Day 1 (Wednesday) USA – Istanbul

Depart USA on your overnight flight to Istanbul.

Day 2 (Thursday) Istanbul

You are met upon your arrival in the world’s only city built on two continents and brought by private car to your hotel, the Four Seasons, with the best location in the city – a short distance from the Haghia Sophia and the Topkapi Palace. Your accommodation exudes culture, history and charm. A renovated early 19^th century Ottoman building, the original tiles and columns remain, as well as a Byzantine wall that borders the grounds. The plush interior is decorated with 19^th-century furnishings.

This afternoon is free for you to relax and settle in. Your tour manager will be in the lobby to answer any questions you may have. This evening, join your travel companions for a private cocktail reception and à la carte dining at the hotel in a glass-enclosed dining room, overlooking a paved courtyard that features international and local specialties. (D)

Day 3 (Friday) Istanbul

This morning, you become more familiar with this ancient city where east meets west, old joins new, and rich and poor walk side by side. Opulent Ottoman architecture on an enormous scale stands over narrow, winding streets. The call to prayer emanates from thousands of mosques five times a day amid the crowded markets where street merchants and peddlers sell various items, such as gold, carpets and spices. Conservative veiled Muslims walk alongside sophisticated travelers.

You visit Topkapi Palace (home of the Sultans until 1853 and site of a wonderful collection of archaeological treasures) and the Haghia Sophia with its infamous Fountain of Ahmet III and the imperial Ottoman tombs. You see the Blue Mosque, with six slender minarets, a spacious courtyard, and a breathtaking interior - truly an architectural marvel. And you visit the Yerebatan Sarayi (known as the "Underground Palace" or "Basilica Cistern" to visitors). It is, by far, the largest and most impressive of the ancient Byzantine reservoirs in Istanbul. This evening, you dine à la carte at one of Istanbul’s fine restaurants. (B,L,D)

In the Sadberk Hanim museum, you see an impressive collection of antiquities ranging from the Bronze Age to Greek-Roman times as well as Ottoman arts, crafts, and costumes. Afterward, you view splendid palaces and summer houses from the boat as you cruise along the Bosphorus.

This afternoon you stop at a huge Byzantine stone building - the Grand Bazaar – one of the world’s most famous markets. Originally the site of warehouses for merchants’ stock, the area developed into a city (a network of streets and squares, with thousands of shops) within a city. You can shop for jewelry, shoes, clothing, furniture, and rugs and have the opportunity to relax in one of the many cafes or tea rooms. Try one of the favorite local refreshments – delicious cherry, peach or apricot juice. Tonight you dine à la carte at a local restaurant, selecting from some of the locally caught fish prepared in delicious dishes. (B,L,D)

Today, your journey takes you on a morning flight to Nevsehir in the ancient province of Cappadocia. Striking volcanic formations ("fairy chimneys") stand in groups along valleys and ridges. The landscape was formed by a thick layer of volcanic ash that eventually hardened to form a soft rock called tuff. In the 17^th and 18^th centuries, inhabitants in this area carved their homes and churches out of this rock.

Nearby, you see an ancient multi-level town carved out of the earth to a depth of 250 feet – a warren of tunnels, rooms, staircases, and hallways - that is thought to be more than 3,000 years old. Throughout the centuries, Christians fled their homes above ground to this subterranean refuge to avoid attack. It is estimated that 5,000 – 10,000 people lived here for up to six months at a time.

Your hotel, the Kapadokya Lodge, is an architectural delight. Natural materials from the region have been used in a most attractive manner. The facilities include a heated, open-air swimming pool, a sunbathing patio, open buffet indoor and outdoor restaurants, a cozy bar with fireplace, a dance floor, a shopping area, and lovely fruit orchards. An impressive collection of original art decorates this charming resort. The splendid bazaar in one of the atriums offers local arts and crafts, including carpets. In the evening, you dine à la carte at the hotel. (B,L,D)

Today, you have the opportunity to further explore this fascinating area. At Goreme, you see dozens of 100-foot-high, cone-shaped rocks into which cave houses were carved between the 5^th and 12^th centuries. Some are still inhabited by families, others are chapels; and a few have even become inns. Interspersed among these cones are many traditional rural dwellings. At the Open-Air Museum, you see what remains of the splendid frescoes, depicting biblical scenes, that once covered the walls of churches that were carved into caves and "fairy chimneys".

In Uchisar, you stop at the citadel to see the astonishing panorama of the Ihlara Valley. Your journey takes you on to Cavusin with its particularly large "fairy chimney" and ancient Cavusin Church that has some particularly well-preserved frescoes. In the village of Avanos, you see local potters working with the red, iron-rich Cappadocian clay as their ancestors have done since the beginning of time. The clay comes from the Kizihrmak (Red River) that flows through the town. (B,L,D)