View the home of the Virgin Mary following the death of Christ until her Assumption, or Dormition, and explore Ephesus, one of the best-preserved ancient cities in the world. Journey to the location believed to be where the Virgin Mary spent her last days and which has become a pilgrimage site for both Christians and Muslims. You’ll marvel at 3rd-century BC Ephesus, a UNESCO World Heritage site and once the location of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Discover countless remains of this once-thriving city, such as the 2nd-century Library of Celsus and the Odeon Theater. You’ll marvel at the perfect acoustics of the 24,000-seat Great Theater, which is still used today for musical performances. At a lovely five-star hotel, enjoy a bountiful buffet lunch before you travel to the nearby resort town of Kusadasi to shop for souvenirs or famous Turkish carpets. In Selçuk, near Izmir, visit the Ephesus Archaeological Museum to survey collections unearthed from Ephesus’ many excavations, including statues of the gods and goddesses who inspired this heavenly region.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Discover the site thought to be the last home of the Virgin Mary until her Assumption.
• Visit the striking and well-preserved ruins of Ephesus, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Marvel at Ephesus’ 24,000-seat Great Theater, 2nd-century Library of Celsus and the Odeon Theater.
• Enjoy a delicious buffet lunch at a luxury hotel.
• Relish time to shop for souvenirs, jewelry or handmade Turkish carpets.
• Explore the Ephesus Archaeological Museum to view treasures from the ancient city.

Explore Pergamum’s most revered ruins, which exemplify its reputation as an ancient center of learning and science. Journey through fertile plains to Pergamum, a UNESCO World Heritage site settled by one civilization after another until its golden age, approximately AD 300, when its citizens invented parchment. You’ll tour the remains of the city’s library, which contained 200,000 volumes and put Pergamum on par with Alexandria as a cultural center of the Roman Empire. Walk around the acropolis atop a steep hill and realize the city was built to be an inaccessible fortress. You’ll also view a 10,000-seat theater built into the hillside, the temples of Trajan and Dionysus, the Altar of Zeus, the Sanctuary of Demeter and the agora. Continue via a sacred road lined with monuments to 4th-century BC Asclepion, built in honor of Asclepius, Greek god of medicine. Learn the site was an ancient healing center where people came to be cured of diseases diagnosed from their dreams. See remnants of the rehabilitation center, the sacred spring and the mysterious psychotherapy tunnel. Enjoy a flavorful lunch at a specially selected restaurant to cap off your exploration of Turkey’s bewitching past.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Investigate the ruins of Pergamum, a UNESCO World Heritage site where parchment was invented.
• Discover an ancient library that once contained 200,000 books, making Pergamum a noted Roman cultural center.
• Stroll Pergamum’s acropolis, whose strategic hilltop placement assured it was nearly impenetrable.
• Survey striking remains such as the Temple of Trajan, the Sanctuary of Demeter and the agora.
• Visit 4th-century BC Asclepion, an ancient healing center honoring the Greek god of medicine.
• Savor a delicious lunch at a local restaurant.

Visit Sardis, capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia and a flourishing city during the 7th-century BC Persian Empire, on this coach and walking tour. You’ll journey to Sardis, the inland terminus of the famous King Road that connected Persia to the Western territories of Asia Minor and the Aegean Sea. Learn that this city was home to King Croesus, whose wealth was famed across empires. You’ll explore Sardis’ remains via a majestically colonnaded road and pass what was once a massive, two-story gymnasium complex that includes the ruins of a Roman-era synagogue, a shopping arcade, a Roman bath and a Hellenistic theater. Notice the Pactolos River, which bisects the ancient town, and learn it contained gold that was used to strike the kingdom’s coins. You’ll view the remains of a stadium and the 3rd-century BC temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis, a stunning example of Ionian style. In nearby Salihli, relish a delicious repast of local specialties before your return to Izmir, where you’ll enjoy a brief orientation tour of the city.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Experience the ancient Lydian capital of Sardis, entering the city by roads lined with stately columns.
• See an impressive two-story gymnasium complex that once housed a synagogue.
• Explore remains of a 3rd-century BC temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis.
• Savor an enticing lunch of local specialties in a Salihli restaurant.

Familiarize yourself with the historical delights of Turkey’s third-largest city, known as Smyrna in antiquity. Visit Izmir’s Museum of History and Art to browse classical sculptures and artifacts collected during excavations in and near the city. You’ll marvel at the open-air Smyrna agora, now called the Izmir Agora Museum, which was the commercial, judicial and political hub of the ancient metropolis and its center for artistic activities and teaching. Discover the base of the northern basilica gate, the ancient shopping center and the stoa, or portico. You’ll find the Hellenistic structure was rebuilt in the 2nd century during the Roman era after its destruction in AD 178 by an earthquake. Learn that its reconstruction, under the emperor Marcus Aurelius, followed a plan drawn by Hippodamos, considered the father of European urban design. At the 18th-century Kizlaragasi Hani Bazaar, one of the oldest markets in the city, you’ll relish free time to browse, savor a cup of Turkish coffee or perhaps find a perfect memento of your foray into Izmir’s ancient past.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Explore Izmir’s Museum of History and Art, one of the country’s richest repositories of ancient artifacts.
• Roam the open-air Izmir Agora Museum, site of an ancient agora that was Smyrna’s heart.
• See vestiges of stunning freestanding colonnades and covered walkways known as stoa.
• Enjoy time on your own at the 18th-century Kizlaragasi Hani Bazaar to shop or sip a Turkish coffee.

OVERVIEW

Settle in for a panoramic drive through Izmir, an ancient city whose origins date back more than 5,000 years, and then dine on a gourmet meal that showcases the local cuisine. Izmir exudes history through its many excavated archaeological sites, yet it is still a modern metropolis, especially around the shimmering Gulf of Izmir. The restaurant Soiree overlooks the waterfront and offers an extraordinary setting for your lunch. It occupies a building in the Konak Pier Shopping Mall that was used as a customs house in the 19th century. In this atmospheric location, you will enjoy a leisurely multi-course meal that showcases the local ingredients. The area’s signature sour plums will be prepared into a sauce to accompany the veal shank entrée and an exquisitely flavored type of local pear will be featured in the dessert. Local wines or raki – the national drink of Turkey – will also be served.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Gain a historical perspective of Izmir on a panoramic drive through downtown.
• Dine at the restaurant Soiree, which overlooks the renovated and modernized waterfront.
• Savor a meal made with iconic ingredients for a true understanding of the local cuisine.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Dine at a restaurant that caters to tradespeople and gain great insight into daily life and the local cuisine. Known as Smyrna in ancient times, Izmir has long been an important port and you will see the abundance of goods available in the Kemeralti Market. Many of the items on display in this centuries-old market will be ingredients in your lunch, which will be enjoyed at a traditional restaurant for working people known as a esnaf lokantasi. These popular spots are typically small, lively and filled with locals that come for the fresh home-style cooking. You will be offered a variety of authentic small-plate dishes and main courses made with seasonal ingredients that reflect the cuisine of Izmir. The welcoming atmosphere is such that you can’t help but feel like one of the locals. After dining, you can explore the neighborhood on your own, an experience that will enhance your understanding of day-to-day life.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Browse a centuries-old marketplace that offers a remarkable array of merchandise.
• Dine at a restaurant that serves traditional dishes to a largely working-class clientele.
• Revel in the restaurant’s lively, unpretentious atmosphere.
• Spend free time exploring the surrounding neighborhood after dining.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Enjoy an indulgent meal at a contemporary restaurant in a boutique hotel along the revitalized Urla wine route. Although wine had been produced in this area for thousands of years, the wineries had fallen into ruin and forgotten until a landowner stumbled across the remains of one somewhat recently. Wineries are now back in full force as you will discover at Teruar, a restaurant in the heart of this burgeoning wine region. You will be offered a sampling of several wines made from familiar grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay and lesser-known varietals from grapes that have been brought back from near extinction. It is an inspiring story made all the more relevant during the tasting. Similarly, lunch will reflect the distinctive cuisine of Urla as the ingredients will be locally sourced. The small-plate dishes will likely include octopus-stuffed gnocchi while the main course may be grilled sea bream fresh from the Aegean Sea.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Discover how the long-forgotten wineries in the Urla district have been revitalized.
• Sample premium wines made from grapes that thrive in the Urla terroir.
• Savor a meal that reflects the local cuisine at an elegant restaurant in a boutique Urla hotel.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

This excursion is for guests that use a cane/walker, have limited mobility issues or for companions of those guest that have booked mobility equipment tour.

Those guests that are fully dependent on their mobility device please book: IZM_A2 Accessible- Mobility Equipment: Ephesus & Temple of Artemis.

Tour includes step-free routes, shorter distances and no stairs. Accessible restrooms with wide doors for wheelchairs are present along the tour route. Vehicles are adapted with an access ramp (or lift where available) to accommodate a limited number of wheelchairs and/or mobility scooters. Guides are not allowed to push wheelchairs; therefore, guests needing special assistance must be accompanied by an able-bodied.

Explore the extraordinary ruins of ancient Ephesus and other historically important archaeological sites. One of the most impressive structures in Ephesus is the Great Theater, which was constructed in the 3rd century BC and enlarged to its current capacity of 25,000 during the Roman period. Over time, it has served as a venue for gladiator fights, political discussions, plays and concerts. The theater’s gymnasium once contained warm bathing pools, recreation rooms and training halls. As you proceed along Ephesus’ lower gates, you will view the commercial agora, tomb of Arsinoe and iconic façade of the Celsus Library, all of which the guide will describe in detail. You will then drive past the remains of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, before pausing at the modest house where the Virgin Mary is thought to have spent the last years of her life. The house is now a small chapel.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Behold the Great Theatre, which the Romans expanded to seat 25,000 spectators.
• Admire the remains of the magnificent Library of Celsus, which was built in 117 AD.
• See the ruins of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
• Visit the house where the Virgin Mary supposedly lived toward the end of her life.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.

OVERVIEW

This excursion is for guests who are fully dependent on their mobility device. You will be required to supply your own wheelchair/scooter. Your mobility equipment (manual or electric) must not exceed the following dimensions: W 39", L 39", H 51".

Those guests that are companions, use a cane or walker, or have limited mobility issues must book the companion tour code: IZM_A1 Accessible- Companion: Ephesus & Temple of Artemis.

Tour includes step-free routes, shorter distances and no stairs. Accessible restrooms with wide doors for wheelchairs are present along the tour route. Vehicles are adapted with an access ramp (or lift where available) to accommodate a limited number of wheelchairs and/or mobility scooters. Guides are not allowed to push wheelchairs; therefore, guests needing special assistance must be accompanied by an able-bodied.

Explore the extraordinary ruins of ancient Ephesus and other historically important archaeological sites. One of the most impressive structures in Ephesus is the Great Theater, which was constructed in the 3rd century BC and enlarged to its current capacity of 25,000 during the Roman period. Over time, it has served as a venue for gladiator fights, political discussions, plays and concerts. The theater’s gymnasium once contained warm bathing pools, recreation rooms and training halls. As you proceed along Ephesus’ lower gates, you will view the commercial agora, tomb of Arsinoe and iconic façade of the Celsus Library, all of which the guide will describe in detail. You will then drive past the remains of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, before pausing at the modest house where the Virgin Mary is thought to have spent the last years of her life. The house is now a small chapel.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Behold the Great Theatre, which the Romans expanded to seat 25,000 spectators.
• Admire the remains of the magnificent Library of Celsus, which was built in 117 AD.
• See the ruins of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
• Visit the house where the Virgin Mary supposedly lived toward the end of her life.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.