Turquoise Coast Odyssey - Turkey

Day 1: Arrive in Istanbul

Upon arrival in Istanbul, you will be met by our transfer agent after passing through customs and driven to your hotel. Meet your guide in the hotel lobby in the afternoon for a stroll through the streets of the old city. You walk through the University Square to the mosque complex of Suleiman the Magnificent, the exquisite work of architect Sinan the Great. Continue into the Grand Bazaar and through back streets behind the Spice Market leading to the busy promenade of the Golden Horn. Enjoy an introduction to authentic Turkish cuisine in a local restaurant overlooking the busy ferry boats on the Bosphorus and Golden Horn. Overnight in the historic Sultanahmet District of Istanbul

Accommodations: Hotel Arcadia Blue

Meals Included: Dinner

Day 2: Istanbul - Walking Tour of the Old City

Explore the grandeur of ancient Constantinople. Visit splendid relics of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires including the Topkapi Palace, 400-year-old Sultanahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque), and 2000-year-old Roman Hippodrome, the Underground Cistern and the Hagia Sophia Church miraculously built in the first half of the 6th century, by Emperor Justinianus. If time and interest permit stroll through part of the Kapali Carsi (covered bazaar) and spice market. Around sunset board a commuter ferry, joining local Istanbulians as they return home from work; a journey that reveals palaces, lavishly restored Ottoman homes and embassies on both the European and Asian sides of the Bosphorus. Enjoy a traditional Turkish dinner in a restaurant offering a creative menu.

Accommodations: Hotel Arcadia Blue

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3: Fly Kayseri - Drive to Cappadocia

After breakfast transfer to the airport for your short flight to Kayseri where you are met and driven to the Cappadocia region (50 min drive time). Today is the first of two days to explore Cappadocia with your expert guide by foot and private vehicle. Wander around Uchisar Castle, a natural rock formation carved out of the soft volcanic tuft. Visit Goreme Open-Air Museum, a complex of medieval cave churches carved and elaborately painted by Christian Orthodox monks. Your itinerary is flexible with options based on individual interests including visits to towns specializing in various handicrafts. This evening, see a Whirling Dervish performance in a restored Caravan Serai. Overnight at a boutique cave hotel in Cappadocia

Accommodations: Taskonaklar Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4: Cappadocia Walking Villages & Hidden Churches - Underground Cities

Start the day with a hike through one of the lovely valleys of Cappadocia amidst the beautiful geological formations rich with orchards and family farms. Look for hidden churches, cave rooms, and pigeon roosts in the sandstone cliffs. You can walk for as long as you prefer as there are multiple trails in this hikers’ paradise.

Cappadocia is the heartland of Turkey and rich with local produce. Enjoy a local lunch before exploring the small charming towns of the area such as Avanos where you visit a master potter's workshop to study pottery and have a chance to throw a pot. The potter's wheel was invented in Anatolia. Later, descend up to 150 feet down into the honeycomb depths of Kaymakli or Derinkuyu underground cities where the people of Cappadocia escaped from marauding invaders and survived in these tunnels and caverns. En route back to your hotel, you may stop to view a 13^th century Selcuk Turk Caravanserai, similar to those made famous by Marco Polo. We highly recommend an optional hot air balloon ride in the early morning (cost not included). Overnight Cappadocia

Accommodations: Taskonaklar Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 5: Ephesus - Sirince Village

Transfer to the airport for morning flight to Izmir (1.5 hrs). Upon arrival, you are met and driven to Ephesus (45 min) where you walk throughout the impressive ancient city with your guide. One of the most impressive Roman ruins and important ancient coastal cities, Ephesus attracted the Mediterranean world’s merchants, artists and statesmen for many centuries. Also visit the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. After touring, drive 20 minutes into the hills to your hotel in Şirince village, once used by residents of Ephesus as a cool mountain retreat. There is time to wander the cobblestone streets amongst the charming stone cottages, where you can shop for homemade fruit wine, herbal soaps, olive oil, and delicious natural foods. Overnight in an Ottoman-style cottage in the village, one of the boutique guest houses of Nisanyan Evleri.

Accommodations: Nisanyan Evleri, Sirince

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 6: Gulet - Caunos Hike

Enjoy a leisurely morning. Early risers have a chance to stroll in the village as residents begin their day to the smell of baked goods and the tinkling of bells as shepherds take their goat herds to pasture. After a delicious fresh breakfast, drive south to Ekincik to board your gulet and meet your captain and crew. In the afternoon go by fishing boat to Iztuzu Beach where the rare sea-turtle species, Caretta Carettas, lay their eggs (season-dependent). Continue boating up the Dalyan River through a maze of bamboo and cattails to reach the magnificent 4^th century BC rock-cut tombs and the Carian ruins at Caunos. From here you hike to Candir Iskelesi, where the gulet has cruised to meet you. Re-embark and enjoy your first night on board. Overnight aboard gulet.

Accommodations: Cevri II

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7: Gulet - Fethiye - Hike to Lydea

In the morning, voyage to Ağa Limani Cove, a serene turquoise inlet in Fethiye Bay. Set anchor and hike to Batik Hamam, a Roman bath complex where Mark Anthony and Cleopatra were said to have spent time, and which now lies beneath five feet of water. You have the opportunity to swim and snorkel through the ruins looking for sponges, octopus and fish. After lunch hike to Lydea, the site of the ancient Lycian Oracle, only accessible on foot. This optional hike is one of the most spectacular trails of the Lycian range, traversing coastal promontories covered in pine forests and passing shepherds' homesteads whose natural herb gardens of oregano, thyme and sage scent the air. Anchor for the night in Hamam Cove aboard gulet.

Accommodations: Cevri II

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8: Gulet - Kaya Koy - Gemiler Island

Start this exciting day with a visit to ancient necropolis of Telmessus in Fethiye to see the spectacular temple rock-cut tombs. A short 15-minute drive takes you to Kaya Köy, a ghost town of over 600 abandoned homes. The former Greek residents were subject to a population exchange between Turkey and Greece in 1930. After exploring, hike downhill to meet the boat in Soguksu Cove where you spend the afternoon at leisure swimming or relaxing on-board. Before dusk take a short hike to the ruins of a 6^th century AD Byzantine monastery at the top of Gemiler Island where you enjoy a sundowner whilst watching the sunset. Overnight aboard gulet at Gemiler Island.

Accommodations: Cevri II

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9: Kalkan & Kas

The gulet starts early down the coast and into the harbor of Kalkan. Disembark and hike to a panoramic lookout where you meet your land transport and drive inland to a small Lycian village in the country. Walking through the village you are welcomed in a home for a delicious typical Turkish lunch. From here, it is a short drive to Kaş, a charming Mediterranean seaside town with a well-preserved Greek theater, narrow cobblestoned streets and white-washed houses festooned with colorful bougainvillea and wooden balconies. After free time to walk and shop, meet at sunset to sip Turkish wine at the ancient theatre or in a bar on the harbor for sunset. Overnight aboard gullet.

Accommodations: Cevri II

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 10: Gulet - Aperlai - Kekova Bay - Simena Village

Cruise further east to Aperlai, a 4^th century AD Lycian city with remains scattered over the hillsides and underwater in the bay. Snorkeling in the crystal clear waters you can see marble columns, paved floors, walls, and a church foundation of a city submerged over 1600 years ago. Cruise into the nearby Kekova Sound for a leisurely 2-3 hours of kayak paddling through beautiful crystal clear turquoise waters. Below you, you can see more sunken ruins of this ancient island. It’s a short hike to Simena, a pastoral village where dozens of impressive Roman sarcophagi are strewn around the base of a hill crowned with a Crusader castle. Anchor under the shadow of this ancient village and watch the sun set over Kekova Bay. Stay overnight aboard gulet at Kekova Bay.

Accommodations: Cevri II

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 11: Dismenbark - Antalya

After a morning swim, cruise to Cayagazi where you disembark, say goodbye to your crew and take a short drive to visit the ruins of Myra and the Church of St. Nicholas (3^rd century AD). Myra boasts one of the most colossal and well-preserved Roman amphitheaters in the world complete with relics of the stone masks of performers. Explore the 4^th century BC Lycian house-tombs carved out of rock amidst richly-decorated facades on a high cliff above. Later drive to Antalya to spend the night in the historic district of this ancient port city. Walk around the old town and enjoy a seafood dinner overlooking the ancient harbor and the pine-forested hills of Olympos National Park. Overnight Antalya.

Accommodations: Dogan Hotel, Antalya

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 12: Istanbul Galata District

Transfer to the airport for your 1 hour flight to Istanbul. Upon arrival meet and transfer to your hotel located in the bustling Galata district close to the pedestrian promenade of Istiklal Caddesi where you can walk through the lively neighborhood of Beyoglu up to Taksim Square offering an abundance of restaurants, bars, clubs, and shops in close proximity. The remainder of the day is at leisure to relax, explore and reflect on your experience in Turkey. Enjoy farewell dinner at a traditional restaurant. Stay overnight in the Galata District at Adahan Hotel.

Accommodations: Adahan Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner