21 day ancient empires of greece and turkeyparthenon

21 Day Ancient Empires of Greece & Turkey - Athens to Istanbul

From $ 7345 per person twin share

Tour Itinerary:

Day 1: Athens (HD)
Welcome to Athens. You will be met at Athens International airport and transferred* to your centrally located hotel. This evening meet your Tour Director and fellow passengers. SCENICENRICH Enjoy a festive dinner in a popular Greek restaurant located in the atmospheric Plaka area. Two Night Special Stay: Athens
Day 2: Athens (FB,HD)
This morning we explore the birthplace of democracy and enjoy a guided tour of the Acropolis, whose famous Parthenon dates to the 5th century B.C. We also see amongst other buildings the Propylaea, the majestic gates of the complex. SCENICENRICH This afternoon we journey to Cape Sounion and visit the Sanctuary of Poseidon, where we admire stunning views of the Aegean Sea. Later we’ll enjoy a fabulous dinner at a seaside restaurant that offers unsurpassed water views.
Day 3: Athens – Olympia (FB,L,D)
Our first stop today will be the city of Mycenae, famous for its remarkable pottery. We continue to Nafplion, a delightful seaside town and first capital of modern Greece. Our journey continues to Olympia, where tonight’s accommodation is set in a prime location.
Overnight Stay: Olympia
Day 4: Olympia – Delphi (FB,D)
Today we visit the ruins at Olympia, site of the ancient games from at least 776 B.C. We depart Olympia and cross the Corinthian Gulf either by ferry or over the tallest hanging bridge in the world. SCENICENRICH This afternoon we visit the picturesque and iconic seaside villages of Galaxidi and Nafpactos and savour a cup of delicious Greek coffee before arriving in Delphi, home to the famous oracle.
Overnight Stay: Delphi
Day 5: Delphi – Kalambaka (FB,D)
After breakfast, we’ll visit the ruins of Delphi including the Temple of Apollo. A relaxing drive out of Delphi will take us through the Plain of Thessaly, the breadbasket of Greece. SCENICENRICH We’ll call in at Arachova, a traditional mountain town famous for its local produce including “formaela” cheese, a staple diet for the 3,000 townsfolk. We continue on to Kalambaka, situated beneath the majestic limestone pinnacles of Meteora.
Overnight Stay: Kalambaka
Day 6: Kalambaka – Athens (FB,HD)
As early as the 11th century AD hermit monks were known to live in the caves of the limestone pillars. This morning we’ll visit two of the rock monasteries at this UNESCO site. We arrive back in Athens in time to relax before our farewell dinner at a stylish local restaurant, the perfect way to say goodbye to Greece.
Overnight Special Stay: Athens
Day 7: Athens – Istanbul (FB)
After a hearty breakfast at the hotel we will transfer to the airport for our flight to Istanbul. We arrive in this exotic city and transfer to the hotel. This evening we’ll meet for a welcome drink and the remainder of the evening is at leisure.
Two Night Special Stay: Istanbul
Day 8: Istanbul (FB,HD)
After breakfast, we’ll embark on a tour of this amazing city. Highlights of the day include a visit to the most magnificent example of Byzantium architecture, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and the Blue Mosque. We have time to wander the evocative Grand Bazaar before we board a boat for a cruise on the Bosphorus. We’ll witness the sumptuous riverfront palaces of the Ottomans, the Dolmabahce Palace and Beylerbeyi. This special day concludes with a delicious seafood dinner on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus.
Day 9: Istanbul – Canakkale (FB,L,D)
Today we travel to the Gallipoli Peninsula, site of the WWI landings by allied forces including ANZAC troops on the morning of April 25, 1915. We explore the sights and gain an understanding of this unforgettable and sombre location, set amongst steep cliffs, dead-end canyons and barren ridges. A picnic lunch is provided and there is time to explore the landmark sites such as ANZAC Cove, the Nek, Lone Pine and Shrapnel Gully.
Overnight Stay: Canakkale
Day 10: Canakkale – Izmir (FB,L,HD)
The day’s sightseeing begins with a fascinating tour of Homer’s Troy, a legendary site of the Trojan Wars and home to a replica of the infamous Trojan Horse. We continue our historic journey in Pergamon, where we enjoy lunch. We’ll visit the magnificent Acropolis, which contains the ruins of Pergamon’s acclaimed 200,000 volume library. We depart for Izmir, where this evening a spectacular dinner has been organised at one of the best seafood restaurants in the city.
Overnight Stay: Izmir
Day 11: Izmir – Kusadasi (FB,D)
A treat awaits as we visit incomparable Ephesus, perhaps the world’s best-preserved ancient city that once housed the Temple of Artemis, completed in 550 B.C and one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Here among other amazing sites such as the Library, we will visit the House of Virgin Mary, who is reputed to have come to Ephesus with the apostle John shortly before the end of her life in 37 AD.
Two Night Stay: Kusadasi
Day 12: Kusadasi – Samos – Kusadasi (FB,L,D)
SCENICENRICH Today we briefly leave Turkey behind and journey to the Greek island of Samos. Our local guide will show us around Samos town before we learn about the local industries of ceramics and ouzo. We head into the fertile hills, covered with vineyards to visit one of the many beautiful ancient monasteries on the island, Agia Triada and be told about the tragic history of the priest monk who founded it. We then arrive in Pythagorion, birthplace of the mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras which also boasts the largest manmade marina in the Mediterranean. Lunch is followed by our ferry ride back to Turkey. Tonight enjoy dinner at our hotel.
Day 13: Kusadasi – Pamukkale (FB,L,D)
Following breakfast, we travel to Aphrodisias. We’ll enjoy lunch at a local restaurant, before continuing to remarkable Pamukkale (Hierapolis). Tonight, watch the sunset over the white cliffs for a truly unique and memorable sight.
Overnight Stay: Pamukkale
Day 14: Pamukkale – Antalya (FB,L,HD)
Enjoy the thermal waters at the hotel before we depart for Antalya, Turkey’s principal holiday resort which is situated on a cliff over the Mediterranean and surrounded by mountains. We’ll get a chance to visit the large archaeological museum rich in Classical, Roman, Byzantine and Seljuk artefacts, which includes ‘God Gallery’. The afternoon is at leisure, and dinner tonight is at an exquisite restaurant in the centre of town.
Two Night Stay: Antalya
Day 15: Antalya (FB,HD)
The region around Antalya abounds with astonishing natural beauty and awesome historical treasures. First we visit Perge with an Acropolis dating back to the Stone Age. Nearby, Aspendos is famous for its exceptionally preserved theatre built in 155 A.D. We continue to Side, overflowing with archaeological wonders and surrounded on both sides by the deep, blue water of the Mediterranean before returning to Antalya. Tonight an exclusive dinner has been planned at the renowned Club Arma, located near the old town.
Day 16: Antalya – Cappadocia (FB,D)
This morning we drive to Konya, a traditional caravan stop and home of the Whirling Dervishes, a mystical Sufi Muslim group. We visit the Mevlana Museum, former monastery of the Dervishes which contains the tomb of the groups 13th century spiritual leader, and the Karatay Medrese, a Seljuk school constructed in 1251. Enjoy some leisure time before we head off to the moon-like landscapes of Cappadocia.
Three Night Special Stay: Cappadocia
Day 17: Cappadocia (FB,D)
We visit the main sights of this amazing location, including the surreal moon-landscape of Göreme with its rock chapels carved by early Christians in hiding. Next is the Byzantine monastic complex of Zelve which reached its zenith in the 9th and 13th centuries and the towering peak of Uchisar Castle, a sublime rock formation riddled with a network of tunnels and caves.
Day 18: Cappadocia (FB,HL,D)
Today we explore the incredible underground cities of Cappadocia, of which there are estimated to be over 200. We also visit picturesque Sinassos, which is surrounded by fruit orchards and vineyards and was a Greek settlement until 1923 when a population exchange between Turkey and Greece took place. Enjoy a traditional lunch at the Old Greek House Restaurant. SCENICENRICH We’re entertained by a Whirling Dervish performance in a 13th century Caravan Inn, where we shall be entranced by the intricate dancing and music that is as old as the building we are seated in.
Day 19: Cappadocia – Ankara (FB,HL)
This morning we visit Agzikarahan, site of a well preserved Seljuk caravanserai, where for hundreds of years camel caravans traversing ancient trade routes would stop overnight. En-route to Ankara, view the famous Salt Lake of the fabled Silk Road as you drive through the Anatolian countryside. At Ankara, we visit the Hittite Museum and Anit Kabir, the mausoleum of Ataturk, Turkey’s greatest leader in modern times whose leadership helped win the Gallipoli campaign and who created the modern secular Turkish state. A unique luncheon venue awaits in an ancient castle of this historic city. The rest of the day is at leisure.
Overnight Stay: Ankara
Day 20: Ankara – Istanbul (FB,HD)
After breakfast we cross from Asia into Europe and return to Istanbul. Scenic Freechoice choose from: (1) a traditional Turkish cooking class where you’ll learn the art of making delicious plates of meze, after which we get to eat them, of course; or (2) an insightful tour of Istanbul’s glorious Byzantine past including visits to the Chora museum with its fine mosaics and frescoes and Zeyek Mosque, second only in size to Hagia Sophia as a Byzantium monument; or (3) a visit to an Ottoman Yali, the fashionable summer palaces of the wealthy built mainly in the latter half of the 17th century during the Empire’s glory days. We’ll meet the current residents who’ll chat with us about the building’s history whilst we enjoy homemade refreshments. SCENICENRICH Tonight, a special treat awaits you as we enjoy our farewell dinner at the stunning Hamdi Restaurant, where outstanding views over the Golden Horn are accompanied by the call to prayer echoing from numerous surrounding mosques.
Overnight Special Stay: Istanbul
Day 21: Istanbul (FB)
After breakfast, transfer* to Istanbul airport for your onward or homebound flight.

 

Departure Dates and Prices per Person

Departure Date

Return Date

Price

25 May 2010

14 Jun 2010

7345.00*

13 Jul 2010

2 Aug 2010

7345.00*

* Price is per passenger based on twin share.

Scenic Highlights

• Enjoy a guided tour of the Acropolis and visit the ancient Parthenon in Athens
• Dine by the shores of the Aegean Sea at a traditional Greek seafood restaurant
• Visit the ruins of Agamemnon’s Palace in Mycenae
• See the fabled Temple of Zeus and walk on the ancient sporting arena at Olympus
• Visit the Temple of Apollo in Delphi
• Visit two monasteries at Meteora
• Take a guided tour of Istanbul
• Embark on a private boat cruise on the Bosphorus and see the Ottoman mansions that line the shore
• Enjoy a seafood dinner on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus in Istanbul
• Take a guided tour of the Gallipoli Peninsula and battlefields and visit Lone Pine Cemetery and Anzac Cove
• Enjoy a guided visit to the ruins of Troy
• Take a guided visit of Pergamon
• Traditional seafood dinner in Izmir
• Enjoy a guided tour of Ephesus
• Enjoy a guided visit of Hierapolis and see the sunset over Pamukkale’s white terraces
• Visit Antalya’s archaeological museum
• Enjoy guided visits to Perge, Aspendos and Side
• Visit the Mevlana Museum, former monastery of the Whirling Dervishes
• Enjoy a guided tour of Cappadocia
• Enjoy a traditional lunch at the Old Greek House Restaurant in Sinassos
• Visit Agzikarahan Caravanserai in Anatolia, located on an ancient trade route• Take a guided tour of Ankara
• Enjoy a luncheon in a castle in Ankara
• Visit the exotic spice markets of Istanbul