Best of Turkey

(13 Days - Departs Daily on a Private Basis)
Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus, Bodrum

This tour features Turkey's best hotels and most important and diverse locations, including the fascinating city of Istanbul, ancient underground cities in Cappadocia, impressive ruins, and the whitewashed coastal town of Bodrum.

Begin in Istanbul. Stay at the Four Seasons Hotel, an historic courtyard building steps from the city's main attractions. During flexible private touring with your own guide, visit sights such as the Aya Sofia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and the beautiful tiles in its Harem, ancient underground cisterns, and Istanbul's Spice Market. Shop for carpets and kilim, jewelry, glass, textiles and antiques at the Grand Bazaar. Also visit the city's most interesting museums and vibrant neighborhoods.

Next, fly inland to Cappadocia to explore ancient subterranean cities filled with frescoed churches and cave dwellings in Goreme, Kaymakli and other locations. While there, stay in a luxury cave-style hotel.

Continue to Kusadasi. With your expert private guide, tour the magnificent ruins of Ephesus, including the Library of Celsus, the Terrace Houses and Ephesus Museum, as well as the nearby House of the Virgin Mary.

Next, spend a day touring ruins (Priene, the first planned city in the ancient world; Miletus, the famous Ionian city; and Didyma, home of the well-preserved Temple of Apollo) en routeto Bodrum, an ancient harbor town. Enjoy a private tour of the beautiful whitewashed backsteets, Roman amphitheatre, the Castle of St. Peter and the remains of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Stay at Bodrum's finest hotel, the hilltop Marmara Bodrum, with breathtaking views of the harbor far below.

Finally, fly back to Istanbul and stay two nights in the lavish Ciragan Palace Hotel, a converted sultan's home, in a room with a view of the Bosphorus.