Classic Istanbul & Ephesus

Medieval Constantinople

Today, we transfer you to Athens El. Venizelos International Airport for your flight to Istanbul. Upon arrival, you are met by our representatives and are transferred to your hotel. Rest of the day at leisure. You could make your first acquaintance with the City of the Cities, as Constantinople (former name of Istanbul) used to be called. You are in a city which, during the Middle Ages and while the rest of Europe lived in semi-barbaric conditions, was ornated by luxurious public buildings, public baths, Palaces and Mansions, Grandiose churches, hospitals and Charity Institutions!

Istanbul & Bosporus

Today, after breakfast, we start our Bosporus full day tour. Bosporus in Greek means Oxen Ford, a most descriptive name for the narrow strait geographically dividing Europe from Asia, culturally, though, actually uniting them. According to the ancient Greek Myth, the strait was named so after Zeus’s mistress, Io, managed to flee Hera’s justified wrath across this strait turned into a cow. Today, as one sails along the beautiful strait winding between wooded hills, one can admire, on both ‘banks’, mosques, picturesque villages, mansions built as early as the 19th century, castles and extravagant baroque Palaces of the late Ottoman Sultans. We will drive along the European shore of the strait, through charming Ottoman villages full with fancifully decorated 19th century houses, to Sanyer, where we shall embark a cruise ship to take us down the Bosporus, sailing past Palaces and the Rumeli Hisari and the Anadolu Hisari fortresses. The tour will end with a visit to the legendary Spice Bazaar in Istanbul.

Istanbul: Aghia Sophia

After breakfast, we depart on our Istanbul Classical sightseeing tour. We shall first visit the St. Sophia Museum (built in the 6th century, once the largest Christian Church in the world), and the Topkapi Palace (Ιmperial residence of the Ottoman Sultans, exhibiting priceless collections of artifacts, jewellery and rare porcelain), known also from the Jules Dassin's "Top Kapi" film with Melina Merkouri, Maximilian Shell and Peter Ustinov starring. Then follows the Blue Mosque (unique for its six minarets and famous for its blue and white Iznik tiles), and the Hippodrome Square, where the Byzantine chariot races were held. Next comes a visit to the world famous Grand Covered Bazaar. The Suleymaniye Mosque, the largest and grandest of Istanbul’s imperial mosques, ends our visits of today's. There will be time for a lunch. We are transferred to our Istanbul hotel where we shall overnight.

Ephesus Archaeological site: The Library of Celsus

In the morning, we pick you up from your hotel and drive you to the airport, where we will catch our plane for Izmir. Once there, we meet to drive you to the ancient city of Ephesus (Please, see our relative album below). Our first visit will be to the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It was burnt down by Erostratos, a crazy guy who wanted his name to remain immortal, which he did, but in the most dishonorable way! More impressive structures included in our tour are the Library of Celsus, the Temple of Hadrian, the Theater and Odeon, St. John Basilica and the museum of the nearby town of Selçuk. We will also visit the House of Our Lady, while she lived in the area (There is a second Album further down the page). During the day there will be time for lunch. We will overnight in Kusadasi.

Siringe Village

Today we shall visit the pretty old Orthodox village, 12 km away from Ephesus and 30 km from Kusadasi. It was once Cirkince ("ugly"); indeed its habitants gave this name on purpose as they did not want to be bothered by foreigners nor to share the beauty of their village. Still after years, visitors understood that the village was not ugly at all and called it Sirince ("pretty"). As the village is located on the top of a mountain, anyone will enjoy the impressive wine yards' and peach trees' views on his way.

Today the village is a perfect synthesis of Turk-Greek culture as of the 1920's : after the Independence War, people exchange between Greek and Turks has occurred and all those typical Greek houses, though they kept their original outside characteristics, have received the local layout inside. The most beautiful specimens are open to visitors. And even in the courtyard of one of them, one will discover a nicely restorated Orthodox church. All the narrow streets of the village belong to the women, selling handcrafts of all kinds, olive oil. Another attraction of Sirince is its wine : try its taste in small cafés or in the former municipal school restorated and today the best restaurant of town "Artemis". Though Sirince is developing its tourism very quickly, it has been able to preserve its authenticity and the meaning of its name 'special village'. Please, have a look at the photos in the relevant Album to get an idea of what this visit is about.

Lunch and overnight in Kusadasi.

Samos the monastery of Timios Stavros

Morning ferry to Samos, noon ferry to Pireus

Everyday, if return flight to Istanbul is arranged for.

In case you want to continue your vacation visiting the Greek islands, or return to Piraeus by ferry, there are some limitations owed to the schedule of ferry connections from Samos. Please contact us.

• Air tickets Athens - Istanbul
• Tickets for flight within Turkey
• Accommodation in choice hotels
• Transfers airport-hotel Hotel
• Pick-up & drop-off for tours
• Private boat or Ferry boat for the Bosporus Cruise
• Entrance fees as per itinerary
• English speaking Guide throughout
• Air-conditioned Vehicles
• Ferry ticket from Kusadasi to Samos
• Ferry ticket from Samos to Pireus
• V.A.T.

• Drinks and Tips

Please contact us with information on how you would like your excursion itinerary to be like; we can arrange for any combination you wish. You could fly directly to Istanbul, finish you Classic Istanbul and Ephesus tour and arrive to Samos. From there you could visit some of the islands of the Aegean and finish with a 3-Day sojourn in Athens with daily tours to Delphi, Argolis and around Athens itself.

Alternatively, one could take one of the ready-made programs, starting and finishing in Athens, and continue with flying to Istanbul for the Turkish part of the combination, arranging also for a return ticket home, either directly from Izmir or via Istanbul.

• Ephesus Archaeological Site
• Siringe Village
• The House of Virgin Mary