Istanbul and West Coast Tour | Turkey Vacations | Private Tours in Turkey with Expert Tour Guides

ISTANBUL & WEST COAST

Custom Travel | 13 Days

Welcoming you with Mediterranean liveliness and Turkish hospitality, Turkey feels like a bridge continent between Europe & Middle East. The Aegean and Mediterranean coasts mix ancient ruins with beautiful beaches and resort. Istanbul-once known as Constantinople, capital of the Roman, Byzantine and then the Ottoman/Turkish Empire - has for centuries been a lively metropolis, split in two by the Bosphorous Strait, it is the only city in the world to straddle two continents, Europe and Asia. With a wealth of culture, history and nature, Ottoman minarets and beguiling bazaars, Here you linger in museums & mosques and comb the Bazaars for shopping, from double knotted carpets to Turkish Delights, evil-eye beads to Baklava (the king of all desserts). Sun-drenched Turkish Coasts with tiny hillside villages, amazing view of Taurus Mountains, golden color sandy beaches.. With some brilliant days on the Aegean Sea by private a wooden Turkish sailing boat, travel among coastal & archaeological sites, and an expert tour guide, and you’ve got a professionally created, customizable tour and sailing experience.

“ Go with the rhytm, Enjoy Turkey “

HIGLIGHTS

• Visit the outstanding Hagia Sophia - one of the most prominent monuments in Istanbul, and the ruins of The open-air museum of Ephesus

• Tour Istanbul’s ancient Roman & Byzantine churches, Turkish mosques of medieval ages and endless splendid bazaars•

• Enjoy guided tours of Istanbul, Bosphorus Cruise, Ephesus, Bodrum and more, and be amazed at diverse landscapes, from the Hilltop town of Sirince (famous for its olive oil, fruit wines, other natural products) to the glittering Mediterranean Coast.

• Cruise by the famed wooden gulets (traditional Turkish boats) on Mediterranean Sea with swimming, snorkeling, Hiking - on Full Day Butterfly Valley Boat Trip

• Discover stunning ruins and beaches and natural parks on a locally guided boat cruise on Dalyan River

• Explore other magnificent ancient cities along the Aegean coast as Didyma, Miletus & Kaunos

• Go for a long walk in the coastal towns of Mediaterranean Sea along the Lycian Way with exciting sea views

Dates

Custom Trip offered from April 15 to October 15

Pricing

From (Custom Trip) - with 5 Star Hotels

(Based on two travelers)

TOUR OVERVIEW

Get familiar with Istanbul - once known as Constantinople, capital of the Roman, Byzantine and then the Ottoman/Turkish Empire, and Visit the Highlights of Old City with Its museums, parks, Palace & Bazaars, Enjoy a private cruise on the Bosphorus while seeing the beauties of Asian & European sides.

DAY 1 - Night in Istanbul - Meals (No)

DAY 2 - Night in Istanbul - Meals (B)

Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Turkish & Islamic Arts Museum, Basilica Cistern

DAY 3 - Night in Istanbul - Meals (B)

Hagia Sophia Museum, Topkapi Palace, St.Irene Church, Harem, Grand Bazaar

DAY 4 - Night in Kuşadası - Meals (B-D)

Cruise on Bosporus, Rustempasa Mosque, Spice Market

DAY 5 - Night in Kuşadası - Meals (B-D)

In the ancient city of Ephesus, today it is your turn to hike its thousands of years old streets as The Constantine The Great, Mother Mary, several Roman Emperors as Augustus & Hadrian and St. Paul walked it during his 3 Missionary Journeys centered Ephesus.

Ephesus is the best-preserved Hellenistic & Roman city in the Whole Mediterranean region and the showpiece of Aegean archaeology.

Situated at end of the Royal Road & Silk Road - the chief thoroughfare of the Roman East - the city was a western terminus of East-West trade, with one of the most important Mediterranean harbors for exporting products to Greece, Italy and the rest of the Roman West. The city itself developed around an ancient Temple of Artemis - the earth goddess, and later, from the beginning of the Christian era, became a key city in the expansion of Christianity, from which St Paul launched many of his missions.
Other important Religious sights : nearby Cave of The Seven Sleepers, Basilica of St John - was built by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century over the traditional tomb of John the Evangelist, The Church of Mary which held 2 important Councils of Early Christianity and It was the first of churches dedicated to the mother of Christ,

Virgin Mary's House (where the Virgin Mary spent her last days)

Sites:

Ancient City of Ephesus, Virgin Mary's House, Terrace Houses, St. John Basilica, Old Village of Sirince

DAY 6 - Night in Bodrum - Meals (B-D)

We go for an is easily done half day trip before we arrive to our Luxury Hotel just after the lunch in Bodrum.

Miletus - was once a great port city as Ephesus, home of the Milesian School of Philosophy (by great thinkers as Thales, Anaximenes and Anaximander), with its mixed impressive Hellenistic-Roman ruins, huge 25,000-seat Hellenistic theater and the exciting Museum.
Didyma - was home of the most famous oracles in ancient Greek World with its astonishing white-marble Temple of Apollo - was second largest of the ancient world, first erected in the 6th century B.C. We go climb up the stairs of it, walk between hundreds of well-preserved columns rising over 20m, and we hike around the temple to be amazed by the size of it and see the collapsed exquisitely fine columns & the marble mass.

Euromos - was one of the important cities of Caria on Aegean shores. It is today well known with its ancient theater, agora and necropolis & an Anatolian temple dedicated to the Greek god Zeus, regains former glory after big scale restoration works with splendid columns.

Sites:

Temple of Apollo in Didyma, Ancient City of Miletus, The Temple of Zeus in Euromos

DAY 7 - Night in Bodrum - Meals (B-D)

Bodrum, Turkey’s premier seaside retreat, is built on the ancient ruins of Halicarnassus - the capital of kingdom of Caria, on the western coast of Asia Minor (Modern Turkey) during the Hellenistic Ages. Bodrum is known as the sail and party capital of Turkey with its Greek-style whitewashed houses covered in purple bougainvillea dotting the hillsides, also throbbing with cafés, restaurants, discos and numerous beaches where you can enjoy good swimmning and elegant bars & restaurants.

Sites:

St. Peter's Castle & Museum of Underwater Archeology, Visit the Remains of the Mausoleum - one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, City Walls on Myndos Gate, Ancient Theatre of Halicarnassus and Hike on the Panorama Hill to see the ancient Windmills with an amazing view of crystal clear Aegean Sea.

DAY 8 - Night in Fethiye - Meals (B-D)

After Breakfast we drive Dalyan for an amazing day in the unspoiled natural nature of Dalyan's beach, fresh water rivers & ancient ruins.

Mud Baths, to relax we try the pools of hot mud, cover all your body with mud and stand around in the sun for the sulfur-rich mud caked on your bodies to dry. After rinsing in the open-air showers, Enjoy a swim in the hot pools or Dalyan River. The mud baths are great fun.

Ancient City of Kaunos, Magnificent defense walls covers all the monuments: Byzantine churches, a roman temple, an agora and columned gallery. View the impressive Carian tombs carved in the high cliff.

We take a 45-minute boat ride on Dalyan River flows deep and fast between its reed-lined banks glides beneath rock-hewn Lycian tombs. We reach the point where the delta meets the sea. When we step on Iztuzu (Turtle) Beach, There is the salty waters of Mediterrenean Sea infront of us and the Fresh waters of Dalyan Lake behind us. An amazing place on earth. Turtle beach, where the female loggerhead turtle, Carretta carretta, lays its eggs in summer months

Sites:

Ancient City of Kaunos, Mud Baths, Boat Trip on Dalyan Rivers & Turtle Beach

DAY 9 - Night in Fethiye - Meals (B-D)

Fethiye called Telmessos in ancient ages, is boasting some of Turkey's best beaches (as Oludeniz/famous Blue Lagoon, Butterfly Valley Beach, Patara & Calis Beaches) and yachting.
We start the day from the busy harbour area with visiting the ancient Theater of Fethiye,
We drive up to impressive ancient Lycian Rock Tombs, in the form of a Greek temple dating to 350 B.C., are carved into the sheer rock cliff high above the ancient Theatre and near the ancient Castle area.
We continue to Faralya - a hill top village famous with its green gardens, picturesque cove of Butterfly Valley & the Taurus Mountains behind.
We will have several free hours at the Blue Lagoon of Ölüdeniz, one of the most astonishing natural beauties, You can enjoy the sun-sand-swiming & snorkling
Later We drive to a green Valley for a sunset over the village of Kayaköy - a ghost town full of abandoned Greek stone houses during WW1, set in a valley amidst the piney mountains. We hike between the stone houses and visit some for the ancient churches and schools.

Sites:

Ancient Theater of Ferthiye - Rock Tombs of Telmessos, Panoramic Village of Faralya, Enjoy the Blue Lagoon Beach of Olüdeniz & visit the Ghost Town of Kayaköy (Rock Town)

DAY 10 - Night in Fethiye - Meals (B-D)

Fethiye & Olüdeniz area has fantastic boat trips, Today we choose one of our favorite ones departing to Camel Bay, St. Nicolas Island & the amazing Butterfly Valley
We know where the crystal clear waters and the stunning natural beauty beaches are.
Camel Bay Cove is one of the area’s bestkept secrets, a small beach with a green pine hills on the backround.
St. Nicolas Island, here we discover the ancient ruins of the 5th-century Byzantine churches. Climb to the island's highest point and admire the spectacular views.
Butterfly Valley, is an amazing Mediterranean "fjord" only 7 km southeast of Blue Laoon of Olüdeniz. With our Day Cruise we anchor here as well for a swim in the quiet cove to enjoy the sand beach.
You will also have enough time If you like to hike & get to see fantastic view of the valley, You can even explore the paths of Valley and search for rare butterflies species
There are also optional Water sports for an extra cost on the boat.

Sites:

A full-day cruise to Camel Bay - St.Nicholas Island & Butterfly Valley

DAY 11 - Night in Fethiye - Meals (B-D)

Patara lies where the Aegean and the Mediterranean coastal regions meet. It is close to the mighty Saklikent gorge and the ancient site of Xanthos, both of which offer a good day out.

Xanthos, The oldest and most important antique city of the region is Xanthos, the ancient capital of Lycia, strikingly illustrate the continuity and unique combination of the Anatolian, Greek, Roman, and Byzantine civilizations. Acropolis, the theatre, and the famous Necropolis with The rock-cut tombs & pillar tombs, city walls, temple of Artemis, Agora (Market place) and several Byzantine Basilica & Churches are the famous site of it.

Patara, the birthplace of St Nicholas(Father Christmas), was once principal port city on shores of Mediterranean Sea. Hannibal, St. Paul & St. Luke, Sulla, Mithridates IV Eupator, and the Roman emperor Hadrian all visited. The Patara ruins are very well preserved : a Roman theater, a triple-arched triumphal gate, Agora (Market Place) a necropolis (cemetery) with Lycian tombs, a Byzantine basilica and a Roman public bath.

Patara Beach, Turkey's longest (17km) and completely unspoiled golden sand beach with its sand Dunes, this award winning beach is a full with beautiful turquoise colour water. We couldn’t believe that this color was genuine. We will have a couple of hours on the beach to enjoy sun hikes on dunes and enjoy its crystal clear waters.

We'll reach this spectacular Saklikent Canyon, Also known as the Hidden Canyon, It's a popular spot for hiking in water, picnicking and a wonderful place to cool off on a hot summer's day. Children especially love walking up through the icy stream at the bottom of a deep rock crevasse. Saklikent is one of Turkey’s best natural wonders. It is about 18 kilometers long and 480 meters deep, making it the longest canyon in Turkey and one of the deepest in the world. Enjoy the Hike through ankle-deep water.

Sites:

Ancient City of Xanthos, Patara Beach & Ancient City of Patara, Saklikent Canyon for a hike in cold river

DAY 12 - Night in Istanbul - Meals (B-D)

After Breakfast, We transfer you to Airport for a flight to Istanbul. Upon Arrival to Istanbul, We pick you from Airport and transfer to your hotel. Free Afternoon in Istanbul & Relax

DAY 13 - Meals (B)

After Breakfast, Transfer back to Airport - Depart Istanbul.

Inclusions

Expertise of Our travel specialists
All accommodations at a choice of central 3,4, boutique hotels, 5 star or Deluxe Resorts
All ground transportation and airport transfers
Private Guide in your preferred language (English, Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, Italian, French)
Sightseeing, visits, and entrance tickets/fees
Listed meals only
Domestic Flight Tickets (From Istanbul to Izmir & Dalaman to Istanbul)
All parking tickets and petrol.
Emergency evacuation services and secondary medical expense insurance
All taxes.

Exclusions (Not Included)

International airfare for Turkey
All Drinks & Lunches (We let Customers have the total freedom to choose their lunch, our guide will show the local restaurants)
All personal expenses.
Dinners in Istanbul Hotels
Optional Tours
Services of local porters in hotels, receptions, and other staff
All customary tips to Guide & Driver

Please tell us ( * IMPORTANT ):

- Your exact arrival & departure dates & International flight details for your Airport transfers in Turkey.

- Number of travelers (Any Child or Infant)

- Room preference (Single / Double / Twin / Triple Rooms)

- Must-see destinations (If you want to add some sites and let us know which ones are priorities)