Istanbul

IstanbulEurope Bulgaria Libya and Sahara Romania Central Asia Africa Russia Trip Summary Home Page
EWP

Holidays in Turkey

Istanbul

new EWP site
      
Istanbul has a history that goes back many millenia and has been enriched and influenced by its key location lying on a cross roads between north and south - Africa and Europe, and between east and west - the Black Sea countries and the Mediterranean. Known initially as Byzantium its strategic position was recognised by Emperor Constantine in AD 324 created the great city of Constantinople and made it the capital of his empire. In 1453 the Turks conquered the then Christian city which by the middle of the 16th century became the powerful heart of the Ottoman Empire under its modern name of Istanbul.

As there are many flights to all destinations in Turkey passing through Istanbul it is easy to stop off for a day here. Sadly this does not really do justice to this varied and rich city.

We have selected the following programmes in Turkey that we consider the best for combining trekking and mountaineering with a taste of the rich culture. All could be combined with Istanbul.

There are many hotels we could recommend in Istanbul. As good a start as any is the Yaşmak Sultan Hotel. It is centrally located and offers a good service.

  • Tauros, Cappadocia and Mount Ararat. Trekking in the Taurus offers a good acclimatisation period before the ascent of Ararat. Both areas have a rich local nomadic culture which add to the interest of both regions. The trek finishes in Van where there is a day to relax by the beautiful Van lake.Sample Trip Details
  • Mount Ararat. This trip is suitable for those who have previous high altitude experience and know they acclimatise well. As with the previous Taurus - Ararat programme it includes visits to Istanbul and Van. Ararat Details
    Note: Ararat requires the use of crampons and walking poles but previous experience in the use of them is not essential. In fact Ararat is an excellent training mountain for those interested in going on to higher and more demanding sumits such as Elbrus, Peak Lenin or Kilimanjaro.
  • Cappadocia. This trip is designed as a short break that can be taken at any time of year. It can even be done in winter on snow shoes! Cappadocia
  • Cappadocia and Taurus. This combines easy hotel-based walking through the magnificent and magical scenery of Cappadocia with some more demanding camping-based trekking in the Taurus. The trek in the Taurus is fully mule supported and involves walking from one permanent campsite to another. Details.
  • Yacht and trek. This combines the luxury of life on a yacht (a journey referred to as the Blue Cruise or Blue Voyage) with short (generally half day) treks on beautiful coastal paths visiting ancient ruins, churches and other sights of interest along the way. Plenty of time to relax and or swim. Yacht and Trek Cappadocia, Yacht and Trek
Map of Istanbul
Ararat
Mount Ararat

Cappadocia
Cappadocia

Yacht Trekking
Yacht Trekking

Taurus (Toros) Mountains
Taurus (Toros) Mountains


Home  Booking Prices  Asia Caucasus  Africa Europe Maps  Pictures Email  Turkey 
ALW 2/11/03
HTMLok