ITINERARY
1st day: Arrival at Istanbul
Flight to Istanbul. The group is welcomed by the tour guide. Assistance at the airport. Tour through the Old Town and transfer to the hotel. Welcome cocktail and informations from the guide.
2nd day: Istanbul – Canakkale – Troja – Ayvalik
After breakfast early departure along the north coast of the Marmara Sea to the Dardanells. We cross the strait by ferry and drive to Troja. Tour through the places of excavation: city walls, Megaron, Odeion and others. Here you have the possibility for a lunch at the Tusan restaurant with a great view over the Dardanells. Then via the Idea Mountains to Ayvalik.
3rd day: Ayvalik – Pergamon – Izmir – Kusadasi
Breakfast at the hotel. Drive along the gulf of Endremit to Bergama, the ancient residence of the kings of Pergamon. During you are enjoying the great view you get some informations about the library, the Athena temple, the Trajan temple, theatre and city wall. We pass the “Red Hall” an enormous sanctum from the Latin period and come to the well-preserved Asklepion. Possibility for having a lunch. Drive to Izmir, the ancient Smyrna, and along Kordon to the fort of Kadifekale. Then via Selcuk to Kusadasi. Accommodation in Kusadasi.
4th day: Kusadasi – Ephesus – Pamukkale
After breakfast drive to Selcuk: Artemis temple and Johannes basilica with the crypt of the Evangelists. Walk through the area of excavation with Agoras, Odeion, Hadrians temple, Nymphaion, Celsus library, Paulus theatre. Then we come to Meryemana. After this drive to Pamukkale. Possibility to have a bath a the thermal fonts at the hotel. Accommodation in Pamukkale.
5th day: Pamukkale – Bursa
Breakfast at the hotel. At the ancient health resort Hierapolis can you visit the basilica, the Apollon-Tempel, the thermae and the theatre. Drive via Afyon to Kütahaya. In the afternoon we arrive at Bursa, the ancient capital of the Ottoman empire. Accommodation in Bursa.
6th day: Bursa – Nicea – Istanbul
Breakfast at the hotel. Today we will see the citadell and the mausoleums Osman and Orhangazis, Green Mosque, graves of the sultans and Ulucamii mosque. Drive to Iznik, the famous council city Nicea: Citywalls, Latin Theatre, Hagia Sophia and museum. Drive back with the ferry via the gulf of Izmit to the the Asian suburb of Istabul. Then we cross the Bosporus bridge from Asia to Europe. 2 night at the hotel in Istanbul.
7th day: Istanbul:
After breakfast at the hotel whole day tour with: Hippodrom with Obelisk, Emperor Wilhelms II font, Sultan Ahmet or Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and subterranean cistern, which is also called the sunken ship. Lunch at a very nice restaurant. In the afternoons we visit the Süleymaniye mosque and you will get a special guides tour through the Topkapi sultans palace with harems rooms. Possibility for a shopping tour at the Great Bazar.
8th day: Departure from Istanbul
After breakfast transfer to the airport. Flight back home. |
