Cultural Tour to Turkey

Join this amazing tour, organized by Nomadic Excursions, to visit selected sites all around Turkey. You will not only have great time in different regions of Anatolia, but also a $100 portion of your payment will be donated to Friends of Anatolia by Nomadic Excursions.

Please contact us to reserve your seats today! See details below.

Click here to see the flyer for this tour.

Trip dates:

August 5, 2006: Departure from U.S.
August 6, 2006: Arrival to Turkey

August 20, 2006: Departure from Turkey
August 20, 2006: Arrival to U.S.

Price:

Entire trip for participants from U.S. *
8-14 participants: $ 1,999
15-20 participants: $ 1,888
21-25 participants: $ 1,760

Tour Program:

B:Breakfast L:Lunch D:Dinner

August 5, Saturday: Departure from USA, Destination: Istanbul.

August 6, Sunday - Istanbul

After arriving Istanbul International Airport, where you will be welcomed by Nomadic Excursions team, you will be transferred to your hotel, which is located in the old city.

Right after showers or a short break to relax, we will be heading to a restaurant for our first Ottoman Cuisine experience only 5 minutes walking distance from our hotel.

Overnight in Istanbul.(D)

August 7, Monday: Istanbul

Wake up to a new morning in Istanbul.

After breakfast, we will be meeting our culture and history guide, who will lead us through a magic carpet ride. Highlights of the day are Hagia Sophia, Sultanahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque), Basilica underground cistern, and Topkapi Palace.

Old Istanbul exploration will be followed by a picturesque Bosphorous cruise to Sariyer, a town at the northern point of the strait merging Black Sea to Marmara Sea.

After catching our vehicle in Sariyer, we will go to a restaurant, which is considered one of the best in the city.

Overnight in Istanbul. (B/L/D)

August 8, Tuesday: Istanbul

After two long days, we will take it easy in the morning and meet at the lobby at a reasonable time. Today we are going to visit the Dolmabahce Palace.

This is the palace caused Ottoman Empire to go bankruptcy. Do you wonder why? Let's explore its charm and richness altogether.

Our next stop is the biggest bazaar in the world “GRAND BAZAAR”. It is shopping time! Do not forget to use the bargaining tricks that would be provided by Nomadic Excursions staff.

We will be meeting at the lobby at a designated time for a very special event: Demet and Nathaniel’s Turkish style wedding celebration.

Overnight in Istanbul. (B/L)

August 9, Wednesday: Istanbul

Free time in the morning. Once we meet at the lobby, we will be taking a walking tour to most colorful and ethnic parts of Istanbul.

First stop will be the Spice Bazaar, where spices coming from East filling the air with their exotic aroma. Crossing the Galata Bridge will lead us to the northern part of Golden Horn, where the European merchants were settled since early 15th century.

After taking a ride with one of the oldest subway systems in the world, we will be right at the heart of Istanbul's cultural life: Beyoglu. We bet you have never seen any place in the world like this. Twenty four hours of nonstop life style, unbelievable human traffic, old European style buildings, colorful people from east and west, and many more attractions that could not be put into words.

Overnight in Istanbul. (B/L/D)

August 10, Thursday: Duzce & Ankara

After breakfast we will be transferred to Duzce to visit Yildiztepe Elementary School project of Friends of Anatolia.

After visiting the site and socializing with locals and students, we will continue to Ankara, the capital of Turkey. Once we check into our hotel, we will go to the castle of the city to experience a unique night at one of the best taverns of Ankara, with a view of the old parliament building.

Overnight in Ankara. (B/L/D)

August 11, Friday: Ankara & Cappadocia

Breakfast will be followed by a visit to Anitkabir, the mausoleum of the founder of Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. The site serves as a shrine for Turks, illustrating the continued depth of feeling for the man widely seen as the father of the modern Turkish state.

Before noon, we will be on our way to Cappadocia, the land of fairy chimneys and the land makes you feel like walking on the moon. You will see the amazing fortress at Uchisar and complete underground monasteries at Goreme along the ride. The caves decorated with religious frescoes in the Greek orthodox style, are considered as a complete record of Christian art since its beginning. Overnight in Cappadocia. (B/L/D)

August 12, Saturday: Cappadocia

A short drive will take us to Kaymakli, one of Cappadocia’s most famous underground cities. It once accommodated thousands of individuals in its honeycomb of rooms and passageways carved below ground into volcanic tufa.

After the visit we will be hiking at spectacular Gomada Valley, where you will have the feeling of being a nomad.

Completing the hike after passing through tunnels, pigeon houses and vegetable farms, we will be transferred to Avanos, famous for the earthenware that is still made by using techniques dating back to the days of Hittites. Interested participants are welcome to participate and share their artistic skills with the rest of the group by creating their art.

Overnight in Cappadocia. (B/L/D)

August 13, Sunday: Izmir, Ephesus & Sirince
Today we are transferring to Kayseri airport to catch a domestic flight to Izmir. Our first stop is Space Camp Turkey is licensed with the U.S. Space Camp Foundation, a private, non-profit organization headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama.

The goals of Space Camp Turkey are to excite and engage students in the fields of science and technology and to motivate and provide professional development for them through the use of interactive activities.

After the visit, we will transfer to Sirince, a small village on the hill, rising behind the historic town of Selcuk and the ancient city of Ephesus.

Overnight in Sirince. (B/L/D)

August 14, Monday: Ephesus & Sirince

We will first visit the impressive Ephesus Museum, with its statues of the goddess Artemis (Cybele) and gladiator artifacts.

While visiting one of the largest archaeological sites in the world, with a little bit help of imagination, you will experience the impression of what it was like to be in living, breathing at a Roman city.

Highlights of the visit include the Odeon, the brothel, Celsius library, gymnasiums, stadium, and many monumental fountains and temples. It will be followed by a Turkish bath experience at Selcuk Hamami.

Overnight in Sirince. (B/L/D)

August 15 Tuesday: Bodrum

Don’t you think it is time to enjoy the turquoise waters of Turkey? In the morning after a short drive to Bodrum we will be checking into our all inclusive resort.

The rest of the day is yours. Either relax on the beach or refresh yourself in fresh turquoise water.

Overnight in Bodrum. (B/L/D)

August 16, Wednesday: Bodrum

Free day in Bodrum. Enjoy your day.

Nomadic Excursions will provide optional excursions to Mausoleum, Museum of underwater archaeology, Castle of St. John.

Overnight in Bodrum. (B/L/D)

August 17, Thursday: Bodrum

Blue Voyage. You will sail deep into the Mediterranean to swim and enjoy the local beauty surrounded by Mother Nature and locals. Simply just sit back, enjoy the ride as it unfolds its marvels. Explore the traces of ancient civilizations.

Overnight in Bodrum. (B/L/D)

August 18 Friday: Bodrum

Free day in Bodrum. Enjoy your day.

Nomadic Excursions will provide optional excursions to Mausoleum, Museum of underwater archaeology, Castle of St. John.

Overnight in Bodrum. (B/L/D)

August 19, Saturday: Istanbul
After the breakfast we will catch our domestic flight to Istanbul from Bodrum.

After a short flight to Istanbul, we will be transferred to Taksim at downtown Istanbul to our hotel.

Everyone can enjoy the free time for exploring the city with their own taste. We will be meeting at the lobby at a designated time and move on to our goodbye dinner. (B/D)

August 20, Sunday: Istanbul

You will be transferred to the Istanbul Airport. Thank you for joining to us and supporting Friends of Anatolia. Looking forward to seeing you all the soonest.

During the entire trip, vegetarians and vegans will be taken into consideration. If you are on a special diet, vegetarian, vegan or allergic to any kind of food please let us know when signing up for an expedition. Your special circumstance will be taken into consideration by all the crew members for your health and joy of the ride.

* Prices include

- Welcoming group at the airport
- All airport transfers in AC equipped vehicles
- 38 meals as stated in itinerary (Vegetarians are taken into consideration for their preferences)
- 2 domestic flights (Kayseri to Izmir, Bodrum to Istanbul)
- Transportation in AC equipped vehicles during the entire trip with professional drivers with clean records
- Bottled spring water
- Accommodations as stated in itinerary (the list of the hotels, resorts and boutique hotels is available upon request) In Bodrum we will be accommodating at an all-inclusive resort
- Trip leader for your convenience
- Professional, knowledgeable and licensed native guides (fluent in English)
- All national park, museum, entrance fees to historical sites
- Donations to religious structures indicated in itinerary
- $ 100 donation to Friends of Anatolia
- Professional service

Price does NOT include
- International airfares
- Foreign airport taxes
- Items of personal nature such as phone calls, laundry, liquor, etc.
- Beverages during meals
- Travel insurance
- Tax

Optional
- Single accommodation
- Private airport transfers
- Extended excursions

Reservations:
Early bookings are advised in order to ensure availability. Early bookings help to secure special permits that are often required by officials.

Please contact Friends of Anatolia to reserve your spot in this journey.

Cancellation Policy:
A fee will be charged to your refund unless cancellation is done 30 days before the scheduled departure.
31 days or more Full Refund
16 days to 30 $ 400
15 days or less 60 % land cost

Refunds:
No refunds will be given for any unused portion of a package. Land cost is quoted as a package; credits are not given for services not used. All prices quoted are in US dollars and are subject to change.

For more information, please contact us.