Walking & Sailing Through History:
Turkey - May-June 2014

Highlights: Istanbul, Antalya, Lycia and Aegean coast cruise, Nemrut Dag, Eastern Turkey to Trabzon on the Black Sea

Magnificent blue tiled mosques and Ottoman palaces , pure turquoise seas, rocky, forested mountains and spectacular geological oddities -- Turkey is all this. Spectacular discoveries abound on Turkey’s southwest coast and mountains.  You can join the optional guided hikes, or just enjoy the ancient historical sites and scenic views.  We'll leave the bus for several days of  cruising the Turquoise coast in a gulet (Turkish yacht) offering unique views of the often inaccessible Turkish coast.  Each day we’ll drop anchor and explore, with swimming, hiking and other activities.  Other highlights include visits to unexcavated ruins and tracing Roman aqueducts, Silk Road caravan paths and goat herders’ trails. We'll explore isolated, less visited ruins of once prosperous city states such as Xanthos, Selge, Phaselis, Antiphellos and Patara  After  the flaming rocks at Chimaera, amid the spring profusion of oleander, anemones, poppies, and other wildflowers, we'll travel to Konya, the shrine of Rumi, founder of the whirling dervishes, then see the and prehistoric site  Catal Hoyuk.

Cappadocia will be our base for several days exploring troglodyte caves and underground cities.  Pottery and carpet weaving are among the many crafts to be found here.  Then we'll move to the less visited eastern desert and mountains, stopping first at the colossal Nemrut Dag.  The ancient cities of Urfa, Diyarbakir and Van lead us to the picaresque Ishak Pasa palace and an enormous meteor crater near the Iranian border.  Continuing north we'll visit the ruins of the medieval Armenian capital of Ani before crossing the Kackar mountains to Trabzon, the last outpost of the Byzantine empire.

This will be our 7th trip to Turkey and we have hiked and explored most of the places we’ll be visiting.  The emphasis will be on sightseeing, photography and moderate day hiking, customized for the actual group. The tour is organized by our friend, Lutfi Atay, a National guide licensed by the Turkish Ministry of Tourism. He has been our guide for our previous trips, including a Mazamas outing and will accompany us throughout this trip. We’ll stay in 3-4 star hotels, with 2 night stays whenever possible. Almost all meals are included. Breakfasts and most other meals give you a wide range of choices from Continental and Turkish regional specialties.  We’ll travel in an air conditioned, private minibus.  It will take us to and from trailheads and ancient sites each day.  

Itinerary details:  34 Days in Turkey