Best season: 15th June - 15th September.
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive Istanbul. If you are arriving on day one after 8am, you will be met by the group leader and transferred to your hotel in the old city where an arrival briefing will be given later early evening. Tonight there will be an option to sample some of the many wonderful dishes available in Turkey at a traditional restaurant down by the Bosphorous.
Day 2: Istanbul. This morning your guide will take you around some of Istanbul's famous sites; all are close to the old part of town - Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque and the Grand Bazaar. Istanbul, formerly known as Constantinople, was the hub of the Ottoman Empire, and many of the grand buildings of this period are present today. The markets too, would be little changed from early times, a chaotic mix of goods and wares brought by people near and far to trade.
Foods, clothing, jewelery, leather goods can be found at reasonable prices if you bargain. The afternoon is free to explore the town at your leisure. You could easily spend a week in this city and still not have seen all the sites. In the early evening we catch the overnight train to Konya in the south east of Turkey. Includes:(B),(D).
Day 3: Drive to Cukurbag village and Commence Trekking. Arrive into Konya in the morning where we are met by our minibus transport and visit the Mevlana Museum, distinguished by its magnificent dome. This very holy place is the former monastery of the Whirling Dervishes. We travel approx 5 hours on a main road to the western side of Mt Taurus (Aladaglar region). To reach our first camp of the trek we hike up for two hours through village gardens and fields to the entrance of a Emli Valley (1.700 m).
En route we see local farmers tending their stock and crops by very simple methods; the steep terrain and isolated setting is not conducive to using sophisticated farm machinery. There are a variety of fruits that may be in season at the time of our visit; apple, pear, grapes, cherries as well as tomatoes and cucumbers, and we make sure we can sample some of the fresh produce during our trek. Overnight at the camp. Includes: (B),(L),(D).
Day 4: Trek to Sokulupinar camp (2000 m). We start walking in the Siyirmalik valley covered with Juniper and cedars and climb up to Eznevit Yayla (semi-nomad camp) which is about 2500m high. Here we may meet some nomads or shepherds with their sheep. Here we have lunch with an overlooking view of Siyirma Valley. Then we carry on walk by traversing to Sakartas (2500 m). After break descend down to Sokulupinar (2000 m). Totally 5-6 hours walk. Overnight at the camp. Includes: (B),(L),(D).
Day 5: To Yedigoller. Today we will climb up to high camp. First of all we prepare our luggage ready for loading on mules. After breakfast start walking up to Karayalak valley and climb up to Celik buyduran pass (3450 m). It's going to be our toughest day of walking as we will ascend around 5 hours. 20 minutes before the pass we stop by the spring and have lunch. After pass we start descending down to Yedigoller (3100 m) plateau, with a gentle downhill slope we arrive our campsite near the biggest lake of the area in one and a half hours. Overnight at the camp. Includes: (B),(L),(D).
Day 6: Yedigoller (3100 m). We climb up to Celik buyduran Pass (3500m) back and climb to Emler peak (3.723 m) in one hour from the pass with a little steep slope. From the peak we can see Erciyes Volcano, Hasan Volcano, Bolkar Range of Taurus mountains and all the peaks of Aladaglar range. After lunch we descend back to camp. Swimming possibility in the lake depending season. Totally 5 hours walk. Overnight at the camp. Includes: (B),(L),(D).
Day 7: To Karagol (2900 m). We load up luggage on the horses and start walk early in the morning. First we arrive to second biggest lake of the area, than climb up to Sema Tepe (3.517 m). With a nice view on our north-west we descend down via a narrow path where we may meet ibexes grazing around. Via Yildiz (star) Lake we descend down to Karagol. Tea will be ready at the camp. Totally 7 hours walk. Overnight at the camp. Includes: (B),(L),(D).
Day 8: Via Maden Gorge drive Cappadocia. We descend down through Maden (mine) gorge, following mine roads and little creeks. At the end of the gorge, we'll meet our minibus and will be transferred to Cappadocia area (The Land of fairy tales and chimneys). (2-3 hours walk). Overnight at the camp. Includes: (B),(L),(D).
Day 9: Sightseeing tour in Cappadocia. Cappadocia is an extraordinary geological area of central Turkey - reminiscent of a lunar landscape pitted with small volcanic craters, vast barren plateaus and steep jagged cliffs. Only an occasional oasis laying low in semi fertile valleys fed by mineral laden volcanic soil breaks its moon like landscape. Several centuries ago the Christians hid from the encroaching Arab forces by building underground cave-like cities linked by secret tunnels.
Only when it was safe to surface did the people tend to their fields above. Some of the cities descend some 21 stories. Today we visit Goreme National Park with its bizarre rock formations and carved churches built by early Christians. We explore underground cities cloaked in mystery, the craggy rock sculptured Uchisar castle and the Urgup Township. In the evening we return to Sinasos village. Includes: (B),(L),(D).
Day 10: Ihlara Valley day hike. A one-hour drive takes us to the Ihlara Valley lying on the northern flanks of the 3200m volcano of Mt Hasan. This delightful 11 km gorge walk through poplars and willows includes visits to old frescoed churches built into the rock walls of the canyon. Our walk ends in the village of Selime, which houses an amazing monastic complex hewn into the cliff. From here we drive back to Urgup for our overnight accommodation. Approximately 4 hours walk. Includes: (B),(L),(D).
Day 11: Drive to Antalya via Konya. Today we head to the beautiful Mediterranean coast of Southern Turkey. After a three-hour drive we arrive in Konya where we stop to visit the Whirling Dervishes museum and Aladdin Mosque. We then drive for a further four hours through the Taurus Mountains to arrive in Antalya. Arriving in Antalya with its stunning setting atop a limestone plateau, with the formidable Beydaglari looming to the west gives us a taste of the coastal beauty to come. Our accommodation is an authentic Ottoman guesthouse in the old city centre, near the old Harbour, which is a great place to wander at night with half of Antalya turning out for an evening promenade on the foreshore. Includes: (B),(L),(D).
Day 12: Join Boat Cruise. From Antalya we drive along the coast to the ruins of the city of Olympus. Set in the Bey Mountains Coastal National Park, the site of Olympus is known to have been an important Lycian city in the 2nd Century BC, where Olympians worshiped Vulcan, the god of fire. Whilst there is little more than rubble remaining today, the site is breathtaking near to a beautiful beach and thick with flowering oleander, wild grapevines, bay trees, pines and wild figs. We spend time visiting the site before continuing for one hour to the township of Demre, famous for the church of St Nicholas and the ruins of Myra with its Lycian rock-hewn tombs. Later in the afternoon we board our wooden gullet boat in Demre Harbor and commence our cruise. Includes: (B),(L),(D).
Day 18: To Canakkale via Troy. We make the scenic drive to Canakkale with much of the route through woodlands and gentle rolling hills, giving way to a coastal strip with the mountains of the Kaz Dagi range rising behind. Troy lies just 20km south of Canakkale and with a little imagination it's not too difficult to establish what the city had been like. Canakkale, with its setting on the Dardanelle's is the launching point for our Gallipoli tour tomorrow. Includes: (B),(L),(D).
Day 19: Gallipoli tour. Drive to Istanbul (4-5 hours). This morning we take the ferry across to Gallipoli and wander the national park housing many relics of the naval and land battles that took place in 1915 during World War One. Amongst other places, we visit Anzac Cove, the site of the first bungled Anzac landing and Lone Pine, the largest graveyard-co memorial to those buried unmarked or at sea. We later drive the four and a half hours to Istanbul where we have the early evening in this exotic city for last minute shopping and to visit the Hagia Sophia. Includes:(B),(L).
Day 20: Depart Istanbul. Trip concludes after breakfast. Includes: (B).
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Prices Includes:
- Good quality hotel accommodation in Istanbul on a share twin, bed and breakfast basis
- Tourist class elsewhere
- All internal transport by train, boat and private bus
- Meals as indicated in the itinerary
- Porterage for transportation of all personal and group
equipment
- English Speaking guide and crew/kitchen staff
- Emergency medical kit
- International airport transfers if arriving on group flights
after 8am
Price Excludes:
- Transport other than that stated in the itinerary
- Museum Entrance Fees allow US$4-7 per entrance
- Single room supplements
- Additional sightseeing and meals other than that stated
- Departure taxes, visa costs and associated handling fees
- Costs of a personal nature such as laundry, phone calls, email, tips, and all beverages (Except non-alcoholic beverages on trek)
- Travel insurance
Also see tour packages in:
Middle East
Turkey
Sightseeing
Cultural Journey
Email it to a friend:
Click here to email this vacation to a friend
|
