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Day 1
Arrive Istanbul
Arrival to Istanbul. Welcome Dinner at one of the simplest restaurants of Istanbul. An old, but famous Kebab restaurant for a taste of classic Istanbul. Stay at a Boutique hotel. (D)

Day 2
Tour of Istanbul (B,L,D)
In the morning we visit the hippodrome square including the Egyptian Obelisk and serpentine column, we will continue to the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. For the lunch break we are driving to Pandeli restaurant, which is built into 16th c Egyptian Spice Market. We will also have a chance to look into the kitchen and learn some recipes of the 18th c imperial kitchen. In the afternoon we will visit the Imperial Topkapi Palace. Late afternoon we drive back to our hotel. Dinner at Cistern Restaurant, which is built into an ancient cistern from the 16th c.

Pandeli restaurant is fabled with its food cooked using Ottoman recipes. Two meals are a must for the first timers, in this restaurant. Eggplant pastry is cooked in the oven and served hot. It combines a very special saffron sauce with grilled eggplant. The restaurant is also famous for the sea-bass. They cook the fresh fish of the day in a paper pan on the grill. To bring out the flavors of the fish it is simply cooked with a slice of lemon, slice of tomato in between the layers of the fish and olive oil mixed with butter made from goat milk. The final serving ingredient is fresh black pepper.

Cistern restaurant will offer the best cuts of meat from Istanbul. Not only the beef but they are experts in cooking lamb which is first steamed and then grilled with almond sauce. Along with the food you can also enjoy the ambience and remember that the meal you are having is served in an ancient cistern, almost 2000 years old.

Day 3
Istanbul and Bosphorus cruise
In the morning we visit the Dolmabahce palace which was the residence of the royal family in the 19th c. The palace is perfectly preserved with all the decoration ornaments and offers a perfect ambiance of the 19th c. palace life. Before lunch we continue with Bosphorus Cruise with our private boat. In the afternoon we drive to Grand Bazaar area to stop at Cemberlitas Turkish Bath. We will also have some time at the grand bazaar to look through and have an idea about the items available. We will also have a full day free on the last day of the tour. Dinner is on your own.

Istanbul has many districts to have your meal. Not only can you eat, but you can visit almost any Kitchen of any restaurant in their off hours. Most fresh food restaurants serve at least 20 different dishes of almost every seasonal vegetable.

Day 4
Flight to Izmir - Bergama (B,L,D)
Morning flight to Izmir on TK 316 Departs at 8.20am and arrives to Izmir at 9.20am. Upon arrival we will drive to ancient Pergamon or modern Bergama. Before we visit the ancient city and its surroundings, we stop at Saglam restaurant to learn some local dishes. After lunch we continue to the Acropolis of Pergamon and we will also visit the ancient healing center nearby.

In Bergama, we continue to Demircidere village. Today we will learn the basics of bread making, yoghurt making, straining milk for cheese and cooking their local dishes with mostly pine nuts. This village known to have the best pine nuts of the world and they offer a wide selection of dishes to be tasted in their homes. The food and the villagers are authentic and they will welcome our tour members in their homes.

Then we drive to the Izmir Crowne Plaza Hotel, which is surrounded by seafood restaurants. Dinner at Guzelbahce where we will have a chance to walk through the fish market and we will also learn about the Turkish seafood hors d’oeuvre making.

Day 5
Izmir – Tire – Izmir (B)
Today we depart from Izmir very early in the morning before breakfast to have our breakfast in Tire, where they serve “leg of a lamb” cooked in a kiln for more than 10 hours. We will have lamb breakfast with locals and have free time to stroll the streets to see textile makers, felt makers, blanket makers, tin plate stores and etc. After we have our lunch in a special Tire restaurant and learn some of their recipes we will continue to Izmir. The balance of the day will be free on your own.

Turkey is very famous for its many kebaps and it covers almost every kind made in the oriental world. However, the village of Tire has the most interesting. They cook their kebaps, mostly lamb meat, in butter. In a way that the meat floats in it. They serve it with yoghurt. It is very interesting and tasty at the same time.

Day 6
Izmir – Sardis – Izmir (B,L,D)
Morning departure to visit Sardis, which is one of the most important trade centers of the ancient world very famous of being the place where the first coin was minted in history. After sightseeing we will try their “tripe soup” and a kind of special “pilaf” of the region. We will continue to Philadelphia to try their very unique “meatballs” only available in this small town. The meatballs are cooked almost like ravioli. The balls are wrapped in filo dough and double fried before serving with their garlic sauce. The meats balls are kept in a special kind of low fire oven until they are all served.

Day 7
Izmir – Ephesus – Kusadasi (B,L,D)
Morning departure to visit legendary Ephesus which was one of the largest cities of ancient Aegean during 2nd c AD. For lunch, we will continue to Sirince village to try their local cooking in one of the village houses. We will also have the chance to try the local wine. After Sirince village we will drive to a local rug manufacturer to learn about rugs and see finished examples. We will continue to Kusadasi where we stay for one night. Dinner will be served at one of the local seafood restaurants.

In Kusadasi, we are looking forward to see the local restaurant serving, vegetables of the season. Their best dish, both in winter and summer, is the “lentil soup”. Iif you are lucky enough to visit the place in ocra season, you will be satisfied not only bye taste but also visually. The most interesting part of the tour is visiting “farmers’ markets” in Selcuk, near Ephesus. We will have time to explore more of the fresh ingredients.

Day 8
Izmir – Kayseri (B,L,D)
We leave Izmir by TK 307 at 6.00am for Istanbul. Arrive Istanbul at 07:00 am and take the connection to Kayseri arriving at 8.55am. Upon arrival to Kayseri, we will visit the Pastrami makers and enjoy their local cuisine. We will take some time to visit the old castle and town of Kayseri. Before we depart for Cappadocia, we will stop at Kayseri Hilton to learn about a few local dishes. In the late afternoon we continue to the Lodge Hotel in Cappadocia.

Kayseri is fabled mostly with food cooked with meat. The Keskek and Pastirma are traditional dishes. Keskek is a sort of wheat meal with lamb and Pastirma or mostly known as “pastrami”, and is produced in great quantities in Kayseri. The seasoning for raw meat to make pastrami has 41 different spices to flavor. We will visit stores making and selling different kinds of pastrami before we go for the second lunch and try other local dishes.

Day 9
Cappadocia (B,L,D)
Cappadocia offers one of the most interesting landscapes in the earth. Words fail to explain the panoramic view of Cappadocia, changing at any hour of the day as the lights’ angle changes. Cappadocia is the place where the ancient Hittites invented the kick-wheel pottery lathe. We will visit the open-air museum of Göreme, where 9th century AD. Christians lived their secluded monastic life. In the afternoon we will visit the Kaymakli underground city.

Cappadocia has good food, however their wine is much more notable. The wine is special for many reasons which are unique for the place. They do not grow the grapes on the post. Because of the cold winters they have to keep them close to the ground to be able to cover them with debris mounds in winter. Since the plant is close to the ground, there is an excessive amount of dehydration of grapes in the summer. Due to dehydration, grapes have a very strong taste. The secondary part that makes the taste different, is the fertilizer they use. The pigeon droppings are collected in the whole valley as fertilizers due to high use of the natural fertilizers there is a unique mineral lime taste to the wines. The wines always are full body and have a long lasting taste. Thirdly, the taste is related to concrete aging tanks. As we visit Cappadocia, we will be able to see every detail of wine production on site.

Day 10
Cappadocia (B,L,D)
The day begins with Turasan winery, which is one of the most interesting tasting wines of Cappadocia. After that we will continue Sarikaya restaurant to learn how to stuff a lamb. We will have lamb lunch at the restaurant and continue to Ihlara valley to visit one of the most beautiful canyons of Cappadocia. Dinner with show at a rock carved restaurant.

Day 11
Kayseri – Fly to Istanbul (B,L,D)
After breakfast we depart to take the TK 261 flight departing at 10:55 am from Kayseri. Arrive Istanbul at 12:15pm. Transfer to the Hotel in city center. Rest of the day is free.

Participants who wish to visit The Grand Bazaar will be taken there by bus. Our coach will also provide shuttle service back to the hotel at a certain hour.

Farewell dinner at the Tugra Restaurant of the Ciragan Palace the Kempinski Hotel which is one of the most exquisite restaurants of Istanbul along the Bosphorus.

Day 12
Departure from Istanbul (B)
Transfer to the airport for departure. End of our services. (B)