Because you
asked, here is one of our personalized itineraries: Turkey
We invite you to work with us to create a personalized itinerary to your
preferred destination.
The Turkey itinerary below will give you an idea of how we approach
traveling with you.
Thanks!
Personalized Itinerary: Turkey
Our Trip to Turkey two years ago was so special that Kaleel
and I really wanted to share the experience with good friends and travelers.
We have close personal and travel friends in Turkey, Kemal and Patty
Safyurek in the sea-side town of Kalkan, who work with us.
We've developed an individualized and unique tour that we think is hands-on,
and introduces travelers to the sounds and sights, the tastes and textures,
the people of this wonderful country.
We are happy, as we say on our site, to modify and recreate this itinerary
to suit your specific needs and interests. Thats what Go Travel Updates
Personalized Itineraries are all about.
Turkey, physically and culturally, is the bridge between East and West...and
it will feel very much like that to you.
You will see all kinds of faces and eyes.
You will hear the call to prayer, but Turkey remains a very secular society;
the markets and spices are all that you've imagined the Middle East to be,
and in the villages things are done as they have been for hundreds of years.
But in the cities the people are very 21st century.
Turkey is big.
Our 12 day trip will be enticing. But you'll wish for more, Im sure.
Of course we'll visit the popular sights in Istanbul, but then we'll fly to
the heartland to see the mysterious landscape of Cappadocia, and the
spectacular coastline.
We'll get a feeling for the history.
We'll climb and hike a bit, we'll cook, and learn, and boat and swim. But
there'll be plenty of flexibility to be by yourself and make your own
choices.
The hotels weve chosen are small and authentic, reflective of the style of
each region. (Yes, there will be a bath and toilet in each room!)
Our Partners
We met Kemal and Patty Safyurek, and other members of their wonderful family
during our stay in Kalkan. We all felt as if we were old friends and became
even better friends.
With us they have created a unique and personal touring company, bringing
together Kemal's passion for his country, (his English is fluent) his
special understanding of Lycian history, and his experience as a guide.
Along with the Go Travel Updates team, Patty's brings an understanding of
the needs of western tourists (she's American).
Kemal wants you to know that their company is controlled/inspected by the
Ministry of Tourism and by the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies.
These are ground and in-country flight arrangements only. We leave you to
book your own flights UNLESS youd like us to do so for you.
We work closely with several on line and traditional Travel Agents and will
be happy to make those arrangements for you. Our site, however, has links to
on line travel agents that will serve you well.
You'll notice that the first and last days begin and end in Istanbul, not
when you leave and return to the US.
For anyone of you who must shorten the trip, I'll include this (*) symbol
for points where you could arrive or leave. )
ITINERARY
Day 1
Arrive Istanbul Any Thursday. Please note: there is a $45 visa fee for US
citizens.
Transfer to our hotel (a wonderful Ottoman style building in the Blue
Mosque area).
Kemal and Go Travel Updates team members will meet everyone , familiarize
you with the itinerary, and let you lunch and rest a bit.
We'll then take our mini-bus to Ortakoy (a beautiful part of Istanbul near
the Bosporus Bridge) then a boat ride on the Bosporus before dinner.
Dinner at a restaurant in Ortakoy with traditional Turkish food.
Overnight at the hotel .
Day 2
Open buffet breakfast at the hotel.
Tour the highlights of the area: Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia and
Topkapi Palace.
Lunch in the gardens of Topkapi Palace.
After lunch, free time w/Kemal or Patty.
Some ideas for free time
Visit the Harem within the palace; the Istanbul Archeology Museum, Turkish
and Islamic Art Museum or the Underground Cistern (all of these are nearby,
within walking distance).
Meet back at the hotel in the evening and go to Gypsy Town with the group
for dinner, where some local gypsies will be performing their music.
This is one of the most special places for Istanbul locals to go for
dinner.
Return to the hotel.
Day 3 (*)
Open buffet breakfast at the hotel.
Walk to the Egyptian Bazaar, en route stop for a short visit to a historic
train station where the Orient Express once stopped for its final
destination.
Spend an hour or so at the Egyptian (Spice) Bazaar. Terrific Shopping
opportunity (herbs, spices, Turkish delight, sweets, traditional costumes,
etc.)
Walk along the Golden Horn Bridge and visit the fish market by the
Bosporus.
Take the second-oldest-in-the-world subway to Pera where the majority of
non-Muslim communities once lived.
Visit the Galata Tower for a breathtaking view over Istanbul.
Next, we will eat lunch at a historic traditional restaurant, a hangout of
Turkish writers and poets.
More shopping opportunities in Beyoglu Street, famous for its stores.
Next, a Turkish Bath at a grand complex built in the 16th century (bath
fee is extra).
If time does not allow for this bath, we will have a chance to have a
Turkish bath on Day 10 in Fethiye, in an old bath complex.
Drive back to the Blue Mosque area for free time.
Dinner at the hotel (optional). Early night.
Day 4
Early breakfast and check out, transfer to the airport and take the
morning flight to Cappadocia.
Transfer to the hotel Ataman in Gerome, the heart of Cappadocia.
Resting period.
Lunch at a traditional restaurant and a short tour around Gerome Open Air
Museum, famous for its tufa-coned rock formations and early Christian cave
churches and monasteries.
Free time.
Some ideas:
Walk around the park to see more of interesting rock formations and caves,
a great photo opportunity.
More exploration of Gerome.
Meet back at the hotel to depart for dinner at an Ottoman-style
caravanseri.
A whirling dervish show will be either seen after this or
after dinner the next day. A detailed explanation of Sufism will be given
before the show, which is performed within one of the oldest caravanseri
from 1249 AD, depicting the very fine pre-Ottoman art.
Back to the hotel, stay overnight.
Day 5
Breakfast at the hotel.
Visit Avanos famous for its potteries. Opportunity to try your hand at
pottery throwing on a kick wheel.
Next a visit to Zelve, an ancient monastic retreat with many
interconnected living spaces and churches.
Following this, a visit to the nearby Valley of the Fairy Chimneys.
Visit to Urgup, famous for its cave houses and wineries. Some of the best
wine produced in Turkey.
Lunch in Urgup. And a lecture and comprehensive demonstration on carpets
and kilims, most of which are produced locally.
Learn about the weaving tradition of Turkey.
Free time
In Gerome where interesting underground bars an shops can be visited. Meet
for dinner at an underground restaurant, where well enjoy a Turkish folk
dance performance. (This may be on Day 4).
Return to the hotel.
Day 6
Breakfast at the hotel, check-out.
Visit the Uchisar Castle. Climb on a stairway to the top of a huge rock
riddled with ancient caves, from here one receives a supreme view of the
Cappadocia area.
Visit an underground city on the outskirts of Cappadocia, eight stories
deep, where early Christians lived while hiding from Arab invaders and Roman
persecution.
Depart to Konya for lunch and a visit to the Mevlana Museum.
A detailed introduction will be made on the life of Rumi and his period.
Continue to Antalya, driving through a very scenic landscape of forested
mountains and fertile valleys. (This will be our longest drive time)
Arrive at the hotel in the evening, a restored Ottoman mansion in the Old
Town section of Antalya.
Dinner at the hotel and stay overnight.
Day 7
Breakfast at the hotel and check out.
Visit an old Turkish house converted into a museum with exhibits of daily
life inside a traditional Ottoman/Turkish house complete with rooms
furnished with artifacts, furniture and models to depict life as it once
was.
Next a visit to the Antalya Regional Museum where art and artifacts found
in the Antalya area are displayed in chronological order from prehistoric
times. Excellent ancient classical sculptures, Roman mosaics, Christian
frescoes, Ottoman costumes, etc., are on display.
Drive to Myra along a beautiful coastal road.
Lunch at a local restaurant and then a visit to Myra, famous for some of
the finest examples of Lycian rock-cut tombs as well as the largest
amphitheatre in Lycia.
Next a short visit to the Church of St. Nicholas where he was once a
bishop and later entombed.
Drive to Kekova fishing village (Uchagiz) to watch the sunset over Kekova
island from the top of a nearby Lycian ruin. Then dinner at a fish
restaurant near the quay.
Stay overnight in a typical pension.
Day 8
Breakfast at the pension.
Take a private boat around the Kekova Islands and the sunken Lycian city
of Simena to see the ruins above and below the surface, as well as crusaders
castle atop a rocky outcrop and Lycian monumental sarcophagi.
BBQ lunch in a secluded cove.
Lots of snorkeling and swimming stops. Depending on weather conditions we
can use a gullet with six or more cabins (each cabin with a double bed and
bathroom en suite) and stay overnight cruising to Kalkan with a stop in Kas.
Otherwise, we will use a double-decker boat from Uchagiz for the
Kekova-Simena tour and take the bus straight to Kalkan that day and check
into the hotel with dinner.
Free time to follow.
Day 9
Breakfast at the hotel.
Drive to Bezirgan village near Kalkan to visit a Turkish family's house
and tour the village to learn about village life. Great photo op.
Continue on to Xanthos, the capital city of Lycia for a short visit.
Drive through the beautiful Taurus Mountains to a very scenic trout farm
tucked away in the mountains with a stunning view over the Xanthos Valley.
Stop at a village to see a weaving co-operative run by local women.
Back to Kalkan for free time.
Meet at a restaurant for a Turkish cooking demonstration and meal (We will
include recipes in the book of articles and literature given to the group).
Free time and stay overnight.
Day 10
Breakfast at the hotel and check out.
Drive to the off the beaten track deserted Greek village of Kayakoy where
there are over two thousand deserted stone houses and a few churches
(depopulated with the exchange of populations in the 1920s) overlooking a
fertile plain and a Turkish
village.
Hike through the houses and hills of this area, overlooking the
Mediterranean.
Lunch at a do-it-yourself open-air BBQ garden restaurant in Kayakoy where
you can purchase your ingredients and cook them over a grill yourself. (They
can also do it for you if you dont want to do it
yourself).
Free time.
Ideas: Complete relaxation on the beach at the beautiful nearby Oludeniz
Lagoon where there are sports to do as well
(watersports, paragliding) or hiking or photography.
Drive to Fethiye, a main town with a beautiful harbor and many islands.
Check into the hotel (overlooking the bay or lagoon).
Meet for dinner at a restaurant with many tasty dishes.
Free time.
Day 11 (*)
Breakfast at hotel.
Take our private boat on a cruise around the islands near Fethiye. Not
only is this a fascinating area for nature, but there will be a chance for
plenty of swimming and snorkeling, etc, for a great, relaxing day.
Lunch onboard.
Back to the hotel for packing and check out.
Drive to Dalaman Airport, near Fethiye, for an early evening flight to
Istanbul.
Transfer to hotel and check in.
Eat at a restaurant near the hotel in the Blue Mosque area.
Stay overnight.
Day 12
Breakfast at hotel.
Provided most people have later afternoon/evening flights, we can tour
some of the sights of Istanbul we have not yet seen or free time.
Also, a last shopping opportunity at the Grand Bazaar.
If there will not be time for this, we can arrange the itinerary so that
we can see the Grand Bazaar at the beginning of the tour.
If fewer than 4 people have flights at the beginning of the day, we will
arrange taxi transfers for them and I will stay with the majority of the
group.
Then in the afternoon, transfer to the airport.
Flight back to the United States.
***If anyone is interested in staying in Turkey longer and seeing Ephesus
and/or Pammukale, Kemal can take over those tours.
***If we opt for a gullet on the Kekova tour, the prices will be slightly
higher.
The Bottom Line (what is and is not included)
The trip has been designed for 12 on-the-ground days. While weve indicated
some ways to shorten it (*),you would feel truly cheated for any less time.
Our trip includes:
All accommodations
All transfers and transportation
Two domestic flights* (this will save hours of driving time!)
A full time guide (Kemal) and Go Travel Updates team members.
Museum and entertainment fees
Lectures and demonstrations
Booklets and recipes
Boat tours
All breakfasts, some dinners and lunches
A short language tape of key words and phrases.
Tips: drivers, boat crew, porters, bellboys, hotel staff, waiters (We
asked Kemal to include the tips to save us considerable hassle.)
Turkey is big. 
