Explore the Wonders of Turkey

September 9 - September 19 2011
$2,550*
Start with our Greece Island Hopping Trip and have the perfect beginning to a perfect vacation!

Ancient ruins, bustling bazaars, beautiful mosques, breathtaking scenery and much much more await you on this fabulous guided tour through Western Turkey. With highlights such as Istanbul, Cappadociaand Ephesus, this is a perfect singles trip for history buffs, shoppers or anyone who loves to travel.

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Explore The Wonders of Turkey Itinerary

Day 1, Friday - Depart Home

Your vacation begins when you board your overnight flight to Istanbul. Plan your flight to arrive on Friday. Arrive early and take advantage of our hotel's great location

Day 2, Saturday - Arrive Istanbul, Turkey

Welcome to Turkey! Our journey begins in Istanbul, the only city in the world situated on two continents. Byzantium, Constantinople, Istanbul - its three names span more than 2600 years, nearly 1600 of them as the capital of two of the greatest empires the world has known, Byzantine and Ottoman.

Upon arrival at the airport, take the shuttle to our hotel. Take a stroll or relax before meeting your guide tonight at 7:00pm for a meet and greet and optional dinner.

Day 3, Sunday - Istanbul Day Tour

Our day begins with the Topkapi Palace, the main residence of the Ottoman Sultans, with its jeweled treasury and elegant courts. After a lunch break, we visit the main sights around Sultanahmet Square, including the famous Hagia Sophia, once the largest church in the world and decorated with 6th century golden mosaics. Next we visit the Blue Mosque, designed with 6 minarets and a blue tiled interior. Walk through the site of the ancient Hippodrome, once the sporting ground of chariots and political riots, and see the Egyptian Obelisk, Serpentine Column and Fountain of Wilhelm II. Finally, free time to haggle with the local merchants in the Grand Bazaar with its 3500 shops.

Enjoy our Welcome Dinner at a local Turkish restaurant

Day 4, Monday -  Istanbul / Ankara / Cappadocia

After breakfast we transfer to the airport for our flight to Ankara. Upon arrival our guided tour begins. Visit the Temple of Augustus, Ataturk's Mausoleum, the eternal resting place of Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic. The Mausoleum is adorned with statues, relief's and embellishments created by many of Turkey's artists.

The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, a unique museum in a restored 15th century AD caravansary, gives a solid education in the history of Anatolian kingdom from the Paleolithic to the Classical era.

In the afternoon we drive to Cappadocia.  The ancient name of the area in the central part of the country was probably derived from the name given by the Persians, Kappa Tuka or Katpa Toka, which meant the land of the beautiful horses. Following the eruptions of 3916 m. high Mount Erciyes near Kayseri, 3268 m. high Mount Hasan and 2963 m. high Mount Melendiz near Aksaray, over 30 million years ago, their volcanic ash consolidated into a soft porous rock called tufa, that covered an area of almost 4000 square km. The soft tufa eroded during millennia of wind, rain and snow, but where it was protected by a harder block of basalt stone above the result was the curiously shaped cones, or fairy chimneys, seen today. They are called ‘fairy’ partly because of their unreal appearance, but also because local folklore talks of men being carried off by fairies after venturing into these formations.

Day 5, Tuesday -  Cappadocia

Full day tour of Cappadocia to see the surreal landscapes of volcanic ash, formed 3 million years ago, spectacular red rock cones, troglodyte churches and homes dating from 4000 BC. Visit Uchisar, Goreme, and Zelve, then Avanos, to visit one of its famous, pottery workshops.

Explore the caves in the cliffs to see Byzantine frescoes decorating early Christian churches. Among them are frescoes of St. Helene, who discovered the true cross at Jerusalem and of saints slaying the dragon, symbol of ancient religion.

Day 6, Wednesday - Konya / Antalya

After breakfast we depart for Konya. In the days of the Roman Empire, Konya was called Iconium, "the city of icons". Konya has become a place of pilgrimage for Moslems because the leader of the Mevlevis, the Whirling Dervishes, is buried there.

Our tour includes a visit to Catal Huyuk, one of the world's first towns, built about 6,500 BC and had a population of about 6,000. Stop at the Ince Minare Medrese (Seminary of the Slender Minaret) an impressive Seljuk Turkish architectural masterpiece. Visit the Selcuk’s Caravansary, a safe place for travelers to rest as well as a marketplace on the fabled Silk Route. Visit the Museum of Mevlana, also known as the Green Mausoleum or Green Dome, the original lodge of the Mevlevi Whirling Dervishes.

Later in the day we drive to Antalya and check in to our hotel.

Antalya is Turkey's main vacation resort in the Mediterranean region, formerly known as ancient Pamphylia Antalya is an attractive city with shady palm-lined boulevards and a prize-winning marina on the Mediterranean. In the picturesque old quarter, Kaleici, you can walk narrow winding streets and see old wooden houses abut the ancient city walls.

Day 7, Thursday -  Antalya / Perge / Kas

After breakfast visit Antalya Archaeology Museum, one of Turkey's largest museums, including 13 exhibition halls and an open air gallery.

Then it is on to the Greek and Roman ruins of Perge, located 9 miles east of Antalya. Perge boasts extensively early Hellenistic ruins including a well preserved Stadium, and Aspendos, the best preserved Roman theatre in the world, built in the 2nd century AD.

Drive to Kas and visit Church of St. Nicholas, the birthplace of Father Christmas. Then visit the Lycian tombs in Myra, an old Roman city where tombs were carved out of the rocks in the shape of houses.   

Dinner and overnight at hotel in Kas.

Day 8, Friday - Kas/Kekova

After breakfast we take a short cruise by glass bottom boat to the ruins at Kekova, the Sunken City in Kekova Bay.  The Sunken City refers to a residential area that eventually became submerged in the sea as a result of a string of devastating earthquakes during the 2nd Century.

The Glass-bottom boat allows us to see fleeting details of buried artifacts, but the most impressive relics are the city walls and private homes visible just beneath the waterline. Swimming and snorkeling are prohibited here to preserve the location against random disappearances of archaeological findings, but there will be time for swimming and snorkeling during the day. 
Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Kas.

Day 9, Saturday -   Pamukkale

After breakfast depart for Pamukkale, Turkey's foremost mineral-bath spa. Hot calcium-laden waters spring from the earth and cascade over a cliff, as the waters cool they form dramatic travertines of hard, brilliantly white calcium that form pools.

Our first stop is the ancient city of Hierapolis, whose name means "sacred city," and believed by the ancients to have been founded by the god Apollo. Today, Hierapolis is a World Heritage Site with interesting Classical ruins, a thermal Sacred Pool in which you can swim with ancient artifacts, a view of the spectacular white terraces of Pamukkale, and a good museum.

Then we check in to one of the Thermal Hotels in Pamukkale. Have dinner, go for a swim, have a mud bath...

Day 10, Saturday - Ephesus/Istanbul 

Today we drive to the ancient city of Ephesus, the best preserved classical city of the Eastern Mediterranean.  Once an ancient Greek city, it was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League and it was for many years the second largest city of the Roman Empire; ranking behind Rome. Ephesus had a population of more than 250,000 in the 1st century BC, which also made it the second largest city in the world.

The city was famed for the Temple of Artemis (completed around 550 BC), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Impressive structures we will see include the Library of Celsus, Temple of Hadrian, Theatre and Odeon. We also visit the House of the Virgin Mary.

We take a night flight to Istanbul, check into our hotel and then relax over our farewell dinner. 

Day 11, Sunday - Depart Istanbul

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight home. Say goodbye to all your new friends as it is the end of another great singles vacation.

Explore The Wonders of Turkey Tour  September 9 - September 19, 2011 / 11 Days - 10 Nights $2,550* Singles Trip Includes * Air Flights within Turkey * 10 Nights Lodging * 8 Breakfasts, 7 Lunches, 6 Dinners * All Tours and Admissions stated in itinerary * Airport / Hotel transfers on tour dates only * Air-conditioned private transportation * English Speaking Guide/Host * All Taxes and Surcharges *The price per person is for a double room. Free roommate matching is available so there is never a need to pay a "single supplement".  If you wish to room alone the cost is an additional $980 Does Not Include * International Airfare * Tips ($10 per day - collected tour day 1) Istanbul Only - $795 Day 1 Arrive Istanbul  Day 2 - Same tour as Day 3 (on full tour) above Day 3 - Two continents tour, Spice Bazaar, Bosphorus trip by boat with lunch and drive to highest point of Istanbul, Camlica Hill on Asia Minor via the suspension bridge Day 4 - Depart for Home Includes * 3 Nights Lodging * 3 Breakfasts, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner * Airport / Hotel transfers on tour dates only * Air-conditioned private transportation * English Speaking Guide/Host * All Taxes and Surcharges The price per person is for a double room. Free roommate matching is available so there is never a need to pay a "single supplement".  If you wish to room alone the cost is an additional $200

Deposit - $400 Balance Due July 20, 2011          Istanbul Deposit - $200 Balance Due July 20, 2011