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Cascade-Affiliated International Tours
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Aegean to Mediterranean Bike Tour |
| Dates: |
First tour:
Sept. 23 - Oct. 4, 2012
7/13/2012 update: 2 spots added
Second tour:
Oct. 7 - 18, 2012 (sold out)
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| Pace & Distance |
30 km (19 mi) - 80 km (50 mi). Some quite hilly sections; suitable for fit riders. |
| Group size: |
8 minimum, 12 maximum |
| Cost: |
$1,950 USD/CAD (US rates subject to change if exchange rate fluctuates more than 5%), based on double occupancy. Single supplement: $300 USD/CAD.
See pricing details |
| Itinerary: |
12 days, 11 nights - Starting in Selcuk (nearest airport - Izmir) - Guzelcamli - Didim - Guvercinlik - Bodrum - Cokertme - Akyaka.
View detailed itinerary below
 Download a printable PDF of the itinerary
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| Tour company: |
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 The Aegean to Mediterranean Bike Tour (AMBT) will explore the west coast of Turkey, an area infused with antiquities, Turkish and Greek culture, and seaside parks and resorts. Enjoy the friendly Turkish people, see carpets being made, and visit local markets, while cycling along paved back roads, through tiny villages, and beside farmer's fields.
The Turks grow all their own food, so you will enjoy freshly prepared local meats, cheeses, produce, breads and of course, olives.
We use small boutique hotels where available and cycle almost entirely on roughly paved back roads.
Our tour will includes visits to famous antiquities sites such as Ephesus, Priene, Temple of Apollo, Bodrum Castle and others. In addition, the AMBT will introduce participants to modern historical sites, local markets, Turkish Steam Baths, Turkish carpets and other aspects of the Turkish culture. Our return trip incorporates a stop at the World Heritage site of Pamukkale.
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AEGEAN TO MEDITERRANEAN TOUR
Detailed Itinerary
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PRE-TOUR AND DAY ONE
Selcuk
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Saturday and Sunday are meant to give you time for airport transfers (additional cost) and bike assembly.
We have several suggestions for local sightseeing if any of the participants choose to arrive a day or two early. We will be happy to make the hotel arrangements for the additional nights.
The start of the tour is in Selcuk, an ancient town steeped in history and with many sights to see within walking distance. In addition to historical sites, the Saturday market is worth a visit, as is the carpet making workshop, plus the local beach, etc.
Our tour starts on Sunday evening with dinner (included) on the rooftop of our boutique hotel. We will have a meeting where we will introduce all the staff and participants, collect medical insurance information from all the participants, hand out routes, maps and information on the areas we will be visiting.
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DAY TWO
Selcuk to Ephesus
approximately 16 km (10 mi)
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After breakfast (all breakfasts are in the hotels where we are staying), we will start the day with a “shake-down” ride to Sirince, a local Greek village in the nearby hills. Although short, approximately 16 km, the route is challenging and will give participants an idea of the kind of terrain they will encounter and the roads surfaces they will be riding on. Sirince is a very attractive village and has an extensive market. It is famous for its fruit wines. For those who prefer a more leisurely start, their shake-down ride can be a flat, 8 km ride to the local beach.
After lunch in Selcuk, we will have a guided tour of Ephesus, one of the great cities of Asia Minor and a sacred site for Christians due to its association with St Paul, St John and the Virigin Mary. The amphitheatre at Ephesus is still in use. During this time, if any adjustments need to be made to the bikes, our mechanic will do this while the group is touring Ephesus.
For those who want the experience, we will visit the local Turkish Bath (extra fee) to scrub away the dust and fatigue of our visit to Ephesus. Our dinner will be at a local hotel. Prior to dinner, we will listen to a history of Turkish carpet making, examine carpets from different villages, plus ceramics and other authentic Turkish handicrafts.
Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, Guided tour of Ephesus
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DAY THREE
Selcuk to Guzelcami
approximately 50 km (31 mi)
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On our full day of cycling we will start off on highway before turning off onto back roads. Right at the turn off, will visit a train museum, a sample of Turkish modern history before continuing on back roads to our lunch in small village. We continue on minor roads until we reach Guzelcamli where we will stay the night in a private hotel. We will have dinner at the hotel.
Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, Entry fee to Train Museum
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DAY FOUR
Dilek Peninsula
approximately 30 km (19 mi)
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This area, locally known as Milli park is a national park. We will have a day of exploring the park, picnicking on the beach and depending on how the group feels, we may include a short hike. We will once again have dinner in our small, family owned hotel.
Included: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch & Dinner, Park Entry
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DAY FIVE
Guzelcamli to Didim
approximately 76 km (47 mi)
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There is plenty to see along today’s route . We have a planned stop at Priene just before lunch. This ancient site is peaceful and features a number of unique side streets and structures.
Lunch will be in a local restaurant before we carry on to Miletus. A visit to Miletus is optional. From Miletus, we continue on quiet roads into Didim where we will visit the Temple of Apollo before settling into our hotel. Dinner will be in a local restaurant.
Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, Entry to Priene and Temple of Apollo
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DAY SIX
Didim to Guvercinlik
approximately 80 km (50 mi)
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This day is a full day of cycling with no stops to view antiquities. We have 3 significant climbs through forested areas and along the coastline before reaching our lunch spot in a small fishing village.
After lunch we continue on quiet roads before joining the main highway on the Bodrum Peninsula which will take us to our overnight stop in Guvercinlik. We will have dinner in the hotel.
Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
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DAY SEVEN
Guvercinlik to Bodrum
approximately 70 km (43 mi)
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We will travel north of the highway and explore the Bodrum peninsula on pleasant, quiet and hilly back roads.. We will lunch in a local village before heading into Bodrum.
Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
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DAY EIGHT
Bodrum - Rest day
(optional 30 km morning ride)
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Bodrum is the hub of the Aegean coast and it successfully combines traditional Turkish life and the hustle and bustle of a modern tourist centre. It is considered second only to Istanbul for its nightlife, and handicrafts, such as Meerschaum pipes, and carpets.
We will plan an optional morning bike ride out of Bodrum and along the coast. There are spectacular views on this coastline of both the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas. We will re-group for lunch on the water front.
Participants will be encouraged to use the afternoon to visit the Castle of St. Peter which dates back to the 11th century and is one of the few Christian castles remaining in Turkey. There is also an amphitheatre from the 3rd Century BC and other antiquities to visit for those who do not want to shop or hang-out along the waterfront in one of the many outdoor cafes.
Dinner will be in a local restaurant.
Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner , Entry to Bodrum Castle
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DAY NINE
Bodrum to Cokertme
approximately 50 km (31 mi)
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Leaving the city, we will once again be cycling on very scenic and quiet back roads, exploring more of the Bodrum Peninsula, this time on the south side of the highway . Many of the villages along this route cater to the water trade and as such, traffic is minimal.
Included: Breakfast, Picnic lunch & Dinner
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DAY TEN
Cokertme to Akyaka
approximately 65 km (40 mi)
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Following the coastal road, we will make our way to our final destination of Akyaka. The roads we will follow will provide scenic views of the Mediterranean and we will once again pass through many small villages and lots of farmland.
Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
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DAY ELEVEN
Akyaka morning trip
approximately 50 km (31 mi)
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We will leave this day somewhat flexible. In the morning, participants will have the option of visiting the Akyaka market, or riding to a local waterfall/swimming hole on more scenic back roads.
Depending on the group, we may hire a boat to take us along the river and/or to a local beach area in the afternoon. The rest of the day will be spent packaging up bikes in preparation for our last day.
Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, River Boat Trip (if taken)
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DAY TWELVE
Bus trip to Izmir airport
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We will leave early in order to visit the World Heritage Site of Pamukkale. Pamukkale means cotton castle and it gets its name from the travertines and terraces of carbonate minerals left by waters from hot springs flowing over the hillside.
At the top of the hill are the ancient ruins of the City of Hierapolis. Pamukkale is one of Turkey’s top attractions for its extraordinary look and its ancient history.
The bus will bring participants back to Izmir Airport (approximately 400 km).
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Return Bus Trip, Guided tour of Pamukkale
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THE FINE PRINT
Pricing
$1950.00 USD/CAD. TourTK reserves the right to alter the US price on all fees if the exchange rate fluctuates by more than 5%. For those paying by credit card, the charge will be processed in Canadian funds and your financial institution will make the conversion (depending on the financial institution, there may be additional fees applied by them).
There is a single supplement fee of $300 USD/CAD. Our policy on single supplements is if you are willing to share and we do not find a room-mate for you, you will not be charged. If a participant decides during the tour, they would prefer a single room, the single supplement charge will apply and pro-rated based on the number of days remaining in the tour.
The registration fee is payable in 3 instalments: $500 USD/CAD to secure a spot, $1000 USD/CAD on April 1, and balance of $450 USD/CAD or $750 USD/CAD (including single supplement) on July 1.
Trip Inclusions
- All meals, beverages (does not include alcohol)
- Hotel Accommodation (11 nights)
- Van Support + Turkish speaking driver and photographer
- Turkish/English speaking cycling guide, 2 English speaking cycling guides
- Tours (Ephesus, Train Museum, Priene, Temple of Apollo, Pamukkale)
- Professional tour guides to Ephesus and Pamukkale
- Route Book, maps
- Return Bus trip to Izmir Airport
Trip Exclusions
- Airfare
- Initial Airport Transfer (70 TL or $50 USD/CAD)
- Transfer of bike boxes to Akyaka (price may vary, approx. 60 TL)
- Any visits listed as optional
Bicycle Information
Must bring own bicycle and helmet. Rental bikes are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. The cost of bike rentals is an additional fee of $300 USD/CAD. A non-refundable deposit of $100 USD/CAD is needed at the time of registering to secure a rental bike.
We recommend minimum of 32C tires for although all roads are paved, some of the pavement can be a little rough as we are using as many minor roads as possible.
Also, we noticed that all hills in Turkey are marked as 10%! Not all are, but not many are much steeper than that.
Cancellations
Our cancellation policy is 90% refund before July 1. No refund after that, regardless of whether or not your cancellation is outside your control.
Flight Plan
Cascade Bicycle Club recommends Seattle travel consultants Elizabeth Holmes Travel for booking airfare. Elizabeth Holmes supplies services to tour operators and travel media entities including Rick Steve’s Europe Through the Back Door, Rudy Maxa, the Savvy Traveller, Earthbound Expeditions and Tofino Expeditions. Most recently they were recommended in the National Geographic’s Adventure Magazine.
Please Contact Sarah Ferris Scott at 206-547-8361 or visit www.elizabthholmes.com.
This website will introduce folks to current information and airfares. They can’t begin to cover every city in the world, but hope the selection of destinations and fares will demonstrate why you should give them a call. Speaking of calling, you will notice that they are not ‘into’ e-commerce. You have to call to get real quotes.
Necessary Forms
Must provide medical history and sign a waiver, and bring documentation confirming overseas medical insurance, contact information and proof of passport valid for 6 months after date of trip.
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Worried you might not be in good enough shape to tackle the hills? Join Cascade Ride Leaders this spring in the Cascade Training series. We'll be leading rides every weekend geared to getting YOU ready for this summer's big CBC rides. Visit the Activities Calendar for more information and ride listings.
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