DAY 1 ISTANBUL
Arrive in Istanbul, and transfer to your hotel. After a short tour briefing, the rest of the day is free to rest, relax or walk around to explore the city. Welcome dinner and overnight at your Hotel ( ISTANBUL ). [ D ]
DAY 2 ISTANBUL
We spend the full day visiting the sights of Old Istanbul. We will begin at the ancient Hippodrome which was the center of the civil activities back in the Hellenistic and Roman times. At the Hippodrome the chariot and horse races and athletic runs took place for the entertainment of the people of Constantinople. We walk to the nearby Ibrahim Pasha Palace which houses the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art where we will see an impressive exhibit from the various periods of Turkish and Islamic art, ranging in date from the 7th C. to the 19th. Then we proceed to the Blue Mosque, famous for its blue tiles covering its interior walls and also for its six minarets which is a unique feature of this mosque. Nearby is Hagia Sophia Museum, the former Cathedral of Constantinople, considered as the masterpiece of the early Byzantine architecture. Hagia Sophia is renowned for its superb mosaic decoration as well as its architectural style. Back in Byzantine Empire, most emperors were crowned in this cathedral after a special ceremony. After lunch we will visit the Topkapi Palace, residence and administrative center of the Ottoman Sultans. In the grounds of the Topkapi Palace are many courtyards surrounded by old buildings each housing small museums with exhibits of jewelry, costumes, calligraphy and various objects that belonged to the Imperial treasury of the Ottoman Sultans. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel ( ISTANBUL ). [ B L D ] DAY 3 ISTANBUL TO BURSA
Drive to Bursa. This morning, after a short drive over the Bosphorus bridge, we will take the Ferry across the sea of Marmara. Enroute visit Nicaea ( modern Iznik ), where Constantine the Great summoned the first council meeting, known as the Nicean Council, to set the principles of Christianity. At Nicaea, we will visit the Constantine's palace on the lake shore where sum 318 Bishops attended the council meeting in 325. In the town center is the church of St. Sophia (Hagia Sophia) which still has beautiful mosaic decoration on the floor and some remains of frescoes on the walls. This is the Church where the seventh ecumenical council had met upon the invitation by the Byzantine empress Irene, in the year 787. We will also see the ancient roman theater, city walls and gates that still stand in almost original as they had been built. Continue to Bursa the city famous for its fine quality silk that had been produced in this area since the Byzantine times. Bursa also represents the early phase of the Ottoman architecture, as this city served as the first capital for the Ottoman Sultans. Our visits in Bursa will include the Green complex which was built by the Sultan Murat, Green Mosque, Green Tomb and Green Medrese all make up this large complex beautifully set today in a pedestrian area closed to car traffic. The name Green for this complex of buildings comes from the superb early Iznik tiles in green color. Then, we stroll through the Covered Bazaar and Silk Market where vendors sell various products from jewelry to textiles and also many traditional folk arts and local crafts. Then we wander the winding streets to see interesting old Ottoman Turkish architecture. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel ( BURSA ). [ B L D ] DAY 4 BURSA TO ANKARA
Drive to ANKARA the capital of modern Turkey. This morning, we will take a walking tour of the Cumalikizik, a nice village just outside Bursa to experience the village life in Turkey. This village has many old traditional houses back from Ottoman era and moreover it is still a living town. Enroute visit the archaeological site at Gordion, the capital of the ancient Phrygian kingdom, one of the early civilizations of Anatolia, who took over Asia Minor after the collapse of the Hittite kingdom. There we will visit the King Midas' Tomb and tiny local museum where findings from the site Gordion are exhibited. As we leave the town, you will see, up on the hillsides, tens of burial mounds built for the royal families who ruled the Phrygian kingdom. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel ( ANKARA ). [ B L D ] DAY 5 ANKARA TO AMASYA
Drive to Amasya. Sightseeing of Ankara. This morning, we will begin at the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations housed in a restored 15th century Ottoman Bedesten that was once Ankara's main covered bazaar, has one of the most extraordinary collections of antiquities in the world, ranging in time over the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Bronze Age, Assyrian, Hittite, Phrygian, Urartian and Greco-Roman periods. Later, we will visit the Ataturk's Memorial built for the founder of modern Republic of Turkey. After our departure from Ankara, we drive to Hattusas the capital of the great Hittite Kingdom that once ruled all over the Middle East area. Our guide will show us the citadel, city walls and gates and the great temple. In the same neighborhood is the mystic sanctuary with the relief of gods and kings carved onto the face of a natural rock. After lunch, we will head for the sightseeing of Amasya, once the capital of the Hellenistic kings of Pontus. You will see there, the gigantic rock tombs built into the steep cliffs. You will have time to explore the city and stroll through the streets and local bazaars. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel ( AMASYA ). [ B L D ] DAY 6 AMASYA TO TRABZON
Drive along the Black Sea coast to Trabzon. Today's drive offers beautiful scenery, as this area is considered unspoiled and as one the most beautiful areas of Turkey. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel ( TRABZON ). [ B L D ] DAY 7 TRABZON TO ERZURUM
Trabzon is an old city, with its earlier name Trebizond and ancient name Trapezous. Trabzon today is a lively city with its ancient monuments, bazaars and streets lined with shops, and colorful people. We will begin today with the church of Hagia Sophia, beautifully situated in the western suburb outside the city walls and overlooking the Black sea. Hagia Sophia is a great Byzantine monument with its architectural style and well preserved paintings and frescoes on its interior walls which present scenes from the New Testament. It was first built probably in the 4th C. On the site of a temple erected by the roman emperor Hadrian, and it was rebuilt by the Comneni dynasty in the 13th C. In the garden of the Church, there is a small collection of Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman funerary monuments and fragments of sculpture. We will return to the town center to spend the afternoon in the colorful bazaar crowded by locals where you can find almost anything such as gold, copper, silver, textiles and local products. Enroute to Erzurum, we will visit the famous Soumela Monastery with its unique setting, hanging from the face of the steep cliff. Soumela was supposedly founded first in the 4 C., and re-founded in the 14th. C, by the Comneni dynasty of the Byzantine empire. We will drive through the Pontic Mountains and Zigana pass which was the major route in ancient times between the Black sea and hinterlands as it is today. Continue to Erzurum. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel ( ERZURUM ). [ B L D ] . DAY 8 ERZURUM TO KARS
Drive to Kars. Erzurum with a population of 300,000 is the largest and most important city in Eastern Turkey. It is also one of the most popular ski centers in the country. Erzurum is an old city with origins going back to Hittite era. Erzurum has well preserved collection of monuments of the Mongol, Selcuk and Ottoman Architecture and also colorful bazaars. During our city tour of Erzurum, we will visit the Cifte Minareli Medrese (Medrese with Twin Minarets-theological school), built by the Selcuks in the 13th C. This Medrese is the largest of its kind in Anatolia and has very impressive portal gate decorated with various motifs. We will walk to the right of the Medrese to visit the Ulu Cami (Great Mosque), the oldest mosque in the city, built in the 12 C. by the Saltukid dynasty. We will return to the town center to see more famous monuments such as Yakutiye Medrese, built by the Mongol military governor in the 14th C. Yakutiye Medrese has a striking external features on its 20 foot-high-portal, with carvings of mixed motifs of plants, stars, and two lions and an eagle. We will have time to stroll in the bazaar area, where they sell jewelry mad from local Oltu stone (kind of jet stone) which the city is famous for, and you will find more traditional products like wool caps and socks, women's wool wraps and shawls. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel ( KARS ). [ B L D ]. DAY 9 KARS TO VAN
Drive to Van. Kars with its Russian imperial architecture is a charming city, it used to be one of the dustiest and dirtiest cities in Turkey, however, the recent years' work by the town municipality turned this city to one of the most desirable places of visit, with its pedestrian streets closed to car traffic. Kars is another old city whose origins go back at least to 8th C. BC. We will begin our tour in the morning, with the Kars Museum which displays exhibits a few finds from excavations of the ancient town of Ani, and some more ethnographic items. We will journey to the ruins of the Armenian Ghost town of Ani which is one of the most spectacular sites in Turkey. It is situated right on the high banks of the Arpacay stream which forms the border with Armenia. Ani was a sizable city in the medieval period, when it became the capital of the kingdom of Armenia in the 10th C. We will enter the site through the massive double walls and the Lion Gate, and take a walk around the site to see its cathedral, a dozen churches with frescoes and murals on their walls. We will leave Kars and head south. On our way, we will visit Ishak Pasha Palace, in the town of Dogubeyazit near the foot of Mount Ararat, which was built in the 18th and 19th C., by Ishak Pasha who was the local ruler in this area in Ottoman period. The palace is a large complex built on a rocky outcrop with a nice view of the surrounding area, and when it was built had probably more than 300 rooms and halls. After the palace, we will stop to photograph the great the mountain of Ararat one of the main themes in the Old Testament and today it is the highest mountain in Turkey. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel ( VAN ). [ B L D ].
DAY 10 VAN
Van is located about 3 miles east of the lake shore, however Van has its origin in Tushpa, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Urartu, Tushpa had its citadel on a rocky outcrop on the edge of lake. The Lake Van is the largest in Turkey and navigable with its depth in some parts reaching 330 feet. In the morning, we will begin our tour with the Van Museum, which houses in the ethnographic section, a nice collection of local crafts, rugs and kilims, in a separate archaeological section, findings, statues and bronze objects from the Urartian sites in the area. After a short drive along the lake we will take the boat to the tiny island of Akdamar that has on its hillside, an old 10th C. Armenian Church of the Holy Cross, built by the rulers of the Armenian kingdom of Vaspurakan. The church is renowned for its superb sculptures and carvings on its exterior walls depicting scenes from the Old Testament. In the afternoon, we will take an excursion to Cavustepe, a Urartian fortified city built on a narrow ridge overlooking the surrounding plain below, the city was built in the 8th C. BC. We will afterwards continue to the castle of Hosap which sits alone in the midst of desolate hills above a stream of the same name. The castle was probably built by several local chieftains in the 17th C, and one of the most picturesque sites in Turkey. Returning to Van, we will have time for walking in the local bazaar to look for local crafts. Dinner and overnight at your hotel ( VAN ). [ B L D ] DAY 11 VAN TO MARDIN
Drive to Mardin. Leaving Van, we drive through the mountains with elevations of over 6000 ft. Scenery along the roadside is spectacular. We will visit today, Mardin with many Arabic elements in architecture and culture. Mardin has played a significant role in early phases, in the development of Christianity and the town still contains active Syrian Orthodox churches. We will visit the Deyrulzaferan monastery, just a few miles east of town. The Monastery was the seat of the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch for more than eight centuries. The rest of the day, we will be visiting the local bazaars, streets and other attractions of the town that will give us so much chance to take great shots. Dinner and overnight at your hotel ( MARDIN ). [ B L D ]
DAY 12 MARDIN TO URFA
Drive to Urfa. Today, we head west making spontaneous stops for photography. In the afternoon, we will make an excursion to the ancient town of Harran, with its beehive-style houses which hadn't changed much since ancient times. Harran is mentioned in Genesis in the Old Testament, the patriarch Abraham was instructed by the God to move along with his family to Canaan from Ur, on his way, he dwelt here for a while. Harran is a fortified city with its defense walls going all around the town, also when it was occupied by the crusaders, they built a strong fortress which still stand there today. Harran has been an important cultural center since the early times, and is claimed to have the earliest University in the world whose ruins are still visible at the site. Dinner and overnight at your hotel ( URFA ). [ B L D ]
DAY 13 URFA
Modern Urfa (officially Sanliurfa) was ancient native Orhai before Seleucus the successor of Alexander the great changed its name to Edessa after a city in Macedonia. Urfa is full of surprises, with its Arabic culture, colorful people, old historical buildings and mosques, bazaars. Today, we will begin at the citadel of the town where a crusader fortress stands with two tall columns known to locals as the throne of Nimrod. From top of the citadel, we will have a nice panorama of the city which looks interesting with its boxy houses built of sun-dried bricks in light beige color. Returning from the citadel, we will take a walk in the beautiful flower-filled gardens along the Pools of Abraham with their maze of canals full of thousands of carp fish which are held sacred and fed by the local people. We will walk to the Cave of Abraham where, according to local legend, the prophet Abraham was born here. We will walk in the colorful bazaar of Urfa located in the old city, where vendors sell almost anything you can imagine. Particularly Gumruk Han which is a 16th C. Ottoman caravanserai is an interesting place as a social gathering place for local men who sit on low wooden chairs in a shady courtyard, chatting and enjoying their tea. The rest of the day is at leisure. Those who want to spend more time in the bazaar, they will do so as our hotel is within the walking distance from the bazaar area. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel ( URFA ). [ B L D ] DAY 14 URFA TO ADIYAMAN
Drive to Adiyaman. Early morning departure for Mount Nemrut where we will see colossal statue heads of the Gods and Antiochus around the king Antiochus' burial mound. We will leave our bus in the town, and take minivans up the mountain. It is astonishing to see a monumental burial mound built 2,000 years ago, on the summit of a mountain with an elevation of 6,000 feet. Antiochus was the king of Commagene kingdom in this area from 69 to 34 BC. And before his death he ordered this colossal burial mound which was built by the workers who carried up the hill tons of apple-sized rocks and piled them over the his grave. The king's tomb, as yet undiscovered, may lie somewhere beneath this pile. The mound has two huge terraces (east and west) connected by footpaths each holding the seated stone gods whose heads had fallen to the ground. Also, the statue heads of colossal size scatter around the terraces. On the way back from the mountain, we will stop at the Cendere bridge, over the river by the same name, one of the tributaries of Euphrates, was built by the Roman legionaries and dedicated to the emperor Septimius Severus. This almost original bridge is one of the best examples of the Roman engineering. Drive to Urfa with photo stops on a road along the Euphrates. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel ( URFA ). [ B L D ] Dinner and overnight at Hotel ( ADIYAMAN ). [ B L D ]
DAY 15 ADIYAMAN TO ANTAKYA
Drive to Antakya. Antakya was ancient Antiocheia on the Orontes or known as Antioch was founded by the Seleucus I Nicator the king of Seleucus kingdom in about 300 BC. Antioch, in the Roman ages, was one of the four largest cities in the world. In the early Christian era, Antioch was an important center, and here Christians came to be called by this name first time. During our city tour, we will visit the Antakya's Archaeological Museum which has one of the largest collections of Roman and Byzantine mosaics in the world. This museum is a testimony to Antakya's glorious past. In addition to superb mosaics, there are also fine marble sarcophagi with elaborate carvings, along with some statues and other archaeological items. Later we drive out the suburbs of the city to the Grotto of St. Peter. Saint Peter chose Antioch as the base for his first mission among the unbelievers. St. Peter's church is tucked into the face of a steep cliff. Although the facade of the present-day church comes from the 13th C., the caves behind this facade housed some of the Christianity's earliest liturgies. St. Peter's church may easily be the oldest working church in the world, as St. Peter preached here and services are still held here today. From the terrace of the church you can get a full panoramic view of the city. Excursion to Harbiye which occupies the site of Ancient Daphne where according to myth, the nymph Daphne, pursued by Apollo, was transformed into a laurel tree. Returning to the city center, we will take a walk in the old quarters for possible shopping possibilities for traditional products. Dinner and overnight at your hotel ( ANTAKYA ). [ B L D ]
DAY 16 ANTAKYA TO CAPPADOCIA
Drive north to Cappadocia. Before the main highway, near the town Dortyol was the site of famous battle of Ipsus, a critical battle which took place between Alexander the Great of Macedonia and Darius the Persian king in 333 BC. We will drive through Adana, ancient Danunas, pleasantly laid our along the banks of the Seyhan river. Enroute visit Tarsus where the apostle St. Paul was born and Antony met Cleopatra. Tarsus with its Ottoman houses, rambling streets and some ancient monuments is a charming town. Our tour in Tarsus will include the St. Paul's well, from which it is believed that St. Paul drank water. We proceed to the Roman gate known as Cleopatra's gate or St. Paul's gate, afterwards we will visit the Tarsus Museum which is housed in the Kubad Pasha Medrese, an old Ottoman bedesten from the 16th C. The museum has in its cells, many ancient artifacts, sarcophagi and coins from Assyrian, Hittite, Roman and Byzantine periods, as well as a rich ethnographical section from the Ottoman times. We will have some time in colorful bazaar area for the shopping of traditional products of Tarsus. We will drive through the Cilician gate up into the Taurus Mountains and continue to Cappadocia. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel ( CAPPADOCIA ). [ B L D ]
DAY 17 CAPPADOCIA
Morning departure for the sightseeing of CAPPADOCIA. We will spend the full day walking and driving around this fascinating volcanic area with incredible formations, a superb work by the mother nature. We will begin at the Pigeons' valley where there is a nice panoramic view of the area, stopping at the Uchisar rock castle which was built hollowed out of the rock, and used for defense purposes at the times of danger. Next, we will visit the Goreme Open Air Museum, a large open courtyard surrounded by rock churches decorated with frescoes and murals. Cappadocia became at an early time monastic center built by St. Basil who was the bishop of ancient Caesarea (modern Kayseri). We will make a stop at the Pasabagi valley with fairy chimneys which are conical formations eroded by the natural elements over the centuries. Visit local craftspeople (Rug weavers, doll makers, pottery workshops). We will visit Avanos, a town famous for its pottery, built on the banks of the Red River of Turkey which flows through the town and brings down red clay from the surrounding mountains for the potters who transform it, on kick-wheels, to beautiful pots, vases, cups, plates. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel ( CAPPADOCIA ). [ B L D ] DAY 18 CAPPADOCIA TO KONYA
Drive to Konya. We will stop at Sultanhani to visit a Caravanserai of Sultan Han, the largest and well preserved Seljuk monument built in the 13th C. Sightseeing of Konya famous for its monastery of "Whirling Dervishes" and early Selcuk-Islamic architecture. Visit Mevlana Museum which is the memorial of Mevlana the famous Turkish philosopher and the founder of the Whirling Dervish Sect. Proceed to Karatay Medrese, the Islamic theological college from Turkish-Selcuk period (13th cent.), now it houses a nice tile collection. Nearby is Ince Minare Medrese another religious school from 13th C. and now is a museum of stone works. We will have enough time to visit the bazaars of Konya where vendors sell various hand-crafted items. Dinner and overnight at your hotel ( KONYA ). [ B L D ]
DAY 19 KONYA TO ANTALYA
Drive to Antalya. Drive through the Taurus Mountains down to Mediterranean coast. We will make photography stops and visit some sites. Dinner and overnight at your hotel ( ANTALYA ). [ B L D ] DAY 20 ANTALYA
Day long excursion to the ancient Greco-Roman sites of the Pamphylia region. We will begin with Perge which is one of the best examples of a complete Roman city. We will take a walk along the main streets and view the well-preserved ancient structures, stadium, agora, Hellenistic towers, roman gate and baths, city walls. Perge was one of the cities that was visited by St. Paul during his missionary journeys. After leaving Perge, we head for the ancient city of Aspendus which has undoubtedly the most perfectly preserved Roman theater in existence. The theater located at the foot of the acropolis was built in the 2nd century by the emperor Marcus Aurelius. Aspendus has also very well preserved aqueducts from Roman times standing to its almost full height. Continue to Side, the great ancient city and also a popular resort town right on the Mediterranean. We will tour the small local museum of Side that houses a fine collection of statues, sarcophagi, architectural sculpture and inscriptions. Right across the street from the Museum is another well preserved Roman theater that offers a magnificent view toward the Mediterranean from the top of the seats. We will walk down the shop-lined street to the site of the twin temples of Apollo and Athena with beautiful setting on the seaside. We head back for Antalya, if time permits, we visit Antalya Archaeological Museum with fine sculptures, sarcophagi and findings from around Pamphylia region. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel ( ANTALYA ). ( B L D )
DAY 21 ANTALYA TO PAMUKKALE
This morning, we drive back into Taurus Mountains, with spontaneous stops to photograph Nomads in and around their goat-hair tents. Early afternoon arrival at our hotel, and have time to use natural geothermal pools. We will tour the calcified pools of Pamukkale and the ancient ruins of Hierapolis. Most of the cliffs formed by the geothermal waters are as white as the cotton that gives Pamukkale its name, which in Turkish means "Cotton Castle". The ancient city Hierapolis whose ruins are scattered above the calcium pools, is another well preserved site in Turkey. It has been a popular spa center since the Hellenistic and Roman ages. The view from the ancient theater towards the valley is spectacular. According to tradition, St. Philip, one of the twelve apostles was martyred here at this city, and a monumental martyrdom built for him is there. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel ( PAMUKKALE ). [ B L D ]
DAY 22 PAMUKKALE TO KUSADASI
Today we will journey to the Aegean coast of Turkey. Enroute, visit the ancient city of Aphrodisias perfectly preserved Carian and Roman city. Aphrodisias is a rare city built of entire marble, because the marble quarries are so rich in this area. Aphrodisias had also produced the finest sculpture in ancient times, because of the high quality marble that was quarried from the surrounding mountains. The excavation of the site was conducted by the archaeologist Kenan Erim who was a Turkish professor from New York University and sponsored by the National Geographic Society. The rest of the day, we drive through fig and olive orchards to our hotel on the Aegean cost. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel ( KUSADASI ).[ B L D ]
DAY 23 KUSADASI
Full day sightseeing of well preserved sites of Ephesus. We begin with Ephesus, the great city and metropolitan center of the Antiquity, whose extensive ruins are among the best preserved in the world. As we walk down the main street of Ephesus, we will visualize its ancient life and buildings. Then we drive up to the Virgin Mary's House claimed to be the true place where Mother Mary spent her last years before she had died in this area. This is one the most important pilgrimage shrines in the world. Up on the hill above the town Selcuk, we will visit the Basilica of St. John built for the apostle author of the book of revelations. Looking at the size of this church, we can easily say that it was one the largest churches in its time. Returning to the town Selcuk, we will visit the local Ephesus Museum with a nice exhibit of the objects such as statues, sarcophagi, busts, inscriptions, found during the excavations at Ephesus. If time permits we will drive up to Sirince a traditional village situated on a hill top. The village people still produce embroidery and lace work and also a good place to taste some local Turkish wine. Dinner and overnight at your hotel ( KUSADASI ). [ B L D ] DAY 24 KUSADASI TO CANAKKALE
Drive to CANAKKALE. Enroute visit Pergamum, the capital of Pergamum Kingdom and a great Hellenistic city with superb setting on the top of the mountain that rises above the surrounding plain. We will walk around the well preserved ruins of Pergamum. The view from top of the Acropolis toward the Aegean Sea is spectacular. We will stop at Asclepieum, the famous ancient medical center where Galen, the famous physician of the ancient world, practiced medicine. Drive on to Troy, the fabled city of the book "Iliad" written by Homer and the site of the Trojan War between Achaeans and Trojans. We will begin our walking tour near the replica of the Trojan horse and walk around the ancient city, and observe the fortification walls, temples, palaces, theater and megaron style houses. Have time to have your photos taken on the Trojan horse. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel. ( CANAKKALE ). [ B L D ]
DAY 25 CANAKKALE TO ISTANBUL
Early morning departure for the ferry to take us across the strait of Dardanelles, to Thrace which is the European part of Turkey. Apart from the Bosphorus strait in Istanbul, Dardanelles (or Hellespont) separates the continents of Europe and Asia, it was one of the most important water ways in the ancient ages, as it is today. We will make a brief stop at the Gallipoli war memorials and cemeteries. Gallipoli was the battlefield where the most crucial battle took place between the Ottoman army and the combined army of British and the Anzac forces. Drive along the coast of the Sea of Marmara back to Istanbul. Early afternoon arrival in Istanbul, the rest of the day is on your leisure to browse the bazaar area or other interesting parts of the city. Dinner and overnight at your hotel ( ISTANBUL ). [ B L ]
DAY 26 ISTANBUL
This morning, we will cruise up the Bosphorus with private boat, sit on the deck and enjoy the nice traditional water-front houses built by the Ottomans in the last or in the turn of this century. We will disembark near the Spice bazaar, and have free time for shopping in the Spice Market where you will find hundreds of spices and herbs. Spice market was built by the Ottomans in the 16th C., and has been used as the main market of spices and herbs since then. We head for the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul, where will have time for shopping. In the grand bazaar which is an old ottoman bedesten built in the 15th. C., and said to have about 3,500 shops under its roof, you will find almost anything from souvenirs to jewelry, from textiles to Turkish ethnographic items. Rest of the afternoon is at leisure, you may want to stay in the grand bazaar or stroll through the streets. Overnight at your hotel ( ISTANBUL ). [ B L ] DAY 27 ISTANBUL
The day at leisure. Special farewell dinner with Turkish specialties. Overnight at your hotel ( ISTANBUL ). [ B L D ]
DAY 28 TRANSFER TO AIRPORT
Check-out and transfer to the airport for your morning flight back home. [ B ]
[ B ] : Breakfast
[ L ] : Lunch
[ D ] : Dinner |
