Cruising to Ephesus (trip)
Cruising to Ephesus
- Bodrum Airport, Turkey
- Culture & Nature
| from £1,995* per person | 8 Days | May |
| Comfort accommodations | Exertion level: 3 | |
| Operator: Peter Sommer Travels | 14 people max | |
Beginning in Bodrum, ancient Halicarnassus, this gulet cruise heads north to Ephesus one of the best preserved Roman cities in the Mediterranean. En route we visit some of the prettiest and most interesting sites in Turkey.
There can’t be a better guide to lead this tour than Alan Greaves. Not only has he just written the book on the area ‘The Land of Ionia’, he has also been excavating at Miletos, one of the key cities in the region, for the best part of a decade. He was also called upon to personally escort Bill Clinton around Ephesus when the US President was visiting the region.
The highlights are plentiful: from the small harbour of Myndos, where Cassius harboured after murdering Julius Caesar, to Iasos, a wealthy ancient port, celebrated for its fish market and red marble. Today one can easily glimpse Iasos’ past vitality in the splendid ruins that litter the site - from the colonnaded agora to the Roman villa decked with mosaics.
Inland we’ll see two soaring temples, the elegant shrine to Zeus at Euromus, and the gargantuan oracular temple at Didyma. While at sea there are pretty rocky coves perfect for swimming, relaxing, and fine dining.
Our final destination is Ephesus, capital of Roman Asia. One of the very first cities in the world to have street lighting, the site is magnificent - marble streets, agoras, villas, a theatre for 28,000 and an extraordinary library.
This cultural tour in Turkey is a perfect combination of magnificent sites, quiet coves, wondrous walks, breathtaking vistas and glorious swims.
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Locations visited/nearby
Turkey, Europe, Middle East
0 testimonials about this trip.
3 testimonials about the provider, Peter Sommer Travels:
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Reviewer: Professor Richard Holmes
located in
Winchester,
UK
“We so enjoyed the cruise. As a tour guide myself, I am, I suppose, the most critical sort of audience, but I was simply knocked over by the whole experience: we loved Almira, the wonderful gulet with its delightful and efficient crew, and those beautiful sites explained with such passion and sensitivity. Well done indeed.”
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Reviewer: Suzie Turner
located in
Roseville,
NSW
Australia
“The combination of sailing, walking through fascinating archaeological sites, meeting friendly Turkish villagers, swimming in warm clear waters and being fed delicious healthy Turkish food in good company - is just a winner. It is the best holiday we have ever had. Many thanks for your meticulous attention to our comfort.”
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Reviewer: Andy Wilson
located in
London
UK
“After 2 wonderful cruises with Peter we thought it might be hard to repeat the magic - we needn’t have worried. Sailing to Ephesus was the best of them all. The 5 kids with us loved it and still talk about it as one big adventure. Hats off again to Peter who manages effortlessly to hold adults and children entranced with his evocative narratives.”
Special information
- Family oriented trip.
Itinerary
Day 1: Our boat is about 40 minutes from Bodrum airport, in the city’s amphitheatre style harbour, on Turkey’s south west coast. Welcome drink and dinner aboard.Day 2: A gentle cruise to the pretty coastal village of Gümüşlük, ancient Myndos; where excavations have recently started. The scant ruins offer a glimpse of this once bustling fortified harbour.
Day 3: We sail north east to moor in the pretty harbour of ancient Iasos, where archaeological excavations are revealing a vital and beautiful classical city.
Day 4: We head inland to the temple of Zeus at Euromus, one of the best preserved in Asia Minor, and located amidst a beautiful olive grove. Then on into the mountains to Labraunda, Caria’s most sacred sanctuary, site of the great oracular shrine to Zeus Labraundus.
Day 5: A morning to relax. In the late afternoon we head inland from Altinkum’s golden beach to visit Miletus, one of the most significant Ionian sites, with its vast theatre, baths, and brooding atmosphere, and its most important sanctuary, the colossal and awe-inspiring oracular temple of Apollo at Didyma.
Day 6: Heading inland we walk the ancient roads of Priene, an almost perfectly preserved Hellenistic (4th century BC) city.
Day 7: East of Kuşadasi lies one of the most celebrated ancient sites in the world: Ephesus. After seeing its glorious museum we have ample time to explore the spectacular remains.
Day 8: Transfer from our gulet to Izmir airport, on Turkey’s Aegean coast, about 1 hour away.
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