EPHESUS, PAMUKKALE, FETHIYE BOAT CRUISE, ANTALYA TOUR

7 Days & 8 Nights

Everyday departure budget bus tours from Istanbul

Day 1 : Istanbul - Kusadasi Overnight Bus
This tour package will start with an overnight bus ride to Kusadasi with new model, air-conditioned coaches. Bus rides are especially recommended for people who also want to see the great land panorama of Turkey on the way. Besides this will save you from the cost of that night's hotel accommodation. Tour buses have flexible seats and you can sleep comfortably. There will be several stop-over points at some highway cafe-restaurants during the journey for those who like to eat or drink a cup of coffee and for other needs.
Transfer to bus at around 20:00 o'clock pm from our office in Sultanahmet.
PS: The departure time may change slightly depending on season but you will be informed of exact departure time after you make your reservation.

Day 2 : Ephesus Tour (L/D)
Breakfast in your hotel included.
Full day tour of Ephesus and House of Virgin Mary, including transfers, entrance fees, guide.
From Kusadasi, you travel north to St. John’s Basilica, passing the Byzantine fortress at Selcuk and the ruins of the Temple of Artemis. Continue to Ephesus Open Museum then up to the House of Virgin Mary located in Bulbul Mountain. After the visit head for the upper gate of Ephesus. By the end of touring Ephesus, return to Kusadasi.
Lunch during the tour is included.
Dinner in your hotel is included.
Hotel in Kusadasi included

Day 3 : Pamukkale & Hierapolis Tour. Evening bus to Fethiye. (B/L)
Breakfast in your hotel included
Pamukkale & Hierapolis tour including transfers, entrance fees, guide.
A miracle of Nature (Pamukkale) and one of the most prominent city of ancient times (Hierapolis) are just next to each other waiting to be discovered by you. You must not miss this ! Visiting the amazing white colored travertines, hot spring pools and water terraces have been created by nature in millions of years on the mountain slopes of Pamukkale and the ancient city of Hierapolis which has the biggest ancient Necropolis in present Turkey with 1200 gravestones.
Lunch during the tour is included
Evening bus to Fethiye at the end of the tour (apprx 4-5 hours)
Hotel accommodation in Fethiye

Day 4 - 5 - 6 : Fethiye to Olimpos Boat Cruise - 4 Days, 3 Nights (B/L/D)
After breakfast in your hotel, transfer to boats in the harbor of Fethiye located at the intersection of the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas; for a gullet cruise lasting 3 nights 4 days and covering the most beautiful coasts, islands and bays near-by.

Day 04 - Departure from Fethiye marina at around 11:00-12:00 o'clock noon time.  Stop at Samanlik bay for swimming and lunch. Move on to Butterfly Valley (Kelebekler Vadisi) where it is possible stop for swimming, shortly visiting the Blue Lagoon (Oludeniz) if the weather permits and arrive to St Nicholas Island (Gemiler Adasi) early in the evening where you will have your dinner and your boat will anchor for overnight. You can swim and visit Byzantium ruins in the island.

Day 05 - Around sunrise departure to Aquarium or Firnaz Bay near Kalkan for breakfast & swimming. Cruising to Kas where you will stop in the harbor for lunch and visit this charming fishing village. Only Lycian rock tombs & sarcophagi and the Roman theatre are left from the ancient city called Antiphellos, but the charm of the town remains up to modern times! You will stop for swimming in a bay near Kekova and stay there for dinner and overnight.

Day 06 - After breakfast your boat will depart for visiting Sunken City of Kekova Island. This Lycian- Roman archaeological site is protected and no swimming or snorkeling is allowed, so you will only see the ruins here from the boat while cruising very slowly over the sunken city. We will sail on to Kalekoy (ancient Simena) located at the mainland opposing the Kekova Island which is a typical Turkish fishing-village with no access for cars from the land. You can visit the Byzantine/Ottoman castle after lunch. In Gokkaya Bay, once the haven for pirates, water sports are available at your own expense. You can relax after dinner or party the night away at the Smugglers Inn discotheque which provides transfer for boat guests (at your own expense

Please note that the cabins have 1 double bed. Separates beds for double bookings can result in price supplement. For triple bookings we book 2 cabin with 1 double & 1 single beds.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included during the gullet cruise (drinks excluded)
Cruise itinerary can be changed because of technical reasons, weather conditions and local regulations.
Click here for the further details of this blue cruise, and note the warning on the top of the page

Day 7 :  End of the Cruise. Hotel in Antalya (B)
After breakfast you can take a look at the Pirate's Cave before moving to Cayagzi (Andriake) harbor near Demre arriving there at around mid day.
Transfer to Antalya by local buses - Not included (*)
Hotel accommodation in Antalya included.
(*) Please note that your transfer to hotel in Antalya is not included in this package. You need to handle this on your own, by the help of the cruise staff.  There are frequent local minibuses to Antalya from Demre or Olimpos, will will not be difficult. We skip this because only other alternative is private transportation and will be fairly expensive. Only the transfers to Olimpos village by buses of cruise operator is free of charge.   

Day 8 : Tour in Antalya. Overnight bus to Istanbul (B/L)
Breakfast in tour hotel is included.
Tour of Perge, Aspendos, Side and either Manavgat or Kursunlu Waterfall. Perge & Aspendos tour can be be replaced with other daily tours in Antalya depending on availability on the days you will be there.
Overnight bus to Istanbul with non-smoking new model long distance coaches with air-condition and flexible seat-backs suitable for taking a nap. There will be reasonable breaks along the way for food, drinks and personal needs.

Day 9 : Morning Arrival in Istanbul
End of our tour upon your arrival in Istanbul bus terminal early in the morning.
 

PS: The order of Antalya tours can be interchanged, and minor changes are likely in tour programs.

Please click here to see possible hotels used in our package tours
Please click here for our other tour packages by bus.
 
 

Tour Prices

Low Season: May & October
Per Person in Single room	Per Person in Double room	Per Person in Triple room
750 Euro	575 Euro	590 Euro
Mid Season: June & September
Per Person in Single room	Per Person in Double room	Per Person in Triple room
860 Euro	590 Euro	600 Euro
High Season: July & August
Per Person in Single room	Per Person in Double room	Per Person in Triple room
920 Euro	630 Euro	635 Euro

Tour Prices Include:
All taxes. (various fees will apply for credit card payments, about which you will be informed in advance)
Accommodation in private rooms at 3 or 4 star - or similar quality special class/boutique hotels.
Mentioned day-tours guided in English, including entrance fees for museums, transfers and lunch.
Gullet cruise with breakfast, lunch, dinner and accommodation in private cabins (4 days/3 nights)
All mentioned meals above in the itinerary. Drinks are excluded (B= Breakfast, L= Lunch, D= Dinner)
Overnight transportations by non-smoking, air-conditioned new model buses
All connecting transfers in between the tour period.

Possible additions :
Airport hotel transfers, hotel accommodation and daily city tours in Istanbul before or after this tour package.
Extra hotel and other daily tours in Fethiye can be added:
Extra hotel and other daily tours in Kusadasi can be added.
Extra hotel and other daily tours in Antalya can be added:

Payment and reservation:
We will request 15-20 % of the total tour price in advance to complete your tour reservation. You can make the advance payment from our secure online payment link or by mail order. The remaining payment can be made when you arrive to Istanbul. We accept all major credit cards and cash payments can also be also made in Euros Turkish Liras, US Dollars, British Pounds or other international currencies from local cross rates valid on the payment date.

Please click here to see possible hotels used in our package tours
Please click here for our other tour packages by bus.
 

What is a package tour ?
A package tour is the combination of variety of local tours in different cities in the most practical and economic way, which can be done by professional travel agencies only. Please kindly note that these are package tours rather than typical group tours and you will actually be independent in hotels and during the transportation (bus or plane) except join other people during the daily excursion tours included in the itineraries. The itineraries are organized considering best transportation options. Our agency's basic function here is that, everything will be organized by us and will be ready for you (bus or plane tickets, hotels vouchers, tours as well as most connecting transfers) in advance, and you will not have to deal with each separately, and besides pay much less than you would book them by yourself.

You can customize these tours
Tour prices are valid for mostly 3, some 4 star or similar quality boutique hotels. Each of these tours can be upgraded or customized for your personal requirement. Hotels can be upgraded to 4 star, or 5 star hotels and additional hotel accommodation + free day can be added to each tour at any destinations you prefer, bus rides can be replaced with domestic flights where available, Istanbul departure and arrivals can easily be replaced by other cities of Turkey.

Important Notice:
Except peak summer season, Istanbul Airports are where almost all international flights lands when you come to Turkey. Istanbul leg is not included in any of these packages. To be able to join them comfortably, you need to add minimum 1 night stay in Istanbul to the end & beginning of these package tours - unless your international flights are matching perfectly and you do not want to risk consequences of any possible delays. We can additionally book your hotels and tours in Istanbul if requested. Some tours can also be arranged starting from / ending in other major cities as well.

Please click here to see possible hotels used in our package tours
Please click here for our other tour packages by bus..

 

INFORMATION

Ephesus
During both the Hellenistic and Roman periods Ephesus was the most important port and cultural center of the eastern world. The remains of the city are still spellbinding today. Of all the ancient cities of Turkey, Ephesus is the best preserved and most visited in all ages and is as popular as it was in ancient times. This is due to the miraculous discovery of the House of the Virgin Mary. The city had splendid buildings and was dedicated to the Goddess Artemis, whose temple was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The main monuments that we will see during the visit of this fascinating city are: the street of Arcadiane, the majestic theatre, marble road, library of Celsus, market place street of the Curettes, baths of Scholastic state agora, prytaneion, odeon. The town of Seljuk, is dominated by a Byzantine citadel close to the basilica of St. John built in the 5th century, on the site of tomb of the Apostle. Seljuk has also an exceptionally fine archaeological museum.

The Artemis Temple was destroyed in 356BC, and when Alexander the Great passed through in 334 BC he offered to pay for the cost of a new construction, provided it was dedicated to him. The Ephesus people declined, and rebuilt it with great success.

When the Romans made Ephesus their provincial capital, it became a busy town with great commercial, trading and political importance, and a population that grew to around 250,000. A significant Christian community grew, and the city was visited by St John the Evangelist in the 1st century, then by St Paul, who was there between 51-53 AD and wrote some of his epistles. It was also the venue of two Ecumenical Councils.

But the success of Roman Ephesus began to dwindle, mainly because of problems connected to the harbour, which was the main source of trade. The Cayster River was pushing silt up the harbour and despite attempts to dredge it and rebuild the harbour, the sea was pushed back to Pamucak, 4km away, and therefore Ephesus lost its source of wealth. By the 6th century, the city was unliveable and was shifted near to St John’s Basilica, and by 1090 it was taken over by the Turks.

Pamukkale & Hierapolis
Pamukkale is one of the most enchanting and remarkable sights in the whole of Turkey with the great dazzling white plateau, almost 400 feet high, rising in a curtain of stalagmites and shallow pools, giving one into another on hundreds of different levels, and ancient city of Hierapolis located on this plateau. The great baths were constructed in the second century and are so well-preserved that they now serve as a museum. The impressive and recently restored theatre, the Martyrium of St. Philip the Apostle of the 5th century – a colonnaded street erected by Domitian, a monumental gate of the same period, another bath stretching on for over a Mile, the necropolis with a fascinating variety of tombs and sarcophagus are the famous monuments of this antique city.

Fethiye
Fethiye is one of Turkey's well-known tourist centres and is especially popular during the summer. In the last ten years Fethiye has become a magnet for European citizens. Apart from its climate and natural beauty, the tourists are attracted by its less expensive lifestyle and the hospitality of the local people. Fethiye is also home to the Tomb of Amyntas, a large and beautiful tomb built in 350 BC by the Lycians. What makes this tomb unique is its massive size and beautiful carvings. Modern Fethiye is located on the site of the ancient city of Telmessos, the ruins of which can be seen in the city, e.g. the Hellenistic theatre by the main quay. Telmessos was the most important city of Lycia, with a recorded history starting in the 5th century BC. The city became part of the Persian Empire after the invasion of the Persian general Harpagos in 547 BC, along with other Lycian and Carian cities.

Antalya
Antalya is one of the best of Turkish cities perfectly combining historical, natural beauties also known as Turkish Riviera with many neighborhood sandy beaches and vivid night life. There are many well preserved significant ancient sights around the city which you must definitely see if you happen to visit Turkey.

Perge: Situated 18 km east of Antalya, Perge is in the city limits of Aksu Bucagi. Because of its location on the Cilicia - Pisidia road, it was a vital part of the province of Pamphylia, and was founded around the same time as the other cities in the area (7th century BC). It was an important city for Christians of Perge who had worshipped the mother goddess Artemis. St. Paul and Barnabas visited the city and wealthy benefactors like Magna Plancia had a number of important memorials built here.
Aspendos:  This antique city established in the Early age is 48km east of Antalya. Its most important feature is its theatre. The theatre and its stage are the best preserved of the Roman theatres in Anatolia still being used for music concerts and opera shows during festivals. The most popular of these festivals are the Aspendos International Opera and Ballet festival. 15000 spectators can sit in the theatre. It was built during the reign of Emperor Antonius Pius (134 - 164) by architect Zenon.
Side: In the ancient town of Side, there are inscriptions, weapon embossing from Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine Periods, sculptures which are Roman Period copies of Greek originals, torsos, temples, tomb steles, portraits, ostotecs and column pedestals on exhibition in the museum.  PS: Please note. Side is pronounced something like 'see-dah', fairly different than the English world 'side')
Kekova: It is by the cost of Antalya province between Kas-Demre towns. It is an ancient city submerged and now partly under sea water, but can be seen from outside.