Special Offer: Ancient Civilizations & Gulet Sail along the Turquoise Coast

Arrive at Ataturk airport and enjoy an included trasfer to your centrally located hotel. At approximately 5:30pm (based on your arrival schedule) we will meet for a walking tour along Istiklal (the famous pedestrian walking street) from Taksim to Galatasaray. Some of the noteworthy places we will see include the French & Greek Consulates, the Greek Orthodox Church (Hagia Triada), the Armenian Catholic Church (Surp Hovhan Vosgeperan), the Flower Passage, the Produce & Fish Market, as well as Galatasaray High School. While walking, we will stop to taste some of the local "street food" as well as some restaurants that you may enjoy for dinner.

Begin the morning with an extensive tour of Topkapi Palace, former residence of the Ottoman Sultans. After some free time for lunch, we enjoy a Bosphorus cruise for about an hour along the shores of the European and Asian sides of Istanbul, disembarking at Uskudar, one of the largest towns on the Asian side of the Strait. We will visit the produce & fish market and view the Mihrimah Sultan's Mosque as well as Maiden's Tower in Salacak.

Return to your hotel with a twenty-minute steamboat ride, crossing the Bosphorus from Uskudar to Kabatas.

Meals included: Breakfast

This morning, we visit more iconic sites in Istanbul, including the Roman Hippodrome, Hagia Sophia and Basilica Cistern. In the afternoon, we visit the Grand Bazaar, then drive over the Galata bridge to the Tophane area to see the "Museum of Innocence," created by Nobel Prize-winning author Orhan Pamuk. Have a walking tour again late this afternoon: this time from Galatasaray to Pera. Notable buildings along the way include the British Consulate, St. Antoine's Catholic Church, the Consulates of the Netherlands, Russia, and Sweden, Galata Whirling Dervish Hall, the Tunel area, the Galata Tower, and Neve Shalom Synagogue. We end our walk at the Pera Hotel and have a short drive back to the hotel. Those who wish to may stay and dine on their own at many local restaurants – such as Kivahan or Guney (Turkish/Ottoman cuisine), Fureyya small fish restaurant or the Pera Hotel's Agatha restaurant – and can walk or taxi back to the hotel on their own.

Meals included: Breakfast

Upon arrival, start to discover the wonders of this incredible region. Enjoy beautiful panoramas at the Ortahisar Valley and visit the Goreme Open Air Museum.

Meals included: Breakfast and Dinner

Optional early morning balloon ride is available. After breakfast, included visits to the remarkable Underground City of Kaymakli, Uchisar town and fortress, Pasabag, and the small town of Avanos, where the pottery and rugs are splendid representatives of the Turkish handicraft tradition.

Meals included: Breakfast

Drive with your guide to Antalya today. Enroute, we can visit the Agzikarahan Caravanserai. Also stop in the city of Konya to visit the shrine to Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi who founded the Whirling Dervishes. In the late afternoon, arrive in Antalya – Turkey's principal holiday resort in the Mediterranean region.

Meals included: Breakfast and Lunch

Our first visit today is to the ancient site of Perge which is located about 30 minutes outside of Antalya city. Perge was an important city in Pamphylia. Today its ruins include a theater, a palaestra, a temple of Artemis, and two churches. From here we drive further to the ancient site of Aspendos. Aspendos is famous for having the best-preserved theater of antiquity. Here we can also visit the acropolis of the city with a great view of the river. After a break for lunch by the river, we will go back to the city center and visit the Antalya Archaeology Museum which offers an exposition on statues of various Greek gods, a stunning mosaic collection from Xanthos, extraordinary findings from the Karain Caves which date back to the Old Stone Age, as well as a comprehensive ethnographical collection. Finally, we will visit Kaleici, Antalya's old quarter. Narrow streets, charming cafes and numerous souvenir shops bring a special attractiveness to this part of the city.

Meals included: Breakfast

Depart down the beautiful Turquoise Coast toward Fethiye. On the way, visit the church and tomb of St. Nicholas. Then arrive in Ucagiz where we can take a boat trip to the sunken ruins near Kekova Island. Lunch is on the boat.

Drive on to Fethiye and mbark on your private gulet (traditional Turkish yacht), You can discover the lovely marketplace of Fethiye before embarkation and meeting your captain and crew. Weather permitting, your captain will head towards a quiet cover for dinner and an overnight stay.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Spend two full days and three nights on a gulet, admiring the natural beaty of the Turquoise coast. Your adventure includes swimming, snorkling, short hikes on the shore, and home-style meals served on the open deck. Cruising and sailing (weather permitting) will take place inside Fethiye bay. Some of the visits include Gemiler Island, abandoned Kayakoy, a Greek ghost town, Bedri Rahmi and Cleopatra bath coves, and Yassica Islands.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Arriving in early afternoon. Visit the ancient site of Hierapolis, the cotton-white travertine formations, and then have time to enjoy the natural thermal pools at your hotel.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Depart in the morning, stopping along the way for a visit to Aphrodisias. View the famous stadium preserved in remarkable condition as well as the theater, odeon and temple. Then continue on to Kusadasi, where you will spend two nights.

Meals included: Breakfast and Lunch

Visit the ruins of Ephesus, including the Roman period villas known as the Terrace Houses. Have lunch in the ancient village of Sirince with a chance to socialize with the locals and taste the simple but delicious cuisine of the Aegean at an included lunch. A final stop is the town of Selcuk, where you can visit the Museum of Archaeology.

Meals included: Breakfast and Lunch

Transfer to Izmir Airport for a flight to Istanbul, connecting to your flight home.

Meals included: Breakfast