12 nights. Greece, Turcaí

Day 1

istanbul, turkey

Departure: 17:00

Istanbul owes its historical significance and its incredible cultural and architectural heritage to its perfect strategic location, straddling the Bosphorus straits which separate Europe and Asia Minor. Throughout most of its 2,500-year-long history, the city (first known as Byzantium, then as Constantinople and since 1930 as Istanbul) was a cultural melting pot. Today, its population of over 13 million is almost exclusively Turkish, and many of its people are recent migrants from provincial Turkey, drawn by the promise of jobs and careers in this vibrant, rapidly growing city. Istanbul is no longer the nation's capital, but is Turkey's economic and cultural powerhouse - a status emphasised by its role as a European City of Culture in 2010 and the award of UNESCO World Heritage listing to many of its most important landmarks, which range from stunning Ottoman mosques and Byzantine churches and catacombs to the columns of Hellenistic temples and the remains of massive medieval city walls. But there's more to Istanbul than Byzantine and Ottoman heritage. A rapidly growing economy has contributed to a thriving arts and music scene, with a wealth of new bars, clubs, private art galleries, restaurants and designer fashion outlets.

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1

Day 3

kavala - greece

Arrival: 08:00 - Departure: 18:00

2

Day 4

thessaloniki, greece

Arrival: 08:00 - Departure: 18:00

Thessaloniki, ceann de na cathracha is sine agus is mó san Eoraip agus an dara cathair is mó sa Ghréig. Síneann sé thar dhá mhíle i mbabhla a chruthaíodh ag cnoic ísle agus a osclaíonn isteach i gCuan Thermaikos. Is cathair bhríomhar í agus ceann de na hionaid trádála agus cumarsáide is tábhachtaí sa Mheánmhuir. Rinne an tine mhór de 1917 scrios mór ar lár na cathracha staire, agus rinne crith talún mór i 1968 damáiste breise. Ina dhiaidh sin, tá samplaí gan áireamh de shaibhreas staire agus cultúr na cathracha, cé go bhfuil siad i bhfolach i measc na forbartha tar éis 1917. Tá an meascán foirgneamh seo tar éis meascán iontach de stíleanna a chruthú atá an-ait do Thessaloniki. Tá séadchomharthaí Rómhánacha in aice le campais ollscoile nua-aimseartha, tá foirgnimh nua-aimseartha ag faire ar eaglaisí meánaoiseacha agus beidh struchtúir Otomanacha go luath ag cúlú túinéal nua Thessaloniki, an subway. Tá na húdaráis cathracha tar éis a lán a dhéanamh chun staid an oidhreacht chultúir a chaomhnú agus is féidir linn a shamhlú go ndéanfar níos mó chun a chinntiú nach bhfuil sé ach cuid bhuan de radharc na cathracha ach go bhfuil sé soiléir agus inrochtana do áitritheoirí agus do chuairteoirí araon. Níl mórthacht Thessaloniki, áfach, ach ina struchtúr seasta. Tá an chathair seo beo go fíor agus ní hamháin i gcás tráchta mór nó a lán tógála. Is maith leis na daoine anseo iad féin a léiriú amuigh faoin aer agus is deacair am a chaitheamh anseo gan roinnt de chultúr dúchasach agus fíor na cathracha a fheiceáil. Bíonn ceolchoirmeacha faoin aer ag Plateia Aristotelou i rith an tsamhraidh, ach bíonn cruinnithe spontáineacha ann freisin a thugann léargas do chuairteoirí ar shaol na nGriagach gnáth. Bíonn mic léinn ag caitheamh ama os comhair an Rotunda ag seinm a ngiotáirí san oíche agus bíonn an Agora Rómhánach uaireanta ina láthair do drámaí nó taispeántais a eagraítear ag grúpaí éagsúla sa chathair. Gach dhá bhliain, glacann an bláthú cultúrtha seo an cruth de na biennála ealaíne comhaimseartha, buaicphointe féilire phobal ealaíontóirí na cathracha. Is iad na heaglaisí Byzantine, na tógálacha Rómhánacha, na foirgnimh Mhuislim, an ailtireacht nua-aimseartha, an oíche bheo agus na tránna áille an t-essence de Thessaloniki. Mar an dara cathair is mó sa Ghréig, cumann Thessaloniki níos mó ná 2,300 bliain de stair le gach saoráid agus excitement a d'fhéadfadh cathair Eorpach nua-aimseartha a thairiscint do chuairteoir.

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3

Day 5

volos, greece

Arrival: 08:00 - Departure: 16:00

4

Day 6

athens (piraeus), greece

Arrival: 05:30 - Departure: 19:00

5

Day 7

mykonos, greece

Arrival: 08:00 - Departure: 18:00

Mykonos is a popular tourist destination in the Greek islands of the Cyclades group, situated in the middle of the Aegean Sea. In the 1960s, Mykonos became a bohemian mecca and is now one of the glitziest holiday resorts in the country that happily flaunts its sizzling style and reputation. This central Cyclade was for years the premier Mediterranean resort for gay travellers, though recently Mykonos has tried to reinvent itself for a more varied clientele, though nightlife is still very gay-friendly, it is a paradise for any reveller with loud and long nights. Chora or Mykonos town is the main town on the island. It is filled with narrow, winding streets, whitewashed buildings with blue trim, nice restaurants, clothing and jewellery shops, a fish market and a vegetable market. It is one of the most cosmopolitan and crowded towns of the Aegean. Besides Chora, there is only one other town on the island, Ano Mera. Ano Mera is quieter and less touristy. While you are here, visit the Monastery of Panagia Tourliani, a traditional Greek Orthodox Church which has a beautiful iconostas. The island is dry and barren, but there are some fine, sandy beaches, the two most well-known being Paradise and Super Paradise, but there are many other beaches you can seek out around the island. From the charming port, catch a boat out to the beaches or out to Delos, and you will be travelling from the present into the ancient past, from one set of myths to another.

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6

Day 8

heraklion (iraklion), crete

Arrival: 08:00 - Departure: 18:00

7

Day 9

marmaris - turkey

Arrival: 08:00 - Departure: 18:00

Marmaris is a town in Turkey, along the Mediterranean coast in the province of Muğla. Marmaris is renowned for its rich cultural heritage, ancient old town, magnificent natural surroundings, several modern marinas, many coves along its coast and a natural harbour surrounded by pine-clad hills. The old town is a labyrinth of winding little streets and lanes with whitewashed houses amid a top-notch shopping bazaar. The Castle boasts lovely views from its ramparts and is well worth a visit. The coastline is perfect for water sports, sailing, sunbathing, or strolling along the palm lined promenade. Marmaris is a stylish and cosmopolitan resort with numerous nightspots or restaurants. It's one of Turkey's largest tourist resorts but it has managed to maintain much of its charm. The hills running into the sea and the beautiful bays make Marmaris very special.

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8

Day 11

izmir - turkey

Arrival: 08:00 - Departure: 18:00

İzmir is a city in the western extremity of Anatolia and the third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara. The metropolitan area of İzmir extends along the outlying waters of the Gulf of İzmir and inland to the north across the delta of the Gediz River, to the east along an alluvial plain created by several small streams and to a slightly more rugged terrain in the south. MAIN TOURIST ATTRACTIONS • Beaches. Izmir has many beaches which are not too far from the city centre. • Konak Square • Asansör • Beaches. • Alsancak. • Karsiyaka • Kadifekale • Teleferik

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9

Day 12

istanbul, turkey

Arrival: 14:00 - Departure: 00:00

Istanbul owes its historical significance and its incredible cultural and architectural heritage to its perfect strategic location, straddling the Bosphorus straits which separate Europe and Asia Minor. Throughout most of its 2,500-year-long history, the city (first known as Byzantium, then as Constantinople and since 1930 as Istanbul) was a cultural melting pot. Today, its population of over 13 million is almost exclusively Turkish, and many of its people are recent migrants from provincial Turkey, drawn by the promise of jobs and careers in this vibrant, rapidly growing city. Istanbul is no longer the nation's capital, but is Turkey's economic and cultural powerhouse - a status emphasised by its role as a European City of Culture in 2010 and the award of UNESCO World Heritage listing to many of its most important landmarks, which range from stunning Ottoman mosques and Byzantine churches and catacombs to the columns of Hellenistic temples and the remains of massive medieval city walls. But there's more to Istanbul than Byzantine and Ottoman heritage. A rapidly growing economy has contributed to a thriving arts and music scene, with a wealth of new bars, clubs, private art galleries, restaurants and designer fashion outlets.

Read more

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Day 13

istanbul, turkey

Arrival: 00:00

Istanbul owes its historical significance and its incredible cultural and architectural heritage to its perfect strategic location, straddling the Bosphorus straits which separate Europe and Asia Minor. Throughout most of its 2,500-year-long history, the city (first known as Byzantium, then as Constantinople and since 1930 as Istanbul) was a cultural melting pot. Today, its population of over 13 million is almost exclusively Turkish, and many of its people are recent migrants from provincial Turkey, drawn by the promise of jobs and careers in this vibrant, rapidly growing city. Istanbul is no longer the nation's capital, but is Turkey's economic and cultural powerhouse - a status emphasised by its role as a European City of Culture in 2010 and the award of UNESCO World Heritage listing to many of its most important landmarks, which range from stunning Ottoman mosques and Byzantine churches and catacombs to the columns of Hellenistic temples and the remains of massive medieval city walls. But there's more to Istanbul than Byzantine and Ottoman heritage. A rapidly growing economy has contributed to a thriving arts and music scene, with a wealth of new bars, clubs, private art galleries, restaurants and designer fashion outlets.

Read more

Read less

12 nights. Greece, Turcaí

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