Turkish Delight: The Highlights of Turkey with Privileged Access - Celsus Library: Accommodations

Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus

On the European bank of the Bosphorus – which flows through Istanbul’s history and heart – Four Seasons gives a 19th-century palace a fresh, eclectic spirit. Alluring facilities include a chic urban spa. Fine restaurants and pools by the quayside overlook the Asian shore. And all are awash in the light, space and excitement of this water’s-edge location.

Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus offers 141 guest rooms and 25 suites. Bright and airy, they open to balmy sea breezes and a variety of waterfront, garden and city views. Nearly a quarter of the rooms offer views across the legendary Strait to the hills of Asia.

Cappadocia Cave Resort & Spa

Located in the heart of Anatolia, Cappadocia Cave Resort is enchanting and tranquil, offering breathtaking panoramic views of the region’s lunar landscape, luxurious rooms and exclusive spa facilities. Each Rock carved room is decorated with furnishings that reflect the rustic theme mixed with post-modern facilities.

Although it lies within walking distance to the Uptown and Castle, the resort is nestled among the rock carved dwellings of Uchisar allowing guests to be as self-contained as they wish with on-site amenities that cater to every need. 

Indulge in the world’s first cave spa, LEEA, with a full range of specialty therapies designed to melt your stress away.  Sample fine seasonal cuisine prepared by the talented chefs of Padishah restaurant & winery and Les Visages café bar bistro.  Let yourself be carried away into a world of magic and relaxation focused on the beauty of nature.

 
Swissôtel Grand Efes, Izmir

This five-star deluxe hotel is located in a lush garden in the heart of the Izmir commercial hub and overlooks the spectacular Kordon Promenade, on Turkey's Aegean Sea. The Archaeological Museum, Commercial Centre and the Izmir Cultural Park are within walking distance.   

A member of “The Leading Hotels of the World”, Swissôtel Grand Efes, Izmir has well-appointed guest rooms and suites featuring contemporary, elegant design, state-of-the-art technology and spectacular views over Izmir and the sea. 

Room Category Pricing and Upgrades

Standard Accommodations $6950 Per Person

Bosphorus Four Seasons - Superior Room
Cappadocia Cave Resort - Standard Double Room
Swissotel Grand Efes - Classic Room City View

First Upgrade Add $650 Per Person

Bosphorus Four Seasons - Garden Room
Cappadocia Cave Resort - Deluxe Room
Swissotel Grand Efes - Swiss Advantage Room Garden View
 

Second Upgrade Add $1850 Per Person

Bosphorus Four Seasons - Junior Suite
Cappadocia Cave Resort - Senior Suite
Swissotel Grand Efes - Executive Sea View

Third Upgrade Add $3350 Per Person

Bosphorus Four Seasons - Palace Bosphorus Room
Cappadocia Cave Resort - Queen Suite
Swissotel Grand Efes - Business Suite Sea View

Turkish Delight: The Highlights of Turkey with Privileged Access - Celsus Library: Itinerary

Day 1: Friday, Sep 24 – Arrive Istanbul
You will be met upon arrival at the Istanbul International Airport and expedited through customs and immigration.  Meet your guide in the arrivals hall and transfer to your hotel. 

The remainder of the day is at leisure.

We recommend dining on property at the hotel.

Overnight Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus
 

Day 2: Saturday, Sep 25 - Istanbul  (B/L/D)
Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning tour and sightseeing: the Byzantine Hippodrome, an ancient chariot racing stadium in the heart of the Old City, the Blue Mosque and St Sophia, the Church of Divine wisdom inaugurated by Emperor Justinian in 537 where you view famous mosaics in the upper galleries.

Taste Ottoman dishes for lunch at the Asitane Restaurant.  After lunch visit the Church of St Savior in Chora, a must see for its beautiful mosaics and frescoes. 

In the early evening embark from the hotel pier for your private motor yacht cruise on the Bosphorus, the narrow strait of water separating the Asian and European continents.

Disembark your motor  yacht on the Asian side of the city, at Lacivert Restaurant.  Enjoy a traditional seafood dinner on the shores of the Bosphorus with a magical view of the illuminated Rumeli Fortress and Bosphorus Bridge.

Overnight Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus

Day 3: Sunday, Sep 26 – Istanbul  (B/L/D)
Breakfast at the hotel

Visit to the magnificent Topkapi Palace Museum.

This grandiose complex of buildings formed the residence of the Sultans and the women of the Harem for 400 years.  Visit the Treasury where you will find the famous Spoonmakers Diamond and Topkapi Dagger.  Explore the private areas of the palace and learn some of the colorful stories of the Harem – the residence of the Sultan’s wives, concubines and children who where guarded by black eunuchs. 

Visit the Turkish and Islamic Art Museum to see the finest collection of Islamic artifacts in the world. 

Traditional Turkish lunch in a restored Ottoman Mansion.

Guided tour of the Istanbul Modern Art Museum by the Museum’s Curator.   

Return to the hotel for the remainder of the afternoon at leisure.

Exclusive Private Dinner by Chef Roy at Mikla Restaurant.  

Mikla is normally closed on Sundays, but tonight the stunning roof top restaurant will be opened privately for an imaginative Turkish-Hawiian fusion menu.  Each course will be perfectly matched with premium Turkish wines.  Mehmet Gurs is Turkey’s best known celebity chef and the owner of Mikla, Nu Teras and Num Num restaurants.  

Overnight Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus

Day 4: Monday, Sep 27- Istanbul to Cappadocia (B/L/D) 
Breakfast a the hotel.

Morning tour of the Grand Bazaar and the Basilica Cistern, constructed in 532 AD.  

Turkish kebab lunch at Hamdi Restaurant followed by a visit to the Egyptian Spice Bazaar

Depart Istanbul on an early evening flight to Cappadocia. 

Transfer to cave hotel upon arrival. 

Settle into your room, which has literally been carved out of the rock, and enjoy a late supper at your hotel.

Overnight Cappadocia Cave Resort

Day 5: Tuesday, Sep 28 - Cappadocia  (B/L/D) 
Early morning optional Hot Air Balloon Flight to see the distinctive landscapes of Cappadocia.

The famous and characteristic feature of the landscape are the conical rock outcrops known as fairy chimneys.  Whole cities were constructed underground as well as hundreds of rock-cut chapels, beautifully frescoed churches and monasteries. 

Breakfast at the hotel.

Visit the Goreme Open Air Museum - the Goreme valley holds the highest concentration of rock-cut chapels and monasteries in Cappadocia.     Drive through Pasabag and Dervent Valleys to the town of Avanos – a center for pottery artisans on the banks of the Red River. 

Enjoy lunch of local flavors at Dimrit Restaurant.

Enjoy optional outdoor activities in the afternoon:  Hiking in Red Valley, a Bike tour around Cavusin or exploring the Underground City inhabited by early Christians in the 6th – 9th Century.

This evening sample local vintages of Turasan wines on the terrace of Elai Restaurant.  Elai Restaurant is tucked away in the quaint streets of Uchisar village and the panoramic views from the terrace are stunning.   Enjoy an elegant meal of Cappadocian flavors this evening.

Overnight Cappadocia Cave Resort

Day 6: Wednesday, Sep 29 - Cappadocia  (B/L/D) 

After breakfast, drive to Ortahisar, a small village famous for storing lemons in underground tufa caves. The ‘Yatak Lemons’ from Ortahisar are sold all around Turkey and are known for having thin skin and being very juicy.   Next, visit the village of Mustafapasa - a perfectly preserved Greek village in the heart of Anatolia.  Eat outdoors on a traditional village-style lunch before continuing onward.     

Next, visit the Zelve Open Air Museum, where three canyons meet in the Valley of Monks, and tour two of the most interesting churches – The Church of Grapes and the Fish Church. 

Enjoy dinner at Somine Restaurant in the center of charming township of Urgup. At Somine you can try the Testi Kebab which is cooked in a sealed clay pot and broken in front of you upon serving.

After dinner you may join us for an optional outing to see the Sema Ritual performed by Whirling Dervishes.  The ritual will be performed in a restored caravanserai, the ancient inn was originally built in during the days of the Silk Road.

Return to your hotel for the night.

Overnight Cappadocia Cave Resort

Day 7: Thursday, Sep 30 Cappadocia to Izmir  (B/D)
After breakfast drive to Kayseri Airport for your flight to Izmir.  Arrive to Izmir around midday and settle into your hotel with lunch on your own. 

Exclusive private evening with cocktails and dinner in the Celsus Library at Ephesus

Arrive at Ephesus and walk up the marble road to the Celsus Library just as the Romans did centuries ago.  Enjoy a welcome cocktail before sitting down to a magical dinner prepared by Chef Roy in a setting that dates back to 117 BC. You will also enjoy classical music performed by a trio from the Aegean Chamber Orchestra during dinner and our photographer will be on-hand to capture images from this wonderful evening.

Overnight Grand Efes Swissotel

Day 8: Friday, Oct 1 Kusadasi (B/L/D)
Start your morning with a visit to amazing Ephesus, famous throughout the ancient world for its Temple of Artemis. Passing through the gates of Ephesus, one of the first monuments we see is Hadrian Temple.  Next you will see the spectacular Terrace Houses (Villas) which are among the most vivid examples of Roman domestic architecture to survive to the present.

Proceed to Celsus Library built by Julius, in his father’s honour. Celsus was the Roman governor of Asia Minor early in the 2nd Century AD. 

The Great Theater, dates back to the Hellenistic period. This is where Paul was known to preach and it still used for classical performances today.  The Marble Road runs between the Library of Celsus and the Great Theater.

The Ephesus Museum will be opened exclusively for your group between 12noon and 1pm,  light refreshments will be served in the courtyard whilst you are viewing the artifacts.

Lunch will be served in the Gullu Konak garden in the charming village of Sirince with ample time for exploring and meeting the local villagers who have a talent of fortune telling, producing lovely handicrafts and making sweet fruit wines.

After lunch visit the Basilica of St John believed to be his final resting place, and then return to your hotel.

Enjoy dinner tonight at a wonderful seafood restaurant called Deniz, located on Izmir’s bustling Kordon. 

Overnight at Grand Efes Swissotel

Day 9: Saturday, Oct 2 Izmir to Istanbul (B)

Fly from Izmir to the Istanbul International Airport to connect with your international flights. Your international departure will be expedited with VIP airport service. 
 

Turkish Delight: The Highlights of Turkey with Privileged Access - Celsus Library: FAQs

Visas:
Most nationalities require tourist visas for Turkey. Europeans, Americans, Canadians and Australians can purchase these on arrival at the airport; other nationalities should check with their local Embassies for latest regulations as some nationalities may require consular visas.  Arriving passengers may obtain a 90-day multiple entry visa at international airports. Reconfirm travel document requirements with carrier before departure. Currently visas for US Citizens are USD$20 per person.

Language:
The national language in Turkey is Turkish. However, tourists will rarely find a problem communicating as English is widely spoken in hotels, tourist areas and shops.

Currency:
As of 1 January 2009 the local currency is officially called Turkish Lira, or ‘TL’, on this date new smaller bank notes were introduced.  Turkish Lira is divided into 100 kurus. As of 1 September 2009, USD$1.00 is worth around 1.5 TL.

*Prior to 1 Jan 2009 the local currency was called New Turkish Lira or ‘YTL’, these larger bank notes will still remain in circulation through 2009, they will be withdrawn on 31 Dec 09.

In Turkey banks are open from Monday to Friday; working hours being 0900 to 1700, though banks at the airports are open 24 hours daily. ATMs are widely accessible; it's perfectly possible to get around Turkey with nothing else but a credit or debit card. *U.S. Dollars are widely accepted in Turkey, and there are many opportunities for exchanging currencies in exchange offices, and many post offices (PTTs), shops and hotels alongside the banks.

Tipping:
It’s customary to tip in Turkey and you may want to think about carrying small bills in your pocket for this purpose. Visitors would normally consider tipping their Tour Guide and Driver.  Tips for hotel staff, waiters in restaurants and all porterage in airports and hotels is always covered by Sea Song Tours.
It is common to leave small tips for restaurant staff. Use the 10% rule for bills up to USD$200; for bills that are more than USD$200, it's acceptable to leave a smaller percentage.

**The recommended guideline for tipping your Tour Guide at the end of your journey is USD $10 per person per day. The recommended guideline for tipping your Driver at the end of your journey is USD $3 per person per day 

Taxes:
Hotels, restaurants, bars and cafes sometimes add 10-15% service charge to the bill.  At most shops, the sticker price includes Value Added Tax (VAT) of 18%.

Telephone Codes:
Country code is 90; Area codes are:
Istanbul          212                                      Kusadasi         256
Cappadocia  384                                       Bodrum           252
Antalya & Kas 242                                     Izmir                232
 

Customs:
The majority of Turkish citizens are Muslim, but there are also Christian and Jewish communities mainly in the cities of Istanbul and Izmir.  The Turkish Republic was founded in 1923 on strong secular principles and for this reason Turkey has a modern and cosmopolitan feel.  Apart from government offices and banks, most businesses and shops are open seven days of the week from 10am until 8/10pm

Photography:
If you are taking photographs of local people, always ask their permission beforehand. Your guide can assist you in this. Do not take photographs of military installations or airports. In most museums there are restrictions on the use of flash photography and the use of tripods – please ask your guide if you are unsure. 

Electricity:
Turkey’s electrical current is 220-240V and sockets take the standard continental European dual round-pronged plug.

Health:
No vaccinations are currently needed for visitors to Turkey. During your stay, it is preferable to drink only bottled water, in hotels it is safe to brush your teeth with tap water. Take care from the sun, which can often feel cooler than it really is due to the cool coastal breezes and lack of humidity. Drink plenty of water during the day.

Recommended Attire:
Please bring comfortable walking shoes, a sunhat and cotton clothing.  It is always a good idea to pack a lightweight jacket or sweater as it can get cool in the evenings.   In Istanbul and the western region of Turkey appropriate daytime clothing is: long shorts, knee-length skirts, cotton trousers, T-shirts and polo’s, short sleeved blouses and sundresses.  For evening meals; jacket and tie is not required, open collared shirts (short or long sleeved) with trousers is suitable attire for men.

Around the pool at your hotel, low necklines, sleeveless shirts, or shorts can be comfortably worn; and at the beach resorts feel free to dress as you would at home.

When visiting mosques you will need to have your shoulders and knees covered.

Weather – Average Temperatures (In Fahrenheit)

                    Istanbul  Cappadocia   Aegean     Mediterranean
Dec – Feb      43               34                   50                   52
Mar - May        56              50                    61                   61
June - Aug      72              68                   79                    90
Sep - Nov        61              54                   59                   72

Dining:
For almost five centuries, the people under Ottoman rule contributed to the sophisticated cuisine that was created in the kitchens of Topkapi Palace.  The territories ranged from the Balkans to North Africa, many of today’s staple dishes originated in Central Asia and were introduced by the Turkish tribes migrating to the west. 

Lamb and eggplant are two very dominant ingredients of Turkish cuisine.  It is worth enquiring about vegetable dishes, as most will have meat as an ingredient or at least as a seasoning. 

Turkey’s national drink is Raki, a clear anise-flavored spirit that turns cloudy when water is added and is drunk with meze and fish.  Turkey also has a thriving wine industry, don’t miss trying the local grape varietals of narince, bogazkere and okuzgozu.  The best vineyards in Turkey are Doluca and Kavaklidere.  Local beers have also improved in both quality and variety in recent years, Efes is the brand to look for.
 

Recommended Restaurants:

HAMDI RESTAURANT Located in Eminonu (0212) 528 03 90
Specializing in Turkish cuisine from Southeast Anatolia , Hamdi is a 20 year old restaurant with wonderful views of Halic Bay and the Galata Bridge. Hamdi is famous for mouth-watering kebabs. Open daily from 11:00 am to midnight. All major credit cards are accepted.

ZEYREKHANE  Located in Fatih (0212) 532 27 78/ 635 04 06
Both a restaurant and a café located in a former Byzantine Monastery, and part of a UNESCO Heritage site.   Daily menu includes appetizers, salads, sandwiches, delicious meals and desserts. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 am to midnight. Credit cards accepted.

DOGA BALIK Located in Cihangir (0212) 293 91 44
Is considered one of the better seafood restaurants in the city and has a steady local clientele from the surrounding bohemian neighborhoods of Cihangir and Cukurcuma.  Ordering is fun as there is no menu, fresh fish is bought daily and homemade meze are on display for you to choose.  All major credit cards are accepted.

TUGRA RESTAURANT Ciragan Palace Kempsinski Hotel (0212) 326 46 46.
Located in the breathtaking Ciragan Palace with a spectacular view of the Bosphorus. The Tugra Restaurant serves Ottoman cuisine in an elegant atmosphere.  Open daily from 7:00pm to 11:00pm. All major credit cards are accepted.

MIKLA Located in Tepebasi (0212) 293 56 56
Located on the top two floors of the Marmara Pera Hotel, one of Istanbul’s most exclusive dining experiences.  On the menu is a mix of Turkish and Nordic cuisine.  The owner, Mehmet Gurs, is Turkey’s most famous chef.  The bar at Mikla is the perfect spot for cocktails with great views over the city.  Open Mon to Sat from 7:00pm to 2:00am for dinner.  MasterCard and Visa are accepted. 

CARNE Located in Harbiye (0212) 241 8585
Carne is a ‘kosher’ restaurant with sophisticated décor and an emphasis on Mediterranean cuisine along with such specialties as falafel and traditional Jewish kofte.  Reservations are advised.  Credit cards accepted.  Closed all day on Friday and for lunch on Saturday.

ORIENT CAFÉ Located in Nurosmaniye (0212) 512 3075
Located on Nurosmaniye in the heart of the old city.  It is a perfect lunch spot situated outside the Grand Bazaar.  Orient serves breakfast, salads, sandwiches, light meals, desserts and variety of coffee beverages.  You can also enjoy a glass of wine or beer.  The café’s décor is in modern Italian design and is warm and comfortable.  Open everyday.  All major credit cards are accepted.

BRASSERIE NISANTASI Located in Nisantasi (0212) 343 0443
This café, bar and restaurant includes selections from French cuisine with a ‘tea-time’ menu and wonderful beautiful breakfast offerings.  It’s quite popular and always very crowded and trendy. Open everyday.  All major credit cards are accepted.
 

Recommended Reading

Birds without Wings by Louis de Bernieres
With a village in southwest Turkey as a microcosm, de Bernieres (Corelli's Mandolin, 1995) offers an impressive view of this region during the early twentieth century, a tumultuous period marking the end of the Ottoman Empire and the birth of the Turkish republic. World events intervene in village life, conscripting the men, removing the Armenians, and finally relocating people solely on the basis of religion, tearing apart communities as Christians are sent to Greece and Muslims to Turkey. The true story of Mustafa Kemal, military genius and Turkey's first president, is interwoven with intimate stories, creating a wonderfully rich and timely epic.

Istanbul:  Memories and the City by Orhan Pamuk
Turkish novelist Pamuk (Snow) presents a breathtaking portrait of a city, an elegy for a dead civilization and a meditation on life's complicated intimacies. The author, born in 1952 into a rapidly fading bourgeois family in Istanbul, spins a masterful tale, moving from his fractured extended family, all living in a communal apartment building, out into the city and encompassing the entire Ottoman Empire. Throughout, Pamuk details the breakdown of his family: elders die, his parents fight and grow apart, and he must find his way in the world. This is a powerful, sometimes disturbing literary journey through the soul of a great city told by one of its great writers.

Lord of the Horizons by Jason Goodwin
Perhaps the most readable history ever written on anything, Jason Goodwin’s Lord of the Horizons (1998) brilliantly recounts the rise of the house of Osman from a “dusty beylik in the foothills of Anatolia” at the “crumbling ledge of Byzantine power”, to a vast Ottoman Empire spanning three continents and many seas.  Goodwin’s book reads like a whirlwind tour through the Grand Bazaar of Ottoman history, with revelations at every stop and treasure glittering from behind every corner.

Constantinople: City of the World’s Desire by Philip Mansel
For more on the city itself Philip Mansel’s Constantinople: City of the World’s Desire(1995) charts the glorious history of Istanbul under Ottoman rule. It is also the story of the royal dynasty’s “love affair” with the city, which began well before the 1453 conquest and continued until the empire’s collapse.

Crescent and Star:  Turkey between Two Worlds by Stephen Kinzer
Crescent and Star (2001), by Stephen Kinzer, is the best primer on modern Turkey available in English. The culmination of four years spent as Istanbul bureau chief for The New York Times, it is an often–frustrated but always-hopeful analysis of Turkey’s past, present and future by someone who came to know, and love, the Turkish people to whom he dedicated his work.

Gardens of Water by Alan Drew
Gardens of Water (2008) Alan Drew’s new novel depicts a Kurdish family of migrants living at the margins of Istanbul society in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake of 1999. Though the family’s fate is intertwined with a group of American missionaries who descend on the wreckage of their town, the story is told from the eyes of Sinan, his wife and their two children. Drew depicts his flawed families with great respect and tenderness. The book carefully explores the conflicts of nationality and ethnicity that drove them from their homes. Uniquely, it takes seriously the religious faith – however tested and exploited- of the principle characters, and honestly depicts both the first flush of love and the iron demands of honour. 

Harem by Barbara Nadel
For those who would like to have their summer reads as light crime fiction novels, Barbara Nadel’s Harem (2003), the fifth in a series of ten crime novels starring Inspector Çetin İkmen, is the real deal. It is a lurid tale of murder, blackmail, and high-class prostitution, set in the modern-day backstreets of Beyazıt and the city’s ancient halls of power. Nadel’s fallen film idols, stolid generals and Azeri mobsters are all three-dimensional as Karagöz shadow puppets, but in her good guys she presents a kind of touchingly simplistic dream of Istanbul ecumenism: Turks and Armenians work side-by-side to rid the streets of crime, and love blossoms between Turks and Americans, Irish and Jews. 
 
Ottoman-era The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin
Goodwin teases modern readers with ancient shadows of Turkey’s modern history in this historically-literate mystery. Though sometimes the novel’s expository sections feel like pages out of his non-fiction work, the liberties the novel gives him yield wonderful and amusing results: the image of the streets of Eminönü and Tahtakale full of quiet, industrious workmen, indifferent to potential customers, in an age when prices were fixed by craft guilds and haggling unheard of.

Portrait of a Turkish Family by Irfan Orga
Irfan Orga’s Portrait of a Turkish Family (1950) is the intimate account of the unravelling of a bourgeois family living in a mansion on Istanbul’s Marmara shore amidst the trauma of World War I and the Ottoman Empire’s dissolution. The early chapters detail the rich procession of ceremonies – trips to the hamam, circumcisions, summering in Sarıyer at the north end of the Bosphorus – that marked the stages of early twentieth-century Ottoman life. But with the coming of the war the Orga family fortunes, like those of the country as a whole, go into freefall and Orga describes in harrowing detail the crushing poverty that besets them. For Turkey, World War I was the loss of an empire but the making of a nation. It is a story steeped in melancholy, “an autobiography of tears and goodbyes,” but indispensable for a ground’s eye view of life in the years surrounding Turkey’s rebirth.

A Fez of the Heart: Travels around Turkey in search of a Hat
by Jeremy Seal
A dusty fez in his parents' attic sent Seal off on a journey to trace its history. His discoveries in modern Turkey will be welcomed by any armchair traveller who seeks a lively account of the culture and peoples of the region. A Fez Of The Heart will prove a fun and enlightening read.

Mehmet, My Hawk by Yaşar Kemal
Mehmet, My Hawk (1961), is a tale of high adventure set in the hard-bitten lands of Turkey’s rural southeast in the early days of the Republic. The power of Kemal’s writing is such that the story – a young boy’s just rebellion in the name of love, and the acts of courage that mould him into man - is at once both universal and place-specific. Mehmet springs from his creator’s head fully-grown as myth and legend, and the promised land that all the characters dream of, the fertile Çukurova plain, resounds like Steinbeck’s California for the Joad Family. It is a beautiful book, rich in description of Turkey and a must-read from a Turkish literary giant.