Byzas Tours8 days – Turkish Culinary Road Trip
Bodrum, Ephesus-
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Featuring some of each destination’s must-see highlights with local and regional culinary specialties in focus, this trip is ready to book with the itinerary and services indicated. Please see full details below.
Quicklinks: Detailed Itinerary, Hotels, Prices & Dates
Overview
We’re a small bunch of close friends and tourism professionals who have been enjoying a life of travel garnished with great food and wine, while still having a good laugh together over 20 years.
Throughout these years, we have experimented, tried and tasted much cuisine from all over Turkey and we know the best places to savor our favorite food and wine, to watch the most romantic sunsets and to find the most amazing historical sites.
Now, we wish to share those experiences with you! We invite you to come along and join us for a wonderful road trip with a fine-tuned itinerary that presents both the culinary and historical wonders of Western Turkey:
Detailed Itinerary:
Turkish Culinary Road Trip
Day 1 – Istanbul
Welcome, Turkish Wines & Mezzes
You will be greeted by our staff at the airport and transferred to your hotel, in the heart of the historical area of Istanbul.
This evening you will meet your guide at the hotel for a brief introduction and overview of the upcoming trip and itinerary together.
The evening will conclude with a dinner on board our yacht, presenting a selection of Turkish mezzes and wines, as well as the beautiful scenery of the Bosphorus.
Overnight in Istanbul.
Day 2 – Istanbul
Kebab Dishes & BBQ from South Eastern Turkey
Today you will visit the ‘must see’s’ of the historical peninsula of Constantinople on foot; the Topkapı palace and the Basilica of Hagia Sophia to begin with…
Lunch theme of the day will be the kebab dishes of south eastern Turkey which is a mecca for BBQ meals. We will be savoring some of the best examples available in town.
Following lunch; the grand bazaar and the spice bazaar will be next and the tour will end with a visit to the great imperial mosque and complex of Süleymaniye.
Overnight in Istanbul.
Day 3 – Tekirdağ, Saros Bay, Çanakkale
Tracian food, Winetasting, Seafood & Raki
With an early departure to avoid the traffic, we leave Istanbul and drive towards the city and the straits of Çanakkale, the gate to the Aegean.
For lunch we will be calling in to the city of Tekirdağ to taste a variety of Tracian delicacies in a traditional ‘tradesman restaurant’.
Lunch will be followed by a pastoral scenic drive and a coffee break at Koru mountain over looking the Saros bay to salute the wonderful Aegean.
Upon our arrival at the narrows of the Dardanelles we will be visiting a local winery for tasting regional wines and cheese.
Then we will cross the straits via car ferry and check in to our hotel for a brief rest time before dinner.
Dinner will be served at a top seafood restaurant on the water and the theme of the night will be the mezzes and seafood of the region and also an introduction to ‘Rakı’, the traditional Turkish spirit to complement such a dinner.
Overnight in Çanakkale.
Day 4 – Troy, Adatepe, Cunda
Olive Oil Tasting, Regional Seafood Dishes
Our first stop of the day will be the archaeological site of Troy for a full tour of the site enriched with lectures of both its history and archae-gastronomy.
Later we will continue our way to the Olive and Olive Oil Museum of Adatepe near the town of Ayvalık, a world famous region of olive capital. You will not only learn all about its history, modern and ancient processes of its production but also taste some of the top oils of Turkey.
The tour of the day will conclude in the Island of Cunda with another amazing seafood dinner also by the seaside, but on this occasion with a more experimental cuisine.
Overnight in Cunda.
Day 5 – Casyter, Ephesus, Kusadasi
Exotic Homemade Cuisine, Roman Food Culture
Today we are heading to the great ancient city of Ephesus.
On our way we will have a very special lunch representing the exotic homemade cuisine of the region, served at a mountain-top restaurant overlooking the fertile valley of Casyter.
Following lunch, we will pay a visit to Ephesus, one of the greatest of all Greek-Roman cities of the history. Here on the site of Ephesus; as you walk along its streets, you will enjoy listening to a talk about the city’s history, ancient roman food culture and practices.
Free evening on your own in nearby Kuşadası town where we have many good restaurant recommendations for you.
Overnight in Kuşadası.
Day 6 – Akyaka, Gököva
Local Grilled Meat Specialities, Sunset Dinner By The Water
In the morning we depart from Kuşadası for the final destination of our trip; the picturesque small town of Akyaka by the turquoise gulf of Gökova.
En route we will have lunch near Çine to try the famous grill and offal dishes of the region.
After lunch we will be visiting the site of the ancient city of Stratonikeia, a very romantic setting where the ancient ruins and the 20th century village are interwoven together.
Upon our arrival at Akyaka we embark for a boat tour up the creek which will be followed by a sunset dinner at an amazing local cuisine restaurant by the water.
Overnight in Akyaka.
Day 7 – Akyaka, Akbük Bay
Ceremonial Turkish Breakfast, Beach Day, Farewell Drinks
Our final day is a relaxation day and we’ll begin the day with a ceremonial Turkish breakfast by the cool waters of the creek and surrounded by nature.
After breakfast we’ll take a short drive to Akbük Bay for a beach & chill-out day. You can enjoy sunbathing, relaxing or taking some dips in the crystal turquoise sea.
Free dinner time on your own in Akyaka. Post-dinner farewell meeting at a bar with complimentary drinks.
Overnight in Akyaka.
Day 8 – Akyaka
Fly back to Istanbul via Bodrum airport, or continue your vacation with one of these suggested extensions:
Suggested Trip Extensions:
1) Cappadocia
2) Blue Cruise
3) Beach resort lay over
4) Extra nights before or after in Istanbul
Foodie Highlights
The tour features other experiences that are not mentioned in the itinerary such as;
– Surprise complimentary delicacies to taste and experiment along the way each day.
– Improvised visits to some of the famous farmers markets of Western Turkey.
– Full descriptive recipes provided for any food tried along the way.
Hotels
Great Choice of Hotels
When you email us to receive a trip quote, you’ll receive a suggested travel program with a choice of 3 hotels from our selection of 4-5 star, stylish boutique, special class or luxury hotels. All our tour packages are complemented with conveniently-located and established properties or the best available for rural regions. So rest assured that you will be able to retire in comfort each evening, and within easy reach of the center for exploring.
For more information, please see some of our boutique Turkey hotels here.
Prices & Dates:
| Package Price – Departs Daily | |
|---|---|
| Starting from Please Email € Euro per person, land only. | BOOK NOW |
| Please Note: Prices based on double/twin-room occupancy at selected properties. An optional single supplement is available for this trip. Subject to selected dates, availability at time of booking and advance booking. If travelling with any children under 12 years, please email us with their date of birth to determine their age at time of travel. | |
What’s Included:
- All accommodation B&B at a choice of selected 4-5 star, boutique, special class or luxury hotels.
- All sightseeing tours of the places mentioned in the program.
- All tours with professional licensed English-speaking guidance.
- All transport with new air-conditioned deluxe vehicles.
- All meals where shown in the itinerary with this legend (B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner).
- All airport transfers throughout, as indicated in the itinerary.
- All parking fees, ferry, tolls and petrol.
- All entrance fees to the visited sites in the itinerary.
- All taxes.
- Farmers markets, local recipes and surprise delicacies en route.
Not Included:
- International airfare to Turkey
- Domestic flight tickets (not necessary in this road trip!)
- Drinks, travel insurance, visas, personal expenses, porters, optional tips.
Extra Options/Upgrades:
- Istanbul – Private Yacht Cruise on the Bosphorus aboard Zoe Yacht. Prices on request.
Schedule:
Departure dates guaranteed every day all year around for this tour.
Change This Trip:
We are happy to make some minor changes provided those are compatible and acceptable with the smooth operation of the tour packages offered.
Awards & Testimonials:
TripAdvisor has awarded Byzas Tours the Certificate of Excellence with 5 stars. Please read what previous guests have said about us on their website.
Information & Reservations:
Please email us your dates of travel and number of travelers for more information and reservations. We aim to respond to all requests within 1 business day. All requests welcome.
“It’s a pleasure to recommend our friends to you as we had such a wonderful trip…well paced, organized and executed”
Barbara.R, USA
