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Turkey: Istanbul & the Turquoise Coast

Visit Istanbul, one of the world’s most fascinating cities, then spend a week on your own private yacht along the southern coast. Luxury with an exotic touch!
Duration: 10 nights / 11 days
Dates: Private departures on request
Trip starts/ends: Istanbul, evening Day 1; Dalaman airport morning of Day 11
Activity level: 2+ daily activities include hiking over rocky terrain and water sports [more info]
Group size: min. 6 - max 12

Highlights

* Explore the city of Istanbul with a licensed city guide (including the Santa Sofia church/mosque, the Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome, Topkapi Palace, and the ancient cisterns)
* Visit the Egyptian Spice Market, the Grand Bazaar, and the Beyoglu area in Istanbul
* Try some of Istanbul’s best “street food”
* Revitalize your body with a soak and a scrub at a traditional Turkish hammam
* Enjoy two hikes along the coast with spectacular views and ancient ruins along your path
* Take a day-trip to a nearby Greek island
* Snorkel, kayak, swim and stand-up paddle in quiet bays 
* Explore ancient Lycian ruins
* Visit a workshop to see how women have been making amazing wool and silk carpets for centuries
* Try your hand at making traditional dishes
* Enjoy the pure luxury of traveling, dining and swimming from your own private Turkish gulet
* For the adventurous: paraglide over beautiful Ölüdeniz beach (optional)

 

Trip price includes

3 nights in Istanbul and 7 nights on private traditional gulet with crew of four; 10 breakfasts & dinners plus 3 lunches; 1 day guided visit of Istanbul with licensed guide; all visits and transfers as per itinerary; at least 1 Wild Sage guide; internal flight from Istanbul to Dalaman; 2 airport transfers (to Istanbul Airport for internal flight and return to Dalaman airport) 

Not included

7 lunches; optional activities like paragliding; drinks other than water at meals; items of a personal nature

ITINERARY

Days 1-3: Istanbul
Enjoy three nights in colorful Istanbul, one of the world’s most fascinating cities. For centuries (and still today) it marked the border between “East” and “West.” Once home to the Roman Empire, it then became the most important city in Christendom and then home to the Ottoman Empire before becoming modern Turkey in 1922. We’ll hit all the highlights and relax at night at a charming boutique hotel in the historical Sultanahmet area of the city.

Days 4-10: A Week On the Turquoise Coast
A one-hour flight takes you to the southern coast of Turkey at Dalaman, where you’ll transfer to pick up your traditional Turkish gulet. Unpack once then enjoy the tranquil seas as your “floating hotel” transports you along the coast for the next week. You’ll see ancient archaeological sites, stroll around beautiful port towns, feast on local cuisine, and enjoy the high life aboard your private yacht. The crew of four makes sure you have everything you need for a fabulous week on the high seas.

Depends on number of participants, contact us for details!
[info on prices]

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Activity Levels

Some tours have a range of activity levels through the week, where some walks may be more challenging than others, but this will give you a general idea of the type of walking/hiking involved on your tour.

1 – EASY: City walking, all or mostly paved, minimal climbing
2 – GENTLE: Moderate hills & easy terrain
3 – MODERATE: Some sustained hills with occasional steep grades on a mix of terrains
4 – HIKE: Classic hiking with rough/rocky terrain, sustained hills, and longer mileage
5 – CHALLENGING: Challenging hiking with steep climbs and descents over rocky terrain and some longer mileage

See below for more detail:

1 – EASY: City walking, all or mostly paved, with minimal climbing (though some cities may have steeper inclines). Archaeological sites may be unpaved but the grades and difficulty level is easy. TOURS: Sicily Coast-to-Coast and any “light active” version of a tour

2 – GENTLE: Moderate hills & easy terrain
The terrain is easy to navigate with packed earth or gravel roads. There are some climbs but nothing too challenging. TOURS: Tuscany, Puglia, Provence
[2+ The “plus” indicates more challenging terrain though the walks are gentle].

3 – MODERATE: Some sustained hills with occasional steep grades and rocky terrain
Here you find a mix of terrain with some steep stretches.
TOURS: Corsica, Sardinia, some of the Dolomites tours, and some hikes on the Greek Islands
[3+ The plus indicates rockier terrain or lots of stone steps (Amalfi, the Cinque Terre) or greater elevation gain/loss (the Dolomites)].

4 — HIKE: Classical hiking with rough terrain, sustained hills, and more mileage. These hikes are on a mix of rough terrain, sometimes involving steep stretches and difficult footing. TOURS: some of our hikes in Sardinia, some of the days in the Cinque Terre, some of the variants of our Dolomites tours.

5 – CHALLENGING: Longer days, challenging climbs, rocky terrain. We don’t do a lot of seriously challenging tours but we do have a Dolomites trip where we hike from hut to hut, so that’s probably the closest we get to a 5.

Info on prices

The price indicated is for a minimum of 6 people and our basic itinerary based on double occupancy (a “single supplement” covers hotel prices only, we apply no extra fees). Departures with fewer people or with upgraded hotels will have a higher price. We can organize private departures for any number of people but prices vary depending on number of participants. Please contact us for details!