Exploring Turkey

Istanbul City & Vineyard Long Weekend

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Your Itinerary

Day 1 - Welcome to Istanbul!

We’ll pick you up at Istanbul Airport, and transfer you to your hotel. Settle in and enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure.

Day 2 - Explore the Old City

After breakfast, start your day by driving to old city area and visiting a truly breathtaking wonder of the world – the architecture, design, and historical significance of the Hagia Sophia makes it one of the most important stops on any tour of Istanbul.

After this, we head to Constantine the Great’s Hippodrome, which in its heyday had a seating capacity of 100,000. Then move on to the Blue Mosque with its magnificent 6 minarets, and the Underground Cistern (Basilica Cistern), one of the most interesting structures of Byzantium.

Finish the day at the Grand Bazaar, the oldest and biggest covered mall in the modern world.

If you’d like, you could also add in a Traditional Turkish Bath experience today.

Day 3 - Visit the Modern City

After a leisurely breakfast, meet your guide and drive to Taksim Square, the bustling social center of the European side of the city. Browse the European architecture and visit the art galleries and old shops along Istiklal Street, which, with its old tramline, runs off the square and is visited by more than a million people every day. At the end of this street, you will get to see the world’s second oldest subway, known simply as the Tunnel. You will also enjoy some traditional tastes & street food here.

Next, carry on to the Karakoy District, packed with cafes & bars, and taste some baklava. Later, take the historical Kadikoy ferry to enjoy the gorgeous Istanbul skyline.

Day 4 - Wine tasting in Thrace

Leave Istanbul after breakfast and journey around 3 hours to Thracia.

Settle in to your home for the night, the Barbare Vineyard, one of the biggest & popular vineyards in the Thrace region.

Enjoy a calm day in the Barbara Vineyard, taste their unique wine and enjoy the facilities of the vineyard.

Day 5 - Tour the wine region

After breakfast at your hotel, meet your guide and visit some other famous vineyards in the region and taste their award winning wines. You will also have chance to taste local cuisine. After the tour, you will return to your hotel, or head back to Istanbul.

Day 6 - Head home

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Explore Istanbul, with its intoxicating blend of ancient history and cosmopolitan variety, before unwinding in the nearby wine region and sampling the award winning wines.

As with all our itineraries, this is just a guideline and can be completely tailored to you. Contact turkey@fleewinter.com to discuss.

Istanbul

An intoxicating city and the only one in the world to sit across 2 continents. Enjoy breakfast in Europe and lunch in Asia, then back again for the evening.

Most of the popular sights, history and activity are centred on the European side in an area called Sultanahmet. But we recommend you explore further - taking in the Bazaars, cruising along the Bosphorous, and visiting the rooftop bars of Sultanahmet.

Cappadocia

The unique natural caves and ‘fairy chimneys’ in Cappadocia would be beautiful on their own, but they’ve been rendered even more interesting by their history as a refuge for Christians looking to escape Islamic armies. The result is fascinating carvings, frescoes and churches deep in caves.It’s easy to see why drifting over this region on a hot air balloon has become popular.

It’s probably the best region for serious hikers as well, offering challenging mountains and valleys for those who seek them, with rich scenic rewards.

Kalkan

Kalkan is, without a doubt, one of the prettiest holiday beach towns along Turkey’s Turquoise Coast. It calls visitors back again and again.

The charming cobbled-stone town is packed with excellent restaurants, and sits staggered down the hillside to the ocean, with dramatic mountains in the backdrop.
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Thrace Wine Region

A beautiful region producing wine since ancient times. Guided tours of vineyards are open from April to the October harvest.

Fethiye

The Fethiye region is beautiful, with its verdant valleys and dramatic mountains covered in sweet-scented pine forests, ancient tombs carved into the rock faces and simply magnificent beaches. The most famous are the blue lagoon at Ölüdeniz, and the neighbouring Butterfly Valley, aptly named due to the diverse species of butterflies that have made it their home.

For history and nature lovers this region ticks all the boxes, with its many ancient sites to visit including the ruined temples of Tlos Letoon, and the derelict old Greek houses in the ‘ghost village’ of Kaya Valley. Spring is a wonderful time to visit; with its unique flora and fauna, it is simply bursting with rare wild flowers. More

Göcek

Göcek, in the Fethiye region, is a chic, harbour-side town surrounded by 12 islands – stunning just to look at, and even more spectacular to explore onboard a gulet. More

Datça & Bozburun Peninsulas

For a real taste of unspoilt Turkey, visit the gorgeous peninsulas of Datça and Bozburun with their mountain hamlets, forests of pine and a myriad of fishing villages, beaches and secluded coves, just waiting to be discovered.

The southernmost of the two peninsulas is Bozburun, where the main village is renowned for building traditional gulets, splendid wooden Turkish yachts that are seen along the whole coastline.

The Datça Peninsula is home to ancient Knidos which lies at its tip, where the remains of this Dorian port city overlook 2 stunning bays. More

Bodrum Peninsula

Despite Bodrum being a bustling, cosmopolitan town, the old part is incredibly pretty and has remained unchanged for many years, with old white and blue stone houses in the backstreets covered in colourful Mediterranean flowers.

The area is also packed with ancient history. You can see Bodrum Castle from pretty much everywhere, and the Mausoleum at Halicarnussus (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World) is tucked away here too.
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Your adventure starts here!

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