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Licence no: 4261
 
This tour takes you the most notable sights in Turkey; the Hittite ruins in North-central Anatolia; Cappadocia with its landscapes; the Turquiose Coast and  its antiguities; and incomparable  Istanbul. You will delight in the sights and dine  with natives as we visit small, authentic restaurants serving local delicacies.
DAY 1: Arrival in Istanbul and free afternoon. Overnight in Istanbul.
DAY 2: Gallipoli-Troy-Canakkale: After breakfast drive to Canakkale and continue to TROY, Homer's legendary city. As you cross the Sea of Marmara by ferry you will see the memorial to one of the most tragic battles of moderns times.  The Battle of Gallipoli. Troy, the heralded site of Trojan War, immortalized by Hommer in the Iliad. Then we will visit the ruins and overnight in Canakkale.
DAY 3: Pergamon-Sardes-Izmir: In the morning drive to  ancient Pergamon, the city which was ruled by Alexander the Great and home to the famous  physcian Galen (120-190 AD). You will visit the remains of the Asclepion, as well as the library which  once held 200.000 scrolls. Continue to Sardes one of the wealthiest cities in the ancient world, with its wast temple of Artemis, ancient synagogue and gymnasium. Overnight in Izmir.
DAY 4: Ephesus-Izmir: If you've ever heard the words "a reading from St. Paul to the Ephesians", now's your chance to sit in the same theater where St. Paul preached and Roman dramas were performed. Stroll the marble streets of Ephesus one of the most complete cities of antiquity past the Library of Celsus, the baths and the Gate of Hadrian and Roman terrace houses. You'll also visit nearby St. John's Basilica and the house where the VirginMary spent her last days. View some of the treasuresexcavated in Ephesus and now kept at Selcuk's Archeological Museum. Overnight in Izmir.
DAY 5: Aphrodisias-Pamukkale: Explore the ramains of Aphrodisias, the city dedicated to the goddess of love and home to a scholl of sculpture that made its way across the Roman world. Visit the Temple of Aphrodite and one of the finest ancient stadiums ever built, which sat 30.000 people. Continue to Pamukkale where immense tiers of white limestone cascade down the hillside.
Visit the Roman bath, theater and necropolis of nearby Hierapolis. Overnight in Pamukkale.
DAY 6: Antalya: Your odyssey continues through the Turkish countryside, past lovely lakes to the foot of the Taurus Mountain. Here you will visit with a nomadic tribe and learn about their daily life which is as interwoven into the cycle of the land as are the colors and textures of the carpets they weave. Continue south to Antalya, arriving in time to explore this mind beguiling city set on the shores of the   Mediterranean before the sun sets. Overnight in Antalya.
DAY 7: Aspendos-Perge-Antalya: Continue your Greco-Roman quest today by visiting Aspendos which has one of the best preserved theatres in the world. Its  accoustics are so fine that a coin dropped on stage can be heard in the last row. A refreshing change of pace will be a visit to the stunning Kursunlu Waterfalls. Then on to nearby Perge whose extensive ruins include a stadium that once echoed to the roar of 15.000 spectators. Overnight in Antalya.
DAY 8: Konya-Cappadocia: Drive through the Taurus mountains to Central Anatolia to Turkey's oldest city Konya, the capital of the Selcuk Empire, but known throughout the world as the home of the Whirling Dervishes. You will visit the Mevlana Museum named for the 13th century founder and the Slender Minaret Medrese. Continue to Cappadocia stopping off along the way to visit a typical Seljuk Caravanserai, to see whatlife was like for the member of a caravan. Ovenight in Cappadocia.
DAY 9: Göreme-Urgüp-Cappadocia: Nature's banalcing  act of the chimney-like rock formations that abound throughout  Cappadocia's rugged landscape are as fantastic as man's accomplishments below its surface. Descend 8 stories to the intricate underground city of Kaymakli with its wine cellars, classrooms and tombs where early Christians fleeing persecution lived for months at a time undetected. Visit the Byzantine churches of Göreme carved into the cliffs with frescoes dating to the 7th century, the hidden valley of Zelve and Avanos where the distinctive red clay the Kizilirmak River has kept celebrated potters in business for a thousand years. Overnight in Cappadocia.
DAY 10: Ankara: Drive to Ankara Turkey's capital since 1923.  After lunch at Kaleici within the walls of a medieval fortress, you'll visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, filled with treasures from the region from the Hittites all the way back to the Paleolithic Age. Overnight in Ankara.
DAY 11: Istanbul: After breakfast, we proceed our coach journey to Istanbul. Today's highlights include the Hippodrome, centre of chariot races during the Byzantine times. Next, to the underground cistern, the grandest and most impressive one of its kind. This evening, relax and enjoy a delightful dinner cum show featuring Belly and folkloric dances.
DAY 12: Istanbul: Today you will explore some of Istanbul's many treasures that  bridge the past and present beginning with Istanbul's most famous treasure the Blue Mosque, named for the beautiful Iznik tiles which give the mosque its color. You'll explore the more worldly treasures of the Topkapi Palace, home of the Ottoman Sultans from 1465 to 1853. After lunch on the palace grounds overlooking the Bosphorus you will visit St. Sophia the first Christian cathedral built in 536 AD, then converted to a mosque in 1453.
DAY 13: Istanbul: After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight home or extend your stay in Turkey with a mini-tour join another Cicoda Travel tour programme.
DEPARTURE DATES:
02 January, 26 January, 09 February, 23 February, 09 February, 09 March, 23 March, 06 April, 20 April, 04 May, 18 May, 01 June, 15 June, 29 June, 03 July, 27 July, 10 August, 24 August, 07 September, 21 September, 05 October, 19  October, 02 November, 16 November, 30 November, 14 December
Prices exclude; Airport taxes,visa fees ( if applicable),expenses in terms of personal nature and all services which have not been stated as included.
Tour Features include, Accomodation at standard four star hotels;meals ( breakfast , Lunch and Dinner);tours; transfers; admission fees (excluding camera fees)English speaking guidance;local taxes.