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Here's the perfect tour &
cruise for
a first-time trip to Turkey:
Istanbul, Cappadocia,
the ancient cities of Ephesus, Aphrodisias, Didyma, Miletus, Priene,
Pamukkale,
Hierapolis, Bodrum,
and a 4-day Blue
Voyage yacht cruise on a Turkish gulet,
all in 14 days.
Called Highlights of Turkey,
the
tour is operated by Argeus
Tourism & Travel, one
of my favorite travel agencies
in Turkey. It hits all of Turkey's
top sights, and also gives
you the relaxing pleasure of a Blue
Voyage yacht cruise along
Turkey's spectacular Mediterranean
coast.
The touring party is limited
to 10 travelers—more
like a group of friends than
a "tour group:" enough fellow travel
enthusiasts to promote camaraderie,
not enough to bog you down.
Argeus's tours offer excellent
value for money, but to
realize this you need to know how
to judge tours. Please read
this.
The tour's two departure
dates in 2012 are
on Saturdays:
—Saturday, May 19th (a
national
holiday in Turkey)
—Saturday, September 8th
(Departures on other dates are possible;
rates vary depending on the number
of persons in the group)
May and September are two
of the best months to
travel in Turkey. The tour fee is about
US$331 per
person, per day, virtually all meals
included, a very reasonable rate for
what you get. (See
below for details.)
Here's a short version of
the tour itinerary (click
here for the full
itinerary):
Day 1: Welcome to Istanbul (D)
Argeus representatives
greet you at Istanbul's Atatürk
Airport and escort you to the Germir
Palas Hotel near Taksim
Square.
Day 2: Byzantine Istanbul (BLD)
Byzantine
Hippodrome, Hagia
Sophia, Kariye
Museum (Chora
Church).
Day 3: Ottoman Istanbul (BLD)
Blue
Mosque, Topkapı
Palace and its Harem, Rüstem
Pasha Mosque, Egyptian
(Spice) Bazaar, Grand
Bazaar.
Day 4: The Bosphorus & Cappadocia (BLD)
Dolmabahçe
Palace, then a Bosphorus
cruise to Sarıyer; flight
to Kayseri,
transfer to Uçhisar
and the Argos
in Cappadocia hotel.
Day 5: Cappadocia "Moonscape" (BLD)
Dervent
Valley, Zelve
Open Air Museum, Paşabağ
Fairy Chimneys Valley, Avanos, Göreme
Open Air Museum, Uçhisar
Castle.
Day 6: Cappadocia Off the
Beaten Track (BLD)
Soğanlı
Valleys, Taşkınpaşa, Mustafapaşa, Underground
City of Kaymaklı.
Day 7: Silk
Road, Konya &
Pamukkale (BLD)
Silk
Road, Sultanhan
Caravanserai, Konya, Mevlana
Museum, Pamukkale and Richmond
Thermal Hotel Pamukkale.
Day 8: Pamukkale, Bodrum & Blue
Voyage (BLD)
Hierapolis, travertine
terraces of Pamukkale, Aphrodisias, Bodrum,
board your gulet yacht for
a Blue
Voyage along the Aegean
coast.
Day 9:Blue
Voyage to Knidos (BLD)
Knidos,
Mersincik.
Day 10: Blue
Voyage to Kisebükü
Bay & Çökertme (BLD)
Kisebükü Bay to Çökertme.
Day 11: Blue
Voyage to Orak
Island & Çiftlik (BLD)
Orak Island, Çiftlik, return
to Bodrum.
Day 12: Didyma, Miletus, Priene & Kuşadası (BLD)
Disembark from the gulet, Didyma and Temple
of Apollo, Miletus and
its Roman
theater, Priene, Kuşadası and Charisma
De Luxe hotel.
Day 13: Ephesus (BLD)
Virgin
Mary's House, city
of Ephesus, St
John Basilica in Selçuk, Temple
of Artemis, Isa
Bey Mosque.
Day 14: Your Next Destination (B)
You are escorted to Izmir's Adnan
Menderes Airport for your
flight.
Here's
the full, detailed itinerary.
Tour Details:
—Minimum 4, maximum 10 persons
on guaranteed departure dates (if you
get together minimum four travelers,
you can make your own group and depart
on any date you want)
—Tour fee: US$4640 per person
double occupancy (single supplement:
US$1000) (contact
Argeus for fees for
other dates)
—Infants 0-2 years free; children
2-12 years 50% discount; student (13
to 17 years) discount 10%
Your Tour Includes:
—Accommodation as described
in the tour itinerary
—Most meals, as shown in the
tour description (B= buffet breakfast;
L = lunch; D = dinner)
—Transportation within Turkey,
including flights (but international
transport to Turkey is NOT included),
and ground transport in a luxury air-conditioned
minivan
—4-day private cruise along the Turquoise
coast in an air-conditioned gulet yacht
—Licensed professional multilingual
guide
—All admission fees to museums
and sights
—All taxes
Your Tour Does NOT Include:
—International airfares (ie,
to/from Turkey)
—Visa
fee on arrival in Turkey (details)
—Personal travel insurance
—Drinks
—Gratuities (tips), which are
customary, but voluntary at your discretion
If you wish, we'll be happy to arrange
additional nights at a hotel 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.
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