With a Gulet Yacht Sailing Along
the Turkish Mediterranean Riviera
Boarding Bodrum
Group Tour With Daily Arrival in Istanbul
Come with us for a 14-day adventure to the top sights of Istanbul and Central Turkey, ancient Cappadocia, Pamukkale and legendary Ephesus then board a gulet sailing yacht for a sailing cruise hugging Turkey’s southern coast. Flying within Turkey. If your prefer boarding your Gulet/Yacht in Fethiye, please click here.
DAY 1 – ISTANBUL – Saturday – Weekly: May-Oct
After you clear passports and customs formalities, please proceed to board the shuttle coach (always included in our rate) and off to your hotel. Set out to explore this great historic city as you like. The tour is available Weekly: May – Oct. This is a group tour itinerary.
Day 2: Istanbul City Tour- Sunday (BL)
Breakfast is included at the hotel. Pick up at 08.30 am in the morning for a guided walking tour with a small group within the old city. You will visit: The Topkapi Palace (the Harem Pavilion Tour is optional to visit with an extra entrance fee paid locally), Basilica Cistern and Roman Hippodrome in the morning. After lunch (included), you will visit St Sophia Museum, Blue Mosque and Grand Bazaar. The tour ends with free time at the bazaar. Yet if you wish to walk back to the hotel nearby, the guide will be happy to escort you at that time. Please note that Hagia Sophia closed on Monday and Topkapi Palace on Tuesday; thus replaced with Kariye (St. Savior in Chora) Museum. Grand Covered Bazaar is also closed on Sunday. (lunch is included today while on the tour).
Day 3: Bosphorus Cruise- Flight to Cappadocia- Monday (B)
Breakfast is included at the hotel. You will go on a half day Bosphorus Cruise tour. Pick up time is about 08.30 am from the hotel. You will drive by the Golden Horn (from the bus), Spice Bazaar (Egyptian Bazaar) and then have a boat cruise on the Bosphorus. You will also view the Imperial gardens of Royal Yildiz Palace, Çiragan Palace Hotel Kempinski and Beylerbeyi Palace during the tour. The drop off time back to the hotel is about 13.00. Free afternoon to explore Istanbul on your own. Transfer to the airport for a late evening flight (air fare is included in economy class). Upon arrival in Cappadocia, our local rep. will assist with your transfer to your hotel in. Accommodation and dinner at the hotel in in Cappadocia.
Day 4: Cappadocia- Tuesday (BLD)
Breakfast is included at the hotel. The tour starts about 09.30 am from your hotel in the morning, you’ll drive to Devrent Valley where the geographical formations remind you of a place on another planet. Then in Pasabagi, you’ll take a stroll among the amazing fairy chimneys of Cappadocia. From there driving to Avanos to have lunch. After having the lunch you leave from Avanos to see the most beautiful examples of Byzantine art in Göreme Open Air Museum. Then you’ll drive to Uçhisar Castle, the highest point of the region, where you will have a fabulous panoramic view over Cappadocia. Then return to the hotel about 17.30. (lunch is included today while on the tour) Accommodation in Cappadocia. Traditional Turkish and Dinner in Cappadocia is included tonight at Yasar Baba Restaurant.
Day 5: Cappadocia- Wednesday (BLD)
Breakfast is included daily at the hotel. Depart from your hotel at 09.30 am for a 4 kilometers hike through the Rose Valley visiting the churches. Afterwards visit the old christian village of Cavusin. Stop for lunch in Pigeons Valley and then continue on to see the marvel of construction that is the Kaymakli Underground City. You will also visit the Ortahisar Natural Rock Castle. (lunch is included today while on the tour). Remainder of the day is your own to explore as you wish.
Complimentary Dinner is included at a local home:
Meet the locals: This evening we’ll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread… right into the homes of some of the people of Anatolia! You’ll be invited to a family dinner, and while you enjoy wholesome home-cooked specialties, you’ll learn about and appreciate the outlook, aspirations, and way of life of your hosts. Be assured, as curious as you may be about your new friends, they’re sure to have questions about your own background. Once the ice is broken, you’ll enjoy a lively evening, and find that you have more in common than you ever suspected. Of course, if you prefer, you may enjoy a quiet evening with your travel companions. Just let us know your preferences.
Day 6: Cappadocia – Izmir – Ephesus – Thursday (B)
Fly to Izmir, air fare is included in economy class (non-stop or via Istanbul), and drive on to Kusadasi The remainder of the day is at leisure on your own. You will be picked up from your hotel at 11.00 for the transfer to the airport for your flight to Izmir, where you will be met by our local rep. who will escort you to your hotel in the Kusadasi /Ephesus region. (breakfast at the hotel).
Day 7: Pamukkale Travertenies and Hierapolis Ancient City – Friday (BL)
Breakfast is included at the hotel. Tour starts around 8:30 AM to Pamukkale to tour this center of natural thermal spring waters with healing properties. Due to the chemical properties in the water, pure white colored travertines and stepped water terraces have been created on the mountain slope. It is for its resemblance to cotton piles that it is called ‘Cotton Castle’ in Turkish. Visit the travertines and the ancient city of Hierapolis which has the biggest Necropolis with 1200 gravestones in Anatolia.
The sacred pool also is one of the highlights of the site There is a fee to be paid locally ONLY if you would like to swim in the Sacred Pool. There shallow thermal waters ripple over a wonderful scattering of ancient roman ruins that lie beneath (lunch is included today while on the tour). After the tour, we head back to Ephesus which is about 3 hours of journey. Accommodation in Ephesus.
“Travertine is a form of limestone deposited by mineral springs, especially hot springs. Travertine often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan and cream-colored varieties. It is formed by a process of rapid precipitation of calcium carbonate, often at the mouth of a hot spring or in a limestone cave. In the latter it can form stalactites, stalagmites and other speleothems. It is frequently used in Italy and elsewhere as a building material.
Travertine is a terrestrial sedimentary rock, formed by the precipitation of carbonate minerals from solution in ground and surface waters, and/or geothermal heated hot-springs. Similar (but softer and extremely porous) deposits formed from ambient-temperature water are known as tufa.”
Day 8: Ephesus and Virgin Mary’s House Tour – Saturday (BL)
Breakfast is included at the hotel. The pick up time is 09.00 am from the hotel for a full day Ephesus Ancient City and Virgin Mary’s House Tour. You will visit Ephesus which is known to be the Commercial, the Religious and the Social Center of Antiquity, and one of the Highlights of any visit in Turkey. After the lunch, you will drive to Temple of Artemis (Diana), the site of one of the seven wonders of the ancient world; House of Virgin Mary, probably where she spent recent years of her life; Isa Bey Mosque, this impressive mosque from XIV Century A.D. is unlike any other you will see in this country. Return to the hotel about 17.30. You will have the remainder of the day at leisure. (Lunch is included today while on the tour.)
DAY 9 – PRIENE, MILETUS – DIDYMA – Bodrum – Sunday (BL)
A short drive brings us to the well-preserved ruins of Priene, a very ancient city perched above the aptly-named Meander River. We next tour Miletus, where the philosopher Thales was born. Finally, we tour the gigantic oracular temple at Didyma, which challenged the primacy of Delphi, on to Bodrum and your hotel, lunch is included enroute.
Day 10 – Bodrum – Board your Gulet – Monday (BD)
Breakfast is included at the hotel. Enjoy Bodrum as you wish this morning Our local rep. will meet you at your hotel in the afternoon for your transfer and boarding your gulet. Dinner is included on board. Meet your crew and fellow passengers. If you prefer to board the gulet/cruise in Fethiye, please click here.
DAY 11 – Gulet – On Board the Sailing Yacht Cruise- Karaada- Cati Harbor – Tuesday (BLD)
Sailing after enjoying breakfast on board your gulet. First stop by Karaada. The Island is famous for its hot springs and dark caves which you can swim into. After lunch, sail across the gulf today we continue to the marvelous natural harbor of Cati, a lovely bay surrounded with pine trees on the south coast of the Gulf, all meals are included while on board the gulet.
DAY 12 – On the board the Gulet – Wednesday (BLD)
Sail to Seven Islands – always a popular choice, plenty of pine-clad secluded bays and coves to investigate. You will spend the rest of day by swimming if you wish by walking through the storax (liquid-amber) and pine forests, all meals are included while on board the gulet.
DAY 13 – Karacasogut – Disembarkation and Fly Back to Istanbul – Thursday (B)
Today we cruise to Longoz Bay in the morning then continue sailing to Karacasogut, a charming small village, we bid farewell to the crew, disembark and proceed to the airport for your flight back to Istanbul where you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Air fare is included in economy class, with all taxes, all transfers are included for you at all times in Turkey.
DAY 14 – RETURN HOME – Departure Istanbul Friday (B)
After breakfast, board the shuttle coach that will take you to the airport. Bon Voyage.
| Based on boutique style 3 stars hotels Gulet choice remains the same the difference is only for hotel categories chosen |
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| Rate per person in triple | $ 3176.00 USD |
| Rate per person in double/twin sharing | $ 3285.00 USD |
| Rate per person in single | $ 4159.00 USD |
| Based on 4 stars hotels Gulet choice remains the same the difference is only for hotel categories chosen |
|
| Rate per person in triple | $ 3587.00 USD |
| Rate per person in double/twin sharing | $ 3689.00 USD |
| Rate per person in single | $ 4996.00 USD |
Inclusions:
- Accommodations in comfortable 3 stars boutique style tourist class hotels with tax, service charges and breakfast daily. Sample hotels subject to change:Istanbul (sea view):: www.denizhouses.com
Cappadocia: www.cappadociapalace.com
(cave rooms, if you prefer non-cave room please let’s know in advance)
Kusadasi (sea view room): www.hotelilayda.com Or Accommodations in comfortable 4 stars hotels based on your choice of hotel category:
Istanbul: Golden Horn Sultanahmet Hotel in Istanbul
Cappadocia: MDC Hotel in Ürgüp – Cappadocia
Kusadasi: Grand Onder Hotel in Kusadasi
Bodrum: Manastir Hotel in Bodrum http://www.manastirbodrum.com - Air fare within Turkey, in economy class with tax included.
- Set-menu meals as indicated: B = Breakfast daily at the hotel, L = Lunch, when listed during a tour, always pre-set menu, one pre-set menu D = Dinner is included in Cappadocia.
- All airport / hotel transfers.
- Group sightseeing as listed with a licensed native local guide, including all admissions fees.The local tours may include a shopping stop time permitting.
- Gulet sailing cruise: These are 4-5 cabin group sailing gullets and it includes: Transfer from / to your hotel in Fethiye to the boat, all meals (breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea / coffee, dinner), fuel, harbor fees, service, standard yacht equipment, board games, snorkel and masks, fishing lines.
Rate doesn’t include:
- Visa Fee: (procure yours online in advance of travel at www.evisa.gov.tr/en/)
- Air fare from/to your home country.
- Trip/travel insurance
- Tips to drivers and guides etc.
- Any expense of personal nature
Additional Notes:
- Please note that the check out time is 10.30 am at all hotels.
- Your pick up times for the tours and transfers in Istanbul are definite, whereas the ones for the other sites will be confirmed by our local agent when you arrive there.
- Please be ready on time at the hotel lobbies for your your tours and transfers.
- The tour guides may change the daily tour itineraries if required due to the local weather, traffic or security conditions.
- The tours may include a shopping stop time permitting.
- Our local rep. will provide a 24 hrs phone number, for any question you may have locally.
- Our local rep. will keep contact with you throughout your stay in Turkey by phone to ensure that all is meeting your satisfaction.
Click here for details, photos and spec’s
Total cost for Charter for one week (exclusive use for you and your party): $10,100 USD – subject to change depending on the season. Half board is an additional $600 USD per person for the one week.
