Aphrodisias Mid-Trip Extension

Days 1-5 follow the Discover Turkey Private Journey itinerary...Meals on your own

Setting out from Bodrum, visit Herakleia en route to Lake Bafa, set in the peaceful valley of the Meander River surrounded by pine forests and olives groves. Here you'll explore the unspoiled lakeside village of Kapikiri, then enjoy a two-hour hike that brings you to the great Byzantine monastery at Herakleia and to neolithic caves with fascinating pictographs. After lunch in the village, visit the charming Carian site of Labranda, with its fascinating sanctuary of Zeus perched in a lovely setting overlooking the plains. Besides the four different androns (“men's sanctuaries”) set into the hill at Labranda, there is an ancient sacred trail here that leads to the town of Milas. You may want to walk a little way on this ancient trail to stretch your legs and enjoy the beautiful countryside. Overnight in the village of Kapikiri on Lake Bafa at the Agora Pansiyon Hotel...BLD

This morning enjoy a drive to Aphrodisias, a marvelous World Heritage Site set in a mountain-ringed valley watered by the River Dandalaz. The city is crafted almost entirely of white marble and has a theater, a stadium capable of seating up to 30,000 people, a charming concert hall, two large agoras, two baths, and the huge Temple of Aphrodite, which was converted into a Byzantine church in the 6th century. From the acropolis hill behind the Aphrodisias theater, archaeologists have unearthed stone and bronze idols dating as far back as 3,000 BC, making Aphrodisias one of the earliest settlements in Asia Minor dedicated to the Megalo-Mater, the great mother. Continue in the afternoon on a drive of about 1.5 hours to Pamukkale, visiting the great ruined city of Hierapolis en route. The 1,000-foot-high Pamukkale plateau is covered in white travertine terraces filled with spring water. Some are shaped like shells, others like water lilies. The terraces are the result of ages of dissolved calcium bubbling up out of an ancient spring atop the plateau and are truly an extraordinary sight, especially at sunset, when instead of gleaming white, they reflect shades of pink, purple, and ochre. Enjoy a walk around Pamukkale's famous travertine pools and sacred spring, which once fed the Roman bath at Hierapolis. The spring has been converted into a large warm-water pool with a floor decorated by submerged marble pillars dating to the Roman era. A dip in this pool is an unforgettable experience. Overnight at hotel in Pamukkale...BLD
Driving Time: Approximately 5.5 hours

Early morning transfer to the airport at Denizil for the flight to Kayseri via Istanbul, then drive to the picturesque citadel town of Urgup and continue with Day 6 of the regular Discover Turkey Private Journey itinerary...BLD