10-Day Istanbul, Lycian Coast Gulet Cruise & Pamukkale Tour (Private Tour)

After breakfast you are picked up from your hotel between 08:00 and 09:30; the exact time is confirmed by your tour consultant the day before. The tour starts at Topkapi Palace, home of the Ottoman sultans from the 15th to the 19th century. Its halls display superb collections of crystal, silver and Chinese porcelain, ceremonial costumes of the imperial family, miniatures, the legendary jewels of the Imperial Treasury and the Holy Mantle containing relics of the Prophet Mohammed. Next you visit the Sultanahmet Imperial Mosque, built in the 16th century opposite Hagia Sophia and known as the Blue Mosque for the blue Iznik tiles of its interior. Just outside lies the Hippodrome, the arena of Byzantine chariot races, where the Obelisk of Theodosius, the bronze Serpentine Column and the Column of Constantine still stand. After a short lunch break (not included), the group heads to the Spice Bazaar for shopping among stalls of spices, dried fruit and Turkish delight. Afterwards you return to your hotel. Overnight in Istanbul.

At 08:30, after breakfast, you set off on a classic boat excursion along the Bosphorus, the strait dividing Europe from Asia. The shores are lined with wooden waterfront mansions, marble palaces, fortresses and fishing villages. You pass the magnificent Dolmabahce Palace, then the parks and imperial pavilions of Yildiz Palace and Ciragan Palace, whose marble facade stretches 300 metres along the water. Ortakoy, where a church, a mosque and a synagogue have stood side by side for centuries, is a symbol of tolerance and on Sundays fills with artists displaying their work. Rumeli Fortress, built by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1452 in only four months to control the strait before the conquest of Constantinople, is one of the finest works of military architecture in the world. On the Asian shore you visit Beylerbeyi Palace, the sultans' summer residence with its original furniture, gardens and harem, cross the Bosphorus Bridge from Asia to Europe and admire the panorama from the landscaped gardens of Camlica Hill, the highest point in Istanbul. The day ends at the Bedesten shopping area, where you can watch traditional carpet and silk weaving and browse jewellery, handicrafts and leatherwear. Overnight in Istanbul.

After breakfast you check out and are transferred to the airport for your domestic flight to Antalya. On arrival a driver meets you and takes you along the coast to Olympos, a wooded valley close to the sea known for its ancient ruins and relaxed atmosphere. You check in at your treehouse lodge and spend the rest of the day unwinding among the trees or walking down towards the beach. Dinner is served in the evening. Overnight in a treehouse in Olympos.

After breakfast you check out and drive to Demre, where there is time to explore and visit the Church of St. Nicholas, the bishop whose legend inspired Father Christmas. You then continue to the harbour of Ucagiz village, meet your captain and crew and board the gulet. Please note the gulet is shared, while cabins are private for the guests who reserve them. The boat sets sail for the sunken city of Kekova at Gokkaya, a protected heritage site where swimming is not permitted but the half-submerged ruins in the secluded bay are unforgettable. Later you anchor at Kalekoy, with time to swim or hike up to Simena Castle at the top of the hill, which rewards you with one of the finest sunsets on the coast. Lunch and dinner are served on board. Overnight in your cabin on the gulet.

After breakfast on deck, the gulet heads towards Kas, a small and charming harbour town. You can choose to stay on board and relax in the sun, or go ashore to wander its narrow streets of whitewashed houses and bougainvillea. Kas also preserves traces of its ancient past as Antiphellos, including elaborately carved Lycian sarcophagi and a Greek amphitheatre overlooking the sea. For the adventurous, an optional diving excursion is available here. Swimming stops, lunch and dinner are enjoyed on board. Overnight in your cabin on the gulet.

Breakfast is served in the beautiful setting of Butterfly Valley, a steep canyon reaching down to a small beach. There is time to swim, and if you wish you can hike into the canyon to find the waterfalls and the many butterfly species that live here at different times of year. Later the gulet sails on to the Blue Lagoon at Oludeniz, a popular resort overlooked by Babadag mountain, which rises about 6,500 feet above the sea and is one of the best paragliding spots in the world. In the evening you anchor at St. Nicholas Island, where various water sports are available. After dinner on deck you can hike to the top of the island to watch the sun disappear below the horizon. Lunch and dinner are served on board. Overnight in your cabin on the gulet.

After breakfast there is time for a final swim or some snorkelling before the gulet sets course for Fethiye, its last destination, possibly stopping at a few islands along the way. Lunch is served on board. Once the boat reaches Fethiye harbour your cruise comes to an end, and our driver transfers you to your hotel. After checking in, the rest of the day is free to explore Fethiye, with its marina, old town bazaar and seafood restaurants. Overnight in Fethiye.

After breakfast you check out and travel inland to Pamukkale. Here you visit the famous calcium terraces, known as the Cotton Castle, where mineral-rich water has built up dazzling white pools over thousands of years. You also explore the ruins of Hierapolis, the ancient spa city above the terraces, and walk around this natural wonder, with the option of relaxing in the warm waters of the natural springs. Lunch is served at a Turkish restaurant. After the visit you check in to your hotel in Pamukkale for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast you are transferred to Denizli Airport for your domestic flight to Istanbul and your connection home. This brings to a close a journey that has taken you from the palaces of Istanbul to the turquoise bays of the Lycian coast and the white terraces of Pamukkale. The transfer from Pamukkale to Denizli Airport takes less than an hour, and the pickup time is arranged according to your flight. If your flight leaves later in the day, you can enjoy a relaxed breakfast and a final look at the white terraces before you go.