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Turkey
and Anatolia A La Indiana Jones
A14-Day Private Grand Tour of Istanbul and Anatolia
For Guests who can afford and want the BEST in Turkey
Sirince Village Version
Our
14 -day Grand Tour shows you all of Turkey's best cities, sites
and beaches: Istanbul, Izmir, Ephesus, Kusadasi , Aphrodisias, Sirince
,pronounced " Siringe", and Cappadocia
DAY
1- Arrive any day : ISTANBUL- Daily : April - Oct
Our staff meets your plane at Istanbul Airport and escorts you to your
hotel. All of our airport transfers here are on a private basis , private
air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur.
DAY
2 - ISTANBUL- (BL)
We tour historic Istanbul, including the Hippodrome, Museum of
Turkish and Islamic Arts, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Süleymaniye
Mosque, and the 4000-shop Grand Bazaar.
Lunch is included at a charming local restaurant, one
small bottle of water for each guest is included with each and every
meal as well as tea & coffee with each meal .
DAY
3 - ISTANBUL- (BLD)
After a visit to the aromatic Egyptian (Spice) Bazaar on the Golden
Horn, we board a ferryboat and cruise northward along the Bosphorus,
the strait which separates Europe and Asia. Sipping Turkish coffee or
tea, we pass waterside palaces, mansions, forests and parks. Disembarking
at a fishing village, we have a seafood lunch at a local restaurant,
then drive south to tour fabled Topkapi Palace, where we will stroll
through the palace gardens to see the Treasury and Chinese porcelains.
In the evening, we go out for dinner with live music and belly dancing.
one small bottle of water for each guest
is included with each and every meal as well as tea & coffee with
each meal .
DAY
4 - ISTANBUL - "Imperial Constantinople in the Belle Epoque"
(late 19th century), the exotic romance of the "Paris of the East:"
(BL)
Morning walking tour : We start with our guide in Karaköy where
the foreign bankers and shipping companies had their headquarters, then
take the Tünel up to istiklal Caddesi; stop in the whirling dervish
tekke, and walk past the various old embassy buildings (now consulates),
and point out the architecture. Stop for tea (included) at the
famous Pera Palace Hotel.
Walk at least as far as Galatasaray Square, and have lunch in
the Çicek Pasaji (Flower Passage); then walk up to Taksim Square and
be picked up for the afternoon tour. In the afternoon the tour visit
Yildiz Palace Park and the Ihlamur Kasri, a mini-palace south of Yildiz,
and finish up with a visit to the Military History Museum in Harbiye
in time to hear the "Mehter," or Ottoman military band (mid-afternoon)
,
one small bottle of water for each guest
is included with each and every meal as well as tea & coffee with
each meal .
DAY
5 - ISTANBUL to CAPPADOCIA (B)
A morning flight takes us across Anatolia ("Great Mother" in Turkish)
to Kayseri, from which we drive into the eerie volcanic landscape of
biblical Cappadocia. We settle in at the hotel , enjoy a relaxing afternoon,
take in the surroundings , one small bottle
of water for each guest is included with each and every meal as well
as tea & coffee with each meal .
DAY
6 - EXPLORING CAPPADOCIA (BL)
Today we explore the foremost sights in this historic, visually striking
region. Our first stop is the Göreme Open Air Museum, with its
dozens of ancient cave-churches carved from the soft volcanic stone.
Many still contain their beautiful colored fresco decoration. Next we
explore the monastic valley of Zelve, where whole monasteries were carved
into the rock. In the Pasabag and Dervent valleys we view the "fairy
chimneys," pinnacles of volcanic rock formed by wind and water erosion
over millennia. We stroll through the typical Cappadocian towns of Ürgüp
and Ortahisar to experience daily life in this rich farming region,
and perhaps to do some shopping. Just before lunch we enjoy a panorama
of the Red and Rose Valleys. In the afternoon we make the short drive
to Avanos, a traditional pottery-making town, to visit its innovative
"cave cultural center" . The staff and students welcome us to enjoy
Turkish tea and sweet cakes. We return to the hotel for a good night's
rest. Lunch is included at a local restaurant,
one small bottle of water for each guest is included with each and every
meal as well as tea & coffee with each meal .
 DAY
7 - CANYONS & LABYRINTHS (BLD)
We drive across the rolling steppe of Central Anatolia to the dramatic
canyon of Ihlara, filled with historic churches. A leisurely walk takes
us through this dramatic scenery and past a dozen churches to the villages
of Belisirma and Selime. Following our canyon walk, we drive to the
town of Derinkuyu and descend into an underground labyrinth carved thousands
of years ago. Hundreds of cave-rooms and passageways descend eight levels
into the earth. Store-rooms, kitchens, larders, and churches show that
this "underground city" was capable of housing thousands of people when
danger threatened. On our way back to your hotel , we stop at the striking
Agzikarahan Caravansaray, built by the Seljuk Turks in the 11th century
as a way-station for the rich camel caravans plying the Silk Route between
Europe and Asia. Lunch is included at a local restaurant
In the evening we visit an underground restaurant for a traditional
Turkish folklore show, with dances and costumes from several regions
rich in folklore, including Gaziantep, the Mediterranean, and the Black
Sea. The mysterious and alluring art of belly-dancing, round out this
enjoyable evening of traditional Turkish dance , one
small bottle of water for each guest is included with each and every
meal as well as tea & coffee with each meal .
DAY
8 - MONASTERIES & MARKETS (B)
Today we visit some of the most interesting sights in Cappadocia: the
striking scenery and cave churches of the Pancarlik Valley, the Keklik
Monastery complex in Soganli Valley, and the Ottoman village of Mustafapasa,
filled with graceful old Greek and Turkish houses. Then we visit the
colorful and bustling markets. Afternoon at leisure.
DAY
9 - Istanbul / Izmir / Sirince Village - (BD)
Transfers are always on a private basis. We head off to Istanbul Airport,
fly to Izmir , from the airport in Izmir , we proceed to tour Kadifekale
fortress before we head for Sirince Village , where dinner awaits you
ate your hotel. Prefer to drive to Izmir
and visit Troy ? please click here . Images
from Sirince Village , click here . one small
bottle of water for each guest is included with each and every meal
as well as tea & coffee with each meal .
DAY
10 - EPHESUS - (BL)
In the morning light it's off to biblical Ephesus to see the
Basilica of St John the Evangelist, who came here with the Virgin Mary.
Passing the ruins of the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven
wonders of the ancient world, we reach Ephesus, the most impressive
ancient city on the Mediterranean. After our tour, we continue to the
fine Ephesus Museum and the hilltop House of the Virgin Mary, said to
be her last home on earth. Lunch is included in a charming local restaurant.
one small bottle of water for each guest
is included with each and every meal as well as tea & coffee with
each meal .
DAY
11 - AAAAH !! Finally a day at LEISURE ! - (B)
Full day on your own to explore the village and your surroundings on
your own.
Sirince
Village: This old Orthodox Village, 30 kilometers from
Kusadasi, was once "Cirkince"(ugly). Indeed its inhabitants
gave this name on the purpose as they did not want to be bothered by
foreigners nor to share the beauty of their village. Still after years,
visitors understood that the village was not ugly and called it "Sirince"
(pretty). Today the village is a perfect synthesis of Turkish-Greek
culture as of the 1920's; after the Turkish Independence War, people
exchange between Greek and Turks has occurred and all the typical Greek
houses, though they kept their original outside characteristics, have
received the local layout inside. At Sirince Village you will have chance
of seeing the local life at a village and purchasing some small local
souvenirs and handicrafts. The village is also famous for its local
grape and other fruit wines , mingle with the local people of the village
maybe enjoy a simple cup of traditional Turkish coffee at the main coffee
house of the village, where , a gypsy woman may read your fortune after
you finish your coffee .
DAY
12 - PRINE , MILETUS & DIDYMA (B)
A short drive brings us to the well-preserved ruins of Priene, a very
ancient city perched above the aptly-named Meander River. We next tour
Miletus, where the philosopher Thales was born. Finally, we tour the
gigantic oracular temple at Didyma, which challenged the primacy of
Delphi, before returning to your hotel
DAY
13 - Istanbul - (B)
then it is off and flying to Istanbul, where your private air-conditioned
vehicle and private chauffeur await you at the airport for the transfer
to your hotel. Reminder of the day at leisure.
DAY
14 - DEPARTURE -(B)
We escort you to the airport for your flight home. Bon Voyage.
RATES per
person in USD $
| |
Daily : May - Oct |
| Triple |
US$
4560.00 |
| Double |
US$
4624.00 |
| Single |
US$
6980.00 |
Click
here for the King Midas Extension : Arrive
Any Day .
Tour
includes:
-
Domestic
airfares in Turkey as per itinerary in economy class, tax included
.
-
Meals,
preset menu, as per itinerary: B,L, D = Pre set menu Breakfast/lunch/dinner.
-
First
class , 4 star hotels with tax. Upgrade to 5 star hotels is available
upon request.
-
All
transfers in Turkey.
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Guided
sightseeing , entrance fees.
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Locally escorted throughout Turkey.
-
Air conditioned Mercedes Sedan in Istanbul & Air conditioned vehicle
outside Istanbul.
Rate
does not include :
- Tips
- Visa
Fee : in cash upon arrival,
,
or secure from any of the Turkish Consulates.
- Trip
cancellation / travel insurance
- International
airfare
Sample
Hotels used or similar : 5 Stars and best available :
Istanbul : Conrad Hotel, Hyatt Hotel, Inter.Continental or similar
.
If you prefer a boutique style Ottoman Mansion Hotel,
please let's know in advance :
Sample : Blue House . Arena . Yesil Ev, Sultanahmet Sarayi , Sultanhan
or similar
Sirince: Nisanyan Hotel or similar
Cappadocia : Cave Suites Hotel or similar (local 4 star)
More
choices :
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