16 days / 15 nights: 
valid for travels Summer 2007

Itinerary:

Day 1 New York - Istanbul
Fly from New York’s JFK airport to Istanbul, Turkey.

Day 2  Istanbul
Arrive in Istanbul. Transfer to your hotel for overnight. Overnight in Istanbul.  (D)

Day 3 Istanbul
After breakfast depart for a full day tour of Istanbul. Visit the remnants of the Roman Hippodrome, the magnificent, sixth-century Byzantine church, Haghia Sophia, the 17th-century Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, once the residence of the Ottoman Sultans from the 15th to 19th centuries, and the Grand Bazaar. Welcome dinner [AT A NICE RESTAURANT . Overnight in Istanbul.  (B, D)

Day 4  Istanbul - Bursa
Drive to Bursa, the first capital of the Ottoman Empire, which is famous for its early Ottoman architecture and thermal baths. Visit Green Mosque and Tomb from the 15th century. Overnight in Bursa.  (B, D)

Day 5  Bursa - Ankara
Morning drive to Ankara. Along the way visit Gordion, the capital of the Phrygian Empire and the setting  for the legends of King Midas. It’s here that Alexander the Great "untied" the famous Gordian knot, opening his way to the conquest of Asia. In Ankara visit the famous Museum of Anatolian Civilizations.

Overnight in Ankara.  (B, D)

Day 6  Ankara - Cappadocia
After visiting the Mausoleum of Ataturk, founder of the Turkish Republic, drive to Cappadocia, while enjoying the view of the beautiful Turkish countryside along the way. Overnight in Cappadocia. (B, D)

Day 7  Cappadocia
Full day tour of the Cappadocia region. Enjoy the amazing scenery of unusual rock formations and man-made dwellings, and churches and chapels from the early Christian and Byzantine periods. Your visits will include Goreme Open Air Museum, Uchisar, Valley of Zelve, and the Underground City of Kaymakli. Overnight in Cappadocia.  (B, D)

Day 8  Cappadocia - Antalya
Depart from Cappadocia for Antalya. Drive along the western extension of the ancient Silk Road to Konya, city of the Whirling Dervishes. In Konya, once the capital of the Seljuk Turks in the 13th century, you will visit Mevlana Museum. Arrive in Antalya late afternoon. Dinner at hotel. Overnight in Antalya. (B, D)

Day 9   Antalya
Excursion to the ancient Roman cities of Perge and Aspendos. Then visit the Archaeological Museum of Antalya. A day full of history and the beautiful countryside of the Mediterranean coast. Overnight in Antalya.  (B, D)

Day 10  Antalya - Pamukkale
Depart from Antalya for Pamukkale. Upon arrival visit the ancient city of Hierapolis, where you’ll see a fascinating necropolis and theater from the Greco-Roman period, and then take pictures of cotton-white cascades. Overnight in Pamukkale.  (B, D)

Day 11  Pamukkale - Kusadasi
Drive to ancient Aphrodisias, a city that was named for Aphrodite, the goddess of love. It was an important center for sculpture and philosophy in antiquity. After visiting the wonderful ruins and the museum you will drive to Kusadasi. Overnight in Kusadasi.  (B, D)

Day 12  Kusadasi - Ephesus - Izmir
Full day tour of Ephesus. This glorious city, founded about 4,000 years ago, still surprises the visitor with its ruins. Visit the ruins, the House of Virgin Mary, where she is believed to have spent her final years, and the sixth-century Basilica of St. John and Museum. Then drive to Izmir for dinner and overnight. Overnight in Izmir.  (B, D)

Day 13   Izmir - Pergamon - Troy - Canakkale
After breakfast drive to Pergamon and visit the ancient Acropolis with its Temple of Trajan and theater. Also visit Asclepion, the ancient world’s great healing center. On the way to Canakkale, a city on the Asian side of the Dardanelles, visit Troy, the legendary setting for Homer's Iliad. (During the winter months the visit to Troy might take place the next morning.) Overnight in Canakkale. (B, D)

Day 14  Canakkale - Istanbul
After breakfast, cross the Dardanelles by ferry and continue to Istanbul. Overnight in Istanbul. (B, D)

Day 15  Istanbul
A full day sightseeing in Istanbul.In the morning visit 19th century Dolmabahce Palace. Then after visiting Spice Market, lunch at Daruzziyafe Restaurant, a historic restaurant located in the 16th century soup kitchens of the Suleymaniye Mosque. Then visit Suleymaniye Mosque. In the afternoon visit Chora Church and city walls. Overnight in Istanbul.  (B, L)

Day 16  Istanbul - New York
After breakfast transfer to the airport for the departure flight from Istanbul.  (B)

What's Included:

• 14 nights hotel accommodation
  
• 14 breakfasts, 1 Lunch, 13 dinners
  
• Transport by a/c van or a/c deluxe motorcoach depending on size of group
  
• Government-licensed, English-speaking tour guide
  
• All tours mentioned in the itinerary
  
• All entry fees
  
• Airport-hotel-airport transfers
  
• Porterage at hotels and tips for included breakfast, lunch and dinners
  
• Service charges and local taxes in Turkey

Not included:

• Flight
• Airport tax
• Visa for Turkey
• Gratuities for guide and driver
• Items of a personal nature such as drinks with meals (except tea or coffee with breakfast)
• Medical services
• Phone calls etc.