Guided Walking and Sightseeing Holidays in
Turkey
2009 Dates: Oct 3 - Oct 18 (starts Oct 4 in Istanbul)
Day 1: Arrive in Istanbul. Check into a four-star hotel in the old section of the city. Overnight in Istanbul.
Day 2: Morning walking tour to see the major sites of Istanbul. Much of this is on cobblestone streets so hiking boots are a good idea. We visit the fascinating Topkapi Palace, home of the Ottoman sultans, including the vast treasury filled with jewels, imperial robes and priceless objects that were gifts to the sultans. We also see the mysterious harem where women were trained in the art of being royal wives. The visit includes seeing some of the sacred relics of Islam which are on display in a room where the Koran is read aloud 24 hours a day. From here we continue to the Haggia Sophia, a vast Byzantine church turned into a museum and then to the Blue Mosque and the Hippodrome which was the centre of sporting and political activity during the Roman and Byzantine periods. Monuments decorating the Hippodrome include the 3500-year-old Egyptian Obelisk brought to Constantinople by Emperor Theodosius in 390 AD. In the afternoon there is an optional Bosphorus Cruise. You may prefer to spend the afternoon at the Grand Bazaar with its intriguing maze of shops. Our hotel is just across the street from the Bazaar. Overnight in Istanbul.
Day 3: Morning short flight to Kayseri (Caesarea in Biblical times) and transfer to a hotel in the nearby Cappadocia region. Cappadocia is generally regarded as the plains and the mountainous region of Anatolia. It was here that several ancient highways (including the Silk Road) crossed and different cultures came into contact with each other. It was also the land of the Hittites. Over the millenia, forces of erosion shaped an incredible and unique tuff-coned landscape and for thousands of years men dug into the soft but firm tuff to create dwellings, monasteries, churches and underground cities. In the afternoon we have a walk to explore the Open Air Museum which contains early Christian churches hewn out of the rock and decorated with colourful frescoes. Many are in good condition after two thousand years because of the dry climate. Basilius the Great (329-379 AD) Bishop of Caesarea inspired many religious colonies and for a thousand years an active monastic way of life endured throughout Cappadocia. This is a wonderful area for walking with many canyons and footpaths. In the evening there is an optional Whirling Dervish performance. Overnight in Cappadocia.
Day 4: Walking in the spectacular Cappadocia regions filled with canyons, vineyards and orchards. Overnight in Cappadocia.
Day 5: Depart from Cappadocia by private bus and head for Konya. Along the way we stop to see the underground city of Kaymakli and then have a two hour hike in the lovely Ilhara Gorge which contains almost 100 churches carved into the rock cliffs from the early Christian era. We continue on to see an old caravanserai where camel caravans once stopped along the Silk Route from the east. On arrival in Konya, home of the mystic sect of Whirling Dervishes, we visit the Mevlana Mausoleum. Overnight in Konya.
Day 6: Morning departure by private bus through the Taurus Mountains heading for Antalya. En route we stop to explore the grotto of Tinaztepe in the mountains and then another stop to visit Aspendos which is the best preserved Roman theatre in existence in Turkey and is still used for concerts and operas. The theater was built in the 2nd century A.D. and was periodically repaired by the Seljuks who used it as a caravanserai. In the afternoon we reach the Mediterranean city of Antalya where we stay in a boutique hotel in the heart of the old quarter. After checking into the hotel we have a walking tour of the old quarter. Overnight in Antalya.
Day 7: In the morning we visit the Antalya Archaeological Museum. In the afternoon there is a choice of exploring this lovely old town on your own or you can join the guide who will take those who wish to hike to a site outside Antalya in a lovely mountain setting at Termessos. This is an interesting old Psidian city built at a height of 1050 meters in the Taurus Mountains. Alexander the Great surrounded Termessons in 333 B.C. but failed to conquer it. Overnight in Antalya.
Day 8: Depart for a drive along a spectacular route with snow-capped Taurus mountains on one side and the turquoise Mediterranean on the other. Soon we reach Olympos where we spend one night in a hotel located in a remote canyon. It was from here that came the ancient legend of the Chimera, the dragon that terrorized Lycia and was was slain by Bellerophon. The legend says that on the site where the chimera was slain a flame came from the ground and has burned eternally. The flame is still burning although it seems that there is a scientific explanation. We have an afternoon walk through a lovely canyon near Olympos to see ruins of the ancient city and end the walk at a beautiful Mediterranean beach. Overnight in Olympos.
Day 9: We continue to the sea-side village of Kas (pronounced Kash) on the Lycian coast. Along the way we stop briefly at Demre to see the tomb of Saint Nicholas (Santa Claus). The town of Kas was founded on the ancient town of Antiphellos and the Lycian style sarcophagus at the beginning of the avenue running down to the port is the symbol of this lovely town. Here, we stay at an ocean-front resort hotel on a peninsula outside the town. The hotel has a pool, ocean swimming and lovely views of the turquoise sea. The afternoon is free to enjoy the pool and ocean. There is a shuttle into the town and in the late afternoon we have an optional walk around the town. Overnight at Kas.
Day 10: Our walk today is along a rocky trail which was part of the original "Lycian Way". The trail leads out on a peninsula to a small village with a Byzantine castle built around the ruins of an ancient Greek theatre. From here we board a private boat for a short ride in a quiet bay to see the remains of the ancient sunken city of Kekova. Little is known about this Lycian city except that it probably sunk into the sea at least three thousand years ago. Overnight at Kas.
Day 11: We continue by private bus along the Lycian coast stopping at the ancient ruins of Patara and from here we walk to the magnificent Patara Beach. Patara was a very wealthy city due to trade and was one of the six principal cities of Lycia. Following its capture by Alexander the Great it became an important naval base as well. Patara’s oracle at the temple of Apollo was said to rival that at Delphi. From here we go on to the remote ruins of the village of Kayakoy. This town played a part in more recent Turkish history. In 1923 there was an "Exchange of Population" between Greece and Turkey. With little notice, Turkish (Anatolian) Christians were deported to Greece while Muslims were sent from Greece to Turkey. We see the sad remains of a Christian ghost village that today has become a conservation site. We walk to a cove that was once a stop for Crusaders on their way to the Holy Land then continue to the town of Fethiye where we stay at a lovely hotel on the harbour. Overnight at Fethiye.
Day 12: We start late this morning because the hotel is so lovely and the quaint town of Fethiye interesting to explore. In the afternoon we travel to Gocek where we board a private boat that will take us to the cove of Cleopatra baths where we begin our hike. The scenery is spectacular with the blue Aegean on one side and dramatic mountains on the other. Along the way we see Lycian tombs hewn into the rockfaces and we see the ruins of the ancient city of Lydea. At the end of the hike our bus awaits to take us on to the town of Kusadasi where we stay in a lovely hotel on the harbour. The hotel is owned by grandson of the last Ottoman sultan and is surrounded by beautiful gardens. Although the town dates back to 2000 BC, today's Kusadasi was founded in 16th century by Venetians as a colony. Overnight in Kusadasi.
Day 13: Today is one of the highlights
- the ruins of the Ionian City of Ephesus. Walking
through Ephesus with a guide takes several hours and after this we walk to see the
remains of the Temple of Artemis, a massive Hellenistic structure
that was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
In the afternoon we visit the House of the Virgin Mary in the hills
above Ephesus and from here we hike through pretty countryside before
returning to Kusadasi for the night.
Day 14:
Drive
to Izmir Airport (about an hour) for a short flight back to Istanbul.
Here we transfer to our
hotel and have the afternoon free. On the evening we have a farewell dinner. Overnight in Istanbul.
Day 15: Tour ends after breakfast - transfer to Istanbul airport.
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