Turquoise Coast Turkey
with Taylan Tasbasi
MAR 27 – APR 6, 2024
Join us for a exotic journey on the coasts of Eastern Mediterranean. This is where cultures of the Middle East and West melts into a whole new lifestyle. Discover the ancient world of Lycians, Carians and Romans around the turquoise coasts of Turkey.
We’ll trace the life of a roman merchant in the lagoons of Caunos and the greatest city of the Romans, Ephesus the sacred port city dedicated to fertility for many ages. Experience the daily life of the eastern Aegean villages while comparing the grapes of ancient vineyards where wine was first fermented and traded all around the old world from Greece to Egypt. A land where east melts into west, Turkey’s Turquoise Coastline…
Day One
Overnight: Fethiye
This morning we will have a brief outline of our tour, day by day, then we start exploring the city with several visits to places like an abandoned Greek village that was subject to a population exchange. Our afternoon is completed with a short hike to get to the shores and meet with our boat to transport us back to the city. We end with a sunset meal.
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Day Two
Overnight: Bodrum
Leave Hotel after breakfast for Bodrum, and a tour of the fascinating Dalyan Lagoon. The day will be a combination of driving, lagoon cruising on small boats, walking, history sweeping, nature loving and possibly a visit to the beach. Things to see might vary from rock cut tombs to endangered animals.
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Day Three
Overnight: Bodrum
Time to explore villages and get a sense of the local life in detail. Today will be an introduction to regional crops, meals, crafts and carafes. We will end the day by the beach, but not before we make sure to taste some of the full bodied, ancient grapes from the local vineyards.
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Day Four
Overnight: Bodrum
It is time to live the Turkish style “Dolce Vita”. In the morning, a visit to Castle of St.Peter, a Crusader stronghold where the whole discipline of “Underwater Archaeology” started in late 60’s. Step out and hop on a hand made wooden yacht, made in Bodrum. The rest of the day is going to be as the way you like it with some down time in the city for yourself.
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Day Five
Overnight: Sirince Village
Today we start going North, deep into the Roman presence in these lands. Both of the temples we visit will be the best preserved of all among many. First the mighty Zeus, surrounded by olive orchards of Euromos, later the major oracle centre of Apollo at Didyma will be crowning the day until we reach our hotel.
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Day Six
Overnight: Sirince
This is the day we will devote to Ephesus and its surroundings. Whole morning at the Ancient Site and the rest of the day exploring the outskirts, like the House of Mother Mary and other smaller but interesting sites.
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Day Seven
Overnight: Assos
Heading North on the Aegean cost, we have to stop at the lovely town of Ayvalık, a small vacation spot for the locals. After a short walk and local lunch in the town, we hit the road again to catch the sunset at Athena Temple of Assos, with wine overlooking the island of Lesbos.
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Day Eight
Overnight: Assos
A day to remember: We will take a ferry (weather dependent) to the small island of Bozcaada where there are few local wineries to explore. It is a cute little town with a lot of local produce to enjoy. If the weather is not good, we will explore the local family-run olive oil and wine production in the neighboring villages with amazing masonry architecture.
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Day Nine
Overnight: Izmir
Back on the road to one of the most underestimated Ancient Roman Cities along the coast of Turkey, Pergamon. Visiting the centre of the city will let us enjoy the great views looking towards the Aegean. Later, the ancient healing centre will be highly relaxing as we gaze into the medical life of ancient psychology. We then continue South to Izmir, our final city along the coast.
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Day Ten
Overnight: Izmir
Downtime in the morning. Sleep late and get ready for the avant-garde late afternoon walk in Old Town of Izmir. Exploring the marketplace will take us to remnants of the Greeks in the city. Final group dinner at a local restaurant to talk about all we have seen in the past ten days and talk about future destinations.
Day Eleven
Tour is over after breakfast. Transfer to Izmir Airport or stay for more.
Price: $4150 (Air not included) per person for a double occupancy room. Single Occupancy room is $4800. We welcome singles and if you do not have a travel partner, please sign up for a single spot. In the event that a roommate is found, your booking can be changed to a double before final payment is due.
You can reserve with a deposit of $600. Included are all breakfasts, a few lunches and dinners, transportation during the tour, entrance fees, local guides and tips, and lodging in comfortable, clean, and centrally located hotels.
Tour begins in Dalaman (DLM), Turkey and tour ends in Izmir (ADB), Turkey.
Please email with questions info@adventureswithsarah.net