Best of Greece and Turkey - ENGMARKET

Llegada y traslado del aeropuerto al hotel. Recibirá en la tarde información para el inicio de su circuito, o bien, a través de los carteles informativos localizados en la recepción del hotel.

IMPORTANTE - SI USTED SOLICITÓ NOCHES ADICIONALES a su llegada al hotel  tendrá su reserva realizada pero el guía de su viaje normalmente no se encontrará hasta el inicio de las actividades incluidas. En recepción podrá usted también encontrar cartel informativo con indicación del teléfono y horas de asistencia de nuestro personal.    
SU TIEMPO POR TANTO ANTES DE ESTE MOMENTO ES LIBRE. En su hotel le podrán ayudar para toda la información que precise. 

TODAY´S HIGHLIGHTS: City tour in Athens. 

We will enjoy a  panoramic tour of the city  with a local guide which includes the Presidential Palace, the Panathinaikos stadium where the first modern Olympic games were held, the national library, the bustling squares of the center; the new neighborhoods that emerged after the 2004 Olympic games. The tour will end at the Acropolis site (entry not included).

In the evening we include a  transfer to the area of PLAKA,  a place full of small Greek taverns where you can also enjoy this country´s folklore. 

Total distance:  310 km 
Countryside:  Very pretty scenery with the sea in the background. Mountains of the interior of the Peloponnese.  
NB:   We suggest comfortable footwear to see the archaeological complexes. It is also recommendable to take sun protection and a bottle of water in the hotter months.      

09.00 hrs - Athens -departure.   
10:30 hrs Corinth Canal -  A short stop to photograph this millenary work. 
11.00 hrs - Acrocorinth . Arrival at this immense mediaeval fortress alongside the ancient city of Corinth. At the top of the settlement of what was one of the largest Acropolis of ancient Greece are the foundations of what was formerly a temple to Aphrodite.   

12.00 hrs - Acrocorinth. Departure. 
13.00 hrs Mycenae.  - Arrival at the colossal eighteenth century BC citadel, the cradle of the first European civilisation (tickets not included). Time to visit and for lunch    

15:30 hrs -Mycenae. Departure. 
16:30 hrs Tripoli.  A stop to stroll in the provincial capital of this region that produces excellent wines.   

17:30 hrs  Tripoli. Departure. 
19:30 hrs  Olympia  – Arrival, accommodation and  dinner included.    

Distance covered:  285 km.
 
Countryside: Pretty Mediterranean scenery of hills and mountains on the Peloponnese Peninsula.     
NB: Wear comfortable footwear to visit Mistra. We also suggest sun protection and a bottle of water in the warmer months. 

With a local guide, we visit OLYMPIA where you can see the archaeological complex (tour with a local guide included, tickets to the complex not included) which was the cradle of the Olympic Games in antiquity.  We will see the Sanctuary of Zeus. After the visit there will be free time for you to visit the museum at your own pace if you like.  

11:30 hrs - Olympia –Departure-. Mountain scenery, some picturesque villages on our way. 
14.00 hrs - MISTRA –Arrival-. Time for lunch and to see this ancient Byzantine city that was abandoned in the nineteenth century. Its ruins are impressive, and particularly noteworthy are the Byzantine frescoes in its monasteries. We are very close to the ancient Greek city of Sparta. 

16.30 hrs - Mistra –Departure-. We continue our route through the Peloponnese, travelling to the shores of the Aegean Sea. 
18.15 hrs - NAUPLIA, a charming coastal town overlooked by the citadel and Venetian fortress; time for a stroll and dinner included.

Distance covered by road: 85 km 
Countryside: Today we do most of the route by boat as it is dominated by the Aegean Sea. 
Notes: The bus will not travel with us on our trips made by boat (we will meet it again on arrival in Athens). Do not forget to take your documentation with you and everything you might need during the day. 
The timetables of the ferries connecting the Greek islands change a lot depending on the time of year, and will be announced very shortly beforehand. The timetable information given here is intended as a rough guide. The boat frequencies between Poros and Aegina are very limited. In the low season, the island of Aegina may be substituted by Hydra.  

08:30 hrs –Nauplia.- Departure-.
09.00hrs - EPIDAURUS, where there will be time to see its ancient theatre built 2400 years ago; it is magnificently preserved and is still used today, accommodating up to 14,000 people. 

10:30 hrs - Epidaurus –Departure-. 
11:15 hrs - Galatas – Arrival this small port, where we can see the island of Poros in front. We board a pleasant ferry which in fifteen minutes leaves us on the island of POROS . Time in this charming place full of tourist life; its ancient houses climb up to the clock tower. Time for a stroll and for lunch. After this (on a variable timetable depending on the time of year, a crossing of approximately 45 minutes) we take the ferry to AEGINA , an island inhabited for more than 4000 years, where we can stroll around its ancient churches, its picturesque port and its typical districts of small houses. 

At around 18.00hrs, we take the ferry once more, which takes around 45 minutes to return us to ATHENS –Arrival in the Piraeus, where our bus is waiting – collection of luggage and end of the services if you end your trip here.

Today´s highlights: city tour in athens. night ferry-boat to rodhes. we will enjoy a panoramic tour of the city with a local guide which includes the presidential palace, the panathinaikos stadium (where the first modern olympic games were held), the national library, the bustling central squares and the new neighborhoods that emerged after the 2004 olympic games. the tour will end at the acropolis site (entry not included). at night we will transfer to the port of pireo and embark on the night ferry, which has similar conditions to those of cruise ships, double berth accommodation. night on board.

Today’s highlights: city tour of rodhes- ferry to marmaris (turkey). dinner included. arrival in rhodes first thing in the morning. we start with a city tour of this incredible walled city and the old quarter, which bears the imprints of the different cultures that shaped it (greek, roman, byzantine, knights of saint john, ottoman, italian..). in the afternoon, around 16:00h, we will embark on the express ferry to turkey, the journey will last about an hour. marmaris,beautiful coastal touristic enclave with a castle, marina and fountains. accommodation in the region of marmaris. dinner included. important notice: the timetable for the ferry between rhodes and marmaris is frequently modified and doesn’t operate every day (except in the summer months), this part of the trip’s itinerary may have to be modified accordingly. 

Distance covered:  335 km 
Scenery:   Coastal sections and sections between high mountains. Contrasts.  
NOTE:  Have swimwear to hand if you want to enjoy the spa waters or the mud bath. We also recommend taking a change of clothes and having a towel to hand.    

08.00 hrs.- Marmaris - Departure -. 
09.30 hrs.- DALYAN -  Arrival -. An incredible place beside a beautiful navigable river. We include a boat trip of around two and a half hours to see the  LYCIAN ROYAL TOMBS , and we will continue in the boat to a large lake where we will stop at the spa waters, where you can take a dip in the warm waters or have a mud bath! (very basic facilities aimed at the local population). Time for a meal in one of the numerous restaurants by the river in Dalyan.    

13.30 hrs.- Dalyan - Departure -. We go on our way. Mountain scenery.  
17.15 hrs.- ANTALYA  - Arrival -. We will make a brief visit of this great coastal city of more than a million inhabitants, the Adrian door, the Ottoman district and its large waterfall falling straight into the sea.  Dinner  and accommodation.

Distance covered:  530 km  
Scenery:   Spectacular contrasts; countryside overlooking the sea. High mountains often with snowy peaks; arid lands of Anatolia. 
Note:   The Ottoman mansion of Tartan Evi may sometimes be closed (out of season or due to local holidays). If it were unavailable for a visit, a visit would be made to a mansion of similar characteristics in Cappadocia.         

08.00 hrs.-Antalya - Departure -.  
09.00 hrs.- ASPENDOS  - Arrival - we visit the Roman theatre that many believe to be the best preserved in the world.   

09.45 hrs.-Aspendos - Departure -. 
10.30 hrs.- SIDE -  Arrival -. A small, very tourist city, full of commercial life. You will have free time. Its Greek temple of Apollo by the sea stands out. Time for a stroll around its port and through its streets full of life.   

12.30 hrs.- Side - Departure -. Amidst impressive scenery, we cross the Taurus mountains. The peaks, of more than 3500 metres, are covered with snow for a large part of the year. We stop for a meal along the way in a pretty service area in the mountains. 
17.00 hrs.- KARAMAN  - Arrival -. A city with an oriental atmosphere. We visit  TARTAN EVI , an ancient Ottoman mansion.   

18.00 hrs.- Karaman - Departure -. Great arid plains along the route in the south of Anatolia. 20.15 hrs.- NIGDE -  Arrival -. We suggest a stroll around its bazaar, its ancient mosque and its fortress.  Dinner  and accommodation.

Distance covered:  120 km  
Scenery:  Scenery of spectacular forms and shapes;  picturesque villages. 
Note:   We recommend comfortable footwear for today’s visits.   

09.00 hrs.- Nigde - Departure -. We spend the whole day in the region of Cappadocia. In the outskirts of Nigde, we first visit  GUMUSLER,  an incredible 7th-century underground monastery with maybe the best Byzantine frescoes of Turkey. We go on to  KAYMACLI . You will see this impressive underground city in Cappadocia. Its tunnels and catacombs can house up to thirty thousand people. After this we visit  UCHISAR  – A stroll in this village of Cappadocia; you can see its 60-metre rock full of houses in dugout caves. Time for lunch. We then leave for the  GOREME VALLEY. We include tickets  to see the fantastic open-air museum that houses more than 30 churches dug out of the rocks, some with very beautiful frescoes.  

AVANOS, dinner  and accommodation in this pleasant city, the tourist centre of the region. In the evening, after dinner, we suggest going to the “Turkish night” show (optional).

Total distance covered:  540 km.
  
Scenery:   We begin with arid and flat landscapes of the interior of Turkey, as we approach the Black Sea mountains and forests are emerging.
Notes:  Hacibecktas is a sacred place for Muslims; We will visit the mausoleum, but maximum respect to the local population in the sacred places. P lease wear appropriate clothing.


08.00 hrs.- Avanos. Departure.  We have a fantastic day in the heart of Anatolia. 


09.00hrs.- HACIBECKTAS , arrival to the sanctuary guards the tomb of Hacibecktas, a Sufi mystic of the 13th Century. We visit with the utmost respect to the pilgrims ( suitable clothes, silence recommended in the sanctuaries ).

10.00 hrs.- Hacibecktas. Departure.
13.15 hrs-  ANKARA.  W e leave a free time to walk around and have lunch in the thriving center of the city. 

15.00hrs.- Ankara. Departure. We continue towards the north of Turkey. The landscapes become greener. 
18.00 hrs.- SAFRANBOLU;  arrival in this wonderful little city which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was an important stopping point on the caravan routes. Our guide will show some of the most picturesque points of the city and we will include a  traditional Turkish tea  in an ancient caravanserai!  Dinner  included.

Total distance covered: 470 km.
  
Scenery:   Forests, valleys, mountains, landscapes on the Black Sea; A rainy and green region different from what you probably have in your mind when you think of Turkey.

08.00 hrs.- Safranbolu. Departure. Today, the leg of our trip follows the Black Sea and its verdant landscapes. 

10.00 hrs.- In  GOKGOL MAGARASI  we provide entry tickets to this magnificent cave with its underground river and its multiple colours. 

11.00hrs.- Gokgol. Departure. Our road goes towards the sea.
12.00 hrs.-  EREGLI,  Arrival. Next to the Black Sea, we set aside time to have lunch. We also include a visit to its impressive  Cehennemagzi Magarasi caves and tombs  that are overflowing with mythology. 

15.00 hrs.- Eregli. Departure.
16.00hrs.- EYDINPINAR.  On our way back to Istanbul, we stop to relax at EYDINPINAR, with a walk between its green paths to the waterfalls! 

17.30 hrs.- Eydinpinar departure. We travel on the highway towards Istanbul. Passing the suspension bridge that separates Asia from Europe.
20.30 hrs.-  Arrival in  ISTANBUL  at the end of the day. 

Estambul.- Por la mañana a las 09.00 iniciamos visita panorámica de la ciudad de unas dos horas de duración por las murallas, el cuerno de oro, el barrio de pescadores, Taksim, bordeamos el  Palacio Topkapi y admiraremos el exterior de Santa Sofía. Nos encontramos en una ciudad construida sobre dos continentes.
Incluiremos en la visita el teleférico hacia el mirador de Pierre Loti, tiempo en la agradable zona superior, admiraremos la vista y podremos tomar un café en alguna de sus terrazas.
Tiempo libre 

Si lo desea puede efectuar opcionalmente la visita con entradas y almuerzo al interior del palacio de Topkapi (en caso de coincidir con martes y debido al cierre del Palacio este día, la opcional se ofrecerá el miércoles).
19.30 hrs- Al final de la tarde brindaremos un traslado al barrio de Taksim , la zona más comercial y con mas vida local de la ciudad. Tiempo para cenar en alguno de sus numerosos restaurantes, podrá también tomar el antiguo tranvía que atraviesa la zona o acercarse a la próxima Torre Galata. Regreso al hotel sobre las 22 hrs.

Hoy incluimos un paseo en barco por el Bósforo de unas dos horas.  Lo efectuaremos en un barco privado para los viajeros de Europamundo. El Bósforo es un estrecho que conecta el Mar Negro con el Mar de Mármara separando Estambul en dos partes: la europea y la asiática.  Disfrutaremos viendo la animación del estrecho con todos sus barcos, pasaremos bajo los dos puentes que unen Europa y Asia y admiraremos  los palacios de los sultanes, las típicas casas de madera, las villas otomanas.
Resto del día libre. Compras  por el Gran Bazar; visitar Santa Sofía; … múltiples opciones en esta gran capital.

Tras el desayuno, fin de nuestros servicios.