This 18 day tour is full of
culture & fun,
incorporating some places of
interest not usually included in
package programs.
Accommodation classes include 4
star,
Boutique and Pensions,
all with character and fine
service.
www.buzzytravel.com
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Day 1 Arrive ISTANBUL
Istanbul is the only city in the
world built on two continents.
It is a magnificent city, full
of history, beauty and a real
blend of cultures. After
transferring to the hotel and
relaxing a little, we will
wander down to the Hippodrome,
the scene of ancient chariot
races and the centre of
Byzantine civic life. We will
visit the elegant Sultanahmet
Mosque, known as the Blue Mosque
due to its magnificent interior
decoration of Iznik Tiles. After
this you will have free time to
continue walking in this lovely
area or to return to the hotel
to relax. (B)
Day 2 ISTANBUL
Today we will visit the Great
Palace of the Ottoman sultans (Topkapi
Palace). Here you will
appreciate the incredible wealth
of the Ottoman sultans when they
ruled 1/3 of the world - tour
through the many courts and
visit the fascinating Harem.
Then on to the Aya Sofia Museum,
a church built in the 4th
century with its walls decorated
with stunning byzantine mosaics.
After this, a visit to the
Underground Cistern, built in
532 a.d., introduces you to its
magical qualities. (B)
Day 3 ISTANBUL
Today we will wander through the
Egyptian Spice Bazaar. The
sights and aromas in this bazaar
are a unique sensation. We then
relax on a Bosphorous Cruise and
enjoy the magnificent buildings
and scenery on the shores of
both Europe and Asia. We also
visit the labyrinth of streets
and passages of the colourful
Grand Bazaar. You will be given
a short tour after which there
is free time to wander around
the 4000 shops if you wish. (B)
Day 4 ISTANBUL - CANAKKALE
We depart Istanbul early and
drive south to the Gallipoli
peninsula. We will have our own
guide who specialises in the
history of this area. We spend 5
hours touring the battlefields,
cemeteries and monuments of this
historic area before visiting a
museum full of battle
memorabilia. We cross the
Dardenelles strait to Canakkale
for overnight stay. (BD)
Day 5 CANAKKALE-BURSA
Depart from Canakkale and head
east to Bursa. This is a very
old and historically important
city. It was the first capital
of the Ottoman Empire and has a
special meaning to most Turks.
We will visit the beautiful
Green Mosque and Green Tomb -
the best examples of
Turkish-style architecture. We
will also visit the famous Silk
Bazaar of Bursa, the Silk cocoon
trade is a popular industry for
the local villagers. We can then
relax in the thermal waters at
the hotel.(BD)
Day 6 BURSA- ABANT LAKE
Depart Bursa for the lakeside
town of Iznik, famous for the
very ornate tiles that decorate
many of Turkey's mosques. See
tiles being produced before
heading to today's destination -
the beautiful Lake Abant, set in
lovely alpine surroundings at an
altitude of 1500 metres. This
area is a cool haven in the
summer for the locals from both
Istanbul and Ankara. Before
arriving at the hotel we will
visit the Yayla (mountain
plateau villages), where
families migrate with their
animals each summer for the high
country pastures.(BD)
Day 7 ABANT- SAFRANBOLU
Today we travel a short distance
north between Abant and
Safranbolu,taking a 'step back
in time' in this charming 'old
world' town listed by UNESCO as
an international cultural area
for its unique architecture. In
the afternoon we can wander
through the narrow, twisting
cobbled lanes amongst all the
well preserved Ottoman homes,
some of which are now boutique
hotels or cafes.(BD)
Day 8 SAFRANBOLU - ANKARA
We depart the lovely Safranbolu
and head south to Ankara, the
capital city of Turkey. It lies
in the centre of Anatolia and it
is the city of ministries,
governments, armies and
universities. After lunch we
will visit the Anatolian
Civilisations Museum, the second
most important museum in Turkey
after Topkapi Palace. This
museum houses a marvelous
collection of early Anatolian
artifacts from the Paleolithic
age to Roman works. From the
museum we will see the view
below of the city of Ankara as
well as our next destination-
the Mausoleum of Ataturk. It is
an impressive mix of modern and
ancient architecture and it
dominates the city. The museum
here holds a collection of
memorabilia and personal effects
of Ataturk recording the
important moments in his life.
(B)
Day 9 ANKARA - CAPADOCCIA
Passing south through the
Anatolian plains we head to the
well known area of Cappadocia.
The unique scenery around this
area is an unforgettable
experience. The volcanic stone
has been eroded over the years
to leave the amazing formations
that are present. The first
Christian population of Anatolia
then carved the stone to make
houses and chapels. There are
approximately 600 churches and
chapels in this area, some
adorned with meaningful frescos.
This afternoon we will visit
Uchisar, a dramatic volcanic
rock castle full of windows
providing superb views of the
valleys below.(BD)
Day 10 CAPADOCCIA
We will continue our sightseeing
in Cappadocia with a visit to
the Goreme Open Air museum where
there is a selection of the many
fine fresco decorated chapels
from the 11th and 12th
centuries. The valley here is
full of cave dwellings with tiny
openings for windows and paths
leading between them. Exploring
them is a great experience. We
also visit the beautiful valley
of the 'Fairy Chimneys', strange
cone shaped rocks formed due to
centuries of erosion. Today is a
photographer's dream day. Then
to finish we visit a carpet
weaving centre to learn a bit
about the art of Turkish hand
made carpets. This is a
fantastic day, not easily
forgotten.(BD)
Day 11 CAPADOCCIA
Another fantastic day seeing
more of the sights in this
popular part of Turkey.
Highlights of today will be
visiting an underground city
called Derinkuyu. In times of
peace the people of this area
would live and farm above,
however when they were being
invaded by enemies they would
retreat into these underground
safe havens where they could
survive for up to 6 months. The
size and complexity of these
multi-storied underground cities
is amazing. We will then travel
over to Soganli, another
interesting valley filled with
churches and monasteries. The
last stop of the day will be the
town of Avanos, famous for its
pottery making, where we visit a
workshop.(BD)
There will be an early start for
those who wish try hot air
ballooning over this magnificant
area. *[at an extra charge]*
Day 12 CAPADOCCIA - EGIRDIR
This morning we will head off
early as we will be leaving the
centre of Turkey and making our
way back towards the west coast.
On the way to Konya we will see
caravanserais used in Selcuk
times as resting places on the
13th century silk road. Lunch in
Konya for before a visit to the
Mevlana Museum to learn about
the culture of the Whirling
Dervishes. We will then continue
to the ' lakes district' of
Turkey, to Lake Egirdir where we
will spend the night.(BD)
Day 13 EGIRDIR -PAMUKKALE
Today we drive further west to
Pamukkale, one of the most
unusual yet beautiful sights in
the world. For thousands of
years volcanic spring water has
cascaded down the mountain side
to form white calcium stone
terraces. In previous years
tourists were able to walk on
the terraces and, unfortunately,
some damage was sustained.
However it is now a protected
area and returning to its former
beauty. We are going to visit an
interesting and important Roman
city called Hierapolis and swim
in a thermal pool amongst Roman
columns. We will have enough
time here in Pamukkale to
explore the terraces before
heading to our hotel with its
own thermal pool and other
facilities.(BD)
Day 14 PAMUKKALE - SELCUK
 We
continue west today until we
reach the coastline and the town
of Selcuk. Our first stop is the
last home of the Virgin Mary, a
place of great importance in
Christianity and now a place of
pilgrimage for many of the
world's Roman Catholics. We then
visit Ephesus, once the eastern
capital of the Roman Empire and
the commercial centre of the
ancient world. As you hear about
the lifestyle of the people
living here 1000's of years ago,
you will soon appreciate that
this will be one of the
highlights of your trip. We
conclude the day with a visit to
the museum, which houses many of
the findings from Ephesus. (BD)
Day 15 SELCUK - FETHIYE
This morning we will drive south
through the picturesque Taurus
Mountains until we reach the
town of Fethiye. After lunch in
the old town you will be given
free time to wander around the
quaint streets, do some shopping
or wander along the water front.
(BD)
Day 16 FETHIYE
Today we will relax on the
crystal clear Turquoise waters
of the Southern Turkish coast,
aboard a traditional wooden
boat. We will spend the day
swimming, visiting ruins or just
lying on deck relaxing whilst we
tour around the islands and
coves. It is a lovely day and a
great way to truly appreciate
this coast. (BLD)
Day 17 FETHIYE
This morning we will visit the
ruined Greek village of Kaya. We
walk through the deserted
streets and visit two old
churches before a drive through
agricultural lands to the trout
farm of Yaka Park for a
delicious lunch. We continue on
to the nearby Saklikent Gorge.
The gorge is 18 km long with
very steep walls and you will
have time to walk into the
gorge, through the icy waters
and relax in the shade that it
casts. Tonight we will enjoy
some Turkish entertainment
during dinner.(BLD)
Day 18 FETHIYE - ISTANBUL
Free time this morning to get
packed or go for a walk down at
the lovely Oludeniz lagoon.
There will be time for those who
would like to have a traditional
Turkish bath *[at an additional
cost]*. (B)
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