Best of Turkey and Greece

11 days / 10 nights

Day 1 – Thursday
Istanbul
We’ll greet you at the airport and get you to your hotel – you’ll spend the night in the city that brings together East and West, Istanbul.

Day 2 – Friday
Istanbul
There may be no city on earth quite as beautiful – join your expert guide on a tour you’ll remember always….Marvel at the jewel encrusted treasures of Topkapi, tributes paid to the sultans for safe passage east and west, the Emperor Justinian’s Hagia Sophia covered in glorious mosaics, the Blue Mosque, the Byzantine Hippodrome (the bronze snake statue was a monument set up at Plataea to celebrate the Greek victory over the Persians; it’s traveled from Persia to Greece to Rome to here…). You’ll end the day exploring the fabled Grand Bazaar – under this roof, one can find anything from linens to gold…. Later, if you choose, we offer the option of a traditional dinner accompanied by belly and folk dancing. You’re here for another sunset… (B)

Day 3 – Saturday
Gallipoli • Dardanelles • Canakkale
We’ll leave Istanbul and journey to Gallipoli, site of the tragic WWI battle and a pivotal instance in the creation of modern Turkey. You’ll walk the beach at ANZAC Cove, contemplate the cemetery at Chunuk Bair and see the conflict come to life at the Kabatepe War Museum. From here we’ll cross the Dardenelles for Canakkale and the site of a battle far in the past, Troy. We’ll have dinner and spend the night in Canakkale. (B, D)

Day 4 – Sunday
Troy • Pergamum • Izmir
Visit Troy with its famous wooden horse, best known for being the setting of the Trojan War and many cities built on top of each other. Before arriving into Asclepion, enjoy lunch with locals in a traditional local village. Then continue to Pergamum to visit the ancient Medical Centre in Asclepiuon and on to Izmir for an overnight. (B, L, D)

Day 5 – Monday
Ephesus & St Mary’s House • Izmir
Our destination is Ephesus, home to one of the wonders of the ancient world. That wonder, the temple of Artemis, is fugitive, but the site remains one of the grandest in the eastern Mediterranean – the theatre is thought to have held 24,000 citizens. We’ll travel on to the House of the Virgin Mary, long thought a place of refuge for the saint. Continue to regional rug production centre to have a firsthand experience of this unique art form. Optional dinner at a local restaurant. (B)

Day 6 – Tuesday
Ephesus • Greek Islands Cruise
After breakfast transfer to pier and embark on a cruise ship at Kusadasi for 3 days in the Greek Islands. Cruise: Louis Cruise Line (B, D)

Day 7 – Wednesday
Cruise • Rhodes
A morning arrival in Rhodes, the island of roses, you have a full day to explore on your own; you may join an optional sightseeing tour, or simply take a taxi to one of many nearby beaches for a swim in the crystal clear Aegean waters. (B, L, D)

Day 8 – Thursday
Cruise • Santorini • Heraklion
This morning’s port of call is Heraklion, Crete where you may discover the town on your own or join an Optional: excursion to the Palace of Knossos. Your next port of call is Santorini, where you are free to explore the land of the fabled Atlantis. (B, L, D)

Day 9 – Friday
Athens
After disembarking from the cruise, you are transferred to your Athens hotel. The rest of the day is yours. (B)

Day 10 – Saturday
Athens
See our Athens’ famed Acropolis with its breathtaking view and renowned Parthenon, followed by a visit to the Acropolis Museum. On your own, explore the Plaka with its open-air taverns and traditional shops. (B)

Day 11 – Sunday
Athens • Return
Relax and enjoy your breakfast, bid good bye to this wonderful city- we’ll get you to the airport in plenty of time for your flight home. (B)

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Tour Highlights

Topkapi Palace and St. Sophia Basilica
Grand Bazaar, world’s largest and oldest covered market
Anzac Cove at Gallipoli Ancient city of Troy
Ephesus and House of Virgin Mary
Acropolis with its breathtaking view in Athens Parthenon in Athens
Lunch with locals