Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Athens, Greece
Arrival at the Athens Airport and transfer to hotel in Athens for overnight.
Day 2: Athens City Tour [B]
Depart for your Athens Sightseeing Tour including the Acropolis and the New Acropolis Museum. Our expert guide will take you to see the center of the city, the Constitution Square (Syntagma), the House of Parliament, the Memorial to the Unknown Soldier and the National Library. On your way to the Acropolis you will see the Hadrian’s Arch, the Temple of Olympian Zeus and have a short stop at the Panathinaikos Stadium, where the first Modern Olympic Games were held in 1896. On the Acropolis visit the architectural masterpieces of the Golden Age of Athens: the Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion and finally the famous Parthenon. Your first taste of Athens would not be complete without a visit to the Acropolis Museum, a modern architectural building where, at last, the statues have found their home and admire the wonders and architectural masterpieces of the classical era. Return to your hotel and remaining of your day at leisure!! Overnight in Athens.
Day 3: Athens – Mykonos [B,L,D]
Transfer to Port of Piraeus. Boarding to Louis Olympia. Departure at 11:00 am. Arriving to Mykonos at 6:00 pm. Departure at 11:00 pm. Night on board.
Day 4: Mykonos Port – Patmos Port [B,L,D]
Arriving to Kusadasi at 7:00 am. Possibility of visiting the antique city of Ephesus and the house of Virgin Mary. Departure at 1:00 pm.
In the afternoon visit of Patmos between 4:00 pm and 9:00 pm (free time). Night on board.
Day 5: Patmos Port – Santorini Port [B,L,D]
Arriving to Heraklion at 7:00 am. Possibility of visiting the antique city of Knossos. Departure at 11:30 am. In the afternoon visit of Santorini between 4:30 pm and 9:00 pm (free time). Night on board.
Day 6: Athens Region – Istanbul [B]
Arriving to Piraeus and landing. Optional transfer to Athens Airport. Transfer to hotel in Istanbul and overnight.
Day 7: Istanbul [B,L]
Visit of the Suleymaniye Mosque, the finest and most magnificent of the imperial mosques in the city. Take in wonderful panoramas of the Golden Horn on the cable car and in Pierre Loti Coffee House. Visit Istanbul’s most sacred site at the Eyüp Sultan Mosque and Tomb. Discover why thousands of faithful visit every day. After lunch discover the new city with Taksim Square, Istiklal Street and Ancient Pera. Return to the hotel. Overnight.
Day 8: Istanbul [B,L]
Visit Topkapi Palace, the largest and oldest of the remaining palaces where Ottoman Sultans used to live; admire the gardens, kitchens, the treasury section as well as terraces overlooking the Bosphorus and the Golden Horne. Explore Saint Sophia, one of the marvels of Byzantine architecture. Visit the Blue Mosque covered by more than 20.000 Iznik tiles and the Roman Hippodrome. Lunch in a local restaurant. In the afternoon, discover the handcrafts of Anatolia and shop in the labyrinth tunnels of the Grand Bazaar. Return to the hotel. Overnight.
Day 9: Istanbul – Ankara [B,L,D]
Free time in the historical Spice Market to feel the exoticism of the Orient. Enjoy a languorous boat trip along the European and Asian coasts of the Bosphorus. Lunch. In the afternoon, cross the Bosphorus Bridge and proceed to Ankara. Dinner and overnight in the capital of Turkey.
Day 10: Ankara – Cappadocia [B,L,D]
Visit to Archaeological Museum of Ankara, with its unique collection including Paleolithic, Neolithic, Hittite, Phrygian, Urartian and Roman works and Lydian treasures. Short stop in the Mausoleum of Kemal Atatürk, founder and first president of the Turkish Republic. Lunch and proceed to Cappadocia. Visit of an underground city. Check into your hotel in Cappadocia, dinner and overnight.
Day 11: Cappadocia [B,L,D]
(You may have OPTIONAL Hot Air Balloon ride early in the morning)
Entire day to enjoy the natural beauty and the cultural depth of this unique region : explore the frescoed interiors of Goreme Cave Churches, which date from the 8th century, take a walk in Avcilar, Pasabagi and the valley of Dervent where you will admire the chimney like volcanic formations and a brief photo stop at Uchisar. In the afternoon, discover the unique artifacts of Cappadocia such as pottery, onyx…etc. Dinner and overnight.
Day 12: Cappadocia – Pamukkale [B,L,D]
Drive through the Silk Road to Konya to visit the Whirling Dervishes Convent which is now the Mevlana Museum. Visit a Caravanserai from XII Century. Continue to Pamukkale, dinner and overnight in Pamukkale.
Day 13: Pamukkale – Izmir [B,L,D]
Discover the ancient city of Hierapolis and enjoy the unique splendor of its cascading, hot springs in Pamukkale. Proceed to Ephesus and explore the antique city by wandering along its 2,000 year old marble streets to such famous sites as the theater and the Celsus Library. Stop at a leather factory in Selcuk to attend a fashion show and to learn more about Turkish leather. Visit the Home of Mother Mary. Lunch during the visits. Continue to Izmir, third biggest city of Turkey. Dinner and overnight in Izmir.
Day 14: Izmir – Canakkale [B,L,D]
Proceed to Pergamon, the city where parchment was invented. Visit the Acropolis offering breathtaking views over the valley and discover the remains of the most impressive Hellenistic Theater in Asia Minor. After lunch, visit the legendary city of Troy, the site of one of the most famous wars of ancient times, immortalized in Homer’s Iliad. Dinner and overnight in Çanakkale.
Day 15: Canakkale – Istanbul [B,L]
Cross by ferry the Strait of Dardanelles and discover Gallipoli where the bloodiest battles of First World War took place. Lunch in route. Arrival in the afternoon for overnight in Istanbul.
Day 16: Istanbul [B]
Transfer to Istanbul Ataturk Airport for your onward flight.
