TURKEY & THE GREEK ISLANDS EXPLORER 2025

1st Day (Sun.) Istanbul

Meet & greet at the airport and take a private transfer to your hotel. At 19:00, meet with your Tour Director at the hotel´s Reception Desk for a welcome meeting. You will also meet your journey's fellow travelers. Welcome Dinner in a local restaurant and accommodation at your hotel. Accommodation at your hotel. (D)

2nd Day (Mon.) Istanbul

Enjoy a full buffet breakfast at your hotel. Depart from the hotel to visit the Topkapi Palace, residence of the sultans of the Ottoman Empire. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, visit the Sultanahmet neighbourhood with the Roman Hippodrome square, the Blue Mosque- unique among all Ottoman mosques in having 6 minarets, and the splendid 6th century Hagia Sophia Mosque. In the evening visit the Egyptian Bazaar. Accommodation at your hotel. (BL)

3rd Day (Tue.) Istanbul - Cappadocia

Enjoy a full buffet breakfast at your hotel. In the morning, we will have a panoramic tour of the city, passing through the important neighborhoods of the historical part and the modern part of the city, including a walk along the pedestrian street of Istiklal. Time at leisure in the Grand Bazaar (closed on Sundays, religious holidays and on October 29), a building that houses more than 4,000 shops inside. Take a boat trip through the Bosphorus, the strait that separates Europe from Asia where we can enjoy the great beauty of the forests of Istanbul, its palaces and the yal?, wooden palaces built on both banks.After the tour, transfer to the airport to take a domestic flight to Cappadocia. Arrival in Cappadocia and transfer to your hotel. Dinner and accommodation at the hotel. (BD) (*) If the arrival time at the hotel in Cappadocia is after 10:00 p.m., dinner will be a box lunch

4th Day (Wed.) Cappadocia

Enjoy a full buffet breakfast at your hotel. Mapping-in-Depth: Sunrise balloon ride:. Optionally, depart early in the morning for a sunrise balloon ride over this amazing land. A champagne breakfast will be served. The ride takes us over unique sites such as ancient Go?reme and the mystical Fairy Chimneys and lush landscape. For those who do not wish to take the ride, a delectable buffet breakfast awaits them, and there will be an opportunity to wander in the nearby remarkable cave shops and boutiques. Upon returning from the balloon ride, we'll visit this fantastic region. Its fascinating and original landscape was formed by the lava spewed by the Erciyes and Hasan volcanoes 3 million years ago. Depart to visit the many monasteries and chapels in the Go?reme valley, carved into the rocks and decorated with frescoes. Continue with a visit of the Avcilar and Gu?vercinlik valleys which have a spectacular landscape of the 'Fairy Chimneys' and the troglodyte town of Uc?hisar, with its landscape and its fortress of the time carved into the rock. The visit to Cappadocia will also give you the opportunity to visit the typical workshops of Turkish carpets. Mapping-in-Depth: Experience the ceremony of whirling dervishes. Dinner and accommodation at your hotel. (BD)

5th Day (Thu.) Cappadocia - Konya

Enjoy a full buffet breakfast at your hotel. In the morning, visit a traditional pottery workshop, and then see a well-preserved 13th-century caravanserai, at which weary travellers used to rest on route. Visit the underground city of Serhatl?, built by Christian communities to protect themselves from Arab attacks. Once in Konya, we'll tour the monastery of the Mevlana whirling dervishes, a fascinating insight into traditional Turkish culture. Dinner and accommodation at your hotel. (BD)

6th Day (Fri.) Konya - Pamukkale

Enjoy a full buffet breakfast at your hotel. We will depart today to Pamukkale, a natural wonder with a gigantic white waterfall, stalactites, and natural pools from hot springs. It is famous for its petrified calcareous waterfalls created by the lime deposits from the flowing water in the region. We will then visit Hierapolis, a necropolis with more than 150,000 tombs. Dinner and accommodation at your hotel. (BD)

7th Day (Sat.) Pamukkale - Ephesus - Izmir - Istanbul

Enjoy a full buffet breakfast at your hotel. Depart to Ephesus, the capital of Asia Minor in Roman times.Visit the archaeological vestiges, where the temple of Hadrian and the library of Celso are a stand out feature. We will have the chance to visit a typical fur production centre. Afterwards, join your fellow travellers for a Farewell Lunch at a local restaurant in Ephesus. In the evening, depart to Izmir's airport for a flight back to Istanbul. Accommodation at your hotel. (BD)

8th Day (Sun.) Istanbul - Athens

Enjoy a full buffet breakfast at your hotel. Take a private transfer to the airport. Flight to Athens. Meet & greet at the airport and take a private transfer to your hotel. At 19:00, meet with your Tour Director at the hotel's Reception Desk for a welcome meeting. In the early evening, join your fellow travellers for a Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant. Accommodation at your hotel. (BD)

9th Day (Mon.) Athens - Board your Cruise at Lavrion (Athens) - Mikonos

Enjoy a full buffet breakfast at your hotel. Take a private transfer to the port.Step aboard the Celestial Discovery Cruise to discover the beauties of the Aegean Sea and its unique Mediterranean islands.Our breathtaking 4-night Iconic Aegean tour gives you an unforgettable feast of ancient history, authentic cuisine, Greek culture and stunning views. From the captivating capital of Athens, your voyage takes you through crystal-clear waters to discover an exciting blend of thrilling attractions, dramatic cliffs, rolling landscapes and all the romanticism of the Greek islands. Set yourself up in your exterior XB cabin, where you´ll be staying for the next 4 nights. Dinner is included on board. Accommodation at your superior cabin. (BD)

10th Day (Tue.) Cruise: Kusadasi (Turkey) - Patmos

Enjoy your full buffet breakfast on board the ship. Ephesus shore excursion: Today, the ruins of Ephesus are a favourite international and local tourist attraction and were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lunch and dinner are included on board. Accommodation at your superior cabin. (BLD)

11th Day (Wed.) Cruise: Rhodes

Enjoy your full buffet breakfast onboard the ship. Day at leisure to enjoy your cruise and the Mediterranean scenery. Choose amongst the various shore excursions offered by Celestial cruises. The cruise staff will help you organise them. Lunch and dinner are included on board Accommodation at your superior cabin. (BLD)

12th Day (Thu.) Cruise: Crete (Heraklion) - Santorini

Enjoy your full buffet breakfast onboard the ship. Day at leisure to enjoy your cruise and the Mediterranean scenery. Choose amongst the various shore excursions offered by Celestial cruises. The cruise staff will help you organise them. Lunch and dinner are included on board. Accommodation at your superior cabin. (BLD)

13th Day (Fri.) Cruise: Lavrion (Athens)

Enjoy your full buffet breakfast onboard the ship. Arrive at Lavrion, Athens' Port, at 06:00 and commence departing. Once at the port, you will meet your Greek local guide to discover the city of Athens. Drive through Panatenaico Stadium, where modern Olympics took over in 1896. Stop at Zeus' Temple, the father of all Gods. Continue to discover the main sites of Athens, such as the Parliament, Currency Museum, the Catholic Cathedral, Academia's neoclassical buildings, the University, the National Library and Adriano's Arc. Continue to discover the highlight of the day, the Acropolis Archeological area. Propileos, Atenea Nike's Temple, the original Erection's Temple, and Poseidon. Check in at your hotel and the rest of the day is at your leisure for you to enjoy this historically stunning city of Athens. Accommodation at your hotel. (B)

14th Day (Sat.) Athens

Enjoy a full buffet breakfast at your hotel. Day at leisure for you enjoy the city. Mapping In-Depth. Delphi full day with lunch Immerse yourself in the myths and monuments of classical Greece on this fullday tour of Delphi from Athens. Explore the NESCO-listed archeological site of Delphi with an expert guide and learn how the city was considered the 'Centre of the World' in ancient Greece. Stand in awe before the dramatically situated Temple of Apollo, then discover long-lost wonders at the Delphi Archeological Museum, including the Charioteer of Delphi and the Sphinx of Naxos. After lunch in Delphi, visit the handicrafts towns of Arachova and Levadia on the way back to Athens. In the early evening, join your fellow travelers for a final Farewell Dinner. Accommodation at your hotel. (BD)

15th Day (Sun.) Athens

Enjoy a full buffet breakfast at your hotel. Take a private transfer to the airport. END OF OUR SERVICES.