the two sides of the Aegean --- It is hard to deny that both Turkey and Greece have a great deal in common; social and cultural values shared on either side of the Aegean.
As you tour Greece and Turkey with this in mind, you will be amazed by the similarity. On this tour, we cover the unique sites and features of the two countries...

• 12 nights & 13 days - tour starts in Athens, ends in Istanbul

• Capital city Athens, Thessaloniki, and Kavala
• Meteora monasteries
• Ancient Delphi
• Byzantine & Ottoman Istanbul
• Legendary Troy on the Dardannelles
• Hellenistic Pergamon & Aesclepion
• Ancient Ephesus

• Accommodations in centrally located hotels and pensions
• All breakfasts, and half the lunches and dinners
• All entrance fees to sites and museums listed in the itinerary
• Domestic flight; Izmir to Istanbul

day 1 - Athens --- Welcome get-together and tour introduction, followed by our first dinner together.

day 2 - Athens --- Stronghold of the people of Attica; Athens and the harbor city Piraeus. Through our day in Athens, you will explore the Museum of Archeology, the renowned Acropolis, the vivid square Syntagma and Ommonia, and the never sleeping district of Plaka.

day 3 - Athens - Delphi --- A scenic drive thru the mountain range of Attica. As we arrive in Delphi, we will have free time before dinner to explore the town.

day 4 - Delphi - Meteora --- Ancient Delphi was one the two major oracle centers of the known world. One way or another the name of this city is related to almost all major settlements on both banks of the Aegean. An outstanding view, and a unique location. The museum has distinguished archaeological finds.

day 5 - Meteora --- Unique landscape; massive rocks pointing the sky, and on top, attractive looking Orthodox monasteries...

day 6 - Meteora - Thessaloniki --- Today we visit Vergina, the burial site of Phillip, father of Alexander the Great. In Thessaloniki, we visit the citadel, Ottoman castle, Jewish neighborhood, Aya Yorgi Cathedral, and the Archaeological Museum.

day 7 - Thessaloniki - Canakkale --- Today we drive to Greek - Turkish border via Kavala, a charming fishermen's town. En route to Canakkale, we'll visit the WW1 memorials on the Gallipoli peninsula.

day 8 - Canakkale - Pergamon --- The day starts with Troy, the legendary city in Homer's epic, the Iliad.
Later in the day we drive to Pergamon. The ruins of this spectacular Acropolis is 1,000 feet above the contemporary town, and command an extraordinary view in all directions. In Bergama, we also visit Aesclepion, the ancient medical center.

day 9 - Pergamon - Ephesus --- Izmir is Turkey's largest metropolitan area on the Aegean. Here in Izmir, we'll visit the ancient Agora, and the attractive medieval castle overlooking the city.
On our way to Ephesus, we'll stop by the ancient city of Metropolis, one of the best preserved Hellenistic cities in the entire Asia Minor.

day 10 - Ephesus - Istanbul --- Today we explore the site of ancient Ephesus. During the Roman times Ephesus was one of the largest metropolitans of the world, and the capital city of the Asian Province. Next stop is the museum of archaeology in Selcuk (contemporary town of Ephesus) that exhibits some rare finds from the site.
An excursion to nearby Sirince village concludes the day.
We take the late afternoon flight to Istanbul.

days 11 & 12 - Istanbul --- Two full days of sightseeing in the city; tour includes visits to Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, the Blue Mosque, a relaxing cruise on the Bosphorus, and the Grand Bazaar and Spice Market.

day 13 --- Tour is over after breakfast.