Turkey tours, Cuisine tour of Turkey, Custom private and small group tours to Turkey

Flavours of Turkey tour offers opportunities for both the food lovers and the discerning traveler to do just that. We bring you in contact with the Turkey's rich culinary traditions, local food professionals and passionate home cooks.

Turkey Cuisine Tour Itinerary:

Day 1 NORTH AMERICA - ISTANBUL
Board your transatlantic flight to Istanbul.

Day 2 ISTANBUL
On arrival transfer to your hotel in Istanbul. Welcome dinner will be at a restaurant that serves Imperial Ottoman Cuisine, incorporating Central Asian, Anatolian, Middle Eastern and Balkan flavours, resulting from the intensive research undertaken at three palace kitchens (Dolmabahce, Topkapi and Edirne). Dinner will be accompanied by our culinary specialist Selin Rozanes.
Overnight at BLUE HOUSE Hotel.(D).

Day 3 ISTANBUL
Breakfast at hotel. Today you will tour the Spice Bazaar with our culinary specialist and stop at shops for tastings. The bazaar is often referred to as the "Egyptian Market" due to the fact that spices used to come to the market from India and Southeast Asia via Egypt. Despite the fact that the bazaar is becoming more touristy, there is still plenty to discover for the "foodie." We will stop at shops tasting and discovering some typically Turkish delicacies.

You will then get on board a local ferry and disembark on the Asian side of Istanbul. After visiting some specialty shops walking through the colorful market of Kadiköy -an open air street market, very different from the Spice Market and more in tune with the way most Istanbullus cook and eat. We will watch Turkish delight production in a family owned Turkish candies and Turkish delight shop before you will walk on to a restaurant where the chef , one of Turkey's foremost cooks who is devoted in letting the world know about the glorious food of his homeland. The ingredients used in the dishes travel from South Eastern Anatolia to arrive at your plate in Istanbul: aromatic red pepper, pistachios,chickpeas, olive oil and pomegranate molasses. After lunch we will take ferry back to the European side. Rest of the day free at leisure.

Overnight at BLUE HOUSE Hotel. (B,L)

Day 4 ISTANBUL
Your guide will pick you up at 9:00am . You will visit St. Sophia, the church of the Divine Wisdom, the Blue Mosque, a 17th century mosque that dominates the skyline of Istanbul and the Byzantine Underground Cistern. For lunch you will taste delicious kofte- meatballs at a specialized restaurant operating since 1920.

After lunch you will visit the magnificent Topkapi Palace, the residence of the sultans for almost three centuries. Last, you will continue to explore ninety-two streets of the famous Grand Bazaar.

You will then proceed to your Hands on Turkish cooking class at an authentic Turkish home. In the evening you will enjoy dinner and taste what you have cooked. You will have dinner at a Turkish home and enjoy wholesome home cooked specialties. A truly unique opportunity to experience Turkish hospitality and local home life.
Overnight at BLUE HOUSE Hotel . (B. L. D)

Day 5 ISTANBUL
Today we will visit the Gulluoglu Baklava Factory in Karakoy. We will tour the area where the baklava dough is rolled out, and watch baklava production. We will then taste various kinds of Baklava along with Turkish coffee.

You will cruise past the Prince's islands enjoying the view. Fresh air, islands, seagulls, the Istanbul shoreline at a distance.. You will disembark on the largest of the Princes' Islands (Principio -Büyükada). Büyükada is a beautiful summer resort with ancient style wooden houses and old summer residences. There are no museums , no cars even just horses and carriages to get around ( the only alternative is riding a donkey), grand houses and mansions wreathed with wisteria, begonvilla, pine forests, cliffs. A delicious late meze lunch will be awaiting you at a restaurant on the pier.

After lunch you will stroll through the pier to visit the island's local market and stop at specialty shops. A horse -drawn carriage will drive you throughout the pine woods.. You will cruise back to town after your experience. Dinner on own.
Overnight at BLUE HOUSE Hotel. (B,L.D)

Day 6 ISTANBUL - CAPPADOCIA
In the morning transfer to the airport for your flight to Cappadocia. Upon arrival to Kayserior Nevsehir Airport you will be transferred to visit a local market. In Cappadocia we will focus on the very particular culture and foods of Anatolia.

We'll begin with a visit to a local market and then join a cooking demonstration in a home with village women They will show us how to make ,gozleme , stuffed vine leaves and manti, a traditional dish whose heritage stretches back in to the Central Asian origins of modern Turkey. Lunch will be in the home of your hosts.

Then we will introduce you to the lunar landscape of Cappadocia at Dervent Valley, and we head on to Zelvee Open Air Museum, which is one of the earliest inhabited and latest abandoned monastic settlements of Cappadocia. Seeing the best examples of the fairy chimneys at Pasabag Fairy Chimneys Valley, we drive further to Avanos. From here you will stop at Avanos, a centre of terracotta art since 2,000 BC, for a demonstration in a traditional pottery workshop. Then we will try our hands at it under the supervision of a master potter.

Before dinner you will stop at a Winery. This is the biggest and oldest winery (since 1943) of Cappadocia. We will have a detailed tour of the winery while tasting their local wines. The Öküzgözü-Bogazkere combinations (grapes native to Turkey) are quite promising.The family-operated winery is located underground, carved in natural rock. This natural cellar also provides excellent storage conditions for the wine.
Today at dinner you will taste the delicious Testi Kebab- Pot Kebab (meat stew cooked in a seamless pot, broken with a hammer upon service) as well as varieties of Turkish meze selections and local Cappadocian wine.
Overnight at YUNAK HOUSES. (B,L,D)

Day 7 CAPPADOCIA
Early morning optional balloon ride - transfer to the balloon launching site to meet the balloon crew. The gentle and stable wind conditions are ideal during the first few hours of the day in Cappadocia. It is also the ideal time for photography,with splendid colours and contrasts. The deep canyons and gentle winds carry you over places that could never be reached except by balloon. After flying over Cappadocia for about one hour, you will land to an awaiting champagne breakfast!

Today you will visit the famous Goreme Open Air Museum to see the best examples of Byzantine art in Cappadocia. These are found in rock-cut churches with frescoes and paintings dating from as early as the 10th century. For lunch you will try making pide -Turkish flat bread. You will then explore the underground city of Kaymakli, one of the largest and deepest of Cappadocia's many such settlements

Then while sipping your Turkish Tea or coffee you will enjoy a demonstration and explanation of Turkish carpet making techniques, symbols and different types of carpets.Dinner on own is suggested at Ziggy's restaurant.
Overnight at YUNAK HOUSES. (B,L)

Day 8 CAPPADOCIA / IZMIR/ KUSADASI
This morning take flight to Izmir via Istanbul. Drive to an Ecological Organic Farm near Kusdas?. Walk around the farm to meet the people who work at the farm and watch and join the preparation of organic products.Lunch comprising of organic products will be at the farm. After lunch visit Ephesus, one of the most incredible archaeological wonders of the world.
Overnight at Kismet Hotel. (B,L)

Day 9 KUSADASI / BODRUM
After breakfast we drive to Tire, a 5000 year old town and one of the largest towns in the area. Its long cultural heritage includes periods under the Hittites, Phrygians, Lydians, Persians, Romans and Byzantines, and developed strong links with the economy during the Ottoman period. The Tuesday Market is a small market where the village people sell the fresh vegetables and fruits which are cultivated and harvested by the people selling to you.

You can find handicrafts such as clogs/pattayas (shoes) and Beledi weaving in the local shops. Enjoy your lunch at a local restaurant and drive to Bodrum. You will drive to a small village in Ortakent, Yarbasan. Each home in this village is a replica of the original ancient homes of the region and has a private pool. After a short rest dinner will be served at one of Bodrum's popular restaurants.
Overnight at Yarbasan Stone Houses (B.L.D)

Day 10 BODRUM
After breakfast you will visit The Bodrum Castle that occupies the tip of the wedge-like peninsula at the center of Bodrum which has a massive conglomeration of courtyards, turrets, galleries and sunken gardens and see the collections of the Museum of Underwater Archeology, located inside the Castle.

Then you will enjoy a Gulet cruise around the bays of Bodrum with lunch on board.

In Yarbasan where you will be staying at the center of the village is the Erenler Sofrasi restaurant where you will learn how to cook dishes from the Aegean Turkish cuisine featuring lots of olive oil and herbs. You will taste what you have cooked for your Farewell dinner.
Overnight at Yarbasan Stone Houses (B,L,D)

Day 11 BODRUM.
Day at leisure.
Overnight at Yarbasan Stone Houses (B, D)

Day 12 BODRUM.
After lunch at the restaurant where owner brings together local Bodrum women as his 'tasters' to maintain the quality and consistency of his food and personally selects the best olive oil and the freshest herbs and vegetables from the markets.Transfer to the airport to take your flight to Istanbul. Transfer to your hotel in Istanbul .
Overnight at Blue House Hotel (B, L)

Day 13 - ISTANBUL.
You will be transferred to the airport for your departure flight. (B)

(END OF OUR SERVICES) - Tour will operate with min 6 pax.

TOUR PACKAGE INCLUDES:
-	Accommodation on twin sharing
-	Daily Buffet Breakfast.
-	Most meals as indicated on the itinerary.
-	Return airport transfers.
-	Meet & Greet at Istanbul airport by our representative.
-	All sightseeing tours with experienced Guide.
-	Transportation in Deluxe Coach.
-	Domestic flights.
-	Entrances fees as per the itinerary
-	All applicable taxes.

TOUR PACKAGE DOES NOT INCLUDE:
-	Visa Fees
-	Beverages with meals
-	Items of a personal nature
-	Tips & gratuities
-	Optional tours
-	Travel Insurance
-	International Airfare
-	Items not mentioned as being included

OPTIONAL TOURS (Based on a min. of 2 people):
-	Hot Air ballooning in Cappadocia - 325 USD per person.

Tour Style	(Small Group – max 16 people)
Tour Length	13 Days.
Starts on	Istanbul
Ends On	Istanbul
Visit	Istanbul \| Cappadocia \| Kusadasi \| Bodrum \| Istanbul
Prices	Starting At USD 4,390* Only.
Dates	MAY 21 & SEP 10, 2012

CULINARY HIGHLIGHTS:
-	Hands on cooking class in Istanbul.
-	Visit local home and home cooked Turkish dinner.
-	Vist to Spice markets.
-	Turkish Flavours apron and recipe book.
-	Demo Cooking class in Bodrum.
-	Private Gulet cruise with lunch on board.
-	Nine lunches - with soft drinks, bottled water, coffee and tea.
-	Five dinners soft drinks, bottled water, coffee and tea.
-	Roundtrip transportation for dinners
-	Hands on Cooking with Cappadocian locals.
-	Tour and tasting at Baklava factory.
-	Wine tasting in Cappadocia.

Cities	Nights	Hotels
Istanbul	05 Nights	Blue House Hotel
Cappadocia	02 Nights	Yunak House
Kusadasi	01 Night	Kismet Hotel
Bodrum	03 Nights	Yarbasan Stone Houses
Please note: (If the above mentioned hotels are not available we will provide similar alternate).

TOUR DEPARTURE DATES 2012
MAY 21
SEP 10

TOUR PRICE:	* P/P in double
Per person on Twin sharing basis:	4390 USD
Single supplement:	850 USD
* Prices are in USD-Based on per person on a twin sharing basis.

Selin Rozanes your Turkish Cuisine Specialist.

Selin Rozanes, a Culinary Experiences and Travel Specialist is a native of Istanbul. Her love of food and travel has developed into the "Turkish Flavours" project. After a long career in the travel industry,she began designing and leading culinary itineraries around Istanbul and Turkey including cooking programs on Turkish Cuisine. At her hands-on cooking courses, participants learn about the Turkish culture while experiencing and understanding Turkish culinary traditions.

A self-taught chef and gastronomically inquisitive person, Selin has organized many hands on Turkish Cooking courses for visitors from many different countries. She is a member of Slow Food and the International Culinary Tourism Association. She speaks English, Turkish, French and some Spanish.

Selin's vast knowledge about Istanbul and Turkey and what it offers to travelers is always an asset to Turkish Flavours guests.