KUŞADASI- THE HOUSE of V.MARY-EPHESUS ANCIENT CITY –  EPHESUS MUSEUM - St. JOHN BASILICA – SİRİNCE VİLLAGE –  KUŞADASI    60 KM

After breakfast ,you’ll drive to Selcuk ,first you’ll visit the house of V.Mary. The House of Virgin Mary beautifully situated in the solmissos Mountain and built in II Century,place for pilgrimage .The house of V.Mary is considered by the Vatican to be final resting place of the Virgin Mary.

After the visit the house of V.Mary arrive to Ancient Ephesus, the UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven churches of Apocalypse. walk on the remarkably preserved wide marble streets,flanked by colomns,temples and fountains. We look at all the famous highlights like the Celsus Library,the Odeon magnificent temple of Hadrian, Great Theater for 25000 capacity of spectators which is still used for performances and special events today

You’ll have Lunch at the local restaurant in Selcuk ,before you visit the museum of Ephesus

The museum of Ephesus, unlike most of other museums, is not designed according to the chronological order but the galleries are filled with artifacts according to a theme.

Galleries include:

1- Sculptures from the fountains

2- Finds from the Terrace Houses

3-Coins

4-Ephesus through the Ages

5-Courtyard with column capitals and tombs

6- Hall of Mother Goddess cult

7- Hall of Ephesus Artemis

8- Hall of Imperial Cult

9-Museum Shop and Cafe

Before visiting these galleries, one should not miss the 3D simulation video of ancient Ephesus where visitors can visualize the setting of the ancient city and may have an idea about how the buildings used to look like. The video can be watched in three languages; Turkish, English and German and it lasts 10 minutes. The video room is the first room before the fountain statues gallery.

Some of the most remarkable artifacts in the museum are the Ephesus Artemis statue, Priapos statue, the head of Socrates, the Egyptian priest, the Eros with rabbit and the oldest piece – a stamp- found in Cukurici Mound- dating back to 6200 BC.

Our next stop the Basilica of St.John.This site is the burial place of St.John,the writer of the gospel of the same name and the disciple who brought the Vırgın Mary to Ephesus.Built to the shape of a cross it has six large domes.The Byzantine Emperor Justinian and his wife Theodora had the church built over the site of the grave.In the Byzantine period the entrance in the walls had embossed friezes which showed the pursuit of Achilles and for this reason is known as the ‘’Takip kapısı’’(Pursuit Gate). From the courtyard of the church there is a wonderful panorama of the temple of Artemis İsa Bey Mosque and the Aegean at Pamucak.

Then drive to Sirince Village ; It is a beautiful hill town only 8 km east of Selcuk, near Ephesus, in the Aegean hinterland south of İzmir It's famous for its olive oil, fruit wines, other natural products, and its atmospheric boutique hotels. A dozen small restaurants cater to day-trippers, hotel guests, and locals alike.

In the 19th century ,it was a Greek town with 1800 houses,famous for its fig production,especially for export.Population Exchange between Greece and Turkey in 1923 ,result of the departure of the Greeks were settled by emigrants from the village.There are two Greek churges in the quarter.In Şirince no house blocks the vıew of the other.

Some say the Orthodox Christian Greeks who lived here during the Ottoman Empire were famed for the excellence of their wine. The Muslim Turks who moved here from Thessaloniki in 1924 re-started wine-making using local fruits, including apple, apricot, banana, blackberry, blueberry, cranberry, mulberry (black, and white), mandarin orange, melon, orange, peach, quince, sour (Morello) cherry and strawberry. You can taste the results and judge for yourself when you visit. They sell red, white and rosé, dry and sweet. A few local producers have switched from the local vines, which in fact produce table grapes, to Turkey's better wine grapes such as Narince.

You’ll going back in the evening to the hotel in Kuşadası

KUSADASI-AYDIN ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM, THE ANCIENT CITY of NYSA, APHRODISIAS ANCIENT CITY &MUSEUM- KUSADASI             315 KM

You’ll drive first the Aydın Archeology Museum which was planned to exhibit the archeological cultural heritage uncovered as a result of scientific excavations within the borders of Aydın,was established with a contemporary museum understanding on area 15 thousand 769 square meters on Aydın-Denizli highway.The building has been constructed as Basement + Ground Floor+one floor which has exhibition halls, warehouses,laboratories,library,chıldren’s activity  section, conference hall and temporary display areas and other areas were created by shading with suspended – stretching membrane system.

Then drive to the ancient city of Nysa .Nysa is one of the Karia cities within the borders of Sultanhisar District of Aydın. The most important information on the city is from Strabon, who lived in Nysa most of his life. Strabon tells us that the city consisted of two parts. At the western side of the flood bed dividing the city into two, lies the gymnasion. At the northern side lie the Byzantine ruins and the library. To the north of the library, there is a theatre that carries significance with its embossments in the stage building. The odeon and bouleuterion are at the eastern side of the flood bed. The necropolis of the city lies on the road to Akharaka, which is a small village to the west.

You’ll have lunch at the local restaurant.

You’ll drive to the ancient city of Aphrodisias.

Aphrodisias was primarily known as a center for the arts, specifically sculpture. The Aphrodisias School of Sculpture had a distinctive style and was very well circulated throughout the Greek and Roman world.

The ruins are numerous and well preserved. A two mile long Byzantine wall still surrounds the city. The Temple of Aphrodite, eventually converted to a Christian basilica, is excellently preserved. The Tetrapylon, the gate which was leading people to their great temple, was re-erected by Kenan Erim, where he's buried in front of it with a special permission of the Government after his death. The Baths of Hadrian are still partially standing. The theatre and the stadium are one of the best preserved in all eastern Mediterranean. The nearby museum contains many beautiful statues and portrait sculpture.

In 2017 Aphrodisias archaeological site has entered into the List of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.

You’ll visit the museum of Aphrodisias.Aphrodisias Museum is one of the rare museums where the artifacts unearthed during the excavations of Aphrodisias Ancient City are exhibited and where the Museum and the ruins are intertwined.

Prehistoric artifacts from the Chalcolitic Period,bronze Age early,middle and late periods,Lydian ceramics excavated from these mounds and around the Temple of Aphrodite,archaic,Classical ,Hellenistic period artifacts and ruins Roman,Byzantine and Early Islamic period artifacts found in excavations on site are exhibited.

The Aphrodisias Museum is very rich in terms of the sculptural Works it displays.In this respect,it is an important archeology museum.A different aspect of Aphrodisias sculpture is exhibited in each hall with these Works made by sculptors of Aphrodisias,made of White,blue-gray marbles extracted from the slopes of Baba Mountain .These halls ; the Imperial Hall ,teh Melpomene Hall,the Odeon Hall,the Showcase Exhibition Gallery with the Glazed Window,the Penthesilia Hall and the Goddes Aphrodite Hall,which gave the city its name,as well as the sarcophagi found in the city in the inner garden and courtyard are exhibited.

After the visit of Aphrodisias ancient city drive back to the hotel in Kusadası

KUŞADASI -THE ANCIENT CITIES of ALİNDA and ALABANDA – FETHIYE              330 KM

After the Breakfast you’ll drive to the ancient city of Alinda .

Alinda is one of the important Karia cities, and was founded at Karpuzlu village in Çine District of Aydın Province. When Ada, the daughter of Hekatomnos, had been driven away by her brother Pixadaros from Halikarnassos, she went to Alinda in B.C. 340 and made this city her capital. The most important structure still remaining intact in Alinda is the agora. A theatre lies at the southern-west side of the acropolis. There are the foundations of two tempels at the acropolis. Karia style tombs between Karpuzlu houses are the indicate that the Alinda necropolis lay on the southern side of the city.

Then you’ll visit the ancient city of Alabanda

According to ancient mythology, the city was founded by the local Carian heros Alabandos. In the early Seleukid period, Alabanda was part of the Chrysaoric League, a loose association of Carian cities, including Alinda, Mylasa and Stratonikeia, which was primarily intended to coordinate joint trade, but also defence tasks.

After the visit of the ancient city of Alabanda ,you’ll have lunch at the local restaurant in Çine

Then drive to the hotel in Fethiye

FETHİYE -DALYAN-MUD BATHS -KAUNOS ANCIENT CITY -IZTUZU  BEACH – FETHIYE                120 KM

Today you’ll visit first by boat Dalyan mud bath .Mud bath is said to be good for rheumatism, lower back pain, and sciatica. Also, sulfur in the mud bath is effective against the wrinkles and stretching your skin. For this reason, Dalyan mud bath, beauty mud or beauty bath is also called. According to the rumors, the Egyptian queen Cleopatra also made a mud bath in Dalyan and even owed its beauty to these baths.

After entering the facility, you enter the pool where there are natural muds. After entering the pool because of the amount of sulfur inside the pool, it’s beginning to smell like rotten eggs. By removing some amount of mud from the bottom, such as cream, you should not leave a gap on you. After you have found your place in the mud, including your face, you should rest yourself in the sun for a while, you should let the mud dry on.

You feel that your muddy body you are releasing to the sun begins to stretch slowly. After about 30 to 40 minutes, you arrive at the shower room where you can reach the staircase and take a shower under the flowing cold water. After being washed thoroughly, enter the pool where the thermal water pool is located. Thermal water having a temperature of 39 degrees; having sulfur, fluoride and radioactive gases. Therefore, thermal waters; from rheumatism to nervous diseases, joint and lime disorders, kidney diseases are said to be good for many diseases.

After the visit of mud baths ,you’ll continue by boat to visit ‘’ the hidden paradise Dalyan ‘’ . You arrive 20 minutes to the ancient city of Kaunos.

Ancient City of Kaunos near Dalyan, Turkey is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the area. Kaunos was an ancient city founded in the 9th century BC, and it was quite important by 400 BC. It was located on the border between Lycia and Caria, and the city's culture had characteristics of both empires. The city was once an important trading post on the sea, though today it is set back a few miles from the sea since the coastline has moved over the centuries. The receding coastline, attacks from various tribes, and a malaria epidemic led to the decline of Kaunos, and the city was abandoned by the 15th century. The ruins include a well preserved theater, parts of the old city walls, and an acropolis. There's also a basilica, Roman baths, two Hellenistic temples and four Roman temples. From the acropolis, you can enjoy a gorgeous view of the ancient city. The theater could hold 5,000 people and is still occasionally used for events. Nearby you can also see Lycian tombs in the rocks above the Dalyan River.

End of the visit of the ancient city Kaunos you’ll have Lunch by the river at the local restaurant and continue by boat to the İztuzu beach

This begins extending vertically from the bottom of the mountain to the sea, yellow sand beach of Dalyan Delta, which close the mouth of gold and thin. The crystal clear sea İztuzu which Sigma has a coastal beaches, velvety taste are left under your feet as you walk.

İztuzu beach is a 4.5 km long Mediterranean beach near Dalyan town of Ortaca district of Muğla Province. The beach is one of the rare beaches between sea water and fresh water. The beach is also called "Turtle Beach" because Caretta caretta lay their eggs. The areas where the eggs are marked are regularly marked so as not to damage the eggs by the swimmers on the beach. According to the decision taken in 1988, the beach is closed between 20:00-08:00 in order not to disturb the turtles and it is forbidden to make noise or light around it. There is also a treatment center on the beach where injured turtles are treated.

End of the visit ,you’ll drive to the hotel in Fethiye

FETHIYE – THE ANCIENT CITIES of LETOON AND XANTHOS- SAKLIKENT CANYON-YAKAPARK-TLOS ANCIENT CITY – FETHIYE               140 KM

Today ,you’ll start to visit the ancient city of Letoon.

You’ll drive to the ancient city of Letoon.It is estimated that the ancient city of Letoon,located in Kumluova Quarter of Seydikemer,was established in the seventh century BC.Letoon was the religious center of Lycia in the Ancient Age.The temples of Leto,Apollo and Artemis in this sanctuary are of great historical importance.

The ancient city ,which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List with the date of 09.12.1988 and number 484,is on the Lycian walking route.

Your next stop is the ancient city of Xanthos.The ancient city of Xanthos,located in Kaş,Antalya,which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List,was used as the most important administrative center of the Lycian civilization and as the capital in the 2nd century B.C.It is seen that the pillar tombstones and rock tombs of the Lycian era have reached today.

In some ancient cities,you can only see the traces of a single civilization,but here you have the opportunity to see all cultural elements from the roman,Archaic and Byzantine periods , in Xanthos.This is the most important factor that distinguishes Xanthos from other ancient cities.

After the visit of the ancient city of Xanthos ,you’ll drive to Saklıkent Canyon and national park.

Saklıkent Canyon,located on the Antalya border of Seydikemer district,is a natural wonder tourism center in the literal sense of the word.It is estimated that the canyon was formed by geological cracking thousands of years ago.The length of the canyon is about 18 km and its height varies between 200 and 600 meters.At some points ,it is almost impossible to see the sky from here,as the range of rocks narrows to 2 meters.At Saklıkent Canyon,you are first greeted by Eşen Stream flowing with a wonderful glow.By walking on the wooden ladder laid on the iron pier ,you reach the immaculate spring gustin from under the rocks .

You’ll have lunch at ‘’YAKAPARK ‘’

After the Lunch you’ll drive to the ancient city of Tlos.

The ancient city of Tlos is the Unesco World Heritage Temporary List and is one of the oldest settlements in the geography known as the Lycia Regşon.the acropolis at the entrance of the ancient city ,which is recorded as Dlawa in hittite documents in the 14th century BC and as Tlawa in the Lycian inscriptions,greatly impresses those who see it with its dominant appearance.

At the foot of the acropolis are several rows of seats ,stadiums,baths,theaters and remains of churges.The most important structure of Tlos standing is its theater.However,the stadium is also of great importance.Tlos is also known as the sports city of Lycia.Tlos is the shining star of the region in terms of archeology,culture ,religion and economy in the historical process.It bears the traces of the settlement that continued uninterruptedly from the Neolitic period to the Iron Age.Even in the written sourches of the Hittites,(Anal,Annual) Tlos is mentioned as the country.Tlos , an important center in terms of Christian history,is one of the most important episcopal centers of Lycia.This religious significance continued until the 12th century.

End of the tour ,you’ll drive to the hotel in Fethiye

FETHIYE-TELMESSOS-KAYAKÖY(GHOST VİLLAGE)-ÖLÜDENİZ- FETHIYE                  30 KM

Today you’ll start the tour with Telmessos .(Roman Theater)

Overlooking the main road that runs along the Fethiye harbour is Fethiye Roman Theater (also known as Telmessos Theatre, from the city's name in classical times). Built into a hillside, the semicircular theater, occasionally described as an amphitheater, was constructed in the Hellenistic (Greek) style and could once hold some 5,000 to 6,000 spectators. During the Roman period, in approximately the 2nd century AD, a stage building was added, and Fethiye's theater remained in use until about the 7th century. Unfortunately, after an earthquake struck the town in 1957, many pieces of masonry were removed from the theater by local residents for use in rebuilding, and even after excavation by archaeologists in the 1990s the site remained in a poor state of preservation. Fethiye theater is currently undergoing an ambitious restoration, after which it is expected to host open-air performances again – just as in ancient times.

Then you’ll drive to a fantastic place where natüre meets history,‘’Kayaköy’’ Ghost village. (ancient Karmylassos).Kayaköy is an eerie ghost town of 4000-odd abandoned stone houses and other structures that once made up the Greek town of Levissi. Today this timeless village, set in a lush valley with some vineyards nearby, forms a memorial to Turkish-Greek peace and cooperation.

During the population exchange between Greece and Turkey, all the Greek people were moved to Greece and the city stayed abandoned and untouched so far.

Walking among Kayaköy's crumbling, empty houses and through the narrow lanes can be rather eerie, but the deserted village has a surreal beauty to it. There are a couple of churches and chapels, of which the most significant is the Panayia Pyrgiotissa (built in 1888), where a few fragments of frescoes and mosaics can still be seen.

End of the visit of Kayaköy,you’ll visit ‘’Ölüdeniz’’, named the “dead sea” in Turkish due to its calmness, Ölüdeniz is one of Turkey’s most popular – and overwhelmingly most frequently photographed – beaches, thanks to its spectacular setting along a gorgeous blue lagoon.

You’ll get on the boat and see ‘’ölüdeniz ‘’, the’’Butterfly Valley and turquoise colored bays’’ and have Lunch on the boat

Beachgoers flock to two separate areas here: a long, wide strip of open beach facing the Mediterranean, known as Belcekız; and the more sheltered shoreline of the Blue Lagoon, which is inside the boundaries of a protected natural park (entrance fee) and has a dramatic backdrop of mountain scenery behind it – Babadağ, one of Turkey’s top destinations for paragliding.

End of the tour you’ll drive to the hotel in Fethiye

FETHIYE -THE ANCIENT CITY OF GERGA- ÇİNE -KUSADASI                310 KM

You’ll drive today to Kusadası and you’ll see on the way first the ancient city of Gerga

The city, which is founded at Deliktaş village in Çine District of Aydın, lies 13 km. northern-west of the ancient city of Alabanda. There are some traces showing that the history of the city goes back to the Archaic Period. The ruins in the city belong to the Archaic Period and Roman Period. Gerga is an important place that reflects the Karia culture. The city may be characterized as a place providing protection, due to the fact that it is a city, which is built in the mountains. The rampart walls are in typical Karia style.

It is stated in the sources that the name of Gerga can refer to a city and as well as to a God. The most important building is the one which still remains standing and which has the features of a temple. It was built of big stones and there is writing on the triangullar front top of the building. It is estimated that the huge statue, which has fallen to the lower side of the building, belonged to Kybele. The sources and the people living in the region state that this statue remained standing untill 20 - 30 years ago.

After the visit of the ancient city of Gerga ,you’ll have lunch at the local restaurant in Çine.

End of the day you’ll arrive to the hotel in Kusadası

Transfer to the Airport of İzmir           80 KM