From Antalya to Istanbul:
Highlights of Classical Turkey
This is a truly magnificent land tour during the course of which we will get to know several of the most significant and impressively-beautiful sites in Turkey. We will set out on this epic journey from Antalya on the Mediterranean coast and make our way slowly west and north to end at Çanakkale on the Dardanelles. Along the way we will visit places whose very names conjure up images of ancient empires, battles and heroes as well as unparalleled artistic and architectural achievements: Pergamon, Ephesos, Aphrodisias and Troy are just a few of the highlights on this journey. There is much more to enjoy and experience on this tour and no better time to do so than in the soft light of spring when picturesque ruins and stunning monuments emerge from a fresh, green landscape covered in wild flowers. Blue Voyage Yachting travel personel with his extensive knowledge of the history and civilisations of Turkey both ancient and modern is the ideal person to accompany you on this tour.
DAY 1
We fly to Antalya and check into a comfortable hotel in the historic centre, our base for four nights.
​
DAY 2
We start our exciting tour with the great cities of Perge and Aspendos. At Perge (A) the Hellenistic centre is overlaid by a well-preserved Roman city. The fine sculptures excavated here are in the Antalya Museum (Day 4). Aspendos (A) boasts the best-preserved Roman theatre anywhere, still used for performances in the summer. Lunch is at a delightful restaurant overlooking the River Eurymedon (Köprüçay), scene of the last great naval victory of Athens over Persia in 466 BC.
DAY 3
A superb day out, with beautiful scenery all the way, takes us to the spectacularly-situated Pisidian site of Sagalassos (B/C), mentioned as early as the 14th century BC in Hittite documents. It was here that archaeologists uncovered a huge head of Hadrian, exhibited at the British Museum in 2008. We also visit Ariassos (A) and the medieval karavansaray at Susuzhan (the ‘waterless inn’!).
DAY 4
A relaxed morning strolling around the picturesque centre of Antalya (A) and visiting the museum which houses one of the most important collections of Roman sculpture to be found anywhere. The afternoon is free though there is the option of an excursion to the KurÅŸunlu waterfall for a refreshingly scenic walk (A/B).
DAY 5
We set off for the mountain-top site of Termessos (C) where, amid verdant undergrowth, we see the gymnasium, the theatre with its incredible views, the council-chamber, the cliff-top temples of Zeus and Artemis, the monument of the unnamed founder-hero of the city and, in the distance, the tomb of the rebel general Alcetas. We spend the next two nights in a hotel at Pamukkale.
DAY 6
We continue to the site of Hierapolis/Pamukkale (A) where rock deposits from the springs have formed a remarkable series of pools renowned for their therapeutic properties since Roman times.
DAY 7
A wonderful day in which we visit the enchanting site of Aphrodisias (A) where the museum houses an important collection of sculpture including a relief of Claudius triumphing over conquered Britannia. We also visit Nysa (A/B), a fascinating site with one of the few preserved library buildings from antiquity. We continue to Selçuk for two nights at the Kalehan hotel.
DAY 8
We start the day with the museum of Ephesos in Selçuk and the remains of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. We then visit the main site of Ephesos (A/B). We walk down the Curetes street past the well-restored Library of Celsus and then to the huge theatre where St Paul was denounced. Particularly impressive are the terrace houses with their mosaics and frescoes.
DAY 9-10
We visit Pergamon, the capital of the Attalid kingdom bequeathed to Rome in 133 BC. The Acropolis (B) is spectacularly perched high above the plain. We see the library, the remains of the altar of Zeus (transported to Berlin in the 19th century) and the steepest theatre in Anatolia. Our tour also takes us to the little visited Lower City (B) and the Asklepieion (A). We stay in a hotel in Bergama.
DAY 11
We drive to Assos (B) a terraced site on a cliff top with superb views over to the Greek island of Lesvos. We make our way down through the modern village to the necropolis and the main site. We spend the next two nights at the Kervansaray hotel in Behramkale, an enchanting, restored Ottoman building right on the waterfront.
DAY 12
We begin with the Temple of Apollo Smintheus (A) which was once decorated with reliefs depicting the story of the Trojan War and then continue to Alexandria Troas (B), where we walk to the ancient harbour and explore selected parts of this huge site in which excavations are continuously revealing fascinating remains.
DAY 13
We explore the fabled city of Troy (A), where our guide explains this complicated site with its many layers. We take time to examine the Polyxena Sarcophagus and other treasures of the Çanakkale Museum. We stay at a hotel in Çanakkale.
DAY 14
We have a five hour drive by minibus to Istanbul airport.