Hand painted Iznik tiles in deep lapis lazuli, turquoise, emerald, and coral. Fairy chimneys of taupe and burnt umber. The white, charcoal, and Aegean blue palette of Santorini. On this journey through Turkey and Greece you may expand on your list of favorite new places, and even add new favorite colors, aromas, and flavors. Istanbul is your portal to this sensory world, with its Ottoman mosques, sultans’ palaces, Grand Bazaar and Spice Bazaar. Cappadocia’s weird landscape of rock pillars and subterranean homes is next, followed by a string of pearls. Sparkling Aegean isles, the marble ruins of Ephesus, an ancient oracle, a Trojan horse.
 

Arrive in the city of many names – Istanbul, Constantinople, Byzantium. Meet your guide at the airport and take in the sights on your way to the Pera Palace Hotel, a 5-star historic hotel originally built to host passengers on the Orient Express. (It’s said that Agatha Christie wrote Murder on the Orient Express in Room 411 during one of her visits.) Spend the rest of the day as you wish. Browse the shops and cafes on pedestrian-only Istiklal Street near your hotel or choose an optional tour before dinner on your own. We suggest the elegant Mikla Restaurant on the roof of the Marmara Pera hotel just across the street, which has been on The Worlds 50 Best Restaurant list since 2015.

( Includes overnight at Pera Palace Hotel)
 
Please note: Optional tours are available. VIP Arrival Service can be arranged upon request.

Istanbul’s historic center is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman wonders keep your head on a swivel. Visit landmarks from chariot grounds to the Blue Mosque, Ayasofya (formerly Hagia Sophia) Mosque and the Grand Bazaar before heading to the airport. A short flight finds you in Kayseri and soon you’re relaxing at the Argos in Cappadocia hotel, your home for the next two nights. Enjoy dinner on your own then rest up for a busy tomorrow.

(Includes breakfast, flight and overnight at Argos in Cappadocia Hotel)

Breakfast at the hotel the meet your guide for a transfer to Kaymakli Underground City. Early Christians carved some amazing living quarters out of this soft limestone as you’ll see at Kaymakli Underground City, a complex of living quarters and stables five levels below ground. The Goreme Valley is known as the valley of the churches, with some dating back to the 6th century. And not just any churches – these are rock-cut churches complete with beautiful wall frescoes. You’ll see several at the Goreme Open-Air Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Meet pottery artisans in the pretty town of Avanos on your way to the Devrent and Pasabag Valleys with their thrilling otherworldly landscapes, then return to the hotel for dinner on your own.

(Includes breakfast, lunch and overnight at Argos in Cappadocia Hotel)

After an early breakfast meet your guide at the lobby and transfer to Kayseri Airport for your flight to Istanbul. Upon arrival in Istanbul, you will have a visit to Spice Bazaar also known as the Egyptian Bazaar. Built in 1663, it is still the second largest covered bazaar in Turkey and the best place to buy Turkish delight, dried fruit, exotic herbs and all the spices of the East including cardamom, turmeric, saffron, rose water and much more. At the end of the visit, you will be transferred to the port to embark the yacht.
 
(Includes breakfast, flight to Istanbul and transfer to the yacht.)

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). 

Lemnos is a delightful, off the beaten path island with wild mountainous geology and large, uncrowded, sandy beaches all along the coastline. Windsurfing is becoming increasingly popular here. Sites to see here include the Medieval Castle of Myrina, Ancient Poliochni, Ancient Kavirio and the legendary cave of Philocetes.

Wake this morning to the postcard-like scene of Mykonos, the classic Greek isle dotted with hundreds of whitewashed churches and thatch-roofed windmills, in a harbor bobbing with fishing boats and luxurious private yachts. An optional  tour including a scenic ferry ride takes you back to the 6th   century B.C. to the tiny island of Delos, a UNESCO site and the mythical birthplace of Apollo.

Few places offer such a rich combination of history and scenic beauty. In Ephesus, one of the greatest outdoor museums in the world, you’ll explore legendary sites steeped in history. Also visit the houses of Bulbul Mountain, where the roof of one forms the terrace of the next. This evening we present our Destination Discovery Event -- dinner in the moonlight and a concert near the  Celsus Library or on Harbour Street in ancient Ephesus. 

 

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.)

As our yacht approaches the spectacular cliffs rising from the deep azure sea, you’ll understand the magic of this area, where some say the ruins of Atlantis remain hidden. Visit the village of Oia and see the iconic Santorini blue domes or take a guided tour of Bronze Age excavations at the UNESCO site of Akrotiri. Toast the day with a crisp, cold glass of local Assyrtiko wine and appreciate the magic accessible to small ships like ours.

You’ll want to be on deck today as we transit the narrow Corinth Canal with other private yachts and Greek mail steamers. It’s a shortcut reserved for petite ships like ours, and as we cruise between the narrow limestone walls we are the envy of all the ancient Romans who once portaged their ships along this very route before there was a canal.
 
Canal transit time and duration is subject to change based on traffic and canal authorities.

With 3,000 years of history, you can’t turn around in Athens without encountering the past. The Acropolis, a UNESCO site, the Plaka, and the Acropolis Museum are must-sees. But leave time if you can to climb Pnyx Hill for photos of the Parthenon at sunset, to buy your own set of Greek komboloi (worry beads), and to explore the metro stations that serve as mini-museums for the relics that are constantly being unearthed.