Turkey's Magical Hideaways (2012)

Istanbul • Cappadocia • Antalya • Turquoise Coast • Ephesus
  • 16 days
  • from only:
  • $2695
  • $169 per day
    Small Ship Adventure Only
  • 17 days
  • from only:
  • $3695
  • $218 per dayIncludes international airfare and government taxes
IN THIS SECTION:
Detailed Itinerary
Video: Travelers' experiences of Turkey's Magical Hideaways
Is this Adventure Right for You?
It's Included
Unique Accommodations
Extend Your Adventure
Istanbul, Turkey
Nemrut & the Bible Lands, Turkey
Optional Tours
Trip Leaders
Grand Circle Foundation
Your Travel Handbook
Air information
LearnMore
Interested in learning more? Our Travel Counselors are ready to assist you
CT

Customize your trip

Learn how to customize your adventure, or view standard air routing and travel times. The choice is yours with our True Choice program.

CT

Customize your trip

With our True Choice Program, you can choose to stay longer before or after your trip on your own, or combine two adventures to maximize your value. Here are more ways to create the OAT adventure that’s right for you:

  • Choose our standard air routing, or work with us to select the airline and routing you prefer
  • Make your own international flight arrangements directly with the airline, applying frequent flyer miles if available
  • Stay overnight in a connecting city before or after your trip
  • Request to arrive a few days early to get a fresh start on your adventure
  • Choose to “break away” before or after your trip, spending additional days or weeks on your own
  • Extend your adventure with our optional pre- and post-trip extensions
  • Combine your choice of OAT adventures to maximize your value
  • Upgrade to business or premium economy class

The air options listed above will involve an additional fee of $100 per person for confirmed requests (as well as incremental airfare costs based on your specific choice). This service fee will be waived for Inner Circle/Sir Edmund Hillary Club members.

Or, when you make your reservation, you can choose our standard air routing, for which approximate travel times are shown below.

GATEWAY

TRAVEL TIME*

Atlanta, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco

16hrs

Boston, Miami, Newark

14hrs

Chicago, Washington, DC (Dulles)

13hrs

Houston, Seattle

15hrs

New York (JFK)

11hrs

Minneapolis, Orlando, Portland, OR

17hrs

Phoenix

18hrs

San Diego

21hrs

* Estimated total time, including connection and layover. Actual travel time may vary.

The information above reflects approximate flight times from the gateway cities listed to Istanbul, Turkey. Routing is based on availability and subject to change. You will receive your final air itinerary approximately 14 days prior to departure.

REFER and EARN

Earn increasing rewards as a Vacation Ambassador

REFER and EARN as a Vacation Ambassador with
the BEST referral program in the industry

Inspiring new travelers to join the OAT family is a rewarding experience—both for you and your new travelers.

Share your love of travel with others and, for each referral who embarks on an OAT trip, you will earn $100 in CASH or credit. With your 4th referral departing on a 2012 departure, your reward increases to $200 in CASH or credit per person. And once you refer 8 travelers departing in either 2012 or 2013, you'll earn a FREE trip valued up to $4,500 per household—which will bring the total value of your earned rewards up to $5,600.

And you are also passing along savings to your new traveler: We'll instantly deduct $100 off the cost of their reservation when they mention your name and Customer Number while reserving.

To learn more about the benefits of our Vacation Ambassador Referral Program, please call us toll-free at 1-800-955-1925 or click here.

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Pre-Trip: Istanbul, Turkey


3 nights from only $695

Expand your understanding of Turkey in its largest, most vibrant city: exotic Istanbul. The only city in the world to straddle both Europe and Asia, it offers a wealth of influences and attractions. Included and optional tours, plus our centrally located accommodations, put the essence of the city easily within reach.

Single Supplement: FREE.

Please note: This extension only available on select departures. Ask your Adventure Specialist for details.

It's Included

  • Accommodations for 3 nights in Istanbul
  • 3 meals—3 breakfasts
  • 2 small group activities
  • Services of our own resident OAT Trip Leader who speaks English and the native language
  • All transfers

Optional Tour

Crossing Between Continents ($95 per person)

Day 1
Depart U.S.

Depart the U.S. today on your overnight flight to Istanbul, Turkey.

Day 2
Arrive in Istanbul, Turkey

Arrive in Istanbul today, where you'll be met at the airport and transfer to our hotel, where we enjoy an orientation walk. Then, explore Istanbul at leisure. Today might be the perfect opportunity to visit the imposing Mosque of Suleman, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With a dome that rises over 150 feet, it is Istanbul's largest mosque. Your Trip Leader can provide recommendations for dinner on your own in Istanbul tonight.

Day 3
Aspects of Istanbul tour

After breakfast today, we enjoy an Aspects of Istanbul tour, which includes a visit to the Istanbul Archaeological Museum—actually a group of museums—located inside the first court of Topkapi Palace. Among the treasures of antiquity, you'll see the celebrated Alexander Sarcophagus. Also displayed here are artifacts from the Sumerian, Assyrian, Hatti, and Hittite civilizations. We’ll also visit the Underground Cistern and Chora Museum. Lunch and dinner are on your own today.

Day 4
Explore Istanbul/Optional Crossing Between Continents tour

Today, you have many options for soaking up more of Istanbul’s unique melange of sensations. Blend into the hustle and bustle on the streets, or contemplate three millennia of history in quieter corners. If you haven't yet gotten to visit the famous Kapali Çarsi (Grand Bazaar), with its 4,000 shops, this will be a good chance to do some shopping there. Everything from intricate carpets to camel-bone jewelry to antique samovars to T-shirts can be found here under one giant roof.

Or, join an optional Crossing Between Continents tour, which begins with a visit to the Dolmabahce Palace, the opulent residence of the Ottoman sultans. We'll then cross the Bosporus to its Asian shore, stopping in Kadikoy, where you’ll tour its market and stop for tea at Camlica Hill, one of the highest spots in the city. Then, back on the European shore, we’ll enjoy a walk around the Ortakoy, one of Istanbul’s trendiest areas.

Day 5
Istanbul/Begin main trip

We meet our fellow travelers this afternoon, and begin our adventure into Turkey's Magical Hideaways.