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St Peter's Castle, Bodrum, where you embark on your "Blue voyage" yacht cruise. |
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ANTIQUE CITIES AND AZURE SEAS (15 days/14 nights, by Orion Tour)
Istanbul, Troy, Pergamon, Izmir, Ephesus, Kusadasi, Priene, Miletus, Didyma and 8-day/7-night Yacht Cruise from either Bodrum or Marmaris
ORION TOUR has designed this tour so you can experience Istanbul, explore western Turkey in depth, and enjoy a “Blue Voyage” along the Turquoise Coast by traditional wooden gulet yacht from either Bodrum or Marmaris. Deep blue waters, warm sunny days and a chance to explore the world’s greatest civilizations as well as quiet coves and verdant islets. This is truly a best-of-a-lifetime tour, the very best Turkey has to offer.
Day
1 - Istanbul
Orion Tour staff welcomes you to Turkey at Istanbul's
Atatürk
International Airport and escorts you
to your
hotel.
Day 2 – Istanbul
Following breakfast, we drive to the 'Old City'
where we will visit the Hippodrome, the Blue
Mosque, famous
for its delicate blue ceramic tiles and Saint Sophia.
This church - turned mosque - turned museum takes
the breath away with the sheer architectural size
of its
interior and magnificent dome and next we will visit
the spectacular Topkapi Palace. Built on one of the
seven hills of Istanbul, this huge complex commands
views of the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus and the
Golden Horn. It was the seat of government for the
Ottoman Empire for many centuries (1453-1852) and
we will see the extravagant Treasury and the priceless
Chinese
porcelain. (BL)
Day 3 – Istanbul
Our morning starts with a visit to the aromatic
Spice Bazaar, where the smells of cinnamon, cloves
and
thyme, rise from hundreds of colorful muslin bags
at every
store-front. We then board our ferry boat for a relaxing
cruise along the shores of the legendary Bosphorus,
the natural gateway that divides Asia and Europe.
As you sit back and enjoy Turkish coffee or well-brewed
tea from traditional small cups, numerous summer
palaces
and palatial homes will pass by on either side. Disembarking
at the northern end of the Strait, we proceed to
a restaurant for a tasty meal of local fish. Following
lunch we will travel by coach to the Suleymaniye
Mosque,
built by master architect Sinan during the reign
of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent, the Lawgiver.
The
last stop will be Grand Bazaar which is amongst attractive
shopping centers and the biggest "souk" in
the world with nearly 4000 shops of antiques, gold,
jewelry, carpets and leatherwear. (BL)
Day 4 -
Canakkale & Troy
After an early breakfast, we will begin our scenic
drive down to Gallipoli, historically famous for
being the site of many battles during WW1. Following
a lunch
break, we will cross the second strategic waterway,
the Dardanelles, and land in Asia and proceed to
Troy. Referred to in Homer's "Iliad" and "Odyssey",
Troy has in fact nine cities superimposed one upon
another. Troy Vl pertains to the famous Trojan
War of Homer where the legendary heroes included
Agamemnon,
Achilles, Ulysses and Nestor on the Greek side
and, Priam, Hector and Paris on the Trojan side.
We will
check-in our hotel in Canakkale for the evening.
(BD)
Day 5 – Izmir or Kusadasi
On our journey to Izmir we will stop by the hauntingly
beautiful Pergamon. Among the impressive structures
of this city, dating from 399 BC, we will see the
Altar of Zeus, Temples of Dionysus and Trajan and
the 200,000
volume library which was surpassed only by that found
in Alexandria at the time. The Asclepieum of Pergamon
was a famous health center where methods of treatment
included blood transfusions, music therapy and meditation.
Leaving Pergamon behind us we settle at our hotel.
(BD)
Day 6 – Kusadasi
Following an early breakfast we will proceed further
south and arrive at the ancient city of Ephesus.
Ephesus was undoubtedly one of the most important
cultural
centers of the ancient world. Impressive structures
we will see include the Library of Celsus, Temple
of Hadrian, Theatre and Odeon. We will also stop
by at
the Temple of Artemis which was one of the Seven
Wonders of the antiquity. Close by is the House of
the Virgin
Mary where she is believed to have spent her last
years. On August 18, 1961, Pope John XXll proclaimed
the House
of Virgin Mary at Ephesus to be sacred. You will
have a chance to take some of Holy Water from the
Sacred
Spring. (BD)
Day 7/Cruise Day 1- Kusadasi - Bodrum
Drive directly to Bodrum
and explore that famous Turquoise Coast resort
before boarding our yacht, or join us for an optional
tour:
Optional Tour
We may leave early for our optional tour and
journey to Priene which is an example of a truly
ancient city,
whose history dates back to the 10th century BC.
Highlights include the Temple of Athena Polias, the
Ecclesiasterium
and the Agora. We next visit Miletus where the Philosopher
Thales was born. He coined the phrase "Know
Thyself".
We will inspect the Delphinion, Baths of Faustina
and the Council Chamber. Our last visit is to Didyma
which
served as a religious sanctuary to the god Apollo.
The oracular inscriptions date as far back as 600
BC. Among the highlights are the Temple of Apollo
and the
Stadium.
We drive south to Bodrum (Halicarnassus). According to Herodotus, the city was founded by the Dorians in the 4th century BC, and contains one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the magnificent Mausoleum. A second highlight of Halicarnassus is the Crusader Castle built by the Knights of St.John, which houses a museum today. We board our yacht at Bodrum and spend the evening relaxing.
If you don't choose the optional tour, after breakfast we'll drive to Bodrum or Marmaris (as you prefer), board our yacht and enjoy a welcome cocktail. (BD) Continue your Turkish adventure with a...
(Tour code: ORNDTAC3)
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