Tour Turkey and Spain
From Constantinople to Costa Del Sol

A 19-Day Mediterranean Tour
Turkish Crusader Castles Yacht Cruise with a foray into Spain and Andalusia

Here's the best of Spain and Andalusia in a week , and 12-day Turkish Turquoise Coast odyssey includes an eight-day yacht cruise beginning beneath the walls of St Peter's Castle in Bodrum, and three days in Istanbul locally escorted. Air fare is included in economy class Istanbul Madrid . One week covering Madrid , Andalusia and Costa del Sol. Tour Starts weekly in Istanbul : Apr - Oct

Compare with the 8 day , or 14 day edition . Add Greek Island Hopping !

or the Independent traveler edition with no sightseeing included
you design your own itinerary as you go !

DAY 1 - USA/ISTANBUL Wednesday
We board our transatlantic flight to Istanbul in New York. Dinner is served on board.

DAY 2 - ISTANBUL Thursday
Our staff meets you at the airport and escorts you to your hotel. Have your first look at Istanbul this afternoon!

DAY 3 - ISTANBUL Friday (cBLD) In the morning we take a half-day city tour, visiting Topkapi Palace, Sancta Sophia, and the Blue Mosque . Lunch in a local restaurant. In the afternoon, we 'll explore the great city Grand Bazaar . In the evening, we'll have dinner and take in a folk show.

DAY 4 - ISTANBUL - air - Izmir - Ephesus - BODRUM Saturday (B L D)
A morning flight takes us to Izmir. Upon arrival we drive to the magnificent site of Ephesus. Ephesus is the best preserved of the Greek/Roman cities in Anatolia and while you are visiting the ancient ruins of this magnificent site and your guide will bring them alive. You will see the beautiful Celsus Library, restored and reconstructed according to its original form by the architect Friedmund Hueber in the 1970's. The most spectacular building of Ephesus is the Grand Theater, built during the Hellenistic age to hold 24,000 spectators. It is there that St. Paul preached. Opposite the Temple of Hadrian are the Hill Houses, homes of Ephesus' wealthy citizens. The city was also the hometown of great philosopher Heraclitus. After a visit to Ephesus Antique Site enjoy lunch in local surroundings. Afterwards drive to Bodrum through rich agricultural country, past ancient cities. Late afternoon board our yacht, a traditional Turkish gulet, moored beneath the Crusader castle. After meeting our captain and crew, we enjoy the first of many delicious dinners on board.

DAY 5 - BAY OF BITEZ Sunday (BLD)
We cruise out of Bodrum headed for the Bay of Bitez, where we drop anchor for an afternoon of swimming and water sports. Face masks and flippers, sailboards, canoes and fishing tackle are all available.

DAY 6 - MERSINCIK Monday (BLD)
Cruise to Mersincik for our first stop and lunch. Dinner and overnight in Knidos, at the mouth of Gokova Bay. Knidos is one of the most important ancient cities on the west coast of Anatolia. Very famous with its statue of Aphrodite. Birth place of Eudoxos, one of the most important astronomers in history (5th century B.C.). Two ancient harbors still in use.

DAY 7 - SEVEN ISLANDS Tuesday (BLD)
After breakfast we set sail for the Seven Islands, where, if the captain approves, we picnic onshore, followed by a walk. We return to our yacht for swimming, sunning and snoozing.

DAY 8 - Karacasogut Wednesday (BLD)
After breakfast, a short cruise of 1.5 hours brings us to Longoz Bay. In the afternoon, after cruising another 1.5 hours, we arrive in Karacasogut. Overnight in Longoz.

DAY 9 - CEDREAE & TUZLA Thursday (BLD)
Cleopatra met Mark Anthony for a lovers' tryst at Cedreae and received the shore as a gift. When she mentioned that it had no sand, Mark Anthony sent his fleet to Alexandria to get some. The Egyptian sand remains at Cedreae to this day, cooled by an ever-faithful breeze, and the spot is as romantic as it was 2000 years ago. From Cedreae we cruise to Tuzla, our anchorage for the night.

DAY 10 - ÇIFTLIK Friday (BLD) Back across Gökova Bay we make our way to the anchorage at Çiftlik on our last full day at sea, filled with the pleasures of sun and sea. Swimming, reading, relaxing, and enjoying lazy shipboard lunches could easily become a way of life!

DAY 11 - BODRUM & ISTANBUL Saturday (B) We cruise into the harbor of ancient Halicarnassus (now Bodrum), and tie up beneath the castle walls. Bidding farewell to our captain and crew, we visit the Museum and the Princess exhibit, depending on flights schedule fly out of Bodrum or drive to Izmir for our flight to Istanbul and your hotel.

DAY 12 - DEPARTURE ISTANBUL MADRID - Sunday (cB)
Our staff escorts you to the airport for your flight bound for Madrid. Air ticket is included in economy class , tax included. Gulgule - Bon Voyage . Tour code :  A-05/221. Upon arrival at Madrid Barajas Airport. Our local rep will escort you to your hotel.

Day 13 - Tour Madrid (B) Monday
Breakfast at the hotel. Then morning half day tour of Madrid:
Get set for views of Madrid from a variety of perspectives. Our itinerary will take you from the Bourbon to the Austrian, Isabeline and modern quarters of the capital, reflecting the history and influences that have shaped the nation.

Our neighborhood meanderings conclude in the Moorish Quarter (Barrio de la Morería), replete with fine town houses (Mesones) and tradition. But that's just the start.

We'll view the signature squares of Madrid, Oriente, España, Puerta del Sol, Cibeles, Neptuno, Puerta de Alcalá, and Atocha, each with its own character, ranging from elegant to workaday to frenzied. We'll travel along the famed thoroughfares, including the Gran Vía. And of course, we'll see Retiro Park, and the classic Bullring of the glory days of bullfighting, and a soccer stadium and modern quarters that rival any in Europe.

The tour will conclude at the terminal, at Oriente Square.

The tour uses deluxe motor coaches and certified tour guides, who provide full interpretation of our city, its history, monuments, characteristics, and of our own peculiarities and customs. It's a discovery! The afternoon is at leisure

DAY 14. MADRID - CORDOBA - SEVILLE Tuesday (Breakfast , Dinner)
We meet up at the hotel to escort you this morning to the coach terminal in Oriente Square in Madrid and set out by 9 a.m., making the most of our time aboard to introduce ourselves to each other and learn more about what lies ahead. Our route takes us into La Mancha, the landscape of romance and adventure where Don Quixote tilted at windmills. We’ll wind across hills and down into irrigated valleys, to Puerto Lápice, a town lost in time, looking much as it did in the seventeenth century. We might even espy the establishment where an innkeeper conferred knighthood upon Don Quixote. Then we’ll pass onward through the region of Valdepeñas, where fine Tempranillo grapes are grown, and cross the Canyon of Despeñaperros, and pass through the town of Bailén on our way to Cordoba. Here we’ll visit the famous Mosque, one of the most notable in the days of Moorish rule. Then we’ll continue onward to Andalusia, where dinner and comfortable beds await us in Seville.

DAY 15 . SEVILLE, (Breakfast , Lunch ) Wednesday
We’ll stay all day in Seville, where the Moors have left their mark in whitewashed houses, tile roofs, graceful archways, and a warren of intimate lanes with surprises at every turn. Our visit will take us to the monumental and stunning tower of La Giralda, the Cathedral that once echoed with daily calls to prayer, and the Palace of the Alcazar, with its delicately carved stonework and pleasure gardens that still delight. Your afternoon is free to wander the alleyways of Seville on your own, and perhaps to stop in and sample the tapas at an inviting establishment.

DAY 16. SEVILLE - JEREZ - CADIZ - VEJER - COSTA DEL SOL - Thursday
Breakfast, Dinner .
Departure to Jerez where an important wine cellar will be visited. Continuation through Cadiz. Panoramic sightseeing. Departure to Vejer. Lunch. The possibility to make an optional visit to Gibraltar. Departure to Costa del Sol. Dinner and overnight.

DAY 17. COSTA DEL SOL - GRANADA Friday ( Breakfast , Dinner )
Take your time! We’ve built an extra day into this itinerary to allow you to explore Granada independently. Perhaps you’ll return to the fabled Alhambra for a stroll through its fantastical gardens. Or, you can wander the Albaicin, the last quarter of the city occupied by the Moors, with its charming maze of alleys lined with houses with secret patios. According to whim and interest, you’ll visit the museum of composer Manuel de Falla, or the Fine Arts or Archaeology museum, or spend your day café-sitting and shopping. We’ll be pleased to arrange a tour, if you wish, from a number of options.

DAY 18. GRANADA - MADRID Saturday ( B)
Breakfast and visit Alhambra and its Gardens of Generalife.
Afternoon will see us back aboard the coach, on our way to Madrid and your hotel.

DAY 19 - RETURN HOME (B) -Monday
Our staff escorts you to the airport for your flight home , hasta luego.

RATES per person in USD $

International air fare supplement ( doesn't apply when you handle your own air fare : For travel : June thru end of Sep : Please add : $ 250 USD peak season supplement , once again this doesn't apply when you handle your own air fare

Rates are based on 4 stars gulets (non air conditioned cabins).
For upgrade to 5 star air conditioned cabin deluxe gulets please add $200 per person to any of the above rates.

Rates are per person and include :

• All transfers in Turkey.
  
• Air fare from JFK including tax ( if/when you wish to handle your own transatlantic air fare , please deduct $500 from any of the listed rates), on Turkish Airlines , Air France, Lufthansa , or British Airways.
  For most west coast cities suggest Air France or British Airways , air fare add - on $ 350.
  
• Domestic air within Turkey in economy class , tax included.
  
• One way air fare Istanbul Madrid , in economy class , tax included.
  
• Four stars hotel accommodations .
  
• Cabins are always private basis with private facilities .
  
• Guided sightseeing in Istanbul & Spain as per itinerary, including all entrance fees.

Not Included :

• Turkish Visa Fee : in cash upon arrival, or from any of the Turkish Consulates.
• Tips
• Trip cancellation insurance/travel insurance, we'll be glad to send flyer
• Cruise / gulet shore excursions

Dodecanese Cruise of the Greek Isles

Marmaris – Rhodes – Symi – Kos – Datça – Loryma – Marmaris

Southern Dodecanese Cruise
Marmaris - Rhodes - Symi - Datca - Hisaronu - Bozukkale

Northern Dodecanese Mediterranean Gulet Cruise
Bodrum - Kos - Leros - Patmos - Kalymnos