Roman theater , Aspendos
CENTRAL EUROPE & THE BALKANS
The Blue Mosque , Istanbul Spice Bazaar , Istanbul
ITINERARY
DAY 1 • Depart U . S . Fly overnight to Istanbul , Turkey .
DAY 2 • Istanbul Today , meet your fellow travelers , including those who took our optional pre-trip extension to Untouched Azerbaijan .
Armada Old City Hotel or similar
DAY 3 • Istanbul • Grand Bazaar & Topkapi Palace Visit the Hippodrome , followed by the Grand Bazaar , one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world . Then , explore Topkapi Palace , which served as the main residence of Ottoman sultans .
Meals : B , D | Armada Old City Hotel or similar
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 , head to a small village for our A Day in the Life experience , which includes breakfast with farmers , meetings with local villagers at a teahouse , and enjoying lunch with a local family before stops at a few of Cappadocia ’ s most famous rock formations .
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 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 , with 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 who will 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
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
ADVENTURE HIGHLIGHT
On Day 7 , experience A Day in the Life of a small village in Cappadocia , where you ’ ll have the opportunity to participate in a seasonal farming activity and enjoy a traditional Turkish lunch with a local family
Information & Reservations 1-800-955-1925 www . oattravel . com / tmh 195