Turkey Tours & Travel Packages : Treasures of Aegean Tour (10 Days)
Duration: 10 Days / 09
Nights
Highlights: Istanbul, Bosphorus, Gallipoli,
Troy, Pergamum, Ephesus, Bodrum
Run: Everyday
Note: All Istanbul
tour packages are modular and you can use these itineraries
as a starting point and we can help modify this itineraries
to accommodate your personal requirements and desires
to find your perfect holiday.
DAY 01 - Arrive in
Istanbul
Upon your arrival to Istanbul International Airport,
you will be met by our hostes and transferred to your
hotel. After check-in, you can take a walk through the
historical Sultanahmet district of Istanbul, having
a look at the famous St Sophia and Blue Mosque. Overnight
in Istanbul.
DAY 02 - Imperial Istanbul Tour
We will 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.
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. Overnight in Istanbul.
DAY 03 - Half Day Bosphorus Cruise
After breakfast, again meet you tour guide for a half
day tour. Drive to Golden Horn, the arm of the Bosphorus
and a natural harbour of the historical peninsula seperating
the old and new parts of Istanbul where the first colonies
settled during Byzantine. The residential area of Byzantines
Jews, Italian traders and other non-muslim minoririties.
Drive along the traces of history at balat viewing Fener
Orthodox Patriarchate, Metal Church of St Stephen the
Bulgarian, Ahrida Synagouge, Eyup Sultan Mosque. 21kms
long City Walls of Istanbul will be also seen on this
drive. Visit the Egyptian Market (Spice Bazaar) built
in 1664, the perfect place to shop for herbal medicine,
Turkish Delight (lokum), spices, teas, caviar and many
other flavours. We then embark the ferry which has become
one of the symbols of Istanbul. The Bosphorus is a narrow,
navigable strait between Europe and Asia connecting
the Black Sea to the Marmara Sea. The Bosphorus ferry
will take us to both European and Asian shores of the
city. Alongside million dollar mansions we will see
the two bridges linking Europe and Asia by road, as
well as the seaside summer palaces and unique wooden
houses not to mention the natural beauty of the forests
above. After the tour you will be transferred to your
hotel with the afternoon at leisure. Overnight in Istanbul.
DAY 04 - Travel on to Canakkale / Gallipoli
Tour
After breakfast, check-out and drive along the Sea of
Marmara through the small European part of Turkey known
as Thrace. Before leaving Europe we visit Gallipoli,
Gelibolu in Turkish. This narrow, mountainous peninsula
on the northwestern side of the Dardanelles has seen
more than its share of history with countless civilizations
having battled for control over these straits for over
3,000 years. This is the historic World War I battleground
where Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, father of the Turkish Republic,
first rose to prominence. Under the direction of Winston
Churchill, an unsuccessful naval and land campaign failed
in its attempt to capture Gallipoli, open up the Dardanelles,
and seize Constantinople. This battleground is now marked
with over 30 memorials. We then cross the Dardanelles
waterway by ferry from Europe to Asia where your hotel
is located. Overnight in Canakkale.
DAY 05 - Troy, Pergamon Tour / Travel
down to Kusadasi
We have an early start today and we visit the ruins
of Troy where Greek and Trojan heroes fought for the
beautiful Helen. Troy had been accepted as a lengendary
city for ages, but very few people believed in its true
existence. Heinrich Schliemann excavated here at this
own expense in the 1870s and discovered the spot where
a sophisticated settlement had existed for centuries.
As you stand on the ancient hilltop you can look out
over the plain of Troy and feel the famous cool north
wind blowing from the Dardanelles. After lunch travelling
down the rugged Aegean coast and inland to the typically
Turkish rural town of Bergama. Here we visit the Akropolis
and view Asklepion of the Roman city of Pergamon, said
to be one of the first hospitals in the world. We see
a carving of two snakes wrapped around a drinking cup
(a modern symbol of the medical profession) and a theatre
where the mentally disturbed would allegedly act out
their emotions (a forerunner of today's psychoanalysis).
Later we travel Kusadasi, through Izmir. Overnight in
Kusadasi.
DAY 06 - Ancient City of Ephesus Tour
Visit Ancient Ephesus. One of the most interesting and
extensive ancient cities in the world, Ephesus was established
by the Greeks and then successively occupied by Persians
and Romans. The art and architecture of emperors adorn
the city in a state of remarkable preservation. We’ll
visit these landmarks: The Theater, The Library of Celsus,
The Temple of Hadrian, Corinthian Temple, The Baths
of Scholastica, The town brothel and many more. Before
we leave Ephesus Ancient City we will also have time
to see The Cave of Seven Sleepers. Then stop at the
Temple of Artemis, protectress of Ephesus which is dating
back to 1300 BC and considered one of the Seven Wonders
of the World. After lunch in a local restaurant, day
will continue with The House of Virgin Mary which is
situated at Mt Bulbul. It is believed that Virgin Mary
came to Selcuk with Apostle John from Jerusalem after
Jesus was crucified and she spent her last days there
until she died at the age of 64. Day tour will over
with the last visit to Ephesus Archaeological Museum
where you will the chance to see a statue of Artemis
from Ephesus dating back to the 2nd century A.D. Overnight
in Kusadasi
DAY 07 - Travel on to Bodrum / Crusader
Castle of St Peter Tour
After breakfast at hotel, check-out and you will be
transferred to Kusadasi bus station for the intercity
day bus to Bodrum. This drive will take around 3 hours.
On your arrival you will be met at the bus station and
start the day tour. Bodrum is a lively town on the Mediterranean
shore, with many restaurants, bars, cafes and shops.
Bodrum occupies the site of ancient Halicarnassus which
was an important city of Caria and the birth place of
the first Historian, Herodotus. We begin the tour with
the Castle of the Knights in Bodrum situated on a rocky
promontory which is a marvelously well preserved example
of Crusader architecture. Within the walls are separate
towers of the French, Italian, German and English who
carved their coats of arms, inscriptions and graffiti
into the stones. The castle itself also serves as the
local museum, with the exhibits of many archaeological
objects found in the area, and one particular display
is noteworthy that is one of the shipwreck (1,200 BC.)
from Gelidonya cape. From the top of the walls of the
castle is overwhelming view of the harbor and town.
Walking back to the town and through the back streets
will bring us to the site of the Mausoleum which is
one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Mausoleum
was built for Mausolus who was a Persian satrap of the
Caria region from 377 to 352 BC. On his death, this
massive mausoleum was constructed for him, by Artemisia,
his sister, his wife and his queen. The word "Mausoleum"
comes from this monumental tomb. Overnight in Bodrum.
DAY 08 - Day at Leisure in Bodrum
Today is free to enjoy the ambience of this beautiful
town. Overnight in Bodrum.
DAY 09 - Flight to Istanbul
After check-out (12:00) from hotel, remainder of day
will be at leisure till you will be transferred to Bodrum
Airport for the flight to Istanbul which will take around
one hour. Overnight in Istanbul.
DAY 10 - Transfer to Istanbul International
Airport
Breakfast at hotel, check-out and transfer to Istanbul
International Airport, as per your departure details.
What's Included:
* Hotel accommodations in choice of preferred class
* Professional Guide licensed by the Ministry of Tourism
* Noted sightseeing tours on regular group or private guided basis
* Main entrance fees to sights mentioned by the itinerary
* Meals mentioned by the itinerary - Vegeterian meals available
* Required land & or internal flight transportation
* All roundtrip airport transfers with A/C minivans
* Local taxes & handling services
* All tours & travel packages are insuranced by TURSAB (Association of Turkish
Travel Agencies)
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