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Here's the full itinerary for Argeus Tourism & Travel's 14-day Classic Turkey tour:

Day 1: Arrive in Istanbul (D)
An Argeus representative greets you at Istanbul's Atatürk Airport and escorts you to your hotel, the famous Blue House (Mavi Ev) in Sultanahmet. The major sights of Istanbul are literally right outside your door: the Blue Mosque, the Byzantine Hippodrome, the Basilica Cistern, Hagia Sophia, Topkapı Palace and many more. Feel free to wander and browse until dinner time.

Day 2: Istanbul (BLD)
After a buffet breakfast, we walk to the Sultanahmet (Blue) Mosque to visit this iconic house of worship, completed in 1616. We then enter the splendid realm of Topkapı Palace, one of the world's premier historical treasures, with its sumptuous pleasure kiosks, verdant gardens, mysterious Harem, and a Treasury filled with the incredible wealth of the sultans.

After lunch at a local restaurant on Divan Yolu, we follow the cobbled streets of Old Istanbul to Eminönü to visit the Rüstem Pasha Mosque, an Ottoman gem famed for its beautiful faïence (colored tiles). We continue along the Street of the Mat-Makers (Hasırcılar Caddesi), a market street lined with spice and snack shops, to the Egyptian (Spice) Bazaar where Genoese and Venetian goods were sold at a time when there was no Suez Canal, and all the spices from the East were also brought here by way of Egypt.

Dinner of Turkish cuisine is then served at one of our selected restaurants.

Day 3: Istanbul (BLD)
We walk across the street from the Blue House to visit the Byzantine Hippodrome and its most famous architectural monument, Hagia Sophia, the grandest church in Christendom for 1000 years. A few steps away, we descend into the dank, eerie depths of the Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnıçı) for a look at this strategic Byzantine water-storage facility featured in the James Bond movie, From Russia With Love.

After lunch at a local restaurant, we drive to Istanbul's ancient city walls to visit the Kariye Museum, built as the Church of the Holy Savior in Chora and noted for its splendid 13th-century Byzantine mosaics.

We then return to our hotel for a bit of rest before dinner.

Day 4: Istanbul & Kuşadası (BLD)
We start our explorations with a tour of sumptuous Dolmabahçe Palace, home to the Ottoman sultan and imperial family for decades, and the place where President Kemal Atatürk died in 1938.

We then board a ferryboat and take a leisurely Bosphorus Cruise from northward to the village of Sarıyer.

In late afternoon, we drive to the airport and fly to Izmir, then drive for about an hour through the rich countryside famous for its figs to reach Şirince, a beautiful Aegean hill village in a setting likened to Tuscany. We settle in at our hotel, La Vista, and enjoy a relaxing dinner.

Day 5: Ephesus (BLD)
We start today's explorations at the pine-shaded hilltop site proclaimed by the pope to be the House of the Virgin Mary. Then we descend to the marble streets of ancient Ephesus, the most impressive ancient city in the Mediterranean, with its marble temples, mosaic-rich houses, its noble library, 25,000-seat Great Theater, public baths and latrines, and even a brothel.

Later in the afternoon we visit St John's Basilica, believed to be built atop the tomb of the Apostle. From the basilica, we will be able to look down on the remains of the great Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. We end the day with a visit to the grand İsa Bey Mosque, just down the hill from the basilica. Then it's back to our hotel for a relaxing dinner.

Day 6: Priene, Miletus & Didyma (BLD)
We drive south to Priene, a leading member of the ancient Panionic League and the first city to plan its streets on a grid. The ancient city, backed by a dramatic mountain, overlooks the sweeping floodplain of the Meander River, on the far side of which is ancient Miletus, our next stop. We visit the gigantic theater of Miletus, then continue south to the stupendous oracular Temple of Apollo at Didyma. After lunch at a local restaurant we explore the huge marble temple, which was as important as the one at Delphi in ancient times. As the afternoon draws to a close we return to our hotel for dinner and a restful evening.

Day 7: Aphrodisias & Pamukkale (BLD)
Driving east up the fertile Meander River valley, we pass fruit orchards and cotton fields on our way to ancient Aphrodisias, the City of the Goddess of Love. This is among Turkey's best-preserved and most magnificent cities, especially as it was the home of a renowned school for sculptors. Beautiful statues and carvings abound in both the ruins and the modern museum. The great marble theater, the smaller Bouleuterion, the vast Temple of Aphrodite, the perfectly-preserved stadium, and the stupendous Tetrapylon (triumphal gate) cannot be missed.

Continuing our drive up the river valley after lunch, we reach the ancient spa city of Hierapolis, now called Pamukkale. We have time to explore the ruins, including the triumphal way, the vast necropolis, the beautifully-restored theater, the museum, the sacred pool of warm mineral water, and the natural travertine terraces of gleaming white calcium. Then we settle in for a mineral-water swim and dinner at the Richmond Thermal Hotel Pamukkale.

Day 8: Termessos & Antalya (BLD)
We drive through gorgeous mountain scenery (yayla in Turkish), descending from the Anatolian plain toward Antalya. After a lunch stop, we take a detour to the mountain fastness of Termessos, an ancient city high at the top of a steep valley. It was so remote and well-defended that Alexander the Great passed it by. The mountain panoramas are simply spectacular!

Descending to Antalya, the "capital of the Turquoise Coast," we settle in at our hotel, the Rixos Downtown Antalya perched dramatically above Konyaaltı Beach.

Day 9: Perge & Aspendos (BLD)
We drive to the eastern outskirts of Antalya to visit the impressive ruins of ancient Perge, then continue to Aspendos, with the best-preserved Hellenistic theater on the Mediterranean, still used for performances.

After lunch near the theatre, we return to Antalya to visit the excellent Antalya Museum, filled with the archeological treasures of this ancient region.

The rest of the afternoon is at leisure. Relax by the pool, stroll through Kaleiçi (Old Antalya) with its Roman harbor and nearby bazaar, or enjoy the beautiful long Konyaaltı Beach right below the hotel.

Day 10: Antalya & Konya (BLD)
In the morning we drive north into the mountains. The scenery is spectacular as we ascend from sea level to the Anatolian Plateau (elevation 1016 meters/3333 feet). We stop at the site of ancient Sagalassos, with its sacred fountains. After lnuch at the nearby town of Ağlasun, we continue to Beyşehir and the historic Eşrefoğlu Moque, one of the few wooden mosques in Turkey. From there we complete our drive to Konya, city of the Whirling Dervishes.

Arriving in Konya, we check in at the Rumi Hotel, then stroll to a local restaurant. After lunch we visit the spellbinding Mevlana Museum and the tomb of Rumi (Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi), the 13th-century mystic poet and philosopher whose life and work inspired the founding of the Mevlevi (whirling) dervish order.

After our visit we walk across the street to our hotel for dinner and a good night's rest.

Day 11: Silk Road, Ihlara & Cappadocia (BLD)
We drive east along the ancient Silk Road toward biblical Cappadocia, stopping enroute to visit the 13th-century Seljuk Turkish caravanserai called the Sultanhan.

Turning off the Silk Road, we drive along the rim of the dramatic Ihlara Valley to Belisırma (the ancient Peristrema) to a local restaurant overlooking the Melendiz Creek. After lunch, we walk along the creek into the rock-walledcanyon, visiting the many 11th- to 13th-century Byzantine rock-hewn cave churches decorated with medieval frescoes.

After our walk, we continue our drive into the moonscape of Cappadocia to Ürgüp and our comfortable cave rooms at the Yunak Evleri, where we enjoy a late supper.

Day 12: Cappadocia (BLD)
After breakfast, we plunge into the lunar landscape of Cappadocia at the Dervent Valley, then we head to Zelve Open Air Museum, which is one of the earliest inhabited and latest abandoned monastic settlements of Cappadocia. Seeing the best examples of the fairy chimneys at Paşabağ Fairy Chimneys Valley, we drive to Avanos, famous for its pottery. After lunch at a local restaurant, we tour Göreme Open Air Museum, with its dozens of beautifully painted cave churches, monasteries, refectories and other troglodyte dwellings. We end the day with the climb to the top of Uçhisar, a natural rock fortress that is the highest point in the region, offering us a breathtaking panorama of the Cappadocian moonscape. Then it's off to dinner and our comfortable cave quarters at Yunak Evleri.

Day 13: Cappadocia (BLD)
We start the day with explorations of the Soğanlı Valleys—very different from Ihlara—with their rock-hewn Byzantine churches and dovecotes above traditional Turkish villages.

We then explore the Cappadocian countryside, stopping at Taşkınpaşa to visit a Seljuk Turkish medrese (theological college) on our way to Mustafapaşa (ancient Sinasos), the seat of a modern Turkish university. Lunch today in Mustafapaşa is a real treat: a home-cooked meal in a traditional Anatolian Greek mansion.

Ready for the afternoon, we drive to the fabled Underground Cities, and enter the subterranean labyrinth of Kaymaklı that protected local people from marauding armies over the centuries. Imagine being in a huge "Swiss cheese" made of volcanic stone! Wandering through the labyrinth is an unforgettable experience.

Day 14: Flight to Istanbul (B)
We escort you to Kayseri's Erkilet Airport for your flight to Istanbul so you can catch your homeward flight.

Here are departure dates, tour fees and other details about the Classic Turkey tour.

You may wish to stay several more days in Cappadocia (optional, at extra cost), perhaps to take a hot-air balloon flight, to hike in the lovely valleys, sample ithe region's wines, or explore the local markets. If so, we can arrange additional hotel nights, a guide, car-and-driver, rental car, or any other activities you might desire. Just let us know.

If you wish, we'll be happy to arrange additional nights in Istanbul (optional, at extra cost) so you can do last-minute shopping or see even more of the imperial city, perhaps the Great Palace Mosaic Museum, or the Archeological Museums, or the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.

For more information and availability, please contact Argeus. When you do, please mention TTP. Here's why.