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Turkish Jewish Heritage Tour

7 Nights
From €{{parseInt(minimumpriceforpackage)}} .{{decimalpart(minimumpriceforpackage)}} Person

Destinations:
#istanbul
#izmir
#ephesus & kusadasi

Book this Package
Explore the fascinating Jewish History found in Turkey on this seven night, eight day Turkish holiday package. Concentrated in the cities of Istanbul and Izmir, it provides a unique view into the history and culture of the Jewish people in Turkey, as well as taking in major sights in the area. This tour is available year round and provides some invaluable insights into the history and culture of this remarkable group of people. All tours are conducted with English speaking guides using air conditioned transport.

Itinerary

Day 1

On arrival at Istanbul Airport you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel in air conditioned comfort. You will be staying in this hotel for the next four nights. The rest of the day is free for you to relax and begin to feel the vibe of this ancient and fascinating city. As dinner is not included tonight, the hotel concierge will be able to recommend local restaurants where you can find your evening meal.

Day 2

Your first morning's touring will take in some of the most important Jewish sites in Istanbul. After breakfast you will be collected for your full day tour. The first stop will be to the Jewish neighborhood of Galata. On the excursion you will see the Galata Tower built by the Genoese in 1303. This will be followed by a visit to the local synagogues, the Neve Shalom and the Askenazy Synagogue. Your tour guide will give recommendations for restaurants in which you can buy your lunch. After lunch you will visit the Hippodrome, a 3rd century site, where chariots raced during the Roman period. Then it's off to the Blue Mosque, famous for its blue tiles and six minarets and a trip to the nearby Hagia Sophia, a world heritage site built in the 6th century. After the tour you will be return to the hotel and the evening is yours at your leisure. Your tour guide will be able to make recommendations for where to have your evening meal.

Day 3

Departing from hotel after breakfast, today's tour will take you for a visit of the Balat neighborhood where you will see the Star of David on building facades. Taking in these old neighborhoods, you will get an appreciation of how people lived in years gone by. After, the tour goes to the 15th century Ahrida and Yanbol synagogues and visits the Jewish home for the elderly along the Golden Horn. Lunch will be found at a local cafe – your guide can provide the names of good places to go. After lunch you will visit th Topkapi Palace with its priceless collection of jewels, and the Grand Bazaar, with some time for some shopping. The Grand Bazaar is a great place to barter for carpets and leather goods. After the tour you will be returned to your hotel and the evening is free for you to find some dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 4

After breakfast you will be collected for you last day of touring in Istanbul. Today's excursion starts with a visit to the Egyptian Bazaar, another place to amazed at and wander. This is followed by a Bosphorus boat tour, viewing the beautiful palaces and the European and Asian shorelines. Istanbul has the unique honour of straddling two continents. Lunch will be found in a local cafe, after which you will be taken for a drive over the bridge to the Asian side to visit the synagogues in Kuzguncuk and Uskudar. The tour then takes in a panoramic view of the city from the highest hill in Istanbul, Camlica Hill. After the tour you will be taken back to the hotel and the evening is free for you to do as you please.

Day 5

After breakfast you will check out of your Istanbul Hotel and be transferred to the airport for your flight to Izmir, on Turkey’s Western Coast. On arrival at Izmir Airport you will be transferred to your hotel where you will be spending the next three nights. A small tour has been arranged once you have settled in and lunch is provided today. On the afternoon tour you will visit one of the local synagogues in Izmir, where the Jewish community dates back more than 2000 years. After this it’s off to the castle of Alexander the Great and the agora. After the tour you will be returned to your hotel and the rest of the evening is free for you to source your dinner at a local restaurant. The food in Izmir is a little different to that in Istanbul and there is a distinct Greek influence to the food.

Day 6

Your sixth day of touring will probably be your most memorable of the tour. After a very early breakfast there will be an early morning departure to visit the ancient city of Ephesus. This day trip, including lunch, will take you all over this ancient site with its marvelous ruins of an ancient and powerful city which was deserted over a thousand years ago. Your guide will show you are the site, including the Celsus Library, the amphitheatre, the Roman baths, the Temple of Artemis, which is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Late in the afternoon you will be returned to Izmir to your hotel. Here you can find your evening meal and relax for the evening.

Day 7

Today is your last touring day of your holiday package and once again you will be taken around to the archaeological wonders of the region. After breakfast you will be taken on a tour of Sardis, the capital of ancient Lydia. View the significant ruins of the Acropolis. Visit the Temple of Cybele and Diana, which later became a church. See the golden river Pactalos and the Royal Road. Then visit the reconstructed synagogue, the gymnasium and the new excavation area. Lunch will be had a local restaurant during the tour. Later in the afternoon you will be returned to Izmir to your hotel for your last night on tour. This is a great chance to have a last traditional Turkish meal with your travelling companions.

Day 8

After breakfast and check out you will be transferred to Izmir airport for you onward flight.

The Perfect Greek Vacation

Me and my Girlfriend took a trip to Greece with Antelope Travel and it was nothing short of perfect. Their driver and staff were super helpful, polite, and warm. We gave them a few ideas and they turned it into an amazing itinerary that was both packed with fun things to do and good recommendations and flexibility to allow us to discover our destinations in Greece to the fullest. We highly recommend their services and we will be going back to them for our next Greece vacation!

Written September 14, 2023

One of the best experiences me and my wife had

Amazing very well organized smooth classy luxurious they're amazing
Anthony from antelope is the best

Written September 8, 2023

Fabulous trip and attention to detail!

Anthony Alagiah with Antelope Travel planned the perfect family trip for us in June 2023. Anthony was a pleasure to work with, he communicated in detail and was very responsive to any questions I had and even stayed in touch while we were in Greece.
This was our first visit to Greece and he patiently guided me during the planning process and planned perfect itineraries for Athens, the islands and the mainland so we could experience a variety of different parts of Greece. Keeping three teenage boys engaged and interested isn't always easy but all of Anthony's tours, tour guides and activities worked perfectly for all of us!
We had many air, land and sea transfers and Anthony's planning and his partners ensured that everything went smoothly for us.
We were referred to Anthony from friends and I highly recommend him! I have now referred other friends to him, as thanks to his expertise, we had a fantastic family trip to Greece.
Athens, Santorini, Naxos, Meteori, Delphi, Athens

Written August 18, 2023

Amazing Travel Agency

Anthony and his team did an amazing job organizing our eight day trip to Mykonos and Santorini. They chose two excellent hotels that met our budget, and booked car transport and inter-island ferries for us. He also gave a bunch of great restaurant recommendations and was able to help us book a few last-minute items, including a wine tour! He also had local representatives on each island who we were able to call with random specific asks (e.g., last minute club reservations on Mykonos).

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Having worked with other travel agents in other regions who do not do nearly as good a job, we can honestly say we are really happy with our Antelope experience!

Written August 15, 2023

Detail Details Details

We worked with Anastasia at Antelope travel, who was amazing. She arranged a four hour tour in Athens and then 3 nights in Mykonos and 3 nights in Santorini. It was a truly amazing trip. All the guides hired by the travel agency (Athens and Delos day trip) were knowledgeable and friendly. The transfers and transportation was timely and efficient. The hotel in Mykonos (Myconian Imperial) was a real treasure.....we loved it. I rarely work with travel agents because I think I can do it on my own, but this trip was truly marvelous because of Anastasia's efforts. We want to thank her for all her help!!

Written August 13, 2023

Incredible Trip!

It was an absolute pleasure working with Anthony & his entire team from the very start of our planning our vacation to Greece all the way through of traveling back home to Chicago. Anthony & his team ensured our entire trip was seamless. We started in Athens for 24 hours, then to Mykonos for 4 days and then Santorini for 4 days. The planning & attention to detail made the whole trip one of the best travel experiences of our life. Anthony & his team were referred to us by a couple of other friends who had also worked with them for their vacations to Greece over the past few years & we will continue referring Anthony to anyone we know who is traveling to Greece because of our incredible experience!

Written August 6, 2023

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