Western Anatolia
and the Turkish Mediterranean Riviera

The best value in private touring of Istanbul and western Turkey in 12 days

Day 1- ISTANBUL - This is a private tour - Daily - Year Round- Choose your own arrival date
Our staff meets your flight and escorts you to your hotel . Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur for all your transfers .

DAY 2 -- ISTANBUL (BLD)
We dive right into this fascinating city with visits to its top sights: Topkapi, the palace of the Sultans for centuries; Hagia Sophia, the greatest church in Christendom for a thousand years; the Blue Mosque, with its exquisite blue tiles; lunch is included at a local restaurant. In the evening join us for a Turkish cuisine dinner and take in a folk show . Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur and private guide for all your tours .

DAY 3 -- ISTANBUL- (BL)
We start our morning with a walking tour of the Spice Bazaar, followed by a Bosphorus cruise on board one of the local ferries . Enjoy Turkish coffee or well-brewed tea from traditional small cups, numerous summer palaces and palatial homes will pass by on either side. Disembarking at the northern end of the Strait, enjoy a seafood lunch at a local restaurant. Following lunch we will travel by coach to
In the afternoon we proceed by coach to the Süleymaniye Mosque, built by master architect Sinan during the reign of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent. With the tour ending at Grand Bazaar with nearly 4000 shops of antiques, jewelry, gold, carpets and leatherwear, that should keep you busy for the remainder of the day. Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur and private guide for all your tours .

Day 4 -- DARDANELLES & TROY- (BL)
We drive through Thrace (European Turkey) to Gallipoli, scene of famous battles in W.W. I
After lunch we cross the Dardanelles (Hellespont) and drive to legendary Troy to see the famous walls and a replica of the Trojan Horse before settling in at our hotel in Çanakkale. Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur and private guide for all your tours .

Day 5 -- PERGAMON & IZMIR - (BL)
Driving south through the fields and olive groves along the Aegean shore, we come to Bergama, ancient Pergamon. Ascending its lofty acropolis, we see the Altar of Zeus, Temple of Dionysus and the remains of the 200,000-volume library which was surpassed only by Alexandria's. A few miles away, we tour the Asclepion, the early medical center where Galen was a physician, before continuing to Izmir for the night. Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur and private guide for all your tours .

Day 6 -- EPHESUS & KUSADASI - (BL)
In the morning light we ascend Kadifekale, Izmir's hill crowned by a fortress built by Alexander the Great, to enjoy the view. Then 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. We spend the night in the Aegean resort of Kusadasi. Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur and private guide for all your tours .

Day 7 -- PRIENE, MILETUS & DIDYMA - (BL)
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 our hotel in Kusadasi. Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur and private guide for all your tours .

Day 8 -- APHRODISIAS & PAMUKKALE -(BL)
Driving east along fertile river valleys crowded with fields and fruit orchards, we reach Aphrodisias, the City of Aphrodite, goddess of love. After our visit, we continue to Pamukkale, the "Cotton Fortress," where cascades of gleaming white calcium cover a hillside. The warm mineral-laden waters attracted the Romans, who built the spa-city of Hierapolis here. We tour its ruins, and enjoy the swimming pool at our hotel here in the evening. Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur and private guide for all your tours .

DAY 9 -- ANTALYA- (BL)
We drive to Antalya, "capital" of the Mediterranean Turquoise Coast. After settling in at our hotel, there's time for a swim. Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur and private guide for all your tours .
Add one week stay in Antalya ?

DAY 10 - PERGE, ASPENDOS & SIDE/ Istanbul - (BL)
We tour three ancient cities close to Antalya, including Perge, with its great gates and colonnaded street; Aspendos, with its perfectly-preserved theater; and Side, with its creamy marble temples of Athena and Apollo, where Cleopatra once met Marc Anthony for a romantic tryst. Fly back to Istanbul & your hotel. Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur and private guide for all your tours .

DAY 11- ISTANBUL - (BL)
" Imperial Constantinople in the Belle Epoque" (late 19th century), the exotic romance of the "Paris of the East:"

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) . Return to the hotel . Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur and private guide for all your tours .

DAY 12 - DEPARTURE - (B)
We escort you to the airport for your flight home. Bon Voyage . Private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur for all your transfers .

RATES per person in USD $

YOUR TOUR INCLUDES

Air fare Within Turkey, in economy class including tax.

Hotel accommodation, including all taxes .

Continental or buffet breakfast daily, plus set-menu lunch (L), dinner (D) as shown

Full escorted, guided sightseeing, including all admissions fees

All transfers

Lonely Planet Istanbul guidebook

Rate doesn't include :

• International air fare.
• Visa Fee : in cash upon arrival, for US citizens, or $45 for Canadians, or from any of the Turkish Consulates
• Trip/travel insurance

En Espanol - Back to Turkey Tour List

• Suggested sample Four stars hotels to :
  • Istanbul - Senator or similar (4 star)
  • Çanakkale - Tusan or similar (3 star)
  • Izmir - Kaya Prestige or similar (4 star)
  • Kusadasi - Pine Marina or similar (4 star)
  • Pamukkale - Lycus River or similar (4 star)
  • Antalya - Antalya or similar (4 star)