Depart from home city to Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and 5th largest city proper in the world with a population of 13 million.
Day 2 - Istanbul
Turkey is a transcontinentalEurasian country. Asian Turkey, which includes 97% of the country, is separated from European Turkey by the Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles. Although the European Turkey only share 3% of the country, Turkey is an associate member of the European Economic Community since 1963. Upon arrival transfer to hotel and prepare for the exciting tour beginning tomorrow.
Day 3 - Istanbul Topkapi Palace Blue Mosque Hagia Sophia Dardanelles Gallipoli Çanakkale
Became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, Topkapi Palace was a setting for state occasions and royal entertainments and is a major tourist attraction today, containing the most holy relics of the Muslim world such as the Prophet Muhammed's cloak and sword. Initial construction began in 1459, the palace is a complex made up of four main courtyards and many smaller buildings. At the height of its existence as a royal residence, the palace was home to as many as 4,000 people, formerly covering a larger area with a long shoreline. The palace gradually lost its importance at the end of the 17th century, as the Sultans preferred to spend more time in their new palaces along the Bosporus. Later we move on to Sultan Ahmed Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior. Then visit Hagia Sophia, former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul. Famous in particular for its massive dome, it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and is said to have "changed the history of architecture." It was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly a thousand years, until Seville Cathedral was completed in 1520. After lunch we are taking a ferry ride sail across the Dardanelles Straits and experience the magnificent view of the Sea of Marmara. Enjoy our dinner at the hotel in Çanakkale upon arrival.
Troy is best known for being the focus of the Trojan War described in the Greek Epic Cycle. After breakfast we shall go to visit the enormous reconstruction of the famous Trojan wooden horse. Afterward visit Pergamon - an ancient Greek city in modern-day Turkey’s. It is believed to be the first society of human being during the Stone Age. After the visit we move on to Kuşadası, a resort town on Turkey’s Aegean coast. Freely enjoy the stunning Aegean Sea scenic after lunch, and enjoy dinner at hotel’s restaurant.
Day 5 - Kuşadası Ephesus Leather Center Artemis Tapinagi Pamukkale
The ruins of Ephesus were famed for the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The temple was destroyed twice in 401 A.D. and 614 A.D. It was the second largest city of the Roman Empire, which the city's importance as a commercial center declined as the harbor was slowly silted up by the Cayster River. After breakfast we shall visit the temples, the Library of Celsus, and the Amphitheatre. After lunch we move on to the “Cotton Castle” Pamukkale. It is a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, together with Hierapolis, in 1988. Pamukkale's terraces are made of travertine, a sedimentary rock deposited by water from the hot springs. After dinner at the hotel you may enjoy a hot spring bath on your own accord.
Return to Kuşadası after breakfast and embark our 3 nights Aegean Cruise. The first stop of the cruise ship is Patmos. Patmos is mentioned in the Christian scriptural Book of Revelation. The book's introduction states that its author, John, was on Patmos when he was given (and recorded) a vision from Jesus. You may join the optional tour to visit the island.
Meals:
Breakfast Lunch Dinner
Accomodations:
Cruise - Monarch Classic Cruises or similar
Day 7 - Rhodes
This morning the cruise ship will stop at Rhodes, which was famous worldwide for the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The medieval Old Town of the City of Rhodes has been declared a World Heritage Site.
Meals:
Breakfast Lunch Dinner
Accomodations:
Cruise - Monarch Classic Cruises or similar
Day 8 - Heraklion (Crete) Santorini
The cruise ship will stop at the Island of Crete and visit the city of Heraklion. It is the 4th largest city of Greece and the birthplace of the Minoan civilization (27th century B.C. – 15th century B.C.) You may join an optional tour to visit the Knossos Palace, the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and probably the ceremonial and political centre of the Minoan civilization and culture. We shall embark again in the afternoon and head towards Santorini, a beautiful Aegean Sea island. You may join an optional tour to visit Oia – the famous Oia sunset, considered by many as one of the most beautiful in the world, keeps tourists flocking down to the castle, waiting for the moment when the sun slips down on the calm sea of the caldera.
Meals:
Breakfast Lunch Dinner
Accomodations:
Cruise - Monarch Classic Cruises or similar
Day 9 - Athens Parthenon Temple of Olympian Zeus Parliament Building Constitution Square Lunch at Plaka Shopping
Disembark at the port of Athens after breakfast, and then we proceed to the Parthenon - the most important surviving building of Classical Greece, generally considered to be the culmination of the development of the Doric order. Its decorative sculptures are considered some of the high points of Greek art. The Parthenon itself replaced an older temple of Athena, which historians call the Pre-Parthenon or Older Parthenon, which was destroyed in the Persian invasion of 480 BC. Afterward we move on to the Temple of Olympian Zeus. It was the largest temple in Greece during the Roman periods and housed one of the largest cult statues in the ancient world. However the temple's glory was short-lived, as it fell into disuse after being pillaged in a barbarian invasion in the 3rd century AD. It was probably never repaired and was reduced to ruins thereafter. It is also the first ever hosting place of the Ancient Olympic Games back in 776 B.C. Later we also visit the Parliament Building and Constitution Square, before having lunch at Plaka. After lunch you are free for your own leisure in the Plaka shopping area.
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10 Days Turkey, Greece Marvel(PTGR10)
Istanbul
Hotel - 
Topkapi Palace 
Meals:
Aegean Cruise 
