Flavors of Aegean Cuisine

Day 1: Arrival in Istanbul
Arrive in Istanbul, where you will be met at transferred to your hotel. Dinner at one of the city’s best seafood restaurants, serving freshly cooked seafood accompanied by true Turkish hospitality.

Day 2: Istanbul
Explore Istanbul on a culinary walk, beginning with a full breakfast where you will visit a pickle maker and other artisans. As you wind your way through side streets, there will be specialties from across the country. Visit a hidden Armenian church inside a fish market, followed by a full lunch, complete with the best Turkish coffee in the city. Depending on the day and what the walk comes across, there will be several other culinary surprises along the way. Eat your way through the classic and unknown eateries, the old and the new, tasting specialties from all over Turkey. The day ends at the Grand Bazaar, with 4,000 shops, it is one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world. In the evening experience a full Turkish meyhane experience – with raki-drinking, an endless stream of meze offerings, celebrations with music and dance. (B,L,D)

Day 3: Istanbul | Gallipoli
Visit a family-owned cheese factory in Malaka, to taste a variety of cheese & local products and one of the most delicious double crusty or feta cheese toasts with Turkish tea. Lunch in Dardanelles at a family-owned winery. During lunch, the history of the wine and food culture shall be given to the guests. In the afternoon, tour the beautiful Gallipoli Peninsula, including Cape Helles, Suvla Bay and Anzac Cove. (B,L,D)

Day 4: Gallipoli | Mt. Ida
After a traditional Turkish breakfast at the hotel, travel across the Dardanelles to Assos and see the ruins of a town founded 3,000 years ago. Atop a hill surrounded by olive groves are the ruins of the Doric-style Temple of Athena, surrounded by crumbling city walls and an ancient necropolis. Then visit Behramkale Village and the 14th-century Ottoman Murad Hudavendigar Mosque with spectacular views of the Aegean Sea and the nearby Greek island of Lesvos. After lunch at an Aegean seafood restaurant, drive to your hotel in Adatepe Village, overlooking the Aegean Sea and Lesbos Island. Find ultimate relaxation and uninterrupted peace in its heavenly garden. A healthy and tasty dinner made from local ingredients will be served at your hotel. (B,L,D)

Day 5: Mt. Ida
Start the day with a gourmet breakfast of local North Aegean delicacies at your hotel. Walk through Adatepe’s center to the Altar of Zeus with its breathtaking views and the smell of thousands of herbs and wildflowers. In this area where the most aromatic olive oil of the Aegean shores is produced, view an endless sea of olive groves. Continue to Turkey’s first and only Adatepe Olive Oil Museum and witness the demonstration of pure olive oil soap making. Afterwards, visit one of Turkey’s most popular, beautiful historical boutique villages with small handicraft and local products shops. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant of some of the finest locally-produced products. In the afternoon, explore the Kazdağları Karye Technology Museum, located in an authentic stone building. It holds a unique collection of technological gadgets from the 18th and 19th centuries as well as a collection of first edition publications and newspaper headlines of important historical events. For dinner, experience traditional North Aegean mezes at the hotel’s restaurant. (B,L,D)

Day 6: Mt. Ida | Cunda Island
After another gourmet hotel breakfast, drive to Cunda the largest of the Ayvalik Islands. With its olive trees, small fishermen’s boats bobbing around in the sea, and winding cobblestoned streets, Cunda Island is an undeniably heavenly place. Visit the 19th-century Taksiyarhis Church, the island’s main historical landmark, which serves as a museum and venue for arts and culture events. Enjoy lunch made from delicious local recipes, using the island’s freshest ingredients, at a family-owned restaurant. Embark on a private boat to explore the nearest islands where you can sunbathe and swim in crystal waters. End the day with a seafood dinner at the island’s best-known seafood restaurant. (B,L,D)

Day 7: Cunda Island | Departure from Istanbul
After breakfast, enjoy some leisure time before transferring to the airport for your flight to Istanbul, where you can connect with your return international flight. (B)