Best of Greece and Turkey with 2-day Cruise
Best of Greece and Turkey with 2-day Cruise
$3350
Best of Greece and Turkey with 2-day Cruise
14 Days Starting in Athens, Greece and ending in Istanbul, Turkey
Visiting: Athens, Mykonos, Santorini, İstanbul, Ankara, Ürgüp, Pamukkale, İzmir, Çanakkale, Gallipoli
Tour operator:
Tour code:
702338
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Age range:
6-80
Special diets catered:
Vegetarians
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Interests:
Activities:
Tour Overview
Embark on a captivating 14-day journey through Greece and Turkey, blending cultural exploration with a relaxing 2-day cruise. Begin in Athens, where you'll marvel at the Acropolis and other historic sites. Sail to the enchanting islands of Mykonos and Santorini, enjoying all-inclusive amenities on board. Continue your adventure in Turkey, starting with the vibrant city of Istanbul, then travel to Ankara and the fairy-tale landscapes of Cappadocia. Discover the thermal wonders of Pamukkale, the ancient ruins of Ephesus, and the legendary city of Troy. Conclude your tour with a poignant visit to Gallipoli and a final exploration of Istanbul's iconic landmarks. This well-paced tour offers a rich tapestry of sights, tastes, and cultures, ensuring an unforgettable Mediterranean experience.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : Athens Arrival
Location: Athens
Accommodation Name: Hotel Central or similar
Arrival at the airport and meet & greet with our English-speaking assistant to help you to transfer to city center Hotel CENTRAL 3*** or similar. Rest of the day is free at leisure
Overnight: Athens Meals: Not Available
Day 2 : Athens
Location: Athens
Accommodation Name: Hotel Central or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast
After breakfast we will meet you at your hotel or close by, in order to start the morning Half Day Athens Sightseeing Tour. This tour gives you an opportunity to observe the striking contrasts that make Athens such a fascinating city. Our expert guides will take you to see the Panathenaic Stadium, home to the first Olympic Games of the modern era, where we will make a short stop. As we continue our trip, we will pass by the Prime Minister’s residence (ex Royal Palace), guarded by the Evzones in their colorful uniform, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian’s Arch, the Parliament and memorial to the Unknown Soldier, the Academy of Athens, the University, the National Library and the Constitution Square (Syntagma). One cannot take a tour of Athens without visiting the Acropolis, one of the world’s most prominent sites and a symbol for democracy in the Western world! It is there that you will explore architectural masterpieces of the Golden Age of Pericles. From the Propylaea, to the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion and of course the Parthenon, a place where ‘there is harmony between material and spirit’, and the monument that ‘restores order in the mind’, as ancient Greeks used to say. Your last stop will be the modern Acropolis Museum, with nearly 4,000 exhibits of Hellenism housed inside.
Departure approximately at 08:45 – Return approximately at 13:30
Afternoon is free at leisure in Athens. Overnight: Athens Meals: Breakfast
Day 3 : Athens – Mykonos
Location: Mykonos
Accommodation Name: Cruise Ship
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast, transfer to the Port. We leave the historic and classical capital of Greece and set sail for our first destination, the beautiful island of Mykonos, also known as the Island of the Winds. Take an evening stroll through the atmospheric Old Town with its immaculate whitewashed houses, winding alleys, lovely little churches and delightful restaurants at the water’s edge. You will undoubtedly recognise the picture postcard white windmills sitting side by side, overlooking the sea.
Overnight: Cruise Ship Meals: Full board on board (soft drinks included during meals.)
Day 4 : Santorini
Location: Santorini
Accommodation Name: Cruise Ship
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
We arrive in the colorful Turkish beach town of Kusadasi in the morning. This is the coastal gateway to the Hellenistic ruins of Ephesus, famed for one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Temple of Artemis.
Patmos, one of northernmost islands in the Dodecanese and one of all the smallest has a charm all its own. It is famous for being the supposed location of the vision to John the Baptist in the Book of Revelations and where it was written. Most scholars say this was probably someone else, but why spoil such a good story?Our odyssey continues as we spend an evening in Santorini, whose stunning face is instantly recognizable across the world. We’re sure she will take your breath away, with her soaring landscapes, clusters of whitewashed houses in the capital Fira, and of course the iconic blue-domed church at Oia. Don’t forget to try one of the many restaurants jostling for position at the edge of the caldera.
Overnight: Cruise Ship Meals: Full board on board (soft drinks included during meals.)
Overnight: Celestyal Oceanic Cruise Meals: Full board on board
Day 5 : Kusadasi Disembarkation - Istanbul (Flight)
Location: İstanbul
Accommodation Name: Hotel in Istanbul
Meals Included: Breakfast
We arrive in the colorful Turkish beach town of Kusadasi in the morning. We arrive in the colorful Turkish beach town of Kusadasi in the morning. Upon arrival our driver will meet you at the Port with a sign f your name on it and transfer to Izmir Airport for a domestic flight to Istanbul (included) Upon arrival to Istanbul airport meet with our assistant at the airport and transfer to your hotel
Overnight: Istanbul Meals: Breakfast
Day 6 : Istanbul – Ankara
Location: Ankara
Accommodation Name: Hotel in Ankara
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Breakfast at the hotel . Departure from the hotel to visit Topkapi Palace ( harem section entrance is also included ) the house of the ottoman sultans . Departure from the hotel to Ankara – the capital of Turkey . Arrival to Ankara in early evening
Overnight: Ankara Meals: Breakfast – Dinner
Day 7 : Ankara - Cappadocia
Location: Ankara
Accommodation Name: Hotel Dinler or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Breakfast at the hotel. Visit Anatolian Civilizations Museum where you will see the Neolithic & Paleolithic ruins from Urartu, Hatti, Hittite, Phrygia civilizations, then proceed to Mausoleum of Ataturk, the founder of Turkish Republic. In the afternoon drive to Cappadocia. En-route visit the Underground city that is one of the biggest underground cities in the region, constructed by the first Christians to protect themselves from the attacks
Possibility to upgrade your hotel to a Cave Hotel
Overnight at Hotel Dinler 4**** or similar. Overnight: Cappadocia Meals: Breakfast – Dinner
Day 8 : Cappadocia
Location: Ürgüp
Accommodation Name: Hotel in Cappadocia
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Breakfast. Full day visit at Cappadocia . Visit Göreme Open Air Museum – a UNESCO Heritage site, a fantastic region with its cave churches located on the valley. Then proceed to Uchisar Village and then the spectacular fairy chimneys. Visit Derbent Valley with and explore the natural rock formations and get a chance to attend the workshops of carpets and onyx-stones.
Optional : Fly Over Cappadocia with Hot Air Balloons
In the early morning departure from your hotel. a chance to live this unique experience, an overlooking to Cappadocia from the sky, see the beauty of the region the rock formations, fairy chimneys, natural formations, lunar landscapes.
Overnight: Cappadocia Meals: Breakfast – Dinner
Day 9 : Cappadocia - Sultanhani - Pamukkale
Location: Pamukkale
Accommodation Name: Thermal Hotel Ademipira or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
After the breakfast at the hotel, drive to Pamukkale. En route visit Sultanhan Caravansarai that was built during Seljuk Empire and used long years as a stopover for the travelers and merchants. Continue to Pamukkale. Visit Cotton Steps – a UNESCO heritage site that has been believed to have healing thermal water.
Dinner and overnight at the Thermal Hotel Ademipira or similar 5*****.
Day 10 : Pamukkale - Ephesus - Izmir
Location: İzmir
Accommodation Name: Hotel Blanca or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Breakfast. Drive to Selcuk – Ephesus. Visit the Ephesus Ruins – the city that was dedicated to Artemis I the Odeon, Temple of Hadrian, the House of Love, the Library of Celsus, the Agora .Then proceed for Virgin Mary House – has been believed it is the final resting place of the mother of Jesus . Then stop at Leather Production Store. Proceed for Izmir . Overnight at Hotel Blanca or similar 4****
Overnight: İzmir Meals: Breakfast – Dinner
Day 11 : Izmir – Pergamon – Troy – Canakkale
Location: Çanakkale
Accommodation Name: Hotel Akol or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast
Breakfast. Drive to Pergamon (Bergama) region and visit the ruins of Asclepion which is the first hospital of Asia Minor in human history. Then continue to Troy , visit the famous city that evokes the poetic name of Homer’s Iliad. Continue to Canakkale. Hotel Akol 4**** or similar.
Day 12 : Çanakkale - Gallipoli - Istanbul
Location: Gallipoli
Accommodation Name: Hotel in Istanbul
Meals Included: Breakfast
Breakfast. We will cross Dardanelles Strait by car ferry and continue to Gallipoli Peninsula. We will visit one of the most emotionally touching places in Turkey, the WWI Battlefields of Gallipoli, including Brighton Beach, Beach Cemetery, ANZAC Cove, Ariburnu Cemetery, ANZAC Commemorative Site, Respect to Mehmetcik Statue, Lone Pine Australian Memorial, Johnston's Jolly, Turkish and Allied trenches and tunnels, 57. Regiment Turkish Memorial,The Nek,Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial.
Overnight:İstanbul Meals: Breakfast
Day 13 : Istanbul
Location: İstanbul
Accommodation Name: Hotel in Istanbul
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Breakfast at the hotel. Visit of Topkapi Palace (harem section entrance fee is not included) the house of the ottoman sultans. Lunch at local restaurant. After lunch visit Sultanahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque), Hippodrome and the famous Hagia Sophia . Free time at Grand Bazaar.
Overnight: Istanbul Meals: Breakfast – LunchBreakfast at the hotel. Drive from your hotel to Spice Market for shopping. Free time. Then meet and proceed to take 1,5 hrs Bosphorus Cruise excursion along the Bosphorus, that is dividing the 2 continents Asia & Europe. During the excursion you will enjoy the beauty of Istanbul, with its forest, Palaces and wooden old houses built on both continents. Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque
Overnight: Istanbul Meals: Breakfast - Lunch
Day 14 : Istanbul Departure
Location: İstanbul
Meals Included: Breakfast
After breakfast free-time at leisure until your departure time. Transfer to the airport and end of our services.
Overnight: Not Available Meals: Breakfast
What's Included
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Flights
International flight from Athens to Ankara is included.
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Guide
Official English-speaking guides are provided during visits.
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Additional Services
Entrance fees to the museums mentioned in the program are included.
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Cruise Excursion
Minoan Palace of Knossos and Ephesus Shore Excursions are included.
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Transport
All transfers per itinerary with AC bus or Minivan according to the size of the group are included.
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Port Taxes
Mandatory port taxes of 205 USD are included.
What's Not Included
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Flights
Before and after flights are not included.
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Meals
Meals other than those mentioned are not included.
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Drinks
Drinks (water, beverages, etc.) except for those mentioned during the cruise are not included.
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Personal Expenses
Personal expenses such as mini bar and shopping are not included.
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Tips
Tips to the guide and driver are optional and not included.
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Mandatory Port Tax
Mandatory port tax of 205 USD will be added during check out.
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Athens Stay-over Tax
Athens stay-over tax is to be paid directly to the hotel.
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Shore Excursions
Shore excursions during the cruise are not included.
Please Note
This trip requires Passport ID page copy of each traveler. You can cover your photo on the page with a piece of paper It is required to issue your flight tickets, cruise tickets of ferry tickets.
On the other hand It is always advisable that you get a photocopy taken of your passport’s information page, prior to your travel, for security reasons. This is particularly useful if the trip is international, and the person is far away from their home country. A photocopy of your passport makes passport renewal an easier process, especially in a situation where the passport was damaged, lost or stolen.
Important Notes for Cruise
Cruise itineraries are subject to change or to be cancelled by the shipping company with or without prior notice. The shipping company reserves the right to substitute the cruise vessel with a similar one & also to amend the departure/arrival port at any time with or without prior notice. Please make sure your identification cards, passports and multiple entry Schengen visas are valid and up to date.
Mode of Transport
Travel in comfort with all transfers included per itinerary using air-conditioned buses or minivans, depending on group size. Enjoy an international flight from Athens to Ankara and a domestic flight from Izmir to Istanbul, ensuring seamless travel between destinations.
Accommodation
Enjoy 11 nights in comfortable hotels across Greece and Turkey, including a 3-night ocean cruise in an inside cabin with Celestyal Cruise. Stay in 3-star to 4-star hotels in Athens, Ankara, Cappadocia, Pamukkale, Izmir, Canakkale, and Istanbul, ensuring a restful experience throughout your journey.
Check out our Q&As
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What is included in the cruise portion of the tour?
The cruise portion of the tour includes a 2-day ocean cruise to Mykonos and Santorini with all-inclusive meals and soft drinks on board. Accommodation is provided in an inside cabin (IA or IB class) with Celestyal Cruise, and there is a beverage package that includes alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages during the cruise.
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Are there any optional activities available during the tour?
Yes, there are optional activities available during the tour. In Cappadocia, you have the option to upgrade your hotel to a Cave Hotel and also the opportunity to fly over Cappadocia with a hot air balloon for a unique experience.
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What kind of accommodation is provided during the tour?
The tour provides 11-night accommodation in various hotels and a 3-night ocean cruise accommodation in an inside cabin. The hotels range from 3-star in Athens to 4-star in other locations such as Ankara, Cappadocia, Pamukkale, İzmir, Çanakkale, and Istanbul.
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What are the main historical sites visited in Turkey during the tour?
In Turkey, the tour visits several historical sites including the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, the Anatolian Civilizations Museum and Mausoleum of Ataturk in Ankara, the Göreme Open Air Museum in Cappadocia, the ruins of Ephesus and the Temple of Artemis, the ancient city of Troy, and the WWI Battlefields of Gallipoli.
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What is the policy regarding passport and visa requirements for the tour?
The tour requires a copy of the passport ID page of each traveler to issue flight, cruise, and ferry tickets. It is also advised to have a photocopy of your passport for security reasons. For the cruise, it is important to ensure that identification cards, passports, and multiple entry Schengen visas are valid and up to date.
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What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?
At Eskapas we have a flexible policy. You must change it until 30 days prior to your departure otherwise any changes mean "cancellation".
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Solo travelers must pay single supplement to have a private room due to hygien reasons.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Eskapas has been established in 2000 in Istanbul
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
All hotels used to accommodate our customers are certified by “Hotel Association of Turkey”; they all are committed to use maximum 50 % capacity
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What policies are in place for Covid-19?
COVID-19 RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL RULES Eskapas is committed to fulfill the following regulations to protect its customers from the risk of Covid-19 : 1 – Eskapas will fulfill all safety rules mentioned in the “Safe Tourism Certification” prepared by Turkish Ministry of Tourism; that plan covers all aspects of the journey from the aircraft to the airport, transfers, touring and hotels (tga.gov.tr/abou
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Can I join the tour once it has departed?
Yes you can.
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What documents will I receive before I travel?
Your timetable - voucher that will show your itinerary with timing and hotels (30 days before prior to your arrival date)
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Free Date Changes
CTS demo white label allows you to make 20 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 0 days before the start of the tour.
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Low Deposit
CTS demo white label requires a minimum deposit of 55% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 30 days before departure.
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