The Aegean Legacy tour

This tour spends 13 days exploring some of Turkey's main historic and cultural highlights, combined with drives and a 3 night Gulet cruise along the beautiful Mediterranean coast. Starting with a tour of the exciting city of Istanbul, where Europe meets Asia, we head next to the Gallipoli peninsular and the important ANzac day battlefields and memorial sites. Turning south we drive down the Mediterranean coastline with stops at the ancient sites of Troy, Pergamum and Ephesus before arriving at the seaside town of Kusadasi. Next we'll take a relaxing 3 night cruise in the Gulf of Fethiye on a traditional Turkish gulet. We'll visit lots of secluded bays and have plenty of stops to swim in the clear waters, visit tiny local villages and relax on board. Time to head inland next, as we visit the tiered calcium Travertines and Pamukkale, and the Roman spa city of Hieropolis. A drive along the ancient Silk Road to Cappadocia follows, with a stop at Sultanhani Caravansary and the Mevlana Museum in Konya on the way. While in Cappadocia we'll stay in a boutique 'cave hotel' and tour the spectacular natural scenery of Goreme Valley, see the famous 'fairy chimneys', and explore the many levels of one of the regions underground cities. A final day's drive takes us back to Istanbul with a stop on the way at Ankara where we visit Anitkabir, mausoleum of the famed Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. The tour runs during the warmer months, from late April through to October, with accommodation in comfortable mid-range hotels, and on board the Gulet (where may people often choose to sleep under the stars on mattresses on the deck of the boat). 3-4-star hotels Gulet sailing boat