Coasts of Asia Minor – Smyrna

After breakfast, we’ll head to Phocaea, one of the most important cities of ancient Greece in terms of seafaring and the founding of colonies. We’ll stroll through its narrow streets and be charmed by the magnificent architecture of the old Greek houses. We’ll end up at its picturesque little harbor for a coffee or a glass of tsipouro. Passing through Menemeni and Kordelio, we’ll reach the long-suffering, cosmopolitan city of Smyrna. The tour includes the Governor’s Palace (Konak) with its picturesque clock tower, the old Greek mansions, its historic waterfront—the Cordon—the old train station, churches, and the ancient Agora. There will be free time to explore the city’s bustling market, Kemeraltı. Arrival at the hotel, check-in, dinner, and an optional stroll or walk along the beach.

After breakfast, we travel south, to the heart of ancient Ionia, to visit Ephesus, which for over 1,000 years was one of the most famous metropolitan centers of Hellenism. It was the birthplace of the philosopher Heraclitus and known throughout the ancient world for the worship of Artemis of Ephesus. By the early Christian era, it was already a major city, known from the Apostle Paul’s “Epistles to the Ephesians” and as one of the Seven Churches of the Book of Revelation. At the archaeological site, we will see the Bouleuterion, the Prytaneion, the Public Agora, the Nymphaeum, the Library of Celsus with its stunning architectural beauty, the Theater, the Gymnasium, and the Stadium. We’ll continue east to visit the hometown of author Dido Sotiriou, the picturesque village of Kirkintze, where, following the population exchange of 1923, Muslim Cretans—known as “Turko-Cretans”—settled. On the way back, we will see a magnificent Seljuk castle (14th century) and a gate of stunning beauty in a Byzantine castle, within which lies the church and tomb of St. John the Evangelist (6th century). Return to Izmir; free time to explore the city, dinner, and overnight stay.

After breakfast, we head north toward ancient Pergamon, home to the Attalid dynasty and parchment, one of the most splendid cities of antiquity, and we’ll tour the Asclepieion, the Serapeum, the Red Courtyard, and the Basilica of St. John. Stop for lunch on your own. We continue northward to the hometown of Fotis Kontoglou, Ayvalı and the Moschonisia Islands, where the Greek character is strongly evident in the architecture of the houses and churches, the flower-filled courtyards, the narrow cobblestone alleys, and the famous olive oil and soap-making facilities, while we will specifically visit 18th- and 19th-century Greek charitable institutions and the churches that are now Muslim mosques—St. George, St. John, and the Archangels. A visit to the Moschonisia Islands, with their unparalleled beauty, alongside the imposing Church of the Taxiarchs—now the Koch Toy Museum—will delight every traveler. Free time at the seaside cafes. The day ends with a magical, panoramic view of the Moschonisia Islands and Ayvalı from Seitan Tepesi Hill at sunset. Arrival at the hotel, check-in, dinner, and overnight stay.

After breakfast, we head north through the lush green Idas mountain range toward the ancient ruins of mythical Troy, the city of the Iliad and Priam, where we’ll see a modern replica of the Trojan Horse and take a guided tour of the archaeological site with its successive layers of remains, mainly walls and palaces, from the city’s various phases of existence. Finally, we’ll visit the adjacent Museum of Troy. We’ll then begin our return journey to Greece via the 1915 Çanakkale Suspension Bridge in the Dardanelles. Passing west of Kallipolis and Kessani, we reach the border. After the expected border checks there and a few stops along the way, we arrive in Thessaloniki late in the afternoon.