Day 1 - Welcome to Istanbul!
We meet you at the airport and escort you to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to relax or gather your first impressions of this exciting new city.

Day 2 – Old City Tour
Following breakfast, we set out on a private tour of the 'Old City' where we visit the Byzantine Hippodrome, the famous Blue Mosque, and Santa Sophia. Next we will visit the spectacular Topkapi Palace, the seat of government for the Ottoman Empire for many centuries (1453-1852).  Following lunch we will travel by coach to the Suleymaniye Mosque, built by master architect Sinan during the reign of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent. The last stop will be Grand Bazaar which is the biggest "souk" in the world with nearly 4000 shops of antiques, jewelry, gold, carpets and leather apparel.

Day 3 –Egyptian Spice Bazaar, Bosphorus Cruise, and Dolmabache Palace
Your morning starts with a visit to the aromatic Spice Bazaar, where the smells of cinnamon, cloves and thyme, rise from hundreds of colorful muslin bags at every store-front. We then board our ferryboat for a relaxing cruise along the shores of the legendary Bosphorus, the natural gateway that divides Asia and Europe. As you sit back and enjoy Turkish coffee or well-brewed tea, summer palaces and palatial homes pass by on either side. At the northern end of the Strait, we stop at our favorite restaurant for a tasty meal of local seafood. In the afternoon, we make our way to Dolmabache Palace. This tour is fully guided.

Day 4 – Kusadasi, Ephesus
You will be picked at the hotel after breakfast and taken to the airport in Istanbul for your flight to Izmir. When you arrive at Izmir, our transfer man will meet you and take you to your hotel in Kusadasi. Soon after you arrive, you’ll be off again for a tour of Ephesus with a professional English speaking guide. Lunch is provided on the tour. This tour also includes the house of the Virgin Mary. Afterwards, you will be transferred back to your hotel and you’ll have the evening free to relax. Overnight in Kusadasi.

Day 5 - Priene, Miletus, Didyma
After breakfast at the hotel, spend the early morning among the Hellenic art and architecture of the ruins in Priene, an ancient Ionian city dramatically overlooking the fertile plains of the Meandre Valley. Afterwards, continue to the second archaeological site of the day; the ancient city of Miletus, formerly a prosperous commercial harbor city and the most prominent in Anatolia in its heyday.  You then reach Didim town, for an open buffet lunch. Finally, the tour proceeds to the ancient city of Didyma, the setting for one of the most colossal temples in the Hellenic World, venerating the God Apollo. We also see the ancient Temple of Athena and the house of Alexander the Great. Transfer back to your hotel in Kusadasi. Overnight in Kusadasi.

Day 6 - Pamukkale
After breakfast at your hotel, you will be transferred to the bus station for your bus to Pamukkale. Once you arrive in Pamukkale a few hours later, you will be met at the bus station and transferred to your hotel. Your afternoon and evening are free. Overnight in Pamukkale.

Day 7 – Pamukkale, Fethiye
After breakfast we depart on a full day tour of Pamukkale to enjoy ourselves in the spas, pools, and terraces of this natural wonder, called the "Cotton Castle", which takes its name from its brilliant white travertines. We also spend time in Hieropolis, the site of the Martyrdom of Saint Phillip and home to one of the largest and most diverse necropolis in the world. In the afternoon, take a bus to Fethiye. In Fethiye, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the evening is free to enjoy this charming town. Overnight in Fethiye.

Day 8 - Fethiye
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and then a free day and overnight in Fethiye.

Day 9  - Blue voyage
After breakfast at the hotel, depart for 4 days / 3 nights Blue Voyage from Fethiye to Olympos. The first stop is Samanlik Bay for swimming & lunch or, depending on sea conditions, to Butterfly Valley for lunch, swimming & optional visit of the Butterfly Valley natural reserve. Afterwards, we cruise to The Blue Lagoon of Oludeniz, (again sea conditions permitting). Option for paragliding available. Last stop of the day is St-Nicholas Island to explore Byzantine ruins and swim. Dinner on the boat.
Overnight on the boat.

Day 10 -  Blue Voyage
Sunrise departure to Firnaz (Aquarium) Bay near Kalkan for breakfast & swimming. Cruise to Kas where we stop in the harbor for lunch & visit this picturesque seaside town. In a bay near Kekova we stop for swimming, dinner. Overnight on the boat.

Day 11 – Blue Voyage
Breakfast in the bay. Depart to the Sunken City of Kekova (this Lycian-Roman archaeological site is protected, so we can only look!). Lunch on board the boat. Next stop is Simena, a traditional Turkish fishing village with no car access and a Byzantine/Ottoman castle. At our next stop in Gokkaya Bay, water sports are available. Dinner on the boat and then relax in this pirates haven or party the night away at the Smugglers Inn! Overnight on the boat.

Day 12 - Blue Voyage
After breakfast cruise the Pirates Cave (sea conditions permitting) before cruising to Andriace harbor for lunch. Bus transfer to the archaeological site of Myra, and then to Demre for the St. Nicholas Church. Shopping and banking s stop if requested by the group. Bus transfer to the Tree houses in Olympos where we arrive between 4 and 6 p.m. Dinner and overnight in Olympos.

Day 13 - Olympos
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and then a free day exploring the ruins of Olympos and swimming at the beach. Dinner at the hotel.
Optional Excursion: Chimera - A bus departs every evening after dinner for the eternal flames of Chimera. Speak to you pension owner about time and price. Overnight in Olympos.

Day 14 – Return to Istanbul
After breakfast at the hotel, you will be transferred to the bus station where a bus will take you to Antalya. From the bus station you’ll be picked up and transferred to the airport for your flight back to Istanbul. Upon arrival in Istanbul you will be transferred to your hotel in Sultanahmet. Free day and overnight in Istanbul.

Day 15 - Transfer to airport.
Relax and enjoy breakfast at your hotel. We’ll transfer you and your belongings to the airport in plenty of time for your flight. Good-bye and we hope to see you again next year!

• 11 nights hotel accommodation including breakfast.
• 3 nights accommodation and full board on the Blue Voyage.
• All sightseeing tours as described in the itinerary.
• All admission fees to visited sites.
• Professional English speaking tour guide throughout the package.
• Domestic flight ticket from Antalya to Istanbul.
• All meals as stated in the itinerary.
• Transportation by air-conditioned, non smoking vehicle.
• All taxes and service fees. 
    
NOT INCLUDED
• International airfares.
• Airport taxes.
• Any VISA needed for Turkey.
• Tips to guide, driver, hotel staff etc.
• Optional tours.
• Items of a personal nature.
• Drinks with meals (except the drinks served with breakfast) and medical services. 

Hotels used in this package are based on budget class accommodation. This package can be upgraded to three, four or five star hotel accommodation upon request.