The Turquoise Sea

A day off the bike, sailing and swimming on the warm, blue waters of the Turquoise Coast or free time to explore the town and castle ruins on your own. We'll sail from Bodrum's port, a gathering point of yachts from around the world, onto scenic Gokova Bay and periodically stopping to dive into the warm water for swimming. Delicious seafood lunch and mezes onboard.

In the afternoon, we'll stroll the busy boardwalk, cafes, sweet shops and the ruins of a waterfront crusader castle. As the sun sets, we'll enjoy a delicious banquet of local dishes underneath the main mosque. For those with boundless energy, the boardwalk shops, cafes and discos stay open late into the night.

Short day riding towards the coast with one long climb, and beautiful pine forest mountain riding, skirting the large lagoon near Fethiye. Our hotel has a scenic view of the lake. After arrival, shower, change and drive to the eerie ghost town Kayakoy, abandoned by Greeks in the 1920s following the Greco-Turkish War and which to this day remains uninhabited.

In the afternoon, we'll hike up to the tomb of Amyntas, which dates back to 350 BC.

Road nearing Kas

If can rise early, there is an optional parasailing adventure for you which begins on the high-mountain range near town soaring from the cliffs back to town. Today, a long, mostly flat ride with one long climb, we'll bike past the ruins of several ancient cities, including Tlos, Pinara, and Xanthos.

The last twenty miles are spectacular cycling along the Lycian coast on the winding road and out of white-cliff bays overlooking the ocean (right). Kas is a quant harbor town nestled into a cove beneath the large, coastal mountain range, one of Turkey's most picturesque settings.

Kaputas Beach

Morning riding through the thickly forested, rocky Beydaglari Mountains to Phaselis, a remarkably pristine Roman port. After an optional dip in the bay beneath the ruins, we will make a short drive to Antalya, one of the most beautiful cities on the Mediterranean coast. Antalya an important port in ancient and modern times. Although now a large, modern city, Antalya preserves much of its medieval old town.

Afternoon free to explore Antalya's sites. After dinner, an evening, one-hour flight to Istanbul.

Aya Sofia

Istanbul at last! Enough pedaling, it's time to explore the most fascinating city in the world. On this day, a comprehensive exploration (mostly by foot) of the largest city in Europe, highlighting the majestic historical sites scenically overlooking the Bosphorus and Sea of Marmara, including the holiest of holies — Aya Sofia (right), the stunning Byzantine basilica built in the 4th century by the Emperor Justinian.

We'll also explore the exquisitely tiled Blue Mosque, built in 1616 and renowned for its 22,000 blue Iznik tiles, and the grand Topkapi Palace — the Imperial residence of the Ottoman Sultans from the 15th to the 19th century, and home to the Sultans and their harems. It is the oldest and largest of the remaining palaces in the world, well known for its lavish gold, silver and jewel collections, its jeweled throne room and its 400 room harem pavilion. Throughout are exquisite Iznik tiles. Built on one of the seven hills of Istanbul, this huge complex has panoramic views of the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn.

The Bosporus

We'll end our tour at the Grand Bazaar, the largest Oriental shopping center in the world with 65 streets, 18 gates and 3,000 shops all under one roof. Following our return to the hotel for a quick rest and a change, we will have our farewell dinner just after the evening call to prayer at one of Istanbul's finer restaurants.