Compare Greek Isles & Turkish Delights by Windstar vs Best of Greece and Turkey with 3-day Cruise by Eskapas

Day 1 & 2: Istanbul, Turkey

Ah, Constantinople, Queen of Cities and the Door to Happiness. Istanbul is the only city in the world built on two continents—Europe and Asia—and its appeal is truly universal. The Romans, Byzantines, and Ottomans all ruled their empires from here, leaving behind some of their finest monuments and a fascinating blend of cultures. Visit the harem at Topkapi Palace, where the clatter of silver soles once warned concubines of the approaching sultan. Admire the Iznik tiles and stained glass windows of the Blue Mosque, and the mystical light bathing the nave of Hagia Sofia. Shop the Grand Bazaar for a coffee cezve, magic lamp, embroidered slippers, or hand-woven kilim. Temper a tiny cup of potent Turkish coffee with bites of sweet lokum (Turkish delight). 

Day 3: Kusadasi, Turkey

Kusadasi offers many historic sites including the Virgin Mary House, but it is Ephesus that steals the show. Once an important trading stop along the Silk Road, its well-preserved ruins reflect what was one of the most beautiful and advanced cities of the ancient world. Walk the marble-lined streets past the huge theater where St. Paul once preached, the gladiator’s graveyard, the incomparable facade of the Celsus Library. If you were wealthy, you might have lived in one of the grand terrace houses, their ornate frescoes and mosaics still shining. You would have shopped at the agora, worked out at the gymnasium, and bathed in the public baths. Life was good. But they didn’t have a graceful private yacht waiting for them in the harbor.

Day 4: Rhodes, Greece

Even without the ancient Colossus standing guard over the harbor, it’s an impressive sight. Gazing up at the city walls rising from sheer cliffs, you can imagine the despair the various forces must have felt over the eons as they repeatedly (and often fruitlessly) laid siege. You, however, are greeted warmly upon arrival and welcomed into the cobblestoned old town, one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe. There are no cars here, just passageways designed for knights in shining armor, medieval inns that once housed them, and museums that tell of the many civilizations that collided here at the meeting point of three continents. Walk beyond the walls to the “new” city with its elegant Venetian buildings, stroll Rodini Park where Julius Caesar, Brutus, and Marc Anthony studied rhetoric, or head to Elli beach for sun and golden sand.

Day 5: Bodrum, Turkey

The 15th-century Castle of St. Peter, built by the Crusaders, presides over the city’s dual harbors. Colorful peacocks strut their stuff trying to claim your attention, but they have nothing on the white sugar cube houses, palm-lined boulevards, and shockingly blue Aegean below. For a picture-perfect seaside playground, Bodrum offers a surprisingly rich history, or maybe it’s the other way around. Visit the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Surrender to the captivating magic of bathtub-warm waters and the Marina. Shop the bazaar for Milas cloth scarves and silver jewelry. Stroll the marina to see the other private yachts in port. (None as grand as yours, of course.)

Day 6: Santorini, Greece

Cruise into the largest caldera in the world and you’re in Santorini, a vision in whitewash white, volcanic black, and blue. A blue so distinctive and bright it’s become known as “Santorini blue” everywhere but in Santorini, where it’s called kyanos. What most people don’t know is that the people of the Cyclades don’t simply like the color, they believe it keeps away evil, a job it must do extremely well as it’s hard to imagine a more sublime place to spend the day. Catch iconic photos from traditional Greek windmills to donkeys with colorful collars and bells around their necks. And don’t miss the romantic village of Oía with its cave houses (once the homes of sailors) and boxy white houses (which belonged to ship owners). 

Day 7: Mykonos, Greece

Weather permitting... today we visit Mykonos, the classic Greek isle, with hundreds of white-washed churches and cubist houses; round, thatched windmills catching the brisk breeze; and a harbor bobbing with fishing boats and luxury yachts. Sit in the shadow of a café and watch as native fishermen and jet set Europeans pass by. Or explore the Parportiani church, a Byzantine architectural masterpiece.

Day 8: Athens, Greece

Here, in the city that cradled western civilization, walk in footsteps that echo with the history of 3,000 years. The very names are legends. The Acropolis, standing high above the city, facing the brilliant blue waters of the Aegean. The Parthenon, standing majestically in honor of Athena, the city’s patron. Pull yourself back into the present in Athens’ charming shops and coffee houses.

Day 1 Athens Arrival

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 2Athens

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

After breakfast freetime until your transfer to Lavrion Port. We leave at 01:00 pm 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: Celestyal Oceanic Cruise Meals: Full board on board

Day 4 Mykonos – Kuşadası – Patmos

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. A complimentary excursion is included to this iconic site, one of the undoubted highlights of our journey. 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?

• Overnight: Celestyal Oceanic Cruise Meals: Full board on board

Day 5Crete - Santorini

Welcome to Crete, Greece’s largest island, a place of mystery, myths and legends. There’s the chance to take in the bustling city of Heraklion and some of Crete’s extraordinary archaeology and history. You can also learn more of the art and creativity of the Minoans. We have included a complimentary visit to the Palace of Knossos, once the home of Europe’s oldest civilisation and the setting for the legend of Greek hero Theseus and the Minotaur. Our odyssey continues as we spend an evening in Santorini, whose stunning face is instantly recognisable 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: Celestyal Oceanic Cruise Meals: Full board on board

Day 6 Athens – Ankara

Breakfast and we return to the Greek capital after a whirlwind few days of adventure and discovery. Transfer to Athens International Airport for a flight to Turkey’s capital city Ankara. Upon arrival meet and greet and transfer to your city Holiday Inn Çukurambar or similar 5*****.

• Overnight: Ankara Meals: Breakfast – Dinner

Day 7Ankara - Cappadocia

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 …We continue to proceed to the Dervish House to attend Whirling Dervishes Ceremony which represents the mystical journey of spiritual ascent of man using love, the search for the truth and get to the “Perfection”.

Possibility to upgrade your hotel to a Cave Hotel

• Overnight at Hotel Dinler 4**** or similar. Overnight: Cappadocia Meals: Breakfast – Dinner

Day 8 Cappadocia

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 Pamukkale

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

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 11İzmir – Pergamon – Troy – Canakkale

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

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 13Istanbul

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 – Lunch

Day 14 Istanbul

Breakfast 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.

Free day at leisure afternoon

• Overnight: Istanbul Meals: Breakfast

Day 15 Istanbul Departure

After breakfast free-time at leisure until your departure time. Transfer to the airport and end of our services.

• Overnight: Not Available Meals: Breakfast