The jewels of the Aegean

Travel with peace of mind as PONANT organises your transfer between your port of disembarkation and the airport.

Athens

After disembarkation procedures are completed, you will be greeted at the port by our local English-speaking representative.

You will be taken by coach for an exploration of one of the oldest cities in Europe, Athens.

You will enjoy a panoramic sightseeing tour of the city. You will make your first stop at the Panathenaic Stadium, a 19th-century reconstruction on Roman foundations, in which the first modern Olympic Games took place. This stadium is also known as the Kallimármaro which means “the beautiful marbled”, because it is the only major stadium in the world built entirely of white marble. It was also restored to host some competitions during the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

You will arrive at the Acropolis Museum, which was opened in June 2009. The architecture of the whole venue has been designed to emulate the cult of the Temple of Athena. At the foot of the sacred hill, the building’s rear facade of concrete and glass seems to billow out with the weight of its history, and it is from here that you will have your first view of the Parthenon. The museum provides a magnificent setting for the treasures discovered on the hill. The first gallery houses the findings of the archaeological site of the Acropolis of Athens and the glass floor provides a view of the archaeological excavations, giving you the impression of being in the very heart of these ancient ruins.

At the end of the morning, you will be taken to the Plaka Old District located at the bottom of the Acropolis, in the historic heart of Athens. You will have some free time (about 45 minutes or more depending on your flight return) to explore on foot Plaka’s pedestrian shopping streets where you will find jewellery stores, souvenir shops, cafes and restaurants.

You will then be transferred to the airport in time for check-in for the PONANT selected flight.

Your programme includes:

·        Transfers, visits and entrance fees as mentioned in the programme.

·        Services of a local English-speaking guide.

Your programme does not include:

·        Lunch.

·        Tips for the guide and the driver.

·        Personal expenses

·        Other services not mentioned in the programme.

Duration and order of the visits may vary. To know your PONANT flight schedule, please contact your travel agent; it is also indicated on your electronic ticket included in your travel documents.

In the event of schedule changes of PONANT’s selected flight, your programme will be adapted to ensure the most seamless and enriching experience. The content of your revised programme will be updated on the PONANT website, in My Ponant space and on the PONANT app. The final programme will also be sent to you along with your cruise documents.

Enhance your cruise and extend your trip with a carefully designed programme.

Day 1 - Antalya

Meet at Antalya Airport in the Arrival hall. Look for PONANT sign. You will be greeted by our local representative off the flight selected by PONANT or any other flight (provided that you have previously communicated your flight schedule to your travel agent).

You will be transferred to the hotel Ramada Plaza Antalya 5*.

Check-in.

Rest of the day and dinner are at leisure.

Overnight at the hotel.

Day 2 - Antalya

After breakfast and check-out, you will reach the Aspendos, located at about 1-hour at drive from Antalya. It was a major port city in the Roman period. Its Roman theatre is the best-preserved of any on the Mediterranean coast.

The theatre was built in the 2nd century AD during the reign of Marcus Aurelius and dedicated to "the gods of country and the imperial house" and holds over 20,000 souls. Today, an international Opera and Ballet Festival is organised in the theatre.

After a 30-minute drive, you will continue with the visit of Perge, capital of ancient Pamphylia. Its fantastic ruins date back to around 1000 BC. Walk around a stadium that once housed performances and gladiatorial bouts in front of a roaring crowd of 12,000 spectators, one of the best-preserved stadiums in Anatolia. Walk through the Roman Gate, which was the entrance to the city, into the Baths Complex, and around the Hellenistic Gateway and walls, which are the only pre-Roman structures as yet unearthed.

Then, you will reach Antalya Old City where the lunch will be served at a local restaurant.

After lunch, you will enjoy a short walking guided in Antalya's old city.

You will then be transferred to the pier of Antalya to embark on board your ship.

Your hotel:

Surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea and Bey Mountains, the hotel Ramada Plaza Antalya 5* is a few steps away from the historical old city Kaleiçi. Displaying a contemporary architecture, the resort offers a peaceful atmosphere inspired by the Mediterranean Sea. Each room features complete and modern amenities. It's the perfect place to enjoy pleasant break relaxing by the swimming pool and testing one of the restaurants.

Upgraded rooms are also available depending on availability and on a supplement basis. Contact your travel professional for further details.

Your programme includes:

·        1-night accommodation in Standard room at the hotel Ramada Plaza Antalya 5* (local standard) or similar, breakfast included.

·        Meals as mentioned in the programme.

·        Beverage package during meals (bottled water + 1 soft drink or 1 glass of wine or 1 local beer and 1 coffee or tea).

·        Transfers, visits and entrance fees as mentioned in the programme.

·        The services of a local English-speaking guide.

Your programme does not include:

·        Dinner on day 1.

·        Personal expenses.

·        Visa if necessary.

·        Tips for the driver and local guide.

·        Other services not mentioned in the programme.

Please note:

·        It is imperative that the details of your departure flight are provided to your travel agent, no later than 30 days before the start date of your cruise, to secure the proper private transfer.

·        Turkey's unit is the Turkish Lira.

·        This programme is not suitable for people with reduced mobility.

Contact of your hotel:

Ramada Plaza Antalya
Gençlik Mah. Fevzi Çakmak mah. No:22
Antalya/Turkey
Telephone number: (90) 242 249 11 12

Duration and order of the visits may vary. To know your PONANT flight schedule, please contact your travel agent; it is also indicated on your electronic ticket included in your travel documents.

Enhance your cruise and extend your trip with a carefully designed programme.

Enjoy a few days discovering Cappadocia’s unique scenery in the heart of Turkey. The exceptional landscapes, as beautiful as they are mystical, will fascinate you, as will the history of this striking region. From fairy chimney rock formations to cave dwellings and underground cities, embark on a journey where shimmering colours mingle with the aromas and magic of the Orient.

Day 1 – Kayseri / Uçhisar

Meet at Kayseri airport in the Arrival hall. Look for PONANT sign. You will be greeted by our local representative off the flight selected by PONANT or any other flight (provided that you have previously communicated your flight schedule to your travel agent).

You will be transferred to the Argos In Cappadocia Hotel 4*.

Check-in.

Rest of the day and dinner are at leisure.

Overnight at the hotel.

Day 2 – Cappadocia

Optional activity - Hot-air balloon ride in Cappadocia

Very early in the morning (weather permitting), you will set off for a hot-air balloon ride to the heart of unique landscapes. The sunrise will take on another dimension.

Dawn is the best time to enjoy this unique experience, as the cooler, calmer air ensures peaceful and stable flights, as well as soft landings. Another advantage is that the superb colours and contrasts at daybreak provide ideal conditions for taking beautiful photos.

The excellent flying conditions allow the hot air-balloons to gently drift over spectacular and surreal landscapes featuring fairy chimneys, dovecotes hewn into the unique rock formations, orchards and vineyards, and impressive valleys.

The flight time will be around 45 minutes (subject to weather conditions and approval from local authorities).
The duration of your flight is around 45 minutes.

After your flight, you will return to your hotel to freshen up and breakfast.

You will visit Pasabag, boasting the most striking fairy chimneys in Cappadocia, crowned with double and sometimes even triple rock caps. Even for this region, these formations are truly unique! The locals call them mushroom-shaped fairy chimneys. As you wander around Pasabag, you will see many vineyards.

After lunch, your discovery tour will continue with the Zelve Open-Air Museum, south of Avanos. It encompasses three valleys home to a multitude of crumbling cave dwellings, painted and carved churches, wine-making rooms and wheat grinding mills. Right at the back of the third valley are the deepest and most intact cave dwellings, with many details indicating what life must have been like here a thousand years ago.

Next, in Avanos, the capital of Turkish pottery, a workshop will teach you more about this wonderful local handicraft inherited from the Hittite period.

To wrap up this day spent amid fairy chimneys and Byzantine vestiges, you will stop for a wine tasting at a local vineyard with some of the oldest perched vines in the world. There, you will be able to taste fruity wines made from local grapes.

Back to your hotel.

Dinner in a local restaurant.

Overnight at the hotel.

Day 3 – Cappadocia

Breakfast at the hotel.

Your day will then be spent discovering this unique and colourful natural environment through some of the most well-known sites in the region (a ten to twenty-minute transfer between each visit).

On the road between Uchisar and Goreme, you will start by visiting Pigeon Valley. A short walk will enable you to discover the dovecote tradition in Cappadocia. The locals carve them out of the tuff formations called “fairy chimneys”.

Lunch will be served in a local restaurant.

After a short transfer (approximately ten minutes), you will reach the Goreme Open-Air Museum, the most visited site of the monastic communities in Cappadocia, and one of the most famous sites in the centre of Turkey.

It is a complex comprising more than 30 churches and chapels carved out of rock and containing superb frescoes dating from the 9th century to the 11th. While the exterior seems relatively unremarkable, the interiors are designed in a typical Byzantine style, with a central dome and a floor plan in the shape of a cross or a rectangle. The largest and most well-preserved church in Goreme is Tokali Kilise. Its interior walls are covered in some of the most beautiful frescoes in the region, depicting scenes from the New Testament.

In the early evening, you will be attending a whirling dervish ceremony called “semah”. During this ritual dance, accompanied by Sufi music and symbolising a prayer and divine communion, the Mevlevi Order disciples spin around in a trance-like state.

Dinner at the hotel and overnight.

Day 4 - Cappadocia / Konya

Breakfast at the hotel.

You will head to Kaymakli to visit the UNESCO-listed, largest underground city in the region. Between the 6th and 10th centuries, the city was carved out of volcanic rock, up to a depth of more than 90 metres (295 feet). It is possible to go as deep as eight levels down through an intricate labyrinth of tunnels.

Lunch will be served in a local restaurant.

After lunch, you will reach Mustafapasa (Sinasos). Located 5 km (3 miles) south of Urgup, it is one of the most beautiful villages in Cappadocia. The town is famous for its Greek architecture. Greeks and Karamanlides (Turkish-speaking Christians) make up the majority of the population. The rest are Muslim Turks. Its sculpted wooden doors and facade decorations are very typical.

You will then stop at the Sultan Han Caravanserai. This roadside inn built in the 13th century afforded caravaners a place to rest and recover from the day's journey. Caravanserais, or hans in Turkish, supported the flow of commerce across a network of trade routes connecting Asia, North Africa and South-Eastern Europe. The Sultanhani han is one of the most well-preserved along the Silk Road  linking Konya to Persia.

You will then be taken to your hotel in Konya.

Check-in in your room.

Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

Day 5 - Konya/Antalya

Breakfast at the hotel and check-out.

Konya, located at an altitude of 1,000 metres (3,281 feet), is a holy city, the cradle of Sufism and the former capital of the Seljuk Empire.  It is there that, in the 13th century, the mystic poet Jalal al-Din Rumi – also called “Mevlana”, meaning ‘erudite’ – founded the Mevlevi Order, also known as the “whirling dervishes”. Today, the city boasts prestigious religious monuments that attract a great many pilgrims, but it is also a significantly urbanised modern metropolis.

You will be taken for a four-and-a-half-hour drive to Antalya (with stops), where you will lunch in a local restaurant.

You will then be transferred to the pier for your embarkation.

Your hotels:

The 4* Argos In Cappadocia Hotel is a former monastery in the village of Uchisar, now turned boutique hotel. Its interior reflects the cave-dwelling tradition yet offers every modern-day comfort. The hotel has been beautifully renovated by integrating the new structures into the heart of the vestiges with the utmost respect for the environment. Guests come here to press pause and take a break from the frantic pace of the modern world. Each room is unique and offers a private space. They are carved right out of the rock, celebrating the region’s cave-dwelling tradition. Lush gardens and sun-drenched terraces reveal picturesque panoramic views.

Upgraded rooms are also available depending on availability and on a supplement basis. Contact your travel professional for further detail.

Your programme includes:

·        3-night accommodation in Suite rooms at l’hôtel Argos In Cappadocia 4*, (local standard) or similar, breakfast included.

·        1-night accommodation in an hotel in Konya, breakfast included.

·        Meals as mentioned in the programme.

·        Beverage package during meals (bottled water + 1 soft drink or 1 local beer or 1 glass of wine and 1 coffee or tea). Excepted for meals in Konya, no alcoholic beverages available around the Mevlana Museum Complex.

·        Transfers, visits, and entrance fees as mentioned in the programme.

·        The services of a local English-speaking guide and a local French-speaking guide during visits.

Your programme does not include:

·        The optional activity : 45-minutes hot air balloon flight.

·        Personal expenses.

·        Lunch and dinner on Day 1

·        Visa if necessary.

·        Tips for the driver and local guide.

·        Other services not mentioned in the programme.

·        Early check-in and late check-out.

Please note:

·        It is imperative that the details of your arrival flight are provided to your travel agent, no later than 30 days before the start date of your cruise, to secure the proper private transfer.
Turkey’s unit is the Turkish Lira.

·        The distance between Cappadocia and Antalya is about 540 km (335 miles) and takes about 8 hours to cover by road. Since no domestic flights are possible on the itinerary dates, the package includes an overnight stay in Konya to make your trip more enjoyable.

·        Konya is a holy city and its region is one of the most conservative in Turkey. The traditional local restaurants, particularly those located near religious sites, do not sell alcoholic beverages. It is possible to order alcoholic beverages in the bars and restaurants of certain international hotels.

·        For the Mevlana Museum visit, clothing must cover the shoulders and legs. Women must cover their head, so a scarf is recommended.

·        Kaymakli Underground City: this visit is not recommended for anyone suffering from claustrophobia, respiratory problems, or who has difficulties walking. The passageways are very narrow and low, requiring visitors to hunch over (but not crawl). There is adequate light. Good walking shoes are recommended.

·        The hot-air balloon ride is subject to weather conditions. It may be postponed to the following day. In the event of a cancellation, the activity will be reimbursed.

·        The hot-air balloon ride requires the ability to stand in the basket for the duration of the flight (approximately one hour) and to crouch down with bended knees during the entire landing. The maximum weight for taking part in this activity is 90-100 kg. This activity is not recommended for anyone with respiratory problems.

·        Official in-room check-in time at 3:00 p.m.

·        Official time of check-out from the room at 12:00 p.m.

·        This programme is not suitable for people with reduced mobility.

Contact of your hotels:

Argos Cappadocia
Uchisar-Nevsehir
TURKEY
Telephone number: (90) 384 219 31 30.

Duration and order of the visits may vary. To know your PONANT flight schedule, please contact your travel agent; it is also indicated on your electronic ticket included in your travel documents.