Back Roads Along The Black Sea Tour
DAY 1
Spice Bazaar Galata Bridge Sultan Ahmet Mosque Hagia Sofia
You may be awakened very early by the first calls to morning prayers from the nearest mosque as the magical city of Istanbul calls to you as you begin your first day in Türkiye! Our breakfast will be at 8 a.m. in the Europlaza dining room. Today, you will exchange the stuffy and crapped interior of a jumbo jet for the frenzy and throbbing crowds of old Constantinople. Put on your most comfortable walking shoes and leave your purses, wallets, and valuables at the hotel. You won’t need much money so keep what you take in a money belt or very secure pocket. Remember that Istanbul is one of the giant metropolitan cities of the world with a population of almost 17 million. ( Istanbul is bigger than some European Countries!). Despite the proud fact that the crime rates in Istanbul are way lower than expected in comparison to other world metropolitan cities, keep your camera in your pocket or fanny pack. Do, however, take a water bottle, sunblock, sunglasses, sun hat, and your walkie-talkie. We will be on foot almost the entire day except for a possible metro or taxi ride with the group. You will have several hours of “free” time in which you can opt to visit the site of your preference.
The guided portion of the day begins at our hotel and we will walk to the Galata Tower, a mighty Ottoman outlook that commands a 360-degree view of old Istanbul. We will take the elevator to the summit. Marvel at the audacity of the first human winged glider who was launched from this tower in 1630, sailed across the Bosphorus and lived to tell about it! Upon descending, we will cross the span of the historical Galata Bridge, make an oblique turn and find ourselves in the colorful spice bazaar frequented by hundreds of thousands of residents each day. Human traffic is shoulder to shoulder and caution is advised, not because it is dangerous but the area is frequented by pickpockets and it is very easy to become separated from the group in a heartbeat! By noon we will arrive at the great Blue Mosque, one of the most recognizable structures in the world. We will enter without shoes and gawk at the impressive immensity of this great house of Islam. We will have lunch at one of the many restaurants in the area and then Inan will distribute maps and give you two hours to scatter to visit a handful of fascinating locations within a short distance from this epicenter of tourism.
Turn on your walkie-talkies, and loose yourself! Of course, you may remain with Inan, who will slowly make his way to your next rendezvous with the group at the entrance of the majestic Hagia Sophia at 3 p.m and take an hour to compare and contrast the two mosques that were visited. At around 4 p.m., Inan will lead the group on an “underbelly” exploration of one of the most typical back streets of Istanbul. This is a veritable potpourri of medieval and modern commerce: chaotic, crowded, diverse and fascinating. We will see an old coffee emporium and note the juxtaposition of church, synagogue and mosque. Indeed, this will be a most memorable sensory immersion into authentic Istanbul! We have the opportunity to sample the goods at the original baklava outlet, and accommodate our palates by indulging in every imaginable variety of one of the world’s great cuisines at a local restaurant. After a sumptuous meal we will travel to the Taksim District and have tea at the top of the Marmara hotel and watch the sunset over the shimmering city from the penthouse restaurant. We return to our EuroPlaza hotel, exhausted but enthralled by this eye-opening day!
DAY 2
Dolmabahçe Palace Bosphorus Strait
After a jam-packed first day, today we feel practically like troopers! We will have breakfast at 7 a.m. in the EuroPlaza dining room and then start our day with a leisurely stroll down to visit the Dolmabahce Palace-Ottoman opulence patterned after European, Victorian elegance.
We will set board a public tour boat and spend the entire day relaxing as we traverse almost the entire Bosphorus Strait to its entry to the Black Sea! We will disembark to have a fresh seafood lunch at Anadolu Kavagi, a castle on the Asian side of the Straits. Later, we will hike to a nearby hilltop to obtain an incredible panoramic view of the entire region. We will then set sail again for the remainder of the afternoon watching the great edifications along the shores and note the commerce of this unique, natural waterway. After we dock in the late afternoon we will have dinner in a classic Turkish restaurant where all matters of choices and items await your palate. We will have an early return to the Europlaza Hotel in the evening while visions of the day continue to drift in our minds as tomorrow we start our inland exploration of Anatolia’s back roads.
DAY 3
Abant Lake Bolu Thermal Hotel
We will check out of the Europlaza at 9 a.m. and watch our suitcases and luggage be loaded onto our own private transfer vehicle and driver. We will head out on the busy main highway and after driving for a few hours will have a rest stop on the shores of a beautiful small lake at Sapanca-noted for the sweet-water lobsters in its pristine waters, although we will not, unfortunately, have the opportunity to sample them now. We are already anticipating Inan’s promotion of our unique and special luncheon in his native hometown where we will have been invited to have lunch on a private village house with Inan’s uncles, aunts, and cousins. This will be just one of the day’s highlights! It is an Eden of fruits trees of every variety and the farm abuts a large hazelnut orchard where you may pick the nuts directly from the trees. Domestic animals are housed in two barns, one for cows and another for sheep. All are very tame and eager to be petted and photographed. Although the gathered relatives may not speak much English, the atmosphere will be one of smiles, of welcome, and pantomime. We will be served a very typical luncheon meal of soup, salad, and grilled meatballs prepared by family members. It will be a wonderful time to meet Turkish people for the first time on a personal level and observe the activities of a typical rural Anatolian Turkish family. Inan's very own Family!
We will proceed off the main thoroughfare here and use the original old road that was the ancient way across the impressive mountains. There are several splendid lookouts along the route for breathtaking pictures from these heights. After just a couple of hours we will arrive at serene Abant and the historical Thermal Hotel where will spend several nights. Abant is known for its beautiful large lake surrounded by forests. We will have dinner at 5:00 p.m. at one of the famous local restaurants that serves grilled specialties and after our supper we will still have time to travel the perimeter of the lake at dusk. We will check into the Bolu Thermal Hotel that has all the most comfortable of amenities but is renown for its natural thermal springs that dates from the Byzantium Period. These indoor pools are encased in marble and are completely authentic. You may want to soak before retiring for the evening!
DAY 4
Travertine Terraces The “horse” plateaus BOLU city center
We will have breakfast in the Bolu Thermal Hotel at 7 a.m. and then take our transfer vehicle to Akkayalar, the natural occurring travertine terraces. We will discover the area, take photos and then sett off for Golkoy, a pleasant rest stop alongside an attractive lake that belongs the University of Bolu where the rowers practice. After a short interim we head to a high panoramic viewpoint where all of the city of Bolu can be enjoyed before we continue our climb to a mystical tomb set among ancient and giant trees. We progress slowly into the sublime realm of mountains to an area called the “horse” plateaus. The van will park in the meadows and Inan will get out the grills and prepare a lunch of local sausage, fish and chicken. It is hard to say which aroma is the most appealing at this moment as the air is also filled with the deep, aroma of red and yellow pines that will blend with the sweet smell of roasting meats! All the while, we keep our eyes peeled for the appearance of the wild equines. After being sated, we will all hike to a natural, curative spring that is renown for its healing powers. We can quench our thirsts while, at the same time, fill our empty water bottles before we head back to Bolu far, far below. Depending on our timing we may be able to stuff ourselves with the cherries that grow in the vicinity! During the mid-afternoon, once back in Bolu, we will stop briefly at the Bolu Archeological Museum and view their collection of coins and ancient Greek and Roman busts that have been discovered in abundance around this area. After a hour of browsing, we use our foot power to visit the “high” bazaar of Bolu which dates from the 1500’s and gives a very accurate image of the times. There are many typical shops to visit that reflect the needs of the working classes of then and now. We continue to tread into the city center of Bolu where we will have dinner at a recently restored Ottoman edifice and then have dessert and tea at another establishment where an Ottoman musical program will be enjoyed. We may linger in the city after the concert and then take our van back to the Thermal Hotel and soak our feet in the soothing thermal waters!
DAY 5
Rock Dwellings Gölcük Lake
We rise to have a 7 a.m. breakfast at the Thermal Hotel and then board our transfer vehicle and head up to visit several pretty, artificial mountain lakes above Bolu. Around 10 a.m. we will take a short hike to feast on wild, mountain strawberries and eat our fill and smack our lips for the remainder of the morning! Our morning drive will take us past a local scouting camp and several natural springs, but our exciting destination this afternoon after dining on fresh trout for lunch will be to visit the two very historical sites with rock dwellings that were carved from massive and very rugged cliffs by the early Christians who were hiding from the persecution of the Romans two thousand years ago and into the early Christian era. These locales are quite remote and some climbing of ladders will be necessary to access this multi-level labyrinth. On our return to Bolu, we will visit “rice” creek and see the extensive area along a water channel where rice is cultivated. In the immediate area are the very decrepit remains of an early Christian church and we contemplate the earliest structures of this faith that we have explored during the day. We may stop to observe local Turks in Seben and, depending on our whim, either return to the hotel for dinner or visit another nearby delicious lake restaurant.
DAY 6
Seven Lakes National Park Büyük Göl
Prepare to pack your suitcases, because this morning we hit the road! Be sure to take out your lip balm, sunscreen, and warm sweater or fleece! Breakfast is at 7 a.m. in our Thermal Hotel in hopes of loading and checking out by 8 a.m. Our day will be another sublime journey to our first Turkish National Park called Seven Lakes National Park where there is always a damp and humid chill. Our assent will be slow and arduous but the journey will be half the enjoyment, for this is the quintessential Back Roads of the Turkish Black Sea. We have no set schedule; pleasure and relaxation will dictate our pace. Inan will grill fresh trout for our lunch along the way as we stop to take in each of the seven lakes, the area abounding in deer and other wildlife. Late in the afternoon our enchantment will be capped as our van pulls into Cinci Han/Cesmeli Konak, a historic caravanserai where we will be spending two haunting nights in the charming Ottoman enclave of Safranbolu. We will unpack and settle in our Ottoman-themed rooms and join Inan for dinner in the camel barn restaurant at the hotel. Yes, this is where the camels were sheltered during the night for safety hundreds of years ago! NO camel entrees on the menu! After dinner, we will stroll into this living museum that is almost like a movie-set but is, instead, a jewel from the Ottoman period, characterized by its flamboyant architecture and ambiance that has been conserved up until the modern day. The night casts the town in a mysterious aura. It is easy to become comfortably disoriented, but content yourself with wandering until sleep calls you back to enjoy a night of rest fit for a pasha!
Day 7
Breakfast will be at 7 a.m. at the Cinci Han Hotel restaurant. It will be a comfortable and easy-paced day. After breakfast, in the cool of the morning and soft light, we will make our first daylight exploration of the beguiling town of Safranbolu with its quaint cobblestone streets lined with distinct and sturdy Ottoman homes and businesses. We will poke around and just enjoy the ambiance of history. Lunch may be taken back at the dependable and authentic Hotel or at another establishment that may lure us with its menu, aromas, or both.
After lunch, we change the pace a bit and take our van a few miles outside of the city to visit a natural limestone cavern, replete with a groomed trail and artificial illumination of its fanciful calcite features. Thereafter, we gingerly pose for photos while standing atop a ten-story Ottoman aqueduct that spans a steep canyon before returning to town to visit the city museum housed in the restored Ottoman municipal building. We will return to the Hotel for dinner and then there will be free time to stroll about after dusk, read or watch TV in your elegant, atmospheric accommodations! You are encouraged to retire early and prepare your suitcases for an early morning breakfast and checkout.
Day 8
We will breakfast at 6 a.m., checkout of our Hotel and take the main highway as we make a several hour dash to the regional airport in the Nation’s capital of Ankara. We spare ourselves a very long day of mountain driving by taking about an hour’s hop to the large Black Sea port city of Trabzon, check into our next chic hostelry, the Aksular Hotel and then address our growling stomachs by finding a seaside luncheon restaurant. SinceTrabzon is a sprawling metropolis, we will need our van to visit several locales, the first of which is the very pretty Hagia Sophia Church dating from the 13th century that was converted into a mosque in 1670. It now serves as a museum. Next, we visit and explore our first Turkish castle perched upon the massive, 6th century Roman walls that still dominate the modern city. We will see this huge complex better tomorrow from our fishing boat. Later in the afternoon, we will be able to do some shopping in the city bazaar that is noted for its silversmiths and other craftsmen. Our minivan will drop us for dinner at a truly startling belvedere restaurant above Trabzon where will dine al fresco and linger at this mesmerizing eerie as darkness falls and we behold the sparkling tiara of coastal lights that comprise this jewel of the Black Sea. It's then down to the Aksular Hotel and a much needed shut-eye.
Day 9
Breakfast at 8 a.m. in our Hotel dining room. Today we are off to visit our second National park that translates as “Green Creek.” It is within close proximity to Trabzon and in less than an hour’s drive we will be awed at our first glimpse of the incredible Sumela Monastery that hangs above the dense forests seemingly plastered against the sheer canyon walls. Founded in 386 A.D. by Greek priests during the Roman era, Sumela has been a Christian pilgrimage site for almost two millennia because of an icon of the Virgin Mary discovered in a cave at the site. The complex that we see dates from the 13th century. It was finally abandoned when Turkey formally became a nation in 1923. It is a feast for the eyes gazing up from the canyon floor into its haunting recesses, but we plan to hike up the winding stairs that lead into its heart and experience it “up-close and personal.”
Lunch will be found at a nearby restaurant within the National Park. We will sail back into Trabzon harbor around 4 p.m. and board an anchovy boat for a fishing trip on the Black Sea and enjoy the late afternoon huddled on our private little craft as the waters sparkle and the setting sun glows on the ramparts of the city walls. If we are lucky, are catch can be prepared for our dinner. If we come up empty-handed, we still “we have our fish and eat it, too” at a local restaurant by the water. After we chatter about our unforgettable day, we will stroll to a humble but charming amusement park where a Ferris wheel spins and beckons for the last fling of the day! We hope to return to the Aksular Hotel by 9 p.m.
Day 10
With our luggage ready, we breakfast at 8 a.m. in the dining room of the Aksular Hotel. We are ready to hit the high roads for our finale where you will be able to duplicate the Julie Andrew’s “whirl” in the Sound of Music movie for yourself on many extroverted occasions over the next two days! We will be on the last two hours of smooth highway this morning until we arrive at coastal village renown for its tea production. By now, you will know the important ritual of tea drinking among the Turkish! In fact, we will visit a factory and observe the production process and, of course, sample the vintage! Shortly thereafter, we will have lunch in the pleasant town of Rize and then stretch our legs as we visit an outlet that specializes in all manner of apparel made from organically grown hemp. This is a unique shopping opportunity to pick up personal items or gifts. We then bid farewell to the waters and begin our assent into the majestic back roads of the high plateaus. By the middle of the afternoon we will enter the Firtina Valley, a most beautiful, verdant area where we will soon encounter the first of the several tall, Roman stone bridges that are perfectly serviceable after 2,000 years. We will take turns shooting pictures of one another at the mid-point of the span over the rushing stream! While we enjoy a snack, we push further upward into the famous mile-high Ayder Plateau and soak in the recently restored indoor marble thermal baths. Ahhh! This is pure relaxation! We stay until we are red and wrinkled and then head for our hotel where we will have dinner and enjoy a traditional dancing and bagpipe performance. Get out the “good” book you brought along but have not been able to read for now you are in the middle of nowhere and time is your own. The nights will be chilly and the thin but fresh mountain air will induce the sleep of your life.
Day 11
Breakfast will be at 8 a.m. in our hotel. Today will be free form. There is no plan except what your inspiration may dictate. We will board our minibus and proceed to the Avusor Plateau and just be enthralled by the glorious landscape that surrounds us. Inan will set up the grill in the great outdoors and prepare lunch when hunger creeps into our awareness. There is a good chance that none of the local residents we may encounter along the route have ever met a foreigner and you will welcomed like royalty, and may be invited to join them for tea and experience an unforgettable personal encounter shared by everyone. This is an area that has the most delicious honey in the country. You may want to acquire a jar and debut it some day when you want to imagine the gathering of mountain pollen by happy Turkish bees! Also, we will stop along the road and chat with other locals who will be selling produce from their gardens. There will be great photo ops to meet and greet and capture the bliss of smiles and “hos geldiniz.”
During the lazy afternoon we will come upon Gelintulu waterfall that has a drop of almost 1,000 feet. We will double back and enjoy another leisurely soak in the thermal baths and return to our cozy hotel for dinner and “kick-back” and relax for the remainder of the evening.
Day 12
You may have a few more items to store away in your luggage over the past few days. Secure everything because we will be winging our way back to Istanbul in a few hours. We will eat a quick breakfast at our hotel and be on the road for the last time. On our way to famous Artvin we pass Goksu waterfall and then on for early lunch to feast on the edge of the most beautiful lake along the back roads! At noon a Turkish Airlines tour bus will transport us across the Georgian border directly to Batun airport to catch our convenient flight back to Istanbul. We will arrive late in the afternoon and feel the immediate tension and vigilance of cultural shock that jet travel permits as the chaos of rush hour accompanies us on our slow return to the EuroPlaza Hotel for dinner and high plateau reverie.
Day 13
We are up for breakfast in the EuroPlaza Hotel at 8 a.m. for breakfast. During breakfast or the night before, Inan will present options for you to deliberate on how you would most like to spend the morning hours back in this city of unlimited possibilities. He will present some of his favorite ideas but you may introduce your own agenda as each traveler’s needs and wishes will be respected and honored within reason. Inan will respond to your individual desires and hire taxis to carry you to any tourist locale that you want to visit during the remainder of the morning.
The group will reconvene at lunch at the EuroPlaza from where we will again walk across the Galata Bridge and enter the Grand Bazaar for the first time. Here we will feel like sardines in the crush of shoppers. The object of our brief visit is to preview the range of merchandise that you may want to purchase, but not at these inflated tourist prices! The group will proceed downhill on Ercan Yokus Street where you will find the same items at a more reasonably cost and with much greater shopping pleasure. Once you have secured the items of your desire we will return to the Hotel.
We will be together for the last time at a farewell dinner in our Hotel at 7 p.m. We will have all grown fond of each other’s company and have shared many precious moments on our Back Roads Along The Black Sea Tour. Most of you will retire early in order to pack and prepare for your return flight during the day tomorrow.
Day 14
There is no planned schedule. Inan will dispatch taxis to deliver you to the International airport. He will remain at the hotel to address your needs at they arise. Some of you may linger during the day and still wish to do some active sightseeing around Istanbul where a wealth of sites await. THE LAND PORTION OBLIGATION OF TURKISH DELIGHT TOURS HAS BEEN FULFILLED. BEAR IN MIND THAT HOTEL ROOM CHECKOUT IS AT 12 P.M! FURTHER ACCRUED EXPENSES ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH PARTICIPANT.
Photo Gallery: Pictures of The Tour
PRIVATELY GUIDED BOUTIQUE TDT PACKAGE
"Back Roads Along The Black Sea" Private Tour Cost:............................$7,875
Price is per person, double occupancy. For a single room, add $663. Airfare is not included in the price. Please call for information about international airfare between the U.S. and Istanbul. Round-trip economy airfare between New York and Istanbul is not included and is estimated at $800.
ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY
Throughout your journey, you'll be accompanied by Inan, your private tour leader as noted in the itinerary. The Hotel accomodations are ideally situated in the visited towns. Select Hotels have their own unique architectural features and characteristics reflecting different eras in the visited region's history. Private Massage is offered at an additional cost in Thermal Resorts visited; all other activities noted in the itinerary are included in the price.
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