TURKEY (Day 1) Leave Melbourne Wednesday 17th March arrive in Turkey Thursday 18th March
Day 02 – Arrival to Istanbul in the morning. Drive along the city walls of Constantinople for viewing and picture stops. Enjoy some free time at  the Spice Bazaar. Take the privately chartered boat for the Bosphorus cruise. Lunch at a local restaurant on the Bosphorus. Spend some time  for orientation of Grand Bazaar. Check in at hotel. Dinner and overnight. (BLD)

 

 

 

 

Day 03 – (Friday March 19) Full Day tour of visiting Blue Mosque, H. Sophia, Hippodrome, Underground Cistern and Topkapi Palace. Lunch at a local restaurant.    Take subway to a nearby modern shopping mall by subway/tram and have a free evening. Dinner at shopping mall and overnight at hotel. (BLD)

Day 04 – (Saturday Mar 20) Drive to Nicea by taking the ferryboat. Visits to the Council site (Bouleterion), Theater, H. Sophia church, view one or two gates of the city walls. Stop by at a small kiln for ceramics and tiles production. Continue to Bursa for dinner and overnight. (BLD)

Day 05 (Sunday Mar 21) – Enjoy a Full Day program in Bursa visiting Green Mosque and Tomb, Grand Mosque, Muradiye complex, Silk Market and Grand Bazaar. Ample time for Turkish Bath for those interested. Dinner and overnight in Bursa. (BLD)

Day 06 (Monday Mar 22) – Drive to Gallipoli by taking the ferry across to Europe and ANZAC sites for an extensive visit to Anzac Cove, Beach cemetery,  Lone Pine, Nek, NZ Memorial, etc. Take ferry once again to Canakkale for dinner and overnight at hotel. (BLD)

 

Day 07 (Tuesday Mar 23) - Drive to Troy and visit the site. Continue to Pergamon to visit the Acropolis with the temple of Trajan, Altar of Zeus, Theater.       Lunch at a local restaurant. Continue visiting the Asclepion. Dinner and overnight in Izmir. (BLD)

Day 08 – Drive to Sardis to visit the Synagogue, Roman Bath, Shops and Temple of Artemis. Lunch at a local restaurant. Enjoy a  leather fashion show. Continue to Kusadasi for dinner and overnight. (BLD)

Day 09 – Travel from Kusadasi to the nearby ruins and visit Ephesus, House of Virgin Mary, Museum and Church of St John. Dinner and
overnight in Kusadasi. (BLD)  

Day 10 – We sail by a privately chartered boat to Patmos. The journey takes about 12 hours round trip depending on the sea conditions. Lunch on the island. We return to Kusadasi for dinner and overnight. (BLD)

Day 11 -– After the two full touring days in Ephesus and Patmos for our pilgrimage we take it easy today and relax for recovery and enjoy some free time to do our own personal things. We will arrange a visit to a nearby village at mountain top where you can browse around, enjoy shopping on small artifacts as well as wine tasting and a light lunch before returning to hotel for your free afternoon.

Leaving a prayer message on a material ribbon

Day 12 (Sunday Mar 28) – Drive to Hierapolis – Pamukkale via Aphrodisias where we can have an extensive visit to the ruins and the displays in the new museum of Aphrodisias. Continue to the white terraces and travertine for sightseeing in Pamukkale. Have some free time around the Roman  pool and source of water where it springs from. After completion of the visit check in at hotel. Dinner and overnight at Pamukkale. (BLD)

Day 13 (Monday Mar 29) – After a comfortable breakfast and slightly late check out we visit the site of Laodicea where the final letter was sent by St. John.  Lunch en route. Drive to Konya on the Silk Road. Dinner and overnight in Konya .(BLD)  

Day 14 (Tuesday Mar 30) – We visit the museum of Mevlana, the center of Whirling Dervishes and one Madrasah of Karatay or Ince Minare in the morning.
Lunch on the way. We continue on the Silk Road and visit one caravanserai. Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia for the net three days. (BLD)

Day 15 & 16 &17 – We will spread our visits into three days and cover Goreme Valley of Churches, Ortahisar, Uchisar, Zelve Valley of Fairy   Chimneys, One Underground City of Derinkuyu or Kaymakli, Avanos, Urgup, Cavusin, Derbent, Avcilar, Sinassos, etc.
Lunches will be held at local restaurants.   We will also visit the carpet weaving center, jewelry and souvenirs shop and pottery of Cappadocia.
We will arrange to go and see the Mevlana Whirling Dervish performance one night and also a cultural and folklore show of Cappadocia
another night after dinners at hotel restaurants. Dinners and overnights at hotel for three days in Cappadocia. (BLD)

Day 18 (Saturday April 3) - Take the morning plane to Istanbul where we have some time off for our last minute shopping in Turkey with overnight in Istanbul            We will arrange a farewell dinner at a local restaurant. (BLD)

Day 19 – Transfer to the airport for your flight back home or to Athens if you join the add-on program. (B)

GREECE ADD ON 
Day 19 (Sunday April 4) – Athens (L,D)
Meet in the Arrival’s Hall at Athens airport and walk to the bus. Transfer to Athens and proceed on tour. See Syntagma Square, (Constitution Square), the House of Parliament and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, guarded by the Evzones in their traditional costume. See the Athens Academy and the University. Visit the Pan Athenaic Olympic stadium, (where the first Olympic Games of the modern era were held in 1896). Visit the archaeological site of the Temple of the Olympian Zeus and Hadrian’s Arch. Visit the world famous site of the Acropolis and see the Propylaea, the Parthenon. Lunch at a local restaurant. Transfer to the hotel and check in. Dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight in Athens.

Day 20 (Monday April 5) – Athens / Argolis Tour / Athens (B,L,D)
Breakfast in the hotel. Depart on full day tour. Drive west, along the coastal highway and stop to see the Corinth canal, which connects the Aegean and the Ionian seas. Drive south onto Mycenae and visit the archaeological site. See the Lion Gate, the Tomb of Agammemnon and  the Cyclopean Wall. Lunch at local restaurtant. Depart and drive to Nafplion. See this town, once the capital of Greece before heading back  to Athens. On the way, stop to visit Epidaurus theatre, famous for its acoustics. Arrive back in Athens and stop at a restaurant for dinner. Transfer back to the hotel. Overnight in Athens.

Day 21(Tuesday April 6) – Athens / Delphi – Kalambaka Tour / Kalambaka (B,L,D)
Breakfast in the hotel. Depart on tour. Drive north, along the highway, passing the town of Thebes and the pretty village of Arachova  before arriving in Delphi, the navel of the earth. Visit the site. On the slopes of Mt. Parnassus, lie the ruins of the Sanctuary of Apollo Pythios.  See and visit the Doric Temple, the Treasury of the Athenians and see Castalia Spring. Lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, visit the museum housing masterpieces of ancient Greek sculpture such as the bronze charioteer. Depart in the afternoon and drive north through towns and villages of Central Greece to Kalambaka. Check in and dinner in the hotel.

Day 22 (Wednesday April 7) – Kalambaka / Meteora Tour / Athens (B,L,D)
Breakfast in the hotel. Drive to and visit two of the Meteora monasteries. Standing amid striking scenery, perched on top of huge rocks, which seem to be suspended in mid air. Inside, see exquisite specimens of Byzantine art, manuscripts and jewelry. Completing the tour, return to Kalambaka and to a restaurant for lunch. In the afternoon, drive back to Athens On the way, view Leonida’s monument at Thermopylae. Arrive back in Athens and proceed to a restaurant for dinner. Transfer to the hotel for overnight.

Day 23 (Thursday April 8) – Athens (B,L,D)
After a casual breakfast visit the recently opened museum of archaeology in the morning. Lunch at a local restaurant. Free afternoon for your  last day at your leisure. Dinner and overnight at hotel.

Day 24 (Friday April 9) – Athens (B)
Breakfast in the hotel. Transfer to the airport.

Day 25 (Saturday April 10) Arrive back in Melbourne in the evening.

Turkey/Gallipoli/Greece (Prices)
In the footsteps of Saint Paul
$5990 per person (Gallipoli and Turkey), based on twin share Single room supplement extra.
Greece add on approx $2090 extra.

PRICE INCLUDES:
• Return economy air fares
• 18 Days (Turkey and Gallipoli), plus optional 5 days in Greece all with at least 4 star accommodation
• Daily breakfasts. lunch and dinners
• All sightseeing, transfers and entrance fees as per the itinerary with English speaking guide
• Bus and guide as per program in a luxury air-conditioned coach
• Airport meet and assistance and round trip transfers • Entrance fees as listed • Border Crossing fees and taxes
• All tips, porterage and gratuities

PRICE EXCLUDES:
• Airport & departure taxes
• Entrance/sightseeing/meals other than those in the itinerary
• Beverages with meals
• Turkish visa (US$20 - payable in arrival
• Travel insurance • Single supplement
• Incidental expenses of a personal nature such as phone calls,
• Laundry, room service etc.
• Any services not listed in ‘Price Includes’ above