A sampler of Turkish desserts in Bolu

TURKISH DELIGHTS: A CULINARY TOUR OFTURKEY
14 DAYS

The influence of the Ottoman Turks, who once controlled a vast empire that spanned three oceans and stretched over three continents, is clearly seen (and tasted) in today's Turkish Cuisine. This tour is designed to provide an experience of the rich Turkish kitchen, one of the greatest cuisines of the world. The Turkish Cuisine was created with a legacy of ancient cultures going back thousands of years, and on a land that once extended from Vienna on the West, the Arabian Peninsula on the East, Northern Africa along the Mediterranean Sea in the South, and all the land that surrounds the Black Sea to the North. In this tour, you will feast like the Ottoman Sultans did, learn more about magnificent dishes going back hundreds of years, and try a few of the approximately 150 varieties, each, of rice and eggplant dishes! Find out how the Turks influenced European and Western cooking. Do all these, while visiting famous sites of this cradle of civilization.

DAY 1: ISTANBUL Arrive at Istanbul airport. Transfer to hotel. Welcome Cocktail and dinner at hotel. (D)

DAY 2: ISTANBUL Cruise on the Bosphorus, lunch at a seafood restaurant. Visit Dolmabahçe Palace. Dinner at an authentic Turkish setting. (B,L,D)

DAY 3: ISTANBUL A Seminar on Ottoman Turkish Cuisine. Lunch at Darüzziyafe Restaurant after the seminar. Visit Topkapi Palace, the Harem, the Covered Bazaar, and the Spice Bazaar. Casual dinner at Çicek Pasaji. (B,L,D)

DAY 4: ISTANBUL Sightseeing in the St.Sophia Museum, the Blue Mosque, and the Hippodrome. Lunch at Yesil Ev Mansion. Performance of the Ottoman Janissary Band*. Dinner at an old Ottoman mansion. (B,L,D)

DAY 5: ANKARA Drive to Ankara via Bolu Mountain. Lunch en route. Dinner at hotel in Ankara. (B,L,D)

DAY 6: CAPPADOCIA City Tour in Ankara: Visit Ataturk's Mausoleum and The Museum of Ancient Anatolian Civilizations. Lunch at a Kebap restaurant before driving to Cappadocia. Dinner with Entertainment at a “Cave” restaurant. Return to hotel in Urgup. (B,L,D/E)

DAY 7: CAPPADOCIA Sightseeing in underground city and churches carved in volcanic rock, and a landscape of Fairy Chimneys. Lunch at Hanedan Restaurant in Urgup. Dinner by an open fire with local villagers. (B,L,D)

DAY 8: IZMIR Sightseeing in lhlara Valley before the drive to Ankara. Transfer to Ankara Esenboga Airport for the flight to lzmir. Transfer to hotel in Izmir. Horse-drawn carriage ride along the waterfront. Dinner at a restaurant on the seafront. (B,L,D)

DAY 9: IZMIR Sightseeing in Ephesus, Basilica of St. John, House of The Virgin Mary, the Archaeological Museum. Lunch at Kismet Hotel in Kusadasi. Dinner at a local taverna in Izmir. (B,L,D)

DAY 10: ASSOS Sightseeing in Pergamum. Lunch at Bergama (Pergamum). Drive to Assos. Dinner at hotel. (B,L,D)

DAY 11: BURSA Sightseeing in Troy. Drive to Bursa. Lunch at Hünkar Restaurant. Visit the Green Mosque and Mausoleum and the Silk Bazaar. Dinner at hotel. (B,L,D)

DAY 12: ISTANBUL Drive to Istanbul. Lunch en route. Check-in at hotel upon arrival in Istanbul. Afternoon at leisure. (B,L)

DAY 13: ISTANBUL A seminar on Turkish Desserts. Afternoon at leisure. Farewell Dinner at Tugra Restaurant within the Çiragan Palace. (B, D)

DAY 14: Transfer to the airport for the flight to your next destination. (B)

* I scheduled
B = Breakfast included, L = Lunch included, D = Dinner included, D/E = Dinner and entertainment included
NOTE: The city or region designated next to a tour day (e.g., DAY 6: ANTALYA) indicates the location of overnight stay.