Colours of Mediterranean Tour

This 14 day trip runs from Athens to Istanbul, mixing Greek island time with a dose of Turkish history.

You'll spend days on Santorini and Mykonos, with beach time and sunset views by day and a livelier scene after dark, before crossing into Turkey to take in its ancient sites.

It's a fully guided group trip pitched as easy-paced, suited to families as well as anyone wanting a mix of relaxation and history without organising it themselves.

What you'll do

• Explore Athens at the start of the trip
• Unwind on the beaches and clifftop views of Santorini
• Experience Mykonos by day and by night
• Visit historical sites and ruins in Turkey
• Finish the trip in Istanbul

Day by day

• Activities: Suggested optional activities Tips - driver, guide and transfer staff Visas, border or port taxes Greece - Hotel Residence Tax, see tour notes for more details. Compulsory Travel Insurance Optional Hot Air Balloon Tour & Optional Tours
• Flights: International flights are not included
• Optional: Cappadocia Traditional Turkish Folklore Evening - A great night out where dinner, unlimited beer, wine, Turkish Raki, soft drinks and entertainment is included in the price. The show features belly dancers, traditional folk dancers and traditional Turkish musicians. This option is available whilst on tour in Cappadocia. - Only show without dinner Hot Air Ballooning - Please note there is a EUR 20 surcharge for credit card payments.Start the day with a balloon ride over the moonscapes of Cappadocia. The experienced pilots take you deep into the valleys and rise as high as 2000 feet. Longer flights are available on request. Prices are subject to change. We recommend that you request your guide to book your flight as soon as possible. Short Flight (45 Minutes) Turkish Bath - A traditional Turkish bath will usually consist of relaxing in a sauna for a while, then moving to another room where you will lie on a marble slab. The masseur will come and scrape all the dead layers of skin off your body with a exfoliating glove before you are smothered in suds and washed clean. A bath approximately takes around 1 hour. Istanbul Istanbul Classics - Duration: 9 am to 4 pm. Visit the most important popular sites of Istanbul in one full day tour. St Sophia Museum, Byzantine Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and Grand Bazaar. Bosphorus Cruise - Take an aftenoon cruise between two continents on the stretch of water that separates Europe from Asia. The cruise lasts 1 hour, allow 30 mins for transport to and from the port. Traditional Turkish Folklore Evening - A great night out where dinner, unlimited beer, wine, Turkish Raki, soft drinks and entertainment is included in the price. The show features belly dancers, Traditional folk dancers and traditional Turkish musicians. This option is available both pre and post tour in Istanbul. Bosphorus by Night - At 8pm we will pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to the boat to sail up the Bosphorus. The waterway lies between Europe and Asia and passes under the suspension bridges whilst viewing Ottoman summer palaces, waterside mansions and modern villas linng the European and Asian coasts. The panoramic view of Istanbul from the Bosphorus at night and dinner will both be memorable. Istanbul Two Continents Tour - One of the most beautiful sights in the world, the Bosphorus, is the strait separating two continents - Europe and Asia. Spice Bazaar, Bosphorus Cruise, Rumeli Fortress, Dolmabahce Palace, Bosphorus Bridge and Camlica Hill Topkapi Palace Harem - Visit the famous Imperial Harem at Topkapi Palace. The Imperial Harem of the Ottoman Empire, existing between 1299 and 1923, was the Ottoman sultan's harem composed of the wives, servants both female slaves and eunuchs, female relatives, and the sultan's concubines, occupying a secluded portion of the Ottoman imperial household Bosphorus by public ferry - Cruise between two continents on the stretch of water that separates Europe from Asia. The ferry departs every few hours zig-zags back and forth from continent to continent. Enjoy spectacular views from the very end of the Black Sea and Istanbul. The journey takes the majority of a day and easy to arrange on your own by heading down to the ferry port. Prince's Islands by public ferry - A nice option if you wish to escape from the bustling city for a day. The Islands are situated just off Istanbul in the Marmara Sea. The best island to visit is Buyuk Ada Big Island. There are no vehicles allowed on the Island, only horse and buggy and bicycles. Easy to arrange on your own by heading down to the ferry port. Pamukkale Hot Air Ballooning - Please note there is a EUR 20 surcharge for credit card payments. Longer flights are available on request. View the amazing landscape of Pamukkale, from the air, early in the morning with a hot air balloon flight. - Short Flight 45 Minutes Whirling Dervish Show - The Whirling dervish evening ceremony is inspired by Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi 1207 - 1273 It symbolizes the different stages of a mystic journey to perfection, through love and service to all creatures without discriminating in regard to belief, class, or race. Cleopatra's Pool - Swim amongst the ruins in this thermal spring pool. Especially in The Roman Empire period, Hierapolis and its site were a health centre. In those years, thousands of people used to come to the baths and they found their remedy in those baths. Today's Antique Pool was shaped by the earthquake which happened in the 7th century AD. The marble portico with Ionic arrangement fell into the spring during that earthquake. Athens Half Day Acropolis tour - Your Athens city tour starts from the Panathenaic Stadium, where the first Olympic Games of modern times were held in 1896. Continue and pass by the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian's Arch, the Parliament buildings and the memorial to the Unknown Soldier, the Academy, the University, the National Library and Constitution Square (Syntagma). At the Acropolis visit, the Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion and finally 'the harmony between material and spirit', the monument that 'puts order in the mind', the Parthenon.
• Insurance: Insurance is not included