Epicurean Travel tours of Turkey currently include sojourns to the Izmir/Ephesus area and Cappadocia, besides featuring the sights and tastes of Istanbul old and new. Please keep in mind that we also are delighted to customize the travel experience for clients based on particular cultural, culinary, historical or geographical interests.

No more than a dozen clients will be accepted. Please contact us with any questions. We have been picking and choosing and planning for quite a while to cook up our (next) perfect Turkish epicurean and culture holiday … even as the political situation in the country grows more intriguing.

Epicurean Travel itinerary: The food, culture and history of Turkey (Includes Cappadocia, 11 days total)

Day 1Arrive in Istanbul

Day 2: Exploring the New City: Istanbul and the Golden Horn

Day 3: Travel from Istanbul to Izmir (Ephesus)

Day 4:  Priene, Miletos and Didyma: Ancient Wonders

Day  5: Shopping for and Preparing Turkish Food

Day 6: Food, Wine, Sirince village and the Adriatic Sea

Day 7: Full day tour of Cappadocia and the Goreme Valley

Day 8: Return to Istanbul: Ancient arts of ceramics, rugs and dervishes

Day 9: Istanbul – the Old City – Travel back to the Byzantine & Ottoman Empires

Day 10: Cruising the Bosphorus

Day 11:  Early transfer to airport and fly home.

The cost of this wonderful holiday includes:

  • All airport transfers
  • 3 full-day private tours of Istanbul
  • Tickets for the Bosphorus cruise
  • 4 Nights at Uyan Hotel Istanbul
  • 4 Nights Ephesus Boutique Hotel
  • All intra-country flights
  • 2 full day private tours of Ephesus and surroundings
  • 8 Breakfasts
  • 7 Lunches
  • 5 Dinners
  • Cooking classes and lectures
  • All local taxes
  • All transfers and transportation in Turkey by private deluxe air-conditioned non-smoking tour vans
  • All entrance fees to the sites and to the museums mentioned in the program
  • Fluent English speaking tour guides

What isn’t included:

  • International airfare
  • Hot air balloon ride
  • Lunch the first day, 3 dinners in Istanbul and 2 dinners in  Cappadoccia
  • All drinks and beverages
  • Gratuities

Cost:  (11 days) $5,600 per person (double room); $600 single supplement.

Trip Extensions are available as follows, by arrangement:

Day 11-12: Bodrum; or
Day 11-12: Transfer to Istanbul and drive to Troy and Gallipoli; or
Day 11-12: Ankora and Gordion/Midas’s Tomb