DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY
Day 1 :
In Transit from North America
Air Program travelers will depart their gateway city for Istanbul, Turkey. The AHI Travel Group Air Program offers advanced seat assignments on most airlines; an air price guarantee that includes all fuel surcharges and airport and airline taxes; arrival and departure transfers, including baggage handling; and many other benefits.
Meals—Appropriate in-flight meal service
Day 2 :
Istanbul, Turkey
Arrive at Istanbul Ataturk International Airport. After passing through immigration and customs, Group Air Program passengers will be met by an AHI Travel representative in the arrivals hall. Independent Air Program passengers who are able to join the group transfer and Land Program passengers who have purchased an AHI transfer should proceed to the group flight arrivals hall to meet the AHI representative.
Transfer to the Legacy Ottoman Hotel, located in the heart of Istanbul’s Old Town within walking distance of many of the city’s most cherished sites.
After checking in, your luggage will be delivered directly to your room. Your AHI Travel Director will be with you throughout your journey to handle all program logistics and will be available daily to assist with sightseeing arrangements, dinner reservations, shopping suggestions and any other assistance you may require.
Join your fellow travelers for a festive Welcome Reception and Dinner at the hotel this evening. Accommodations—Legacy Ottoman Hotel
Meals—Appropriate In-Flight Meal Service and Dinner
Day 3 :
Istanbul
Excursion: Istanbul City Tour
Explore Istanbul, the 2010 European Capital of Culture. The jewels of Istanbul’s Old Town have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Begin in the heart of Old Town, the center of Byzantine secular life, Hippodrome Square, originally constructed in 203 B.C. by Roman Emperor Septimus Severus, and vastly enlarged Emperor Constantine. See several ancient monuments, including the Egyptian Obelisk and the Column of Constantine. Visit the 17th century Sultanahmet Mosque, its six minarets providing Istanbul’s most famous silhouette, better known by the nickname inspired by the thousands of glazed Iznik tiles lining its balcony and walls, the Blue Mosque. Next, experience the magnificent Hagia Sofia. Built by Byzantine Emperor Justinian in the seventh century, this magnificent edifice, large enough to house Paris’ Notre-Dame Cathedral under its dome, served for centuries as the patriarchal church of Constantinople. Converted by the Ottomans to a mosque in the 15th century, Hagia Sofia now stands as Istanbul’s most important museum.
Excursion: Bosphorus Cruise by Private Boat
Begin today with a visit to the beautiful 19th century Beylerbeyi Palace. Made entirely of marble, and renowned for its art, porcelains and Oriental and European furniture, Beylerbeyi served as the sultan’s summer palace. After lunch served in a local restaurant, board a private yacht to cruise the Bosporus, the historic strait that separates Europe and Asia and connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara.
Accommodations—Legacy Ottoman Hotel
Meals—Breakfast
Day 4 :
Istanbul
Excursion: Beylerbeyi Palace
Visit Beylerbeyi Palace, considered to be one of the most beautiful palaces built in the 19th century, situated on the Asian shores of the Bosphorus. The palace is made entirely of marble and served as the sultan’s summer home. Marvel at its collection of priceless works of art, including rare pieces of porcelain and impressive examples of European and Oriental furniture.
Local Flavor: Sample local specialties during lunch at a restaurant.
Excursion: Topkapi Palace
Discover Topkapi Palace, for four centuries the home to the Ottoman Sultans. The Palace’s Imperial Treasury houses a stunning collection of jewels and precious stones, including the 86-carat Spoonmaker’s Diamond and the jewel-encrusted Topkapi Dagger. The Holy Relics exhibit contains numerous treasures of Islamic history.
Dinner is at leisure for you to explore the restaurants and cuisine of Istanbul on your own.
Accommodations—Legacy Ottoman Hotel
Meals—Breakfast and Lunch
Day 5 :
Istanbul/Cappadocia
This morning, we depart Istanbul to experience the astonishing jewel of central Anatolia, Cappadocia. Its surreal landscape was destined millions of years ago when volcanic eruptions smothered hundreds of square miles with lava. Over time, rain and wind reshaped the rock, creating a bewitching landscape of deep valleys, pyramids, towers of stone columns and bizarre conical rock formations. Most amazingly, the local population carved homes, churches and chapels adorned with exquisite frescoes, monasteries—indeed entire troglodyte cities—into the rock.
Excursion: The Underground City of Kaymakli
This afternoon, we will visit one of the largest of the underground cities, Kaymakli, stretching over 1.5 square miles, and once the home to over 3,000 people.
Local Flavor: En route to Kaymakli, enjoy lunch in an Anatolian restaurant.
Excursion: Pigeon Valley and Estenepe Panorama
While enjoying the magnificent views, learn how pigeons have for centuries served the local population, acting as couriers and fertilizing the vineyards. From the Estenepe Panorama, look down upon the moonlike landscape of the Göreme Valley, with its cave houses, bizarre rock formations and dramatic rock spires that are often described as fairy chimneys.
Check in at the Peri Tower Hotel in Nevsehir. This evening, dinner is served at the hotel.
Accommodations—Peri Tower Hotel
Meals—Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6 :
Cappadocia
Excursion: Ihlara Gorge and Cappadocia Home Visit
Discover the dramatic beauty of the Ihlara Gorge, carved into the volcanic rock by the lovely Melendiz River, where Byzantine monasteries are tucked into the folds of the zigzagging walls. Most of the rock churches along the canyon walls date from the 11th century. Local villagers cling to traditional ways; women spin wool and milk goats. Marvel at Ilhara’s many man-made and natural treasures as you stroll through the valley, accompanied by the gently bubbling river.
Local Flavor: Sample the delicious local cuisine at Ihlara’s Belisirma Restaurant. Afterward, pass through the quaint village of Selime, which served as a backdrop for the original Star Wars film.
Local Flavor: Before returning to the hotel, visit the home of a local family, learn about their lives in central Turkey, and sample the local tea and honey-drenched baklava.
Tonight, dinner is served in the hotel restaurant.
Accommodations—Peri Tower Hotel
Meals—Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 7 :
Cappadocia
Optional Excursion: Hot Air Balloon Ride over Cappadocia
Experience the beauty of Cappodocia from a gently floating hot air balloon as a new day dawns. Peacefully soar above the dramatic volcanic tuff, the fairy chimneys and the picturesque vineyards of Anatolian wine country. Revel in a bird’s-eye view of this beautiful region, and fly without the sensation of motion. Upon landing, an open-air, country-style breakfast awaits, featuring Turkey’s traditional breakfast specialties, cheeses, pastries, meats and olives.
Excursion: Göreme Open Air Museum and Mustafapasa Village
The Göreme Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is beautifully green, but the cliffs that surround it are pocked with caves that hold Byzantine churches decorated with superb frescoes and paintings. Stroll through the Göreme Open Air Museum, a well-preserved and fascinating monastic complex of rock churches and chapels, some dating to A.D. 900. In Mustafapasa, a perfectly preserved Greek village, visit 19th-century stone houses with elaborately carved facades.
Local Flavor: Lunch is served in the renowned Old Greek House, a traditional mansion originally built in 1887.
Local Flavor: Turasan Winery Visit and Tasting
Visit this family-owned winery, most of which is located underground and carved into natural rock. The natural cellar provides perfect conditions for storing wine. Combining old vines and modern winemaking technology, the Turasan Winery produces some of this historic winemaking region’s finest wines.
Excursion: Ürgüp Ceramics Studio
Cappadocia has been renowned for its earthenware pottery since the 2nd century B.C. during the reign of the Hittites. The red, iron-bearing clay of Turkey’s longest river, The Kizilirmak, is used to create this region’s distinctive pottery. Visit a ceramics studio to learn about the traditional kick-wheel method of creating pottery and even try it for yourself.
Accommodations—Peri Tower Hotel
Meals—Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 8 :
Cappadocia/Bodrum
After breakfast, we depart from Cappadocia and begin our journey to Turkey’s Aegean coast. A one-hour flight brings us to Izmir. From Izmir, a fascinating day of historic exploration lies ahead, on our way to seaside Bodrum and The Marmara Hotel.
Local Flavor: We begin our stay in the Aegean region with lunch at the fascinating open-air Steam Locomotive Museum, one of the largest collections of its kind in Europe.
Excursion: House of the Virgin Mary
Visit the humble house believed to be the last home of the Virgin Mary in Meremana, a sacred site for both Christians and Muslims.
Excursion: Ephesus
The Greeks built the first city here in 1,000 B.C. The ruined city that we see here today, one of the greatest in the Western world, was founded in the fourth century B.C. by Alexander the Great’s successor, Lysinachus. Later, under the Romans, it became the chief Aegean port. Highlights include the Library of Celsus, the Gates of Hercules, the Temple of Hadrian, and, carved into the Mount Pion, the Theatre.
Local Flavor: Enjoy dinner at the hotel.
Accommodations—The Marmara Hotel Bodrum
Meals—Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 9 :
Bodrum
Excursion: Castle of St. Peter
Bodrum’s most distinctive landmark is the Castle of St. Peter, standing on a promontory by the harbor, built in the 15th century by the Knights of St. John as a refuge for Christians. The stones and marbles used to construct the Castle came from the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Castle later fell to the Muslims and was converted into a mosque. Today, it serves Turkey as the acclaimed Museum of Underwater Archeology, displaying an array of spectacular undersea treasures. The English Tower bulges with armor and war trophies. The Uluburun Wreck Hall contains one of the world’s oldest ships, which sank in the 14th century B.C.
Accommodations—The Marmara Hotel Bodrum
Meals—Breakfast
Day 10 :
Bodrum
Today is at leisure for your own to explore beautiful Bodrum, browse its many shops, pursue your own interests, or to simply relax amid the comfort of your hotel.
This evening, enjoy a short drive to tranquil Yalikavak, where the harbor bustles with both visiting yachts and fishing boats. Enjoy a Farewell Reception and Dinner at an open-air seaside restaurant, celebrate your exploration of Turkey, and reminisce about the many magical moments that filled your days in this extraordinary country.
Accommodations—The Marmara Hotel Bodrum
Meals—Breakfast and Dinner
Day 11 :
Bodrum/Istanbul
This morning, return to Istanbul from Bodrum Airport and check in at the Legacy Ottoman Hotel. The remainder of your day is at leisure for you to explore Istanbul’s many charms on your own. The Spice Market beckons, as does the Grand Bazaar, the Turkish Islamic Arts Museum and countless other fascinations. Your AHI Travel Director will happily assist you in facilitating your plans.
Accommodations—The Legacy Ottoman Hotel
Meals—Breakfast
Day 12 :
In Transit to North America
Following breakfast, depart for the airport for your return flights home.
Meals—Breakfast and appropriate in-flight meal service
Note: Itinerary sequence and/or scheduled events may change. Many excursions in this program involve an element of walking.
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