TURKEY AND GOLETA on the MEDITERRANEAN 12 days / 11 nights

Guaranteed departures from April 25 to October 14 or October 17: Monday or Thursday 

(arrival in Istanbul must be on Monday or Thursday)

Minimum 2 pax

Day 1 - Istanbul

Arrival and reception at the airport. Transfer to the hotel.

OPTIONAL: BOSPHORUS NIGHT CRUISE  

Day 2 - Istanbul (B)

Breakfast at the hotel. 

Meet your guide in the hotel lobby to begin the tour, Istanbul between Asia and Europe.

The day begins with a visit to the colorful and aromatic Spice Bazaar, also known as the Egyptian Bazaar. Specialized in typical products such as sweets, nuts and spices. Then, at the port of Eminonü, you will take the boat for the cruise through the Bosphorus, the strait that separates the two continents, Asia and Europe. From the sea you will enjoy the panoramic view of both continental shores; the beautiful Ottoman villas, the palaces of Dolmabahce, Ciragan and Beylerbeyi, the Rumeli Hisari fortress, the Maiden's Tower, etc. Return to land, transfer to the hotel. 

Day 3 - Istanbul (B)

Breakfast at the hotel. Free day

OPTIONAL: Ottoman and Byzantine Tour: Visiting the old part where the most outstanding Ottoman and Byzantine monuments are concentrated. Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Roman Hippodrome, Grand Bazaar

Day 4 – Thursday or Sunday - Istanbul-Ankara-Cappadocia (B, L, D)

Breakfast. Departure to Ankara, capital of modern Turkey, passing through the Bolu Mountains. Arrival and visit to the Mausoleum of Ataturk, founder of the Turkish Republic. Visit to the Independence Museum which houses a wax statue of Ataturk, his writings, letters and personal objects as well as an exhibition of photographs, recordings of important moments in his life and the constitution of the new Turkish Republic. Lunch. Continuation to Cappadocia. Upon arriving in Cappadocia we visit a pottery and continue to the hotel. Dinner and accommodation.

Day 5 - Cappadocia (B,L,D)

OPTIONAL: At dawn you will have the chance to participate in an optional hot air balloon tour over Cappadocia.

Breakfast. Visit this fantastic region for its fascinating and original landscape formed by the lava thrown by the Erciyes and Hasan volcanoes 3 million years ago, then we will make a stop in Esentepe to photograph the beautiful Goreme Valley where we will then visit its numerous monasteries, churches and chapels excavated in the rocks.  Visit the valleys of Love, Devrent, Avcilar and Guvercinlik, which have a spectacular landscape of the “Fairy Chimneys”. Then we will visit one of the onyx and turquoise jewelry workshops. Lunch. Visit to a troglodyte city, Uchisar or Cavusin. Stop in Avanos, famous for its clay works which have been the lifeline of the city. We finish in one of the typical carpet workshops to learn the manufacture of this centuries-old Turkish tradition. Dinner at the hotel. 

OPTIONAL: Possibility of attending the famous “Turkish Night”, a folk dance show in a typical cave with unlimited regional alcoholic drinks.

Day 6 - Cappadocia-Pamukkale (B,L,D)

Breakfast. Early departure via Konya. Stop at an old “caravansaray” from the 13th century that was part of the old silk route. Lunch and continuation to Pamukkale, a spectacular and unique place in the world for its dazzling white waterfalls and natural pools. Its translation from Turkish is  

"cotton castle." Next to it is the Ancient Hierapolis with one of the largest necropolises of antiquity. Dinner and accommodation. 

Day 7 - Pamukkale - Ephesus - Izmir (B, L, D)

OPTIONAL: Hot air balloon flight to see the white magic of Pamukkale from the sky

Breakfast. Continuation to Ephesus, an ancient Greco-Roman city and one of the best preserved today, where we will visit the Temple of Hadrian, Temple of Trajan, the Theatre, the fabulous Library of Celsus, etc. Lunch at the restaurant of the train museum that can be visited. 

Continuation to the House of Virgin Mary, place where he spent the last years of his life. Opportunity to visit one of the typical leather factories. Arrival in Izmir. Dinner and accommodation.

Day 8 - Izmir-Antalya (B)

Transfer to the airport. Flight to Antalya. Arrival and transfer to the hotel.

Rest of the day Free where you can explore the picturesque old town of Antalya, or Kaleici, with its narrow, winding streets and historic wooden houses, bars, restaurants and Ottoman-style boutique hotels. 

Day 9 - Antalya-Olympos-Kekova-Gokkoya Bay (B,L,D)

Transfer to Olympos where our ground team will come to pick you up at Olympos. We will depart by land towards Demre (birthplace of Saint Nicholas. Time to visit the Church and the surrounding area). Transfer to the port and registration on the schooner. 

The first exploration of the day is the Sunken City, an ancient city that dates back 2,000 years to the Lycian period and was destroyed by an earthquake in the 2nd century. We will then anchor near Kekova on Kalekoy Island to wander the cobblestone streets of the town or head to the castle to witness some incredible views of the Kekova region.

At night we anchored in Gokkaya Bay. A free shuttle service is offered to party at the nearby bar, Smuggler's Inn.

Day 10 - GOKKOYA BAY to AQUARIUM BAY (B, L, D)

Today you will sail towards Kas which is a small fishing village, time to explore the local shops including many handmade jewellery, clothing stores and some local cafes to enjoy a great coffee brew. 

OPTIONAL: For those interested in the optional diving activity, it is said to be the best diving spot in southern Turkey. After spending your time in Kas, we will cross Kalkan and dock at Aquarium Bay for the night. 

Day 11 - AQUARIUM BAY to SAN NICOLÁS ISLAND (B, L, D)

This morning wake up to the deep blue of the sea and find yourself in the Butterfly Valley, home to more than 136 different types of butterflies and moths. 

For lunch we will moor near the Blue Lagoon in Oludeniz. Oludeniz Beach and the blue lagoon are one of the most photographed beaches in the world due to the thousands of paragliders that fly here every year. 

OPTIONAL: Paragliding is an optional activity at this stop.

Day 12 - ST. ISLAND NICHOLAS to FETHIYE – ISTANBUL – RETURN (B)

His last day on the schooner. You will wake up on St Nicholas Island where you can enjoy another morning swim. We will cross to one of the bays near Fethiye to have lunch and say goodbye. 

The schooner will enter Fethiye port after lunch around 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. You will disembark the schooner and say goodbye to your new friends and your friendly crew. Transfer to the airport. Flight to Istanbul. 

NOTE: International flight must be from 6:00 p.m.

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POSSIBILITY OF STAYING ADDITIONAL DAYS IN OLUDENIZ BEACH AND ISTANBUL