Holiday in Turkey, East & West
| country: | Turkey |
| location: | Turquoise Coast, Cappadocia |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2008: 13 Sep 2009: 25 Apr, 23 May, 20 Jun, 18 Jul, 15 Aug, 12 Sep |
| price: | From £1099 (23 days) excluding flights. Local payment 275. We can arrange flights from the UK |
the amazing things you'll be doing
This trip is an incredible chance to see the whole of Turkey! In just 23 days you will experience the dramatic contrasts between the developed, picturesque west and traditional, scenic east.
We travel through the Pontic Mountains to the Black Sea coast, spend two days in the Barhal Valley as guests of a local family and visit the ancient Armenian capital of Ani.
Then heading to the south east we pass Mt Ararat and take a boat trip on the turquoise waters of Lake Van. Continuing east we take in the massive Commagene stone heads of Mt Nemrut, the incredible landscapes of Cappadocia and the ancient site of Ephesus.
We travel through the Pontic Mountains to the Black Sea coast, spend two days in the Barhal Valley as guests of a local family and visit the ancient Armenian capital of Ani.
Then heading to the south east we pass Mt Ararat and take a boat trip on the turquoise waters of Lake Van. Continuing east we take in the massive Commagene stone heads of Mt Nemrut, the incredible landscapes of Cappadocia and the ancient site of Ephesus.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Ankara. Arrival day. |
| Day 2: | Ankara - Hattusas - Amasya. A guided tour of Ankaras Museum of Anatolian Civilisations before heading east to the ancient Hittite Capital of Hattusas. Overnight in Amasya, historic capital of Pontic Empire. (BD) |
| Day 3: | Amasya - Homestay. Today we have a leisurely morning in Amasya then continue to Ordu Golkoy where we will be guests of one of the families in the village (BD) |
| Day 4: | Trabzon. In the morning there will be time to explore the area. Later we drive to Trabzon on the Black Sea coast. (BD) |
| Day 5: | Sumela - Erzurum. Morning visit to the striking Sumela Monastery. Later we drive to Erzurum, an important city from the Selcuk period. (BD) |
| Day 6: | Kars - Ani. We drive to the grasslands of Kars and visit the fabulous ruins of the 10th century Armenian capital of Ani on the border with the modern Armenian Republic. |
| Day 7: | Mt Ararat - Ishak Pasa - Van. Visit Mt Ararat and the stunning Ishak Pasa Palace. Afternoon drive to Van. (BD) |
| Day 8: | Tatvan. An excursion by boat to Akdamar Island on Lake Van to visit the Church of the Holy Cross. Continue to Tatvan, a small town on the shores of Lake Van. (BD) |
| Day 9: | Mardin. Drive to Mardin via Hasankeyf, where you can see the remains of old Artukids and a picturesque citadel. (B) |
| Day 10: | Mt Nemrut. Free morning in the old quarter of Mardin with time to visit the castle. Afternoon drive to Kahta, near Mt.Nemrut. (BD) |
| Day 11: | Mt Nemrut - Cappadocia. A wonderful sunrise excursion to Mt Nemrut. A short walk takes us to the summit where we see the massive Commagene stone heads. After breakfast we leave for Cappadocia. (B) |
| Day 12: | Cappadocia. Visit Uchisar castle for a panoramic view of Cappadocia's bizarre rock formations, then hike through some of the most spectacular valleys. (B) |
| Day 13: | Konya - Egridir. Continue to Konya, home to the famous Whirling Dervish sect, and Egridir, in the heart of Turkeys Lake District. (BD) |
| Day 14: | Egridir - Arykanda - Kas. Crossing the Taurus Mountains we visit the spectacular site of Arykanda overlooking the River Arykandpos, then drive to Kas with its picturesque old fishing harbour. (B) |
| Day 15: | Kalkan - Fethiye. Following the exquisite Turquoise coast we drive to Kalkan, a beautiful village that tumbles down the hillside. We continue to Fethiye where we board our gulet. (BD) |
| Day 16: | Gulet cruise. Our gulet cruise takes us around the idyllic bays and islands of the Turquoise Coast. We carry canoeing and snorkelling equipment on board but otherwise these are two days of pure relaxation! (BLD) |
| Day 17: | Fethiye - Pamukkale - Selçuk. After breakfast, disembark and drive to Selçuk via Pamukkale. (B) |
| Day 18: | Ephesus. A guided tour of the incredible ruins of the ancient Ionian city of Ephesus. The afternoon is free. (B) |
| Day 19: | Assos. Drive to Bergama and visit the Acropolis before continuing to the small, picturesque fishing village of Assos. (BD) |
| Day 20: | Assos - Çanakkale. Free morning to explore Assos. Afternoon drive to legendary Troy where we have a guided tour. (B) |
| Day 21: | Gallipoli - Istanbul. We return to Istanbul via Gallipoli. (BD) |
| Day 22: | Istanbul. Free day to explore this fabulous city. (B) |
| Day 23: | Istanbul. Tour ends. |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.highly commended
This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2007 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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Journeying the length of the country this trip offers a unique insight into the contrast of life in east and west Turkey. We stay in small local hotels and pensions often in areas virtually unknown to foreigners, employ many local guides and representatives and have endless one-to-one encounters with local people ensuring money from tourism is channelled straight back into the community. On the Black Sea coast, there is often the opportunity to take a trip on a fishing boat organised directly with local fishermen and in the remote Barhal Valley we spend two nights in a traditional mountain house as the guests of Mehmet Karahan and his family. During our stay we take meals with Mehmet and sleep on the upper terrace of his traditional wooden stilted house.
Our tour leaders are a mix of foreigners and locals who all have an incredible understanding of local life and who all receive the SAME wages for the same job. For example, in Cappadocia our tour leaders use their local knowledge to get well off the tourist trail on hikes through remote areas and valleys - while reminding travellers of the importance of respect and environmental responsibility and encouraging them to visit local Turkish baths and folklore shows. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |