Wine and Dine Tour

The first leg of our trip commences in Istanbul, where we’ll be partaking in the culinary specialties of the Byzantine and Ottoman cultures. Our itinerary of historical sight-seeing will be a flexible one, with greater emphasis on enjoying good food at some of Istanbul’s most famous restaurants. The menus we sample over lunch and dinner in the days to come, will boast of cuisine fit for sultans, prepared in the age-old traditions of the Ottoman kitchen. While the local wines on offer, are made from grapes cultivated in the region since the Byzantines, and described in Homer’s Iliad.

Sightseeing will commence at a leasurely pace from the second day, and will include Byzantine monuments like the Church of Pammacharistos (Fethiye Mosque); the Acqueducts of Valens; the Church of Saint Saviour in Chora; the Saint Sophia Museum; and the Underground Cistern. On the third day, we’ll discover Ottoman Istanbul, with unmissable landmarks like the Sokullu Mehmet Pasa and Suleymaniye mosques; The Topkapi Palace; and the Grand and Space Bazaars. Our stay in Istanbul will conclude with a traditional dinner at the Armenian district of Kumkapi. And experience which boasts not only of Turkish – Armenian culinary specialties, but traditional Anatolian music as well.

A one hour domestic flight will get us to Capadocia where wine production spread during the Hittite civilisation. Upon arrival, we’ll delve straight into the wine-tasting straight after checking into our hotel. The itinerary for every day of our stay in Capadocia will involve a visit to the various wineries. Our route will extend from Northern Capadocia to the Southern areas of Tursan and Kocabag. As we sample the local food and drink on offer, we’ll also make time for those must-see cultural/historical landmarks. These will include the Keslik rock monastery; Pancarlik Valley; and the Unesco World Heritage sites of Goreme and Zelve Open Air Museum. And of course, no trip to Capadocia is complete without a breath taking balloon ride over this magical landscape at sunrise.

On the 8th day of our trip, we’ll hit the road bright and early with a private transfer vehicle to Kalkan. This will be a full day’s drive, so you’ll be wanting to unwind by the pool as soon as we check you into your chosen, sea-side property upon arrival. Our local team will stop by to welcome and brief you on the area. They’ll also give you a heads up about the plethora of local excursions on offer (here a link to go to the excursions page). The week in Kalkan will be a languid one, which you can tailor and enjoy according to your interests and pace. We do have one day tour scheduled to Elmali, where we’ll be visiting a local winery to sample 4 of the most appreciated wines of the region.

When: The Wine and Dine tour can be operated throughout the year and there is no minimum participation required. Our fully flexible itinerary can be extended or altered to suit guests needs.

Accommodation: For the Istanbul and Capadocia portions of the trip, options range from 4 star or boutique hotels to deluxe/luxury accommodation where available. In Kalkan we offer a range of apartments and villas for weekly rental, to suit all budgets.

For detailed information and quotations, please email us.

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