Turkish gulets , Kusadasi |
DAY 8 • Konya • Whirling Dervish monastery • Antalya
En route to Antalya , stop in Konya , home of the Whirling Dervish orders . Visit the Mevlana Museum , the former tekke ( dervish hall ) that now holds the tomb of the founder of the Mevlevi order of dervishes .
Meals : B , L , D | Aspen Hotel or similar
DAY 9 • Antalya • Controversial Topic : Turkey ’ s presidential system vs . parliamentary system • Home-Hosted Dinner
Visit the Antalya Museum , featuring artifacts from the Stone and Bronze Ages to Byzantium . Then , enjoy a walking tour of Antalya ’ s Old Town , including Hadrian ’ s Gate . Later , meet a local lawyer to discuss the Controversial Topic of Turkey ’ s presidential system vs . parliamentary system and what it means for the country ’ s future . Later , enjoy a Home-Hosted Dinner with a local family .
Meals : B , D | Aspen Hotel or similar
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DAY 16 • Kusadasi • Ephesus Visit ancient Ephesus , a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Then , visit the Ephesus Museum before returning to Kusadasi .
Meals : B , L , D | Charisma Hotel or similar
DAY 17 • Return to U . S . Fly home , or begin your post-trip extension to Northwest Turkey : Battlefields of Ancient Troy and Gallipoli & Istanbul .
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Meals : B
See the full deck plan for the Turkish gulet on page 292 .
For departure dates & prices , visit www . oattravel . com / tmh2024pricing
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CENTRAL EUROPE & THE BALKANS |
Cappadocia
DAY 4 • Hagia Sophia • Bosporus Strait cruise Visit the Hagia Sophia , which was completed under Emperor Justinian in AD 537 and served as a Christian church for nearly 1,000 years . We ’ ll also visit the Spice Bazaar , followed by a private boat cruise along the Bosporus Strait , the body of water separating Europe and Asia .
Meals : B | Armada Old City Hotel or similar
DAY 5 • Fly to Cappadocia • Underground city Fly to Cappadocia , a UNESCO World Heritage Site , and explore an underground city built by early Christians .
Meals : B , D | Yunak Evleri Hotel or similar
DAY 6 • Visit Göreme open-air museum • Carpet Weaving Cooperative • Optional Ballooning Over Cappadocia tour
Join an early-morning optional hot-air balloon ride over Cappadocia . Then , explore Göreme — a vast , openair monastic complex of rock churches covered with frescoes dating from the tenth to the 13th centuries . This afternoon , visit a carpet-weaving cooperative .
Meals : B , L , D | Yunak Evleri Hotel or similar
DAY 7 • A Day in the Life of a Cappadocian village • Optional Whirling Dervishes tour
Drive to a small village for our A Day in the Life experience . We ’ ll join local men in a teahouse and sit down to lunch with a local family to discover a traditional Turkish way of life . Later , experience the mystical face of Turkey during an optional Whirling Dervishes tour .
Meals : B , L , D | Yunak Evleri Hotel or similar
DAY 10 • Antalya • Perge and Aspendos Explore the ruins of Perge and Aspendos , two ancient sites nestled along the coast .
Meals : B | Aspen Hotel or similar
DAY 11 • Fethiye • Embark ship Drive to the port of Fethiye . Then , we board our privately-chartered , traditional Turkish gulet .
Meals : B , L , D | Turkish gulet
DAY 12 • Bay of Gemiler • Hike to Kayakoy Cruise to the Bay of Gemiler , and then drive near Kayakoy , a Greek “ ghost town ,” which we ’ ll reach by hiking along a scenic trail . Later , cruise to Gemiler Island to view its sixth-century Byzantine monastery . Meals : B , L , D | Turkish gulet
DAY 13 • Hike on the Turquoise Coast Our gulet docks in a scenic cove along the Turquoise Coast where we ’ ll have opportunities for hiking and swimming .
Meals : B , L , D | Turkish gulet
DAY 14 • Ekincik Cove • Dalyan River
• Kaunos
Cruise to Ekincik Cove , where a small boat takes us up the Dalyan River . Then , visit the ancient Lycian site of Kaunos to view the remains of temples , baths , and an ancient theater .
Meals : B , L , D | Turkish gulet
DAY 15 • Disembark ship • Kusadasi Disembark in Marmaris , and then journey overland to Kusadasi , gateway to ancient Ephesus .
Meals : B , L , D | Charisma Hotel or similar
PERSONALIZE YOUR EXPERIENCE
OPTIONAL EXTENSIONS
Untouched Azerbaijan PRE-TRIP : 6 nights from $ 2,795
Northwest Turkey : Battlefields of Ancient Troy and Gallipoli & Istanbul
POST-TRIP : 6 nights from $ 1,395
ARRIVE EARLY We recommend that you relax after a long flight or explore more in depth before your trip . Prices shown include accommodations and private airport transfer .
• Arrive early in Baku before your Azerbaijan pretrip extension from $ 170 per room , per night
• Arrive early in Istanbul before your main adventure from $ 230 per room , per night
Information & Reservations 1-800-955-1925 www . oattravel . com / tmh 135