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DAY 1
ISTANBUL
Arrive in
Istanbul, and transfer to your hotel. After a short tour briefing, the
rest of the day is free to rest, relax or walk around to explore the
city. Welcome dinner and overnight at your Hotel ( ISTANBUL ). [
D ]
DAY 2 ISTANBUL
We spend the
full day visiting the sights of Old Istanbul. We will begin at the
ancient Hippodrome which was the center of the civil activities
back in the Hellenistic and Roman times. At the Hippodrome the chariot
and horse races and athletic runs took place for the entertainment of
the people of Constantinople. We walk to the nearby Ibrahim
Pasha Palace which houses the Museum of
Turkish and Islamic Art where we will see an
impressive exhibit from the various periods of Turkish and Islamic art,
ranging in date from the 7th C to the 19th. Then we proceed to the
Blue Mosque, famous for its blue tiles covering its interior
walls and also for its six minarets which is a unique feature of this
mosque. Nearby is Hagia Sophia Museum, the former
Cathedral of Constantinople, considered as the masterpiece of the early
Byzantine architecture. Hagia Sophia is renowned for its superb mosaic
decoration as well as its architectural style. Back in Byzantine Empire,
most emperors were crowned in this cathedral after a special ceremony.
After lunch we will visit the Topkapi Palace, residence
and administrative center of the Ottoman Sultans. In the grounds of the
Topkapi Palace are many courtyards surrounded by old buildings each
housing small museums with exhibits of jewelry, costumes, calligraphy
and various objects that belonged to the Imperial treasury of the
Ottoman Sultans. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel ( ISTANBUL ).
[ B L D ]
DAY 3
BURSA
Drive to
Bursa. This morning, after a short drive over the Bosphorus bridge,
we will take the Ferry across the sea of Marmara. Enroute visit
Nicaea ( modern Iznik ), where Constantine the Great summoned the
first council meeting, known as the Nicean Council, to set the
principles of Christianity. At Nicaea, we will visit the Constantine's
palace on the lake shore where sum 318 Bishops attended the council
meeting in 325. In the town center is the church of St. Sophia (Hagia
Sophia) which still has beautiful mosaic decoration on the floor and
some remains of frescoes on the walls. This is the Church where the
seventh ecumenical council had met upon the invitation by the Byzantine
empress Irene, in the year 787. We will also see the ancient roman
theater, city walls and gates that still stand in almost original as
they had been built. Continue to Bursa the city famous for its fine
quality silk that had been produced in this area since the Byzantine
times. Bursa also represents the early phase of the Ottoman
architecture, as this city served as the first capital for the Ottoman
Sultans. Our visits in Bursa will include the Green complex which was
built by the Sultan Murat, Green Mosque, Green
Tomb and Green Medrese all make up this large complex
beautifully set today in a pedestrian area closed to car traffic. The
name Green for this complex of buildings comes from the superb early
Iznik tiles in green color. Then, we stroll through the Covered
Bazaar and Silk Market where vendors sell various
products from jewelry to textiles and also many traditional folk arts
and local crafts. Then we wander the winding streets to see interesting
old Ottoman Turkish architecture. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel (
BURSA ). [ B L D ]
DAY 4
ANKARA
Drive to
ANKARA the capital of modern Turkey. This morning, we will take a
walking tour of the Cumalikizik, a nice village just outside Bursa to
experience the village life in Turkey. This village has many old
traditional houses back from Ottoman era and moreover it is still a
living town. Enroute visit the archaeological site at Gordion,
the capital of the ancient Phrygian kingdom, one of the early
civilizations of Anatolia, who took over Asia Minor after the collapse
of the Hittite kingdom. There we will visit the King Midas'
Tomb and tiny local museum where findings from the site Gordion
are exhibited. As we leave the town, you will see, up on the hillsides,
tens of burial mounds built for the royal families who ruled the
Phrygian kingdom. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel ( ANKARA ).
[ B L D ]
DAY 5
AMASYA
Drive to
Amasya. Sightseeing of Ankara. This morning, we will begin at the
Museum of Anatolian Civilizations housed in a
restored 15th century Ottoman Bedesten that was once Ankara's main
covered bazaar, has one of the most extraordinary collections of
antiquities in the world, ranging in time over the Palaeolithic,
Mesolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Bronze Age, Assyrian, Hittite,
Phrygian, Urartian and Greco-Roman periods. Later, we will visit the
Ataturk's Memorial built for the founder of modern Republic
of Turkey. After our departure from Ankara, we drive to Hattusas, the capital
of the great Hittite Kingdom that once ruled all over the Middle East
area. Our guide will show us the citadel, city walls and gates and the
great temple. In the same neighborhood is the mystic sanctuary with the
relief of gods and kings carved onto the face of a natural rock. After
lunch, we will head for the sightseeing of Amasya, once the
capital of the Hellenistic kings of Pontus. You will see there, the
gigantic rock tombs built into the steep cliffs. You will have time to
explore the city and stroll through the streets and local
bazaars. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel ( AMASYA ). [ B L D ]
DAY 6
TRABZON
Drive along
the Black Sea coast to Trabzon. Today's drive offers beautiful scenery,
as this area is considered unspoiled and as one the most beautiful areas
of Turkey. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel ( TRABZON ). [ B L
D ]
DAY 7
ERZURUM
Trabzon
is an old city, with its earlier name Trebizond and ancient name
Trapezous. Trabzon today is a lively city with its ancient monuments,
bazaars and streets lined with shops, and colorful people. We will begin
today with the church of Hagia Sophia, beautifully situated in
the western suburb outside the city walls and overlooking the Black sea.
Hagia Sophia is a great Byzantine monument with its architectural style
and well preserved paintings and frescoes on its interior walls which
present scenes from the New Testament. It was first built probably in
the 4th. C. On the site of a temple erected by the roman emperor
Hadrian, and it was rebuilt by the Comneni dynasty in the 13th C. In the
garden of the Church, there is a small collection of Roman, Byzantine
and Ottoman funerary monuments and fragments of sculpture. We will
return to the town center to spend the afternoon in the colorful
bazaar crowded by locals where you can find almost anything such as
gold, copper, silver, textiles and local products. Enroute to Trabzon we
will visit the famous Soumela Monastery with its unique setting,
hanging from the face of the steep cliff. Soumela was supposedly founded
first in the 4 C., and re-founded in the 14th. C, by the Comneni dynasty
of the Byzantine empire. We will drive through the Pontic mountains and
Zigana pass which was the major route in ancient times between
the Black sea and hinterlands as it is today. Continue to Erzurum.
Dinner and overnight at your Hotel ( ERZURUM ). [ B L D ] .
DAY 8
KARS
Drive to
Kars. Erzurum with a population of 300,000, is the largest and
most important city in Eastern Turkey. It is also one of the most
popular ski centers in the country. Erzurum is an old city with origins
going back to Hittite era. Erzurum has well preserved collection of
monuments of the Mongol, Selcuk and Ottoman Architecture and also
colorful bazaars. During our city tour of Erzurum, we will visit the
Cifte Minareli Medrese (Medrese with Twin Minarets-theological
school), built by the Selcuks in the 13th C. This Medrese is the largest
of its kind in Anatolia and has very impressive portal gate decorated
with various motifs. We will walk to the right of the Medrese to visit
the Ulu Cami (Great Mosque), the oldest mosque in the city, built in the
12 C. by the Saltukid dynasty. We will return to the town center to see
more famous monuments such as Yakutiye Medrese, built by the
Mongol military governor in the 14th C. Yakutiye Medrese has a striking
external features on its 20 foot-high-portal, with carvings of mixed
motifs of plants, stars, and two lions and an eagle. We will have time
to stroll in the bazaar area, where they sell jewelry mad from
local Oltu stone (kind of jet stone) which the city is famous for, and
you will find more traditional products like wool caps and socks,
women's wool wraps and shawls. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel (
KARS ). [ B L D ].
DAY 9 VAN
Drive to
Van. Kars with its Russian imperial architecture is a charming
city, it used to be one of the dustiest and dirtiest cities in Turkey,
however, the recent years' work by the town municipality turned this
city to one of the most desirable places of visit, with its pedestrian
streets closed to car traffic. Kars is another old city whose origins go
back at least to 8th C. BC. We will begin our tour in the morning, with
the Kars Museum which displays exhibits a few finds from
excavations of the ancient town of Ani, and some more
ethnographic items. We will journey to the ruins of the Armenian Ghost
town of Ani which is one of the most spectacular sites in Turkey. It is
situated right on the high banks of the Arpacay stream which forms the
border with Armenia. Ani was a sizable city in the medieval period, when
it became the capital of the kingdom of Armenia in the 10th C. We will
enter the site through the massive double walls and the Lion Gate, and
take a walk around the site to see its cathedral, a dozen churches with
frescoes and murals on their walls. We will leave Kars and head south.
On our way, we will visit Ishak Pasha Palace, in the town of
Dogubeyazit near the foot of Mount Ararat, which was built in the 18th
and 19th C., by Ishak Pasha who was the local ruler in this area in
Ottoman period. The palace is a large complex built on a rocky outcrop
with a nice view of the surrounding area, and when it was built had
probably more than 300 rooms and halls. After the palace, we will stop
to photograph the great Mountain of Ararat one of the main themes
in the Old Testament and today it is the highest mountain in Turkey.
Dinner and overnight at your Hotel ( VAN ). [ B L D ].
DAY 10 VAN
Van
is located about 3 miles east of the lake shore, however Van has its
origin in Tushpa, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Urartu, Tushpa
had its citadel on a rocky outcrop on the edge of lake. The lake Van is
the largest in Turkey and navigable with its depth in some parts
reaching 330 feet. In the morning, we will begin our tour with the
Van Museum, which houses in the ethnographic section, a nice
collection of local crafts, rugs and kilims, in a separate
archaeological section, findings, statues and bronze objects from the
Urartian sites in the area. After a short drive along the lake we will
take the boat to the tiny island of Akdamar that has on
its hillside, an old 10th C. Armenian Church of the Holy Cross, built by
the rulers of the Armenian kingdom of Vaspurakan. The church is renowned
for its superb sculptures and carvings on its exterior walls depicting
scenes from the Old Testament. In the afternoon, we will take an
excursion to Cavustepe, a Urartian fortified city built on a
narrow ridge overlooking the surrounding plain below, the city was built
in the 8th C. BC. We will afterwards continue to the castle of Hosap
which sits alone in the midst of desolate hills above a stream of the
same name. The castle was probably built by several local chieftains in
the 17th C, and one of the most picturesque sites in Turkey. Returning
to Van, we will have time for walking in the local bazaar to look
for local crafts. Dinner and overnight at your hotel ( VAN ). [ B
L D ]
DAY 11
MARDIN
Drive to
Mardin. Leaving Van, we drive through the mountains with elevations of
over 6000 ft. Scenery along the roadside is spectacular. We will visit
today, Mardin with many Arabic elements in architecture and
culture. Mardin has played a significant role in early phases, in the
development of Christianity and the town still contains active Syrian
Orthodox churches. We will visit the Deyrulzaferan monastery,
just a few miles east of town. The Monastery was the seat of the Syrian
Orthodox Patriarch for more than eight centuries. The rest of the day,
we will be visiting the local bazaars, streets and other attractions of
the town that will give us so much chance to take great shots. Dinner
and overnight at your hotel ( MARDIN ). [ B L D ]
DAY 12 URFA
Drive to
Urfa. Today, we head west making spontaneous stops for photography. In
the afternoon, we will make an excursion to the ancient town of
Harran, with its beehive-style houses which hadn't changed much
since ancient times. Harran is mentioned in Genesis in the old
testament, the patriarch Abraham was instructed by the God to move along
with his family to Canaan from Ur, on his way, he dwelt here for a
while. Harran is a fortified city with its defense walls going all
around the town, also when it was occupied by the crusaders, they built
a strong fortress which still stand there today. Harran has been an
important cultural center since the early times, and is claimed to have
the earliest University in the world whose ruins are still visible at
the site. Dinner and overnight at your hotel ( URFA ). [ B L D ]
DAY 13 URFA
Modern
Urfa (officially Sanliurfa) was ancient native Orhai before Seleucus
the successor of Alexander the great changed its name to Edessa after a
city in Macedonia. Urfa is full of surprises, with its Arabic culture,
colorful people, old historical buildings and mosques, bazaars. Today,
we will begin at the citadel of the town where a crusader
fortress stands with two tall columns known to locals as the throne of
Nimrod. From top of the citadel, we will have a nice panorama of the
city which looks interesting with its boxy houses built of sun-dried
bricks in light beige color. Returning from the citadel, we will take a
walk in the beautiful flower-filled gardens along the Pools of
Abraham with their maze of canals full of thousands of carp fish
which are held sacred and fed by the local people. We will walk to the
Cave of Abraham where, according to local legend, the prophet Abraham
was born here. We will walk in the colorful bazaar of Urfa
located in the old city, where vendors sell almost anything you can
imagine. Particularly Gumruk Han which is a 16th C. Ottoman
caravanserai is an interesting place as a social gathering place for
local men who sit on low wooden chairs in a shady courtyard, chatting
and enjoying their tea. The rest of the day is at leisure. Those who
want to spend more time in the bazaar, they will do so as our hotel is
within the walking distance from the bazaar area. Dinner and
overnight at your Hotel ( URFA ). [ B L D ]
DAY 14
ADIYAMAN
Drive to
Adiyaman. Early morning departure for Mount Nemrut where we will
see colossal statue heads of the Gods and Antiochus around the king
Antiochus' burial mound. We will leave our bus in the town, and take
minivans up the mountain. It is astonishing to see a monumental burial
mound built 2,000 years ago, on the summit of a mountain with an
elevation of 6,000 feet. Antiochus was the king of Commagene kingdom in
this area from 69 to 34 BC. And before his death he ordered this
colossal burial mound which was built by the workers who carried up the
hill tons of apple-sized rocks and piled them over the his grave. The
king's tomb, as yet undiscovered, may lie somewhere beneath this pile.
The mound has two huge terraces (east and west) connected by footpaths
each holding the seated stone gods whose heads had fallen to the ground.
Also, the statue heads of colossal size scatter around the terraces. On
the way back from the mountain, we will stop at the Cendere Bridge,
over the river by the same name, one of the tributaries of Euphrates,
was built by the Roman legionaries and dedicated to the emperor
Septimius Severus. This almost original bridge is one of the best
examples of the Roman engineering. Drive to Urfa with photo stops on a
road along the Euphrates. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel ( URFA ). [
B L D ] Dinner and overnight at Hotel ( ADIYAMAN ). [ B L D ]
DAY 15 ANTAKYA
Drive to
Antakya. Antakya was ancient Antiocheia on the Orontes or known
as Antioch was founded by the Seleucus I Nicator the king of Seleucus
kingdom in about 300 BC. Antioch, in the Roman ages, was one of the four
largest cities in the world. In the early Christian era, Antioch was an
important center, and here Christians came to be called by this name
first time. During our city tour, we will visit the Antakya's
Archaeological Museum which has one of the largest collections of
Roman and Byzantine mosaics in the world. This museum is a testimony to
Antakya's glorious past. In addition to superb mosaics, there are also
fine marble sarcophagi with elaborate carvings, along with some statues
and other archaeological items. Later we drive out the suburbs of the
city to the Grotto of St. Peter. Saint Peter chose Antioch as the
base for his first mission among the unbelievers. St. Peter's church is
tucked into the face of a steep cliff. Although the facade of the
present-day church comes from the 13th C., the caves behind this facade
housed some of the Christianity's earliest liturgies. St. Peter's church
may easily be the oldest working church in the world, as St. Peter
preached here and services are still held here today. From the terrace
of the church you can get a full panoramic view of the city. Excursion
to Harbiye which occupies the site of Ancient Daphne where
according to myth, the nymph Daphne, pursued by Apollo, was transformed
into a laurel tree. Returning to the city center, we will take a walk in
the old quarters for possible shopping possibilities for traditional
products. Dinner and overnight at your hotel ( ANTAKYA ). [ B L D
]
DAY 16 CAPPADOCIA
Drive north
to Cappadocia. Before the main highway, near the town Dortyol was the
site of famous battle of Ipsus, a critical battle which took place
between Alexander the Great of Macedonia and Darius the Persian king in
333 BC. We will drive through Adana, ancient Danunas, pleasantly laid
our along the banks of the Seyhan river. Enroute visit Tarsus
where the apostle St. Paul was born and Antony met Cleopatra. Tarsus
with its Ottoman houses, rambling streets and some ancient monuments is
a charming town. Our tour in Tarsus will include the St. Paul's well,
from which it is believed that St. Paul drank water. We proceed to the
Roman gate known as Cleopatra's gate or St. Paul's gate,
afterwards we will visit the Tarsus Museum which is housed in the
Kubad Pasha Medrese, an old Ottoman bedesten from the 16th C. The museum
has in its cells, many ancient artifacts, sarcophagi and coins from
Assyrian, Hittite, Roman and Byzantine periods, as well as a rich
ethnographical section from the Ottoman times. We will have some time in
colorful bazaar area for the shopping of traditional products of
Tarsus. We will drive through the Cilician gate up into the Taurus
mountains and continue to Cappadocia. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel
( ANTAKYA ). [ B L D ]
DAY 17 CAPPADOCIA
Morning
departure for the sightseeing of CAPPADOCIA. We will spend the full day
walking and driving around this fascinating volcanic area with
incredible formations, a superb work by the mother nature. We will begin
at the Pigeons' valley where there is a nice panoramic
view of the area, stopping at the Uchisar rock castle which was built
hollowed out of the rock, and used for defense purposes at the times of
danger. Next, we will visit the Goreme Open Air Museum, a large
open courtyard surrounded by rock churches decorated with frescoes and
murals. Cappadocia became at an early time monastic center built by St.
Basil who was the bishop of ancient Caesarea (modern Kayseri). We will
make a stop at the Pasabagi valley with fairy chimneys which are
conical formations eroded by the natural elements over the centuries.
Visit local craftspeople (Rug weavers, doll makers, pottery workshops).
We will visit Avanos, a town famous for its pottery, built on the
banks of the Red River of Turkey which flows through the town and brings
down red clay from the surrounding mountains for the potters who
transform it, on kick-wheels, to beautiful pots, vases, cups, plates.
Dinner and overnight at your Hotel ( CAPPADOCIA ). [ B L D ]
DAY 18
KONYA
Drive to
Konya. We will stop at Sultanhani to visit a Caravanserai of Sultanhan,
the largest and well preserved Seljuk monument built in the 13th C.
Sightseeing of Konya famous for its monastery of "Whirling Dervishes"
and early Selcuk-Islamic architecture. Visit Mevlana Museum which
is the memorial of Mevlana the famous Turkish philosopher and the
founder of the Whirling Dervish Sect. Proceed to Karatay Medrese,
the Islamic theological college from Turkish-Selcuk period (13th C), now
it houses a nice tile collection. Nearby is Ince Minare Medrese
another religious school from 13th C and now is a museum of stone works.
We will have enough time to visit the bazaars of Konya where vendors
sell various hand-crafted items. Dinner and overnight at your hotel (
KONYA ). [ B L D ]
DAY 19 ANTALYA
Drive to
Antalya. Drive through the Taurus mountains down to Mediterranean
coast. We will make many stops to take pictures and visit some sites.
Dinner and overnight at your hotel ( ANTALYA ). [ B L D ]
DAY 20
ANTALYA
Day long
excursion to the ancient Greco-Roman sites of the Pamphylia region. We
will begin with Perge which is one of the best examples of a
complete Roman city. We will take a walk along the main streets and view
the well-preserved ancient structures, stadium, agora, Hellenistic
towers, roman gate and baths, city walls. Perge was one of the cities
that was visited by St. Paul during his missionary journeys. After
leaving Perge, we head for the ancient city of Aspendus which has
undoubtedly the most perfectly preserved Roman theater in existence. The
theater located at the foot of the acropolis was built in the 2nd
century by the emperor Marcus Aurelius. Aspendus has also very well
preserved aqueducts from Roman times standing to its almost full height.
Continue to Side, the great ancient city and also a popular
resort town right on the Mediterranean. We will tour the small local
museum of Side that houses a fine collection of statues, sarcophagi,
architectural sculpture and inscriptions. Right across the street from
the Museum is another well preserved Roman theater that offers a
magnificent view toward the Mediterranean from the top of the seats. We
will walk down the shop-lined street to the site of the twin temples of
Apollo and Athena with beautiful setting on the seaside. We head back
for Antalya, if time permits, we visit Antalya Archaeological
Museum with fine sculptures, sarcophagi and findings from around
Pamphylia region. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel ( ANTALYA
). ( B L D )
DAY 21 PAMUKKALE
This
morning, we drive back into Taurus Mountains, with spontaneous stops to
photograph Nomads in and around their goat-hair tents. Early afternoon
arrival at our hotel, and have time to use natural geothermal pools. We
will tour the calcified pools of Pamukkale and the ancient ruins
of Hierapolis. Most of the cliffs formed by the geothermal waters
are as white as the cotton that gives Pamukkale its name, which in
Turkish means "Cotton Castle". The ancient city Hierapolis whose ruins
are scattered a above the calcium pools, is another well preserved site
in Turkey. It has been a popular spa center since the Hellenistic and
Roman ages. The view from the ancient theater towards the valley is
spectacular. According to tradition, St. Philip, one of the twelve
apostles was martyred here at this city, and a monumental martyrdom
built for him is there. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel (
PAMUKKALE ). [ B L D ]
DAY 22 KUSADASI
Today we
will journey to the Aegean coast of Turkey. Enroute, visit the ancient
city of Aphrodisias perfectly preserved Carian and Roman city.
Aphrodisias is a rare city built of entire marble, because the marble
quarries are so rich in this area. Aphrodisias had also produced the
finest sculpture in ancient times, because of the high quality marble
that was quarried from the surrounding mountains. The excavation of the
site was conducted by the archaeologist Kenan Erim who was a Turkish
professor from New York University and sponsored by the National
Geographic Society. The rest of the day, we drive through fig and olive
orchards to our hotel on the Aegean cost. Dinner and overnight at your
Hotel ( KUSADASI ).[ B L D ]
DAY 23 KUSADASI
Full day
sightseeing of well preserved sites of Ephesus. We begin with Ephesus,
the great city and metropolitan center of the Antiquity, whose extensive
ruins are among the best preserved in the world. As we walk down the
main street of Ephesus, we will visualize its ancient life and
buildings. Then we drive up to the Virgin Mary's House
claimed to be the true place where Mother Mary spent her last years
before she had died in this area. This is one the most important
pilgrimage shrines in the world. Up on the hill above the town Selcuk,
we will visit the Basilica of St. John built for the
apostle author of the book of revelations. Looking at the size of this
church, we can easily say that it was one the largest churches in its
time. Returning to the town Selcuk, we will visit the local Ephesus
Museum with a nice exhibit of the objects such as statues,
sarcophagi, busts, inscriptions, found during the excavations at Ephesus
. If time permits we will drive up to Sirince a traditional
village situated on a hill top. The village people still produce
embroidery and lace work and also a good place to taste some local
Turkish wine. Dinner and overnight at your hotel ( KUSADASI ). [
B L D ]
DAY 24
CANAKKALE
Drive to
CANAKKALE. Enroute visit Pergamum, the capital of Pergamum
Kingdom and a great Hellenistic city with superb setting on the top of
the mountain that rises above the surrounding plain. We will walk around
the well preserved ruins of Pergamum. The view from top of the Acropolis
toward the Aegean sea is spectacular. We will stop at Asclepieum,
the famous ancient medical center where Galen, the famous physician of
the ancient world, practiced medicine. Drive on to Troy, the
fabled city of the book "Iliad" written by Homer and the site of the
Trojan war between Achaeans and Trojans. We will begin our walking tour
near the replica of the Trojan horse and walk around the ancient city,
and observe the fortification walls, temples, palaces, theater, and
megaron style houses. Have time to have your photos taken on the Trojan
horse. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel. ( CANAKKALE ). [ B L
D ]
DAY 25 ISTANBUL
Early
morning departure for the ferry to take us across the strait of
Dardanelles to Thrace which is the European part of Turkey. Apart
from the Bosphorus strait in Istanbul, Dardanelles (or Hellespont)
separates the continents of Europe and Asia, it was one of the most
important water ways in the ancient ages, as it is today. We will make a
brief stop at the Gallipoli war memorials and cemeteries.
Gallipoli was the battlefield where the most crucial battle took place
between the Ottoman army and the combined army of British and the Anzac
forces. Drive along the coast of the Sea of Marmara back to Istanbul.
Early afternoon arrival in Istanbul, the rest of the day is on your
leisure to browse the bazaar area or other interesting parts of the
city. Dinner and overnight at your hotel ( ISTANBUL ). [ B L ]
DAY 26 ISTANBUL
This
morning, we will cruise up the Bosphorus with private boat, sit
on the deck and enjoy the nice traditional water-front houses built by
the Ottomans in the last or in the turn of this century. We will
disembark near the Spice bazaar, and have free time for
shopping in the Spice Market where you will find hundreds of spices and
herbs. Spice market was built by the Ottomans in the 16th C and has been
used as the main market of spices and herbs since then. We head for the
Grand Bazaar of Istanbul, where will have time for
shopping. In the grand bazaar which is an old ottoman bedesten built in
the 15th C and said to have about 3,500 shops under its roof, you will
find almost anything from souvenirs to jewelry, from textiles to Turkish
ethnographic items. Rest of the afternoon is at leisure, you may want to
stay in the grand bazaar or stroll through the streets. Overnight at
your hotel ( ISTANBUL ). [ B L ]
DAY 27
ISTANBUL
The day at
leisure. Special farewell dinner with Turkish specialties. Overnight at
your hotel ( ISTANBUL ). [ B L D ]
DAY 28 TRANSFER TO AIRPORT
Check-out
and transfer to the airport for your morning flight back home. End of
Services. [ B ]
[ B ] :
Breakfast
[ L ] :
Lunch
[ D
] : Dinner |
