Legendary Türkiye

May 2–May 16, 2025

Tour Operator: Odysseys Unlimited

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Easy: Minimal walking is required. Typically, involves cruising by ship. Suitable for travelers with limited mobility. Optional excursions may require a higher activity level.

Moderate: Moderate amount of walking required. Typically, two to three miles a day, often uphill, on uneven terrain and/or with multiple stairs. Requires the ability to board a ship and motor coach without assistance.

Active: Extensive walking required. Typically, three or more miles a day, often uphill, on uneven terrain, and/or with multiple stairs. May include optional activities such as biking, kayaking, or hiking and included destinations with high altitudes. Excellent health is required to take full advantage of the tour's inclusions.

Highly Active: Extensive walking and intense daily physical activity required. Appropriate for people who lead very active lives. Trip activities will be at a higher intensity and a more vigorous pace and may include activities such as biking, hiking at high altitudes and for long distances, white water rafting, and kayaking. A pre-trip physical training program is highly recommended and strongly encouraged.

To fully enjoy your tour experience, it is important to be in good health regardless of the tour's activity level. Please use your best discretion when deciding which group tour is right for you as your ability will have an impact on other participants. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the UW Alumni Tours office.

Activity Level: Moderate

Use the button above to download the trip brochure with pricing. To learn more about this tour or to book, please call Odysseys Unlimited at 1-888-370-6765.

Unforgettable sights, scents, and sounds reign in this fascinating land where Europe and Asia meet. From Istanbul, magnificent “Empress of the World,” to ancient ruins, stunning landscapes, and the dramatic – and legendary – Turquoise Coast, Türkiye is utterly engaging, offering us an unparalleled small group experience.

Highlights

• UW international studies professor Reşat Kasaba will add his knowledge and expertise as tour host.
• Alluring Istanbul, including Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia
• WWI battlefield of Gallipoli
• Ruins at ancient Troy, Pergamum, Ephesus
• Rustic village of Sirince
• Day cruise aboard privately chartered yacht with an opportunity to swim and snorkel
• Ancient sites of Perge and Phaselis
• Antalya’s acclaimed Archaeological Museum

UW Faculty Tour Host

Celebrated UW professor Reşat Kasaba joins this small group tour to add critical knowledge and context to what you are experiencing.

Reşat Kasaba is Professor at the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington. His main area of research is the Ottoman Empire, Türkiye and the Modern Middle East. He has written on economic history, state-society relations, migration, ethnicity and nationalism, and urban history. Most recently, he edited volume four of “The Cambridge History of Modern Turkey” and wrote “A Moveable Empire: Ottoman Empire, Migrants, and Refugees.” Kasaba has received grants from the Carnegie Corporation, Andrew Mellon Foundation, Social Science Research Council, and the National Science Foundation. In 1999, he was the recipient of the University of Washington’s Distinguished Teaching Award. Kasaba served as the Director of the Jackson School from 2010 to 2020 .

Reşat Kasaba was born in Türkiye and completed his early education in that country. He received his B.S. in Economics and Statistics from the Middle East Technical University in Ankara (1977), and his Masters and Ph.D. in Sociology from the State University of New York at Binghamton, in 1979 and 1985 respectively.

Activity Detials

• Walk 2-4 miles per day, often on uneven terrain, especially at archaeological sites and on marble surfaces that can be slippery
• Many stairs of varying heights throughout tour
• Embarkation/disembarkation from multiple boats
• Cappadocia & Konya Post-Tour Extension: Uneven terrain in Cappadocia; Hotel Yunak Evleri does not have an elevator with access to each floor

Optional Post-Tour Extension

Spend five days and four nights in Cappadocia & Konya.

Program Itinerary is subject to change. See final brochure for complete details.

Cost Details

Please see tour brochure for details.

Note: The original tour date of April 29-May 13, 2025 was shifted to May 2-16, 2025 to avoid traffic congestion on May 1, a traditional day for labor demonstrations. Our website has been updated but printed materials may continue to show the previous date.

Your safety is our top priority! See Odysseys Unlimited’s safety and health protocols.

Please consider purchasing travel insurance to protect your trip. Learn more.