Journeys Through Turkey (12 days)

Arrive in Istanbul (Flight TBA), you will be met at the aircraft gate and escorted to the passport control for formalities, your host will handle your luggage and escort you to your waiting vehicle where you will meet your Sea Song Representative and transfer to the hotel in your VIP Vehicle.

Upon arrival to the hotel enjoy a welcome cocktail and check in.

Dinner recommended at your hotel’s restaurant.

Overnight in Istanbul

After breakfast, at 9:00am, you will meet your professional guide at the hotel lobby for your private full day experience.

Your private tour of Istanbul begins with a visit to the Hippodrome, which was one of the largest chariot race grounds of the Byzantine Empire.  You will take a short walk to the Blue Mosque, completed in 1616, it is a triumph of harmony, proportion and elegance.  The mosque was a part of a complex also including, tombs, fountains, kitchens, and a bath. Its colourful 260 windows enables the sunlight to reach inside. This makes the interior unusually light.  The blue Iznik Tiles covering the walls have given the mosque its popular name, Blue Mosque.

Next you will visit the Underground Cistern.  It was built by Justinian in the 6th century.  It is 70 meters wide and 140 meters long, with a capacity of 80,000 m³ of water.  It has 336 beautiful columns that support the cistern, two of which are carved with the head of Medusa on the plinth.

Lunch is suggested at an old Ottoman House serving traditional Turkish Ottoman cuisine from the recipes of the Topkapi Palace.

After your lunch, you will visit the magnificient Topkapı Palace, the residence of the sultans for almost three centuries.  It is located on the promontory jutting out between the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn.  This setting provides a magnificent view.  The construction of the Topkapı Palace was completed between 1465 and 1478.  Being the imperial residence of the sultan, his court and harem, the palace was also the seat of government for the Ottoman Empire. 4,000 people lived in the Palace. In the Treasury section, you will see breathtaking displays, including the 7th largest diamond in the world, the “Spoonmaker’s Diamond”.  As you enter the Harem section you will see how the sultan's lived in a most magnificant residence.

Last you will visit the Egyptian Bazaar, also know as the Spice Bazaar, the second largest covered market in Istanbul.  It was constructed in the 1660s as part of the Yeni Camii (New Mosque) complex.  The name derives from the herbs, and spices imported from or through Egypt. It is still the best place to buy Turkish delight, dried fruit, exotic spices and herbs.  

At the end of your day, you will return to your hotel with a stop for some baklava tasting. Yummy!!

Dinner recommended at the Mikla Restaurant which is located in Beyoglu area frequented by the locals, serving international cuisine with a wonderful view of the whole city.  (Transportation will be provided to/from the restaurant)

Overnight in Istanbul

After breakfast, at 9:00am, you will meet your professional guide at the hotel lobby for another private full day experience.

First, you will visit St. Sophia, the church of the Divine Wisdom.  The architectural marvel of all time.  It was built during Emperor Justinian reign ( AD 537 ) and it remained the greatest church in Christendom until the conquest of Constantinople in 1453 by Sultan Mehmet II who ordered to convert Hagia Sophia into a Mosque.  In 1934, Kemal Atatürk, founder of the modern republic  proclaimed it a museum.  The walls of this beautiful piece of architecture are decorated with gorgeous  mosaics.

Next you will visit the Suleymaniye Mosque. Built by the great Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan on the order of Sultan Suleiman I (Suleiman the Magnificent), the Suleymaniye Mosque dominates the third hill of old Istanbul, and is strikingly graceful and less ornate than many other imperial mosques, thus lending itself to meditation and quiet reflection.

Then, visit the Church of St Saviour in Chora. Built in the 11th century, the walls of this Byzantine Church are decorated with beautiful mosaics and frescoes. The mosaics depict the life of Virgin Mary and the infancy, genealogy and ministry of Christ.  

Lunch is suggested at Nar Restaurant, serving organic local cuisine in a beautiful restored building looking down to the Grand Bazaar. The desserts are very special and difficult to choose and handmade on site.  You can watch the chef making special pita bread in his bread oven.

After your lunch, visit the Grand Bazaar, the largest and oldest covered Bazaar in Turkey with more than 4,000 shops.   A variety of handicrafts, carpets, rare jewels and souvenirs all sold in small shops next to each other. The merchants are selling everything from antiques, home wares, books, copper ware, ceramics, gold and inexpensive souvenirs. Venture into the hidden courtyards or hans, lookout for marble fountains and ornate kiosks.  Streets are named according to the trades and the most oriental atmosphere in Istanbul is found in the bazaar.  Join in a carpet demonstration where you will learn about the art of carpet weaving with an opportunity to make a purchase of that special treasure.

Dinner tonight will be in an Ottoman Mansion on the Asian side of Istanbul.  Your private yacht transfer will bring you from Europe to Asia.   Arrive to the mansion and have cocktails in the grand entrance and meet the owner an expert in Ottoman art. As you stroll through the house he explains all of the art and how the mansion was restored and the original building tecniques of the time.  Dinner is served upstairs in the private living area.  An absolute night to remember!

You will be transferred back to your hotel after dinner.

Overnight in Istanbul

After breakfast, at 9:00am, you will meet your professional guide at the hotel lobby for your private half day experience.

Embark on a private motor yacht to enjoy a cruise on the Bosphorus, the narrow strait of water separating the Asian and European continents and the life blood of Istanbul.  Passing along the shores of the Bosphorus you will view magnificent palaces, restored Ottoman villas, impressive fortresses and the waterside residences of Istanbul’s elite. Stop at a mansion once owned by the physician of the Sultan and view the property and the private Turkish Bath.  During your cruise you will see a different perspective of Istanbul, described by a Byzantine visitor in the 12th century as “the city of the world’s desire”. Enjoy coffee, tea, and some local treats.   Cruise will take approximately 1 ½ hours.

Visit the Imperial Dolmabahce Palace, which was built in the mid-19th century by Sultan Abdulmecit I.  The facade stretches for 600 meters along the European shore of the Bosphorus and was the last home of the Ottoman Sultans.

At the end of your morning experience, you will return to your hotel.

Enjoy the afternoon at leisure.

Dinner recommended at Kosebasi Restaurant, which is an elegant Turkish kebab restaurant. You can taste delicious kebabs from southeastern Turkey. (Transportation will be provided to/from the restaurant)

Overnight in Istanbul.

After your breakfast at 10:30am, you will meet your profesional guide at the hotel lobby and transfer to Istanbul Ataturk Airport for your flight TK#2012 departing at 12:20pm. Arrive in Kayseri at 1:45pm and transfer to your hotel with visits on route.

The region of Cappadocia, the jewel of Central Anatolia, and home to a bewitching landscape of spectacularly eroded tuff (hardened volcanic ash).  The most famous and characteristic features of the landscape are the remarkable conical rock outcrops know as fairy chimneys.  The softness of the tuff made it easy to excavate and create dwellings; whole cities were constructed underground as well as hundreds of rock-cut chapels, beautifully frescoed churches and monasteries.  

Have a panoramic drive by Zelve, where three canyons meet in the Valley of Monks.  The rock face at Zelve is honeycombed with caves and churches, and much of the decoration inside the churches is symbolic.

Next you will drive through the spectacular Pasabag Valley, enjoy a photo stop and capture wonderful images of the unique landscape.  

Arrive in the pretty town of Avanos, which has long been a center for pottery artisans as it lies on the banks of the Red River where clay supplies are abundant.  Enjoy a visit to a pottery workshop to meet the artisans and see their collections displayed in a vast underground cave complex.

After your visits you will arrive to your hotel and check in.  

Dinner recommended at your hotel restaurant with the wonderful view of the valley.

After dinner visit the Saruhan Caravanserai to see the Sema Ritual performed by Whirling Dervishes, this is a mystical and very special experience.  

Overnight at a luxury cave hotel in Cappadocia

An early start for an Hot Air Balloon Flight (one hour), this is truly a once in a lifetime experience and there is no better way to see the distinctive landscapes of Cappadocia than by gently floating overhead in a hot air balloon.  Your skillful pilot will skim the basket across fruit trees and rise up over the fairy chimneys, before ascending to great heights for breathtaking views.  Upon landing you will celebrate your flight with a champagne toast!  Return to your hotel for a homemade breakfast.

First, you will enjoy hiking through the Guvercinlik Valley. The Pigeon Valley is one of the most famous valleys of Cappadocia and its name comes from the pigeon-cotes carved on its walls.

Next, visit the Göreme Open-Air Museum where icons and other figurative representations were prohibited. The 11th century represents the “golden age” of religious art in Goreme. Then, you will visit the Goreme Valley, which has been occupied since the dawn of history.  It is the valley of the churches.  The wonderful and primitive 11th and 12th century frescoes cover the walls of these churches.  The oldest churches in the area date back to the 6th century.  Among the 356 of churches, the most important ones are Karanlık Kilise, Yılanlı Kilise, Elmalı Kilise and Tokalı Kilise.  

Then, visit the Mustafapasa Village (Sinassos), an ancient Greek town with its spectacular old Greek houses: very fine examples of late Greek settlements and architecture.  

Lunch will be served in a private home where you can taste the local cuisine prepared especially for you.  Meet the family and hear all their family stories.  Your meal is homemade with local in season ingredients.

You will complete your day descending below the earth’s surface into the Kaymakli Underground City, where five levels extend below ground and include; living quarters, kitchens, wine presses, storage rooms, stables and ventilation shafts.  Early Christians carved out these subterranean complexes to avoid invaders who swept across the plains of Anatolia from the 6th to the 9th Century.

After your visits you will return to your hotel.  

Dinner recommended at Muti Restaurant, serving traditional cuisine in a very authentic atmosphere. The chef is a famous celebrity chef and he is great!

Overnight at a luxury cave hotel in Cappadocia

After an early breakfast depart your hotel at 7:30am and transfer to Nevsehir Airport for your flight TK#2007 departing at 9:05am. Arrive in Istanbul at 10:25am for your connecting flight TK#2510 departing at 1:10pm. Arrive in Bodrum at 2:25pm, transfer to your hotel and check in.  Transfer to the Bodrum town for your adventure through the Bodrum castle.

You will see the collections of the Museum of Underwater Archeology, located inside the castle.  The museum, the most important of its kind in the world, contains treasures from a series of historic wrecks discovered along Turkey's southern shores.  Mycenaean and Canaanite artifacts recovered from an l2th century B.C. wreck found off Cape Gelidonya (Antalya) in 1960 formed the original core of the museum.  On display in the castle's Gothic Chapel is a full-scale reconstruction of one third of an Eastern Roman wreck from the 7th century A.D.  You will also see the finds from the world's oldest known shipwreck, a 14th century B.C. vessel excavated off Uluburun (Kas).  

In the castle, you will also visit the Glasswreck Hall. During the summers of 1977 through the Institute of Nautical Archaeology (INA) with the Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology excavated a medieval shipwreck at Serce Limani, a natural harbor on the southern Turkish Coast. The ship had set sail in around 1025 A.D from the southern part of the Syrian coast, then ruled by the Fatimid Caliphs, and was carrying a variety of cargoes, including 3 tons of glass cullet in the form of raw glass and broken glassware.

In another section is the Carian Princess exhibit which evokes the last days of the ancient greatness of Halicarnassus, the capital city of Caria and the site on which today's Bodrum stands. It is a reminder of the Hecatomnid dynasty that ruled Caria from 392 B.C. until the city fell to the Macedonian armies of Alexander the Great, a disaster from which it never recovered.

At the end of your experience, return to your hotel and relax.

Dinner is suggested at the restaurant in your hotel.

Overnight in Bodrum

After your breakfast at 9:00am, depart your hotel for your private full-day gulet voyage.

Transfer to Bodrum Harbor to embark your gulet. Board your privately chartered Gulet, a typical wooden sailing yacht from the region.  The gulet will cruise and anchor in secluded bays where you can enjoy swimming or snorkeling in the crystal waters of the Aegean Sea.  Your chef will prepare a fresh gourmet lunch to enjoy on the stern deck of the gulet, with chilled wine, beer or soft drinks.  There is plenty of space on the yacht to enjoy both sunbathing and relaxing in the shade.

Stay in the town and explore the shop, boutiques, cafes and souvenir shops.

Dinner is suggested at Kocadon Restaurant located in the beautiful Bodrum town serving fresh seafood in a lovely garden setting.

Overnight in Bodrum

Today enjoy your day at leisure at the resort.

You can relax on the beach, enjoy the SPA or explore Bodrum town on your own.

Dinner suggested at Macakizi hotel restaurant with excellent Mediterranean cuisine.

Overnight in Bodrum

Enjoy your day at leisure.

You can relax on the beach, enjoy the SPA or explore Bodrum town on your own.

Dinner suggested at the Palmarina in Yalikavak where you can choose the restaurant you would like to enjoy.

Overnight in Bodrum

After breakfast, at 9:00am, you will meet your professional guide at the hotel lobby and drive approximately 2 ½  hours to the ancient site of Ephesus.

Lunch is suggested at Selcuk Koftecisi where you can enjoy the local meatballs and a fresh salad.

After your lunch, visit Ephesus, famous throughout the ancient world for its Temple of Artemis.  You will first visit Odeon Theatre where the state affairs used to be held. Then, view the Hadrian Temple, It was dedicated in 118 AD to Hadrian, Artemis, and the people of Ephesus but greatly reconstructed in the 4th century. This impressive Corinthian style temple has beautiful reliefs on the porch.  According to the belief of Ephesians, the Medusa head on the porch, would protect the city from its enemies.

Next, you will be escorted by an archeologist that worked in the newly excavated spectacular Terrace Houses (Villas) located on top of the hill within the City of Ephesus. These were inhabited by wealthy Ephesians, and are finely decorated with mosaics and frescos. The Terrace Houses were brought to light in excavations carried out since the 1980s. Along with those in Pompeii, they constitute some of the most vivid examples of Roman domestic architecture to survive to the present.

Proceed to Celsus Library, The library is the best preserved  structure of its kind. The inscription on the side of the building’s front staircase says that the library was build by Julius, in his father’s honour, after his death. His father, Celsus was the Roman governor of Asia Minor early in the 2nd century AD.

The Great Theatre, dates back to the Hellenistic period. In the 1st century AD it was succesfully reconstructed, expanded by the Romans until it reached the seating capacity of 25,000. This is also the place where St.Paul preached.  Marble Road, runs between the Library of Celsus and the theater and is a part of the sacred  walk way.  

Dinner recommended at Yengec Restaurant located on Izmir’s bustling kordon serving fresh seafood.

Overnight in Izmir

After your breakfast, depart your hotel at 7:30am and transfer to Izmir Airport for your flight TK#2311 departing Izmir at 9:00am. Arrive in Istanbul at 10:05am. You will have a short walk to the international airport for your departing international flight. You will have our VIP Airport Service to expedite international airport formalities.  (Domestic flight to be determined according to your international flight.)