Day 1 ~ Depart United States on overnight flight to Istanbul.  

 

Day 2 ~ Trabzon
Arrive in Istanbul and transfer to your domestic flight to Trabzon where you will spend the night.

 

Day 3 ~ Trabzon
This city has been an important crossroads since the Roman Times when it was named Trebizonde. We will visit the St. Sophia Museum before driving to the famous 500 AD Greek Orthodox Sumela Monastery. Carved on the face of a cliff over 1000 feet high, it is a monument to splendid isolation where the monks could retreat and avoid the worldly temptations.  

 

Day 4 ~ Artvin
Today we enter the “tea country” for which the Black Sea is famous. Driving along the shore you will notice the heavy growth of tea bushes. The fun-loving people of this region, called the Laz, differ from others in their joyful way of embracing life and bright colorful dress. Next we will drive via the Coruh River and its beautiful gorge towards the Pontic Mountains and Artvin. The high mountain plateau was at different times in history the site of Georgian and Armenian kingdoms. 

 

Day 5 ~ Erzurum
This morning we will travel through the Georgian Valley and along the Coruh River, famous for white water rafting, to Erzurum, the largest city on the high plateau of Eastern Turkey. We will visit some of the Georgian churches, including a very special one in the village of Ishan. In Erzurum there are excellent remains from the many civilizations that survived here, including Byzantine, Mongol, Selcuk, and Ottoman. Erzurum has one of the best and most challenging ski runs in Turkiye, and is well-known for its jewelry and leatherwork.

Day 6 ~ Van
Today we will proceed tothe impressive palace of Ishak Pasha, a fairy-like structure of mixed architecture, before continuing south for a breathtaking view of Mt. Ararat, and its snow covered peak.  According to legend, Noah’s Ark “landed” here. After a refreshing stop at the waterfall of Muradiye, we reach Van and its great lake.

 

Day 7 ~ Van
This city, capital of the ancient Urartian Kingdom, has many interesting sights. We will visit Cavustepe and its temple from 700 BC; the Hosap Castle; the Archeological Museum; and the Van Castle, located beside the lake. A short boat ride will take us to Akdamar Island and its beautiful 10th Century Church.  

Day 8 ~ Diyarbakir
Driving west to Nemrut Mountain,  we will see the great volcano and mythical “Garden of Eden” before continuing on to Diyarbakir , a traditional  city with an interesting mixture of Arabic and Ottoman architecture. The city wall is reminiscent of China’s great wall and is very well preserved.  

Day 9 ~ Adiyaman
Today we will stop at the Ataturk Dam on the Euphrates River, one of the world’s largest irrigation projects, before visiting the Commagene Nemrut, a peak rising to a height of 7000 feet. The archeological site was constructed by the pre-Roman King Antiochus I, who thought himself related to the gods.  

Day 10 ~ Cappadocia
Our journey today takes us west to Kayseri, heart of ancient Hittite country, later named Caesarea  by the Romans and made famous as the birthplace of Basil the Great. Today the town is an important textile center and a gateway to  Cappadocia, the very center of Turkey where remnants of ancient cultures and the moonlike landscape created by volcanic eruptions form a unique combination.  

Day 11 ~ Cappadocia
The special composition of the rock in this fascinating area allowed the carving of underground cities where thousands of people lived. We will visit one of these underground cities and the Byzantine cave churches here, as well as Pasabagi with its unique “fairy chimneys”. According to legend, these odd-shaped rocks housed fairies that were capable of casting spells. We will climb the Uchisar Fortress for a panoramic view of the beautiful Goreme Valley; visit Urgup, known for its Selcuk and Ottoman historical works, its kilims, handicrafts, and local wines; and tour Avanos, which is famous for its pottery.

Day 12 ~ Antalya
On the way to the coast we will stop at one of the  Selcuk’s Kervansary (camel palace) to explore Selcuk architecture. Than we will visit Konya, the city where Mevlana founded the Mevlevi Order of Whirling Dervishes. We will visit the Museum of Mevlana, perhaps the most important Islamic shrine in Turkiye. Our destination is beautiful Antalya on the Mediterranean, one of the few cities which enjoys an appealing mixture of ancient and modern world.

Day 13 ~ Antalya
Today we will visit the Antalya Archaeology Museum, one of the finest museums in Turkiye. It contains exhibits ranging from the Stone Age to a 6th Century relief of the Angel Gabriel. We also visit the Hellenistic-Roman cities of Perge and Aspendos, with its well preserved Roman theater.  

Day 14 ~ Pamukkale
During our drive to Pamukkale (ancient Hierapolis), we will stop at the Roman city of Aphrodisias, with impressive marble ruins of a theater, stadium, odium, tetrapylon or monumental gate and unforgettable statuary.  Pamukkale was a famous health spa in Roman times and is still in use today. The site has brilliant, white mineral deposits which cover sides of the cliff creating a beautiful natural wonder  

Day 15 ~ Kusadasi
The morning will be spent exploring ancient Hierapolis. This city was founded around 190 BC and flourished for centuries as a health center because of its therapeutic thermal springs. The baths are pools of clear, warm water with beautiful marble columns, toppled by earthquakes, lying at the bottom. The museum, theater, Temple of Apollo, colonnaded street, bath, and necropolis also are intriguing. Kusadasi is a favorite location which has a splendid boat harbor and fortress.  

Day 16 ~ Kusadasi
Today we will spend the day exploring the fascinating Hellenistic and Roman city of Ephesus with its beautiful theater, Celsus Library, and many appealing ruins of the once great city. Nearby in Selcuk, we will tour the Museum of Ephesus where we will see two famous statues of Artemis, taken from the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.  

Day 17 ~ Canakkale
Traveling north, we will stop at Pergamum to visit the acropolis famous for its library (which at one time had over 200,000 volumes), its theater, and the ancient medical center.  Then we will continue to legendary Troy to wander among the ruins of centuries, the site of Homer’s classical drama of Hector, Achilles, Agamemnon, Paris and Helen as well as the anthropomorphic gods Zeus, Hera, Athena, etc., which he catalogued for all to know. Nine levels of civilizations have been uncovered and partly excavated at this site.  

Day 18 ~ Istanbul
We cross the famous Dardanelles today by ferry for the Gallipoli peninsula where we will visit some of the memorials to those who died in World War I during the Battle of Gallipoli and the war museum. Then we will drive through Thrace along the Sea of Marmara to Istanbul where we will have a city orientation tour upon arrival. Our hotel is conveniently located in the old city.  

Day 19 ~ Istanbul
This morning we will walk to the Hippodrome, an arena used for political, cultural, and sports activities during Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman times. We will also visit the Blue Mosque famous for its Ottoman blue tiles and St. Sofia, the largest Christian church in the world for more than 1,000 years. Nearby is the Underground Palace, or Basilica Cistern, with its mystical atmosphere, classical music, and ancient marble columns surrounded by water. Finally, we will visit the Topkapi Palace, home to the Ottoman Sultans for more than 400 years.  

Day 20 ~ Istanbul
Our motor coach follows the ancient city walls of Istanbul to the Chora Museum, which has the most beautiful mosaics in Turkey. Afterward we will have a Bosphorus cruise between continents, seeing the fabulous palaces and villas that hug the shoreline.  Later we will have a tour of the old and new city, including the Galata and Pera regions.  

Day 21 ~ Depart for the United States.