MEDITERRANEAN SAILING IN TURKEY 9 Days

Highlights: Five days of yachting along the beautiful Turquoise Coast; visits to the archeological sites of Ephesus, Caunos, Xanthos, Myra and a tour of Istanbul’s historic Sultanahmet District.

2010 Tour Dates

* Rates are land only, based on double occupancy.

Day 1 – ARRIVE ISTANBUL, WELCOME DINNER
We will meet at the hotel around 02.00 pm. and after a short brief of orientation we will leave the hotel for sightseeing to visit  the museum of Hagia Sophia, built by the Roman Emperor Justinian in the 6th Century AD and the largest building in the world for at least a thousand years.  Welcome dinner.
Night at the hotel. D

Day 2 – TOUR ISTANBUL
We tour the main sites in Istanbul, including; The Blue Mosque, built in the 17th Century and still one of the largest and most beautiful mosques in the world; the Hippodrome, where Romans raced chariots, and Topkapi Palace, the fabulous home of the Sultans and their harems. Dinner is on your own.
Night at the hotel. BL

Day 3 – FLY TO IZMIR, DRIVE TO KUSADASI, TOUR EPHESUS
We take a morning flight to the coastal city of Izmir, and drive to Ephesus, one of the most famous and extensive archeological sites in the Mediterranean.  After Istanbul Ephesus is the most visited place in Turkey.  The site was continuously inhabited since around 3000 BC, when it was the center for the worship of the goddess Cybele, later called Artemis.  It then became Ionian, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine as each succeeding civilization enjoyed its fine harbor.  Its Library of Celsus is one of the most photographed buildings in the world.  Ephesus slowly faded as the Little Meander River silted in this harbor in the 5th century AD.  St. Paul and St. John preached here, and we still have Paul’s “Letter to the Ephesians.” Mary is said to have followed John here, and we might visit a house many feel was the site of her home.  
After visiting Ephesus we drive to the town of Selcuk to visit the Basilica of St. John, where the Saint is buried, and the Ephesus Museum, with its wonderful statues of Artemis.  Then we return to our hotel to relax before dinner.
Night at the hotel. BD

Day 4 – DRIVE TO MARMARIS, BOARD YACHT (GULET)
After a leisure morning we visit a rug-weaving cooperative. Here we learn about all aspects of this traditional Turkish art and craft, and have the chance to bargain with the local rug sellers, with or without the help of your guide. Then we continue driving to Marmaris, where we board our yacht.  We may spend the evening berthed in Marmaris, and walk about this busy resort city, or we may leave and anchor in a remote cove.
Night on the yacht. BLD

Day 5 – EKINCIK BAY, DALYAN RIVER, CAUNOS
We sail to sheltered Ekincik Bay, where we board a smaller boat and ride up the meandering Dalyan River to the ruins of Caunos, another Lycian city with wonderful rock tombs and an incredibly high acropolis.  Afterwards we head back to our yacht, and spend the night in Ekincik cove. 
Night on the yacht. BLD

Day 6 – AGALIMANI, KAYAKOY, GEMILER ISLAND
In the morning we sail to the beautiful cove of Agalimani, which means “harbor of the respected elders.” We will anchor here for breakfast.  Those who wish may enjoy swimming, kayaking, wind surfing and relaxing before we head to the beautiful beach at Oludeniz, one of the prettiest - and most photographed - in Turkey.  Those who wish can hire local boats for water skiing or parasailing.  We will anchor here for lunch and in the afternoon we drive to the ghost town of Kayakoy.  Once a thriving Greek village, the town has been deserted since 1924 when the villagers, along with more than a million other Greeks, were expelled to Greece.  The town has sat empty since then. Only in the past few years have Turks --mainly artists-- begun to move in.  From Kayakoy we have a choice of walking (1 to 2 hours downhill) or driving to Soguk Bay to meet the yacht. 
Night on the yacht. BLD

Day 7 – KALKAN, LUNCH WITH VILLAGERS, XANTHOS, KAS
In the morning we sail to Kalkan, then drive high into the mountains to visit the village of Yayla, where we have lunch in the home of some villagers. Then we drive to Xanthos, ancient capital of Lycia whose citizens were legendary for their fierce independence. Twice in history they committed mass suicide rather than surrender: First in 540 BC, to avoid capture by the Persian general Harpagus, and again in 42 BC when under siege by the Romans under Brutus. Appropriately, the site still has a large necropolis, with many sarcophagi. Much of Xanthos was carried off to the British Museum in the 1840’s, but there is plenty to give us a feel for the place and time. Then we drive to Kas to meet our yacht.   Kas was a Greek fishing village named Andifli until the population exchange of 1924, when its inhabitants were expelled to Greece.  It is now a bustling resort town, but much of the Greek architecture remains.  We will spend the evening in the Kas harbor, and according to the choise of our group we may spend the night at a more silent bay or at the Kas marina to have time to sample its nightlife. 
Night on the yacht. BLD

Day 8 – KAS, APERLAE, KEKOVA
This morning we will finish our exploration of Kas and sail to Aperlae, where we can swim over sunken ruins and old sarcophagi, and perhaps walk across a peninsula to meet the yacht.  We will sail on to Kekova Island, here we can again swim and float over sunken ruins.
Night on the yacht. BLD

Day 9 – DEPART YACHT, DRIVE TO ANTALYA
We say goodbye to the crew and leave the boat this morning. We will drive to Antalya and your trip will end. B
On request we can arrange your return flight reservations from Antalya or accommodation in Antalya.

WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THIS PRICE?
Specialist leadership
Transportation with an A/C vehicle
2 nights hotel accommodation in Istanbul
1 night hotel accommodation in Kusadası
5 nights yacht accommodation
1 Domestic flight
Dalyan river boat trip
All meals as indicated on the itinerary
Entrance fees, admission to museums
Park and freeway fees

NOT INCLUDED
Guide and boat crew tips.
International flights.
Visa (can be obtained on arrival at airport in Turkey for $26 per person).