8. TURKISH COAST ANTIQUITIES Chart a course to Bodrum, where whitewashed stucco houses dressed in bougainvillea line the hillsides and twin harbors welcome seafaring travelers. Visit St. Peter’s Castle on an informative guided tour, including the reconstructed shipwrecks of its Museum of Underwater Archaeology. A walk around the grounds of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, reveals the ruins of a once-magnificent marble tomb completed in 350 BC. Spend the afternoon as you wish in town or, weather permitting, head back to your ship for a swim in the crystal-clear sea right off the ship’s platform (available aboard Windstar only). Tonight’s shipboard entertainment includes belly dancing. Meals BLD
9. CRUISE TO KUSADASI / EXPLORE EPHESUS Cast anchor in the port city of Kusadasi and join us for an excursion to Ephesus, one of the world’s best-preserved classical cities revealing important vestiges of an ancient Roman civilization; in its heyday, marble lined the streets, fountains flowed, and an eternal flame burned upon a sacred altar. Visit the Selçuk Museum and take a walking tour of the ancient city, seeing the Odeon, Temple of Hadrian, Trajan’s Fountain, the Arcadian Way and the two-tiered Library of Celsus. Lunch in the village of Sultankoy includes a carpet demonstration. Set sail late today and savor a carefree evening aboard ship. Meals BLD
10. DAY AT SEA - CRUISING THE AEGEAN SEA Today is a day of inspiration. Spend a relaxing day at sea, where you are free to experience the many amenities and entertainment options aboard your Tauck small ship. Perhaps you will challenge a shipmate to a board game on deck, take a refreshing swim in the outdoor pool, get in a workout in the fitness center or indulge in a pampering massage or treatment in the ship’s spa. You are welcome to visit the bridge to view firsthand the operations and navigational technologies of your Tauck small ship – specially designed to go where larger vessels can’t! Meals BLD
11. DISEMBARK / ISTANBUL
Disembark in Istanbul for a three-night stay. Begin the day with a visit to exotic Topkapi Palace, residence of the sultans and the seat of power for the Ottoman Empire for 400 years; during your tour, you’ll see the legendary “Harem,” along with religious relics and other priceless treasures within the palace’s museums. One of Istanbul’s iconic sites, 16th-century Süleymaniye Mosque is a must-see; explore its fascinating Mausoleums. Settle in at the Ceylan InterContinental Istanbul for a three-night stay. Meals BLD
12. HAGIA SOPHIA / BOSPHORUS CRUISE Guided sightseeing continues with a visit to the vast underground Basilica Cistern and one of the world’s true architectural gems, beautiful Hagia Sophia, a Byzantine masterpiece; first constructed in 537 AD and destroyed, rebuilt and modified throughout the centuries, this cathedral reigned for almost 1,000 years as the largest Christian church in the world. Tauck treats you to an afternoon cruise along the Bosphorus before time at leisure to explore the sights on your own. Meals BL
Feast on a parade of soul-stirring sights from the windmills of Mykonos, the Library of Celsus at Ephesus, the guards of the Acropolis and dinners fresh from the surrounding sea
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