mentioned, beverages, and personal expenses
-
Gratuities for local personnel
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