Length: 9 Days. Group educational tours to Istanbul, Antalya, Pamukkale and Kusadasi for 12 or more students or adults. Self-designed custom tours typically led by teachers of high school juniors and seniors.
Highlights: Cruise on the Bosphorus Strait, Guided tour of Istanbul, One-way flight to Antalya
Jeep safari in the Taurus Mountains, Private boat ride to the Duden waterfalls, Visit Aphrodisias, Visit Pamukkale cascades, Visit Opatija, Visit ruins of Hierapolis, Visit Ephesus
Itinerary: Istanbul (2), Antalya (2), Pamukkale (1), Kusadasi (2)
Day 1 – Depart USA – Istanbul
International flight to Istanbul. Full meal service on board.
Day 2 – Istanbul
Arrival in Istanbul, the largest city and principal seaport of Turkey. Meet your guide at the airport for assistance and proceed on a private cruise on the Bosphorus Strait.
Day 3 – Istanbul
After breakfast at the hotel, enjoy a full day tour of Istanbul including Hippodrome Square, the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar.Significant in history, Istanbul was the capital of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires, bridging both Europe and Asia. Since as far back as the 6th millenium BC, it has stood between conflicting religion, culture, and power.
Day 4 – Istanbul – Antalya
Transfer to the airport for your one-way flight to Antalya, once seen as the gateway to the Turkish Riviera. The preserved old-city district of Kaleiçi (literally means “within the castle”), offers beautiful views along its roads with restored Ottoman houses. Transfer to Perge, the birthplace of the Greek mathematician Apollonius of Perga, one of the most notable mathematicians of antiquity for his work on conic sections. Visit Antalya Archeological Museum in the afternoon.
Day 5 – Antalya
This morning, explore the area on a Jeep safari in the Taurus Mountain range, enjoying lunch with the group afterwards. In the afternoon, transfer to Old City of Attalia’s port for a private boat ride on the Mediterranean Sea to the Duden waterfalls. These waterfalls are fed by the Duden River and have a long and fascinating history dating back to ancient times. Dinner and overnight in Antalya.
Day 6 – Antalya – Pamukkale
Breakfast at the hotel. Ride across the Taurus mountains. Visit Aphrodisias on the way to Pamukkale. The temple of Aphrodite dates from the 3rd century BC and the city was built one century later. The wealth of Aphrodisias came from the marble quarries and the art produced by its sculptors. Dinner and overnight in Pamukkale.
Day 7 – Pamukkale – Kusadasi
You may choose to take an early morning hot air balloon ride (optional) before leaving the area. After breakfast, visit Pamukkale cascades and the ruins of Hierapolis and Archeological Museum. Pamukkale, meaning “cotton castle” in Turkish, is a natural site in Denizli Province. The area is famous for a carbonate mineral left by the flowing of thermal spring water. In the afternoon, transfer to the Aegean Coast to Kusadasi. Dinner and overnight at Korumar.
Day 8 – Kusadasi
Breakfast at the hotel. Visit Ephesus, St. John’s Basilica and the Archeological Museum. Ephesus is considered to be the most important Greek city in Ionian Asia Minor, the ruins of which lie near the modern village of Selcuk. Dinner and overnight in Kusadasi.
Day 9 – Kusadasi – USA
Transfer to Izmir airport. Flight from Izmir to Istanbul continuing to the USA.
