Ottoman Turn (2024)

1. nap

Welcome to Europamundo! Upon arriving at the airport, we will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel. Check the information boards in the hotel reception area for details of the welcome meeting with your guide and fellow travelers.

2. nap

We will enjoy the city tour with a local guide which includes the Presidential Palace, the Panathinaikos stadium where the first modern Olympic games were held, the national library, the bustling squares of the center; the new neighborhoods that emerged after the 2004 Olympic games. The tour will finish at the Acropolis site (entry not included). In the evening we include a transfer to the PLAKA area, which is full of small Greek bars and where you will be able to enjoy the rich folklore of this country.

3. nap

We depart early in the morning towards the North of Greece. We will make a stop in KAMENA VOURLA, a beautiful touristic hub next to the sea surrounded by beautiful landscapes. We will then proceed to the north. We will make a short stop in the gorge where the Battle of Thermopylae took place. We will visit KASTRAKI, a picturesque village with beautiful views of the whole valley and where we will have free time for lunch before visiting the METEORA valley, a breathtaking place which has been declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO. We include admission to one of the most famous monasteries. Dinner is included in KALAMBAKA.

4. nap

We travel through the North of Greece, amidst pretty mountain scenery to the Aegean Sea. We arrive in THESSALONIKI with time for a stroll and lunch in Greece’s second largest city. After this we continue towards BULGARIA, crossing the border. In Bulgarian Macedonia we will make a stop in MELNIK, picturesque museum-town among beautiful landscapes in the center of a wine-producing area. We arrive in SANDANSKI, at this beautiful small spa town, the birthplace of Spartacus. Dinner and accommodation.

5. nap

We visit the beautiful Rila Monastery, the heritage of mankind, with its appearance of a fortress surrounded by forests. We continue to SOFIA, where we arrive at the end of the morning. After lunch, we include a city tour of the capital of Bulgaria, where we will see the Alexander Nevski Cathedral, the Russian Church, the Mosque, its squares and avenues of Stalinist architecture. Free time afterwards.

6. nap

After breakfast a transfer to the airport. We take a regular flight (included, variable times) to Turkey. Arrival in ISTANBUL. Transfer to the hotel and free time. You will receive information on this part of your trip in the afternoon, or it will be placed on the informative panels located at the hotel reception.

7. nap

A sightseeing tour of the city. We find ourselves in a city built in two continents. On our tour, we will enter the Mosque of Suleyman the Magnificent (the largest in Istanbul). We will see the walls, the Golden Horn, the fishing district, and we will admire the exterior of Hagia Sofia. After the visit, we will offer tickets and a visit to the Top Kapi Palace, which was the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire, with its magnificent courtyards and its pavilions. At the end of the afternoon we will provide a transfer to the Taksim neighborhood, the most commercialized and lively area of the city. There will be time to dine in one of its many restaurants, and you can also take the old tram that crosses the area or go to see the nearby Galata Tower.

8. nap

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Boat trip on the Bosphorus.Today we include a boat trip on the Bosphorus that will last about two hours. We will undertake the trip on a boat exclusively for Europamundo travellers. The Bosphorus is a strait that connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara, which separates Istanbul into two parts: the European part and the Asian one. We will enjoy seeing the liveliness of the strait with its multitude of boats. We will pass under the two bridges that unite Europe and Asia and we will admire the palaces of the sultans, the typical wooden houses and the Ottoman villas. Return to the center of Istanbul. Free time .

9. nap

We leave early from Istanbul. We continue the route through Turkey. Around lunch time, we arrive at EPHESUS, the best preserved ancient city of Asia Minor; 2000 years ago it had a quarter of a million inhabitants. We will visit Saint John´s Basilica, and afterwards, the house of the Virgin Mary and the archaeological site (tickets included). We then continue to KUSADASI, a popular coastal town with a lot of atmosphere, commercial life and a small castle. Dinner and accommodation.

10. nap

We leave for one of the natural wonders of Turkey, Lake BAFA. We continue to BODRUM, a very beautiful fortified city of Greek origin. You can visit its castle, stroll through its streets full of life and tourism or go around its sports marina. After lunch, we go on our way to MARMARIS, another very beautiful coastal tourist enclave with its castle, its marina and its fountains. Dinner and accommodation.

11. nap

We will embark towards Greece in the early morning. Express ferry, the journey will last about an hour. Immigration checks. Arrival in Rhodes. City tour of this incredible walled city and the old quarter, which bears the imprints of the different cultures that shaped it (Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Knights of Saint John, Ottoman, Italian). Free time during the afternoon.- IMPORTANT NOTICE: The timetable for the ferry between Rhodes and Marmaris is frequently modified and doesn’t operate every day (except in the Summer months), this part of the trip’s itinerary may have to be modified accordingly.

12. nap

We include an excursion to explore the island of Rhodes, we travel to FILERIMOS, at the top of the hill, among magnificent landscapes you can visit its small monastery. After that we travel to LINDOS, its medieval fortress and Greek Acropolis dominate the sea, you can walk through the white streets of the center, rest on its beaches or climb (on a donkey, if you wish) to the Acropolis. After lunch time we return to Rhodes. Free time in the afternoon. In the evening we will have a transfer to the airport. We take a flight to the island of CRETE, arrival on the island and transfer to the hotel in HERAKLION.Note: Direct flight schedules between Rhodes and Crete are limited and a matter of change; Sometimes the flight may be carried out on Friday morning or with a stopover in Athens.

13. nap

In the morning we travel along the coast towards the west of the island. RETHYMNO, beautiful coastal city of Venetian origin, dominated by its medieval castle. CHANIA, captivating city with impressive fortress and stately mansions; contested among Romans, Byzantines, Venetians, Genoese, Turks, Egyptians and Greeks throughout its history. Return to HERAKLION at the end of the day.

14. nap

Today we include an excursion (admission and guided tour included) to the PALACE OF KNOSSOS, which will allow us to learn about the Minoan culture that gave rise to the Greek culture four thousand years ago. After the visit we cross the high mountains in the center of the island, we travel to the southern area, next to the Libyan Sea we visit AGIA GALINI, a picturesque town with labyrinthine streets, a fishing port and popular taverns. Time to have lunch and, if you’d like to, swim in the sea. Return to the capital of Crete.Note: From November to April we will make a stop in the picturesque town of Matala instead of Agia Galini due to the end of the summer season and the general closure of businesses in this town.

15. nap

We will leave along the coast towards the east of the island. We visit the small town of Kritsa, PANAGIA KERA, a 13th century church with some of the best frescoes in Crete, admission included. After that AGIOS NIKOLAOS, arrival at this picturesque town with its natural port. Time for a walk and lunch. The next stop we will make is ELOUNDA, a place that was a city-state and today a beautiful tourist enclave. From here we include a boat ride and admission to the island-citadel of SPINALONGA, an ancient Venetian fortress that was later a leprosarium for a long time. Return by boat and continuation to HERAKLION, accommodation.

16. nap

Early morning we have a transfer to the port. We take a fast ferry to the island of SANTORINI, arriving between 09:00 and 10:00 hrs. - by bus, among beautiful landscapes we go to OIA, without a doubt the most spectacular town on the island: white streets full of life, immense views over cliffs, castle remains and windmills. Time to walk and have lunch. After that we will visit FIRA, the capital of the island. Those, who would like to, can go down by cable car or donkey to the port, where the cruise ships arrive. We continue later to the ferry port to take a fast ferry, departing around 15:30 hrs. Arrival in ATHENS at midnight.Very important note: From November to mid-April WE WILL NOT VISIT THE ISLAND OF SANTORINI, since the fast ferry from Heraklion to Santorini does not operate. During this period we will travel by plane from Heraklion to Athens.

17. nap

After breakfast, end of our services.