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Best of Turkey Tour |
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Higlights
Istanbul; St Sophia, Bosporus
Cruise, Blue Mosque, Kariye (St Chora), Suleymaniye
Mosque, Hippodrome, Topkapi Palace, Grand Bazaar.
Antalya, Perge, Aspendos, Pamukkale/Denizli;
Aphrodisias, Pamukkale, Izmir Sardis, Ephesus, House
of Virgin Mary. Canakkale, Pergamum, Troy,
Gallipoli.
11 Days - 9 Nights from
Antalya |
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Tour Itinerary;
1. Day Departure
2. Day Arrive in Antalya
Upon your Arrive in Antalya, you are
Meet with a friendly ""merhaba"" (hello) and
escorted to your hotel. You have the day
free to relax at your leisure. Learn more
about the cultural adventure ahead of you at
an orientation meeting at 7pm. get
acquainted with the other members of your
group during the welcoming dinner.
3. Day Perge/Aspendos/Antalya
Begin your Greco-Roman quest today by
visiting Perge where a mere scrape of the
shoe will reveal mosaic walkways through the
ancient agora. Its extensive ruins include a
stadium that once echoed to the roar of 15,
000 spectators. Continue to Aspendos, which
has one of the best-preserved theaters in
the world. Its acoustics are so well tuned
that a coin dropped on stage can be heard in
the last row.
4. Day Antalya/Aphrodisias/Pamukkale
Explore the remains of Aphrodisias, the
city dedicated to the goddess of love and
home to a school of sculpture that was known
throughout the ancient world. Sculptural
relief’s still adorn many of the buildings.
Explore its many Greco-Roman remains
including a stadium, which once sat 30, 000
people and the Temple of Aphrodite, which
was later converted into a Christian
basilica. Continue to Pamukkale, a spa known
throughout the ancient world.
5. Day Pamukkale/Sardis/Izmir
Enjoy the beauty of Pamukkale's immense
tiers of white limestone as they cascade
down a barren hillside. Visit the nearby
Roman theater and necropolis. Continue to
Izmir, where you will explore the remains of
Sardis where King Croesseus of Lydia
resided. Also visit the Temple of Artemis,
gymnasium and the synagogue.
6. Day Ephesus
Today you will discover Ephesus, which
is a highlight of every trip to Turkey. Do
make sure to walk the streets of the most
complete city of antiquity in the world. Sit
in the same theater where Paul preached and
Roman dramas were performed. Every summer,
during the International Izmir Festival, the
theater is alive with the words, music and
drama of contemporary performers in this
ancient setting. Stroll past the Library of
Celsius, the baths and the Temple of
Hadrian. You'll also visit the house where
the Virgin Mary spent her last days and a
photo stop FOR the Temple of Artemis with
the last remaining column indicating where
one of the Seven Wonders of the World was
7. Day Pergamum/Troy/Canakkale
Drive along the mythic coastline of the
""wine-dark"" Aegean Sea to ancient Pergamum,
home to the famous physician, Galen. Stroll
through the remains of the Asclepion, one of
the foremost medical centers of ancient
times, the library which once held 240, 000
scrolls, the Acropolis and the Trojaneum.
Next visit the site of one of the most
famous wars of ancient times, the legendary
city of Troy, immortalized in Homer's Iliad
and 'Discovered' in 1871 by Heinrich
Schliemann. Continue on to Canakkale.
8. Day Canakkale/Gallipolis/Istanbul
Ferry across the Dardanelle for a somber
stop at the very real memorial at
Gallipolis, commemorating one of the most
famous battles in modern history. The beauty
of the green hills, sandy beaches and blue
waters provides an honored resting place for
the soldiers who bravely fought and died in
this historic battle. After lunch, you
return to Istanbul, rising from the shores
of the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara.
9. Day Istanbul
Discover the classical highlights of
Istanbul: the Roman Hippodrome, Blue Mosque
famed for its Iznik tiled interior and six
minarets and Mosque of Suliymaniye the
Magnificent. You will also visit the jeweled
interior of the Topkapi Palace, home to the
Spoon maker’s Diamond. In the afternoon, you
are free to explore the labyrinth tunnels of
the Grand Bazaar that houses more than 4,
000 shops. The names recall the days when
each trade had its own quarter: the
goldsmiths' street, the carpet sellers'
street, and the street of the skullcap
makers. Still the commercial center of the
old city, the bazaar is the original
shopping mall with soMeething to suit every
taste and budget.
10. Day Istanbul
In the morning, glide past minarets and
palaces, stone fortresses and wooden Ottoman
mansions during a cruise on the Bosporus. In
the afternoon discover the Saint Sophia and
the church of Saint Savior in Chora. The
Basilica or St. Sophia, now called the
Ayasofya Museum is unquestionably one of the
finest buildings of all time. Built by
Constantine the Great and reconstructed by
Justinian in the 6th century, its immense
dome rises 55 Meeters above the ground and
its diaMeeter spans 31 Meeters. You should
remain here for some time to absorb the
building's majestic serenity and to admire
the fine Byzantine mosaics.
11. Day Departure
Transfer to the airport for your return
flight home.
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Guaranteed departure everyday
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