DAY 6 BODRUM – KUSADASI

We continue our journey today up the Mediterranean coast to the city of Kusadasi, the third largest port in Turkey, and the gateway to Ephesus and the House of Virgin Mary. Along the way, we will stop at the ancient city of Euromos to visit one of the best-preserved Zeus Temples, and Miletus where we will visit the ruins of the Temple of Apollo. We will explore the ancient theatre built around 4th century BC and the well-preserved Bath of Faustina. We will conclude our tour through antiquities with a stop at Priene, a 2500 year-old Ionian city, the first to be planned with a grid system of streets. At the end of this invigorating tour, we will check in at our hotel in Kusadasi and enjoy dinner at the hotel restaurant.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Charisma Hotel Kusadasi (2 nights) 

DAY 7  KUSADASI – EPHESUS – KUSADASI

Our spectacular journey through antiquities continues today with a visit to the Roman provincial capital of Ephesus. We will enter through the Magnesia Gate and begin a slow walk past the Odeon, the Celsus Library, the Temple of Hadrian, the Fountain of Trajan and the Grand Theatre. The theatre could sit 25,000 spectators and was the site where St. Paul preached to the Ephesians. We will also visit the Terrace Houses, the finest example in the world of Roman domestic life. 

After free time for lunch, we will continue to the Basilica of St. John, where we can still see the graceful columns, and colourful mosaics and frescos. Next is a visit to the House of Virgin Mary, recognized by the Vatican as the final resting place of Virgin Mary. 

We transfer to our hotel and overnight in Kusadasi. 

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner 

DAY 8  KUSADASI – PAMUKKALE

After hotel check-out, our coach ride will take us to Pamukkale, which translates to “Cotton Castle”. One of Turkey’s top natural attractions, the site consists of cascading terraces made of travertine, a sedimentary rock deposited by mineral water from the hot springs. Visitors are drawn to these natural thermal springs since the time of antiquity. We will have free time for lunch, and we’ll spend an afternoon at this one-of-a-kind site. Dinner tonight is at the hotel restaurant and evening at leisure. 

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner 

Accommodation: Colossae Hotel Thermal and Spa (1 night) 

DAY 9  PAMUKKALE – CAPPADOCIA

We bid farewell to Pamukkale as we transfer to the airport for our flight to Cappadocia (via Istanbul). Another marvel of natural creation awaits in the otherworldly landscape of rock formations beyond belief. Here we will visit the “fairy chimneys” of Pasabag where the sound of wind mixes with the “songs of fairies”. Pasabag valley contains some of the most striking fairy chimneys in Cappadocia, called mushroom shaped fairy chimneys.

Afterwards, we will continue to the town of Avanos where the strong tradition of pottery making still exists, and we will attend a traditional pottery making workshop. What follows next is a visit to the famous Goreme Open Air Museum, a World Heritage Site since 1984. In a spectacular landscape sculpted by erosion, the Goreme valley contain rock-hewn sanctuaries that provide unique evidence of Byzantine art. Churches, dwellings and underground towns dating back to the 4th century can also be seen here. 

Meals: Breakfast 

Accommodation: Yunak Hotel (2 nights) 

DAY 10 CAPPADOCIA

We start our tour today with a visit to Kaymakli Underground City, one of the most interesting underground settlements in Cappadocia. People of Kaymakli village have constructed their houses in the hundred interconnected tunnels in the underground city. Four of the eight floors of this remarkable underground city are open for the public to explore. We crown our visit in Cappadocia with a culinary experience with a local family. We will hear about the family’s history, the house the three generations share, their organic garden and meals they prepare. The highlight will be a hands on cooking class and the lunch we will all share together.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch 

DAY 11 CAPPADOCIA – ISTANBUL

This morning, we leave Cappadocia and fly back to Istanbul for two more days of exploring in this cosmopolitan city. We check in at our hotel and after free time for lunch, we will visit Dolmabahce Palace, a grandiose and opulent palace built during the Ottoman reign and served as the main administrative center of the Empire. It houses over 285 intricately adorned rooms with crystal chandeliers and ornate ceilings. With the end of the Ottoman Empire, the palace became the residence of the first Turkish president, Mustafa Ataturk, and after only three months, the palace was converted into a museum. Meals: Breakfast and Farewell Dinner 

Accommodation: Orientbank Hotel Autograph Collection (or similar), 2 nights 

DAY 12 ISTANBUL

We start our day today with a visit to Suleymaniye Mosque. Built in the year 1557, it was designed to be a counterpoint to Byzantine St. Sophia, and today it is regarded as the most beautiful of all imperial mosques. 

We continue to the Egyptian Bazaar, most famous for the best spices one can find in Istanbul, such as saffron and mint, aromatic teas like camomile and black tea, and last but not least, delicious Turkish sweets such as baklava and “lokum”….a 

real treat for the senses. We end our morning adventures with a delicious lunch at a local restaurant, and we’ll enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch 

DAY 13 ISTANBUL DEPARTURE

We bid farewell to Istanbul today and the magnificent Turkey we explored together. We will transfer to the airport for our return home. Meals: Breakfast