SPECIAL INTEREST

Crossroads & Turkish Cuisine (7 nights / 8 days)
Istanbul • Gallipoli • Troy • Assos • Mt. Ida • Pergamum • Kusadasi • Bodrum

Day 1: Arrival at Istanbul Ataturk airport
Private transfer to your hotel; orientation walking tour of the neighborhood with your private guide. (D)

Day 2: Istanbul
Private sightseeing includes the Roman Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, and the Grand Bazaar. (B, L)

Culinary program: Finding a truly authentic or exceptional restaurant can be a challenge, so we have made all the arrangements! We will be enjoying lunch in a restaurant in the historical center specializing in Ottoman imperial cuisine. Here we enjoy a delicious cold appetizer specialty of the day (prepared in olive oil), traditional Turkish pastry with cheese, kebab with smoked eggplant puree, and an assortment of Turkish desserts including the famous “Turkish Delight”.

Day 3: Istanbul
Private sightseeing includes Topkapi Palace and The Harem, the Spice Market, a boat ride on the Bosphorus Strait and a backroads walking tour. (B)

Optional Culinary Program: "Private Dining in a Turkish Home" This unforgettable Turkish experience includes the opportunity to learn the preparation of some traditional dishes and seasonal recipes in an authentic Turkish home. Feel for yourself the sense of expansive hospitality that is innate among Turks everywhere. We say "make yourselves at home" in Turkey and we mean it! Join our hostess, Selin Rozanes, a local cooking expert, for a hands-on experience preparing a Turkish menu followed by a gourmet lunch or dinner. Recipes vary according to the season, utilizing only the freshest ingredients available and providing you with a deeply individual Turkish experience. The best part is the conclusion: Tasting the creations! Price: $150.00 (per person) / minimum one couple and maximum six participants at a time.

Day 4: Istanbul / Gallipoli / Troy / Assos – Drive to Assos
We rise early and begin a full day of travel to the northern Aegean Coast. Visits include Gallipoli, ANZAC Beach and Troy. We cross the strait of the Dardanelles en route to Troy. After an exploration of the ruins and relics here, we continue on to Behramkale, ancient Assos, where we have our included dinner and spend the night. (B, D)

Culinary program: Enjoy dinner at your small boutique hotel beside the tiny port of Assos. The meal begins with Turkish meze, a selection of hot and cold traditional appetizers, followed by a delicious meal of freshly caught fish prepared by the Chef into a wonderful seafood dinner.

Day 5: Assos / Mt. Ida / Pergamum / Kusadasi / Ephesus – Drive to Ephesus
This morning we depart for Pergamum, once one of the richest small kingdoms in Asia Minor. Here we visit the magnificent Acropolis. Along with the library, the Acropolis also boasts a great theater seating 10,000 and the marble-columned Temple of Trajan. Below the theater lie the ruins of the Temple of Dionysus along with the Altar of Zeus. We continue on to the Asclepieum, a sanctuary and healing center built in the 4th century BC in the name of Ascelepius. Later this afternoon we travel to Kusadasi and our hotel. (B, L)

Culinary program: On the way to Kusadasi, we stop in the village of Adatepe to visit the Olive Oil Museum - the first and the most sophisticated of its kind in Turkey. Here, we meet the owners of the olive oil processing factory who show us how olives are pressed and olive oil is produced. Then we drive to a mountain village at the foot of the mythological Ida Mountain where we will experience an outstanding lunch prepared by Chef Erhan Seker, the owner of Zeytinbağı Restaurant. The local dishes are prepared with vegetables of the Aegean coast and wild herbs gathered from Ida Mountain. The restaurant is known to produce some of the best cooking in Turkey.

Day 6: Ephesus / Sirince Old Greek Village
Visit the ruins of Ephesus, including the Roman period villas known as the Terrace Houses. For our lunch, we drive to a village on the hills near Ephesus. Originally a Greek-Orthodox village, Sirince is now a very pretty site of Turkish-Greek culture. From its beautiful hilltop location we enjoy impressive views of the vineyards and olive trees surrounding the village. As we wander the narrow streets of the village lined with typical Greek houses, we come across women selling handcrafts of all kinds and other local village products. Here, we have a chance to socialize with the locals and taste the simple, yet delicious cuisine of the Aegean at a home-hosted lunch. A final stop is in the town of Selcuk where you can visit the Museum of Archaeology. (B, L)

Culinary program: We will visit a typical Greek house in an authentic village where we will savour gozleme, a traditional homemade stuffed pancake, guvec, a delicious stew prepared in the oven, and freshly baked bread.

Day 7: Ephesus / Bodrum – Drive to Bodrum
On the way to Bodrum, we will stop at the local village of Sultankoy where we have the opportunity to learn about some local crafts, such as rug-weaving. We may also be able to see demonstrations performed by local craftsmen.

We will continue our drive to Bodrum and visit Museum of Underwater Archaeology in the Castle of St. Peter - the most prominent feature of Bodrum. Bodrum is situated in the southwest corner of the Aegean region of Turkey; it has an excellent climate and a beautiful coastline. The city of Bodrum rests on the ancient city of Halicarnassus. Due to both its historical importance and natural beauty, Bodrum has become very popular with both locals and tourists. Our farewell dinner will be served at a cozy restaurant in Ortakent, a town on the Bodrum peninsula. (B, D)

Culinary program: In the small medieval town of Ortakent, we meet our host Chef Asli Mutlu and taste her Mediterranean fusion dishes prepared with local vegetables, herbs and flavors. Asli's passion for cooking is displayed in her variety of cooking where she uses the wonderful fresh and wild vegetables of the region in different styles. One day pumpkins will be served with walnuts, cooked in the Turkish way and another day, it will be a raw salad mixed with green herbs. What is always included in these dishes is the extra virgin olive oil of the region. Chef Asli Mutlu researches old recipes and creates new ones using meat, fish and poultry to cook outstanding meals with a never ending passion! The village atmosphere and outstanding dining experience will make this an unforgettable night!

Day 8: Bodrum / Istanbul - Homebound Departure
After breakfast we drive to Bodrum / Milas airport for a homebound flight via Istanbul.

Prices are per person, in USD and based on double occupancy at hotels:

2 TRAVELERS	4 TRAVELERS	6 TRAVELERS	10 TRAVELERS
$ 3,690.00	$ 2,690.00	$ 2,290.00	$ 1,890.00

Subject to availability and dates selected
A discount (10 %) will apply for the following period: November 15th to March 15th

Accommodation in hotels:

3 nights Istanbul: Hotel Ottoman Imperial (in the historic Sultanahmet neighborhood) or similar
1 night Assos: Hotel Nazlihan or similar
2 nights Kusadasi: Hotel Kismet or similar
1 night Bodrum: Hotel Majesty Marina or similar

Price of the package includes:

1. Domestic flights in coach class within the program (Bodrum to Istanbul).

2. Meals as indicated by (B, L, D) - B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)

3. 14 Meals: 7 breakfasts, 4 lunches, and 3 dinners include bottled water.

4. Services of a private licensed, professional English-speaking guide throughout your trip.

5. All transfers and travel by private, modern, air-conditioned, chauffeur driven vehicles, appropriate to the size of your group.

6. All entrance fees to the sites and museums mentioned in the program.

7. Parking, ferry, and toll road fees. Not applicable if you are driving a rental car.

8. Gratuity at restaurants where a meal is included in the program./p>

9. Porterage fees at airports when our guide travels with you./p>

Price of the package excludes:

1. Airfare for international flights.

2. Beverages other than water during included meals.

3. Optional gratuities to the tour guide(s), driver(s). Also to the gulet crew if applies.

4. Tipping for porters at hotels.

5. Travel insurance.

6. Visas, laundry, and personal items.