Advice needed on Greece/Turkey trip in 3 weeks time!

[boroangel]

Hello all,

I am heading to Greece/Turkey end of this month for 2+ weeks, coming in from the Greek Islands to Kusadasi. My iti looks like this:

Day 1 - Arrive in Athens at 2 pm. Philippopou hill in the evening for night shots of the Acropolis.

Day 2 - Day trip around Athens.

Day 3 - Afternoon bus to Kalabamka (Meteora).

Day 4 - Whole day at Meteora monasteries.

Day 5 - Morning bus from Meteora to Athens. Metro ride to Pireaus at 4 pm to catch ferry to
Santorini. Arrive at Santorini at 1245 am.

Day 6 - Santorini

Day 7 - Santorini

Day 8 - Santorini to Naxos by ferry in afternoon, followed by night ferry to Samos.

Day 9 - Samos to Kusadasi by ferry (Samos Star in the morning). Stay in Selcuk for the night.

Day 10 - Visit Ephesus. Overnite train to Ankara.Bus to Izmir in the late afternoon. For train to Ankara, Catch either 1. overnight 9 Eylül Ekspresi (September 9th Express) at 850 pm or 2. Izmir Mavi Tren at 7 pm.

Day 11 - Arrive in Ankara at 10 am. Visit Mausoleum of Kemal Atatürk. Travel to Goreme by bus.4 hrs bus to Nevsehir followed by short trip (10 km) to Goreme.

Day 12 - Cappadocia. Göreme Open Air Museum in the morning. After lunch, visit Love Valley, Paşabagı and Dervent (Pink) Valley.

Day 13 - Cappadocia. Full day excursion. Morning to underground cities (Derinkuyu), Ihlara Valley & Guzelyurt. Underground cities (Derinkuyu) in the morning, couple of hours hiking in Ihlara Valley followed by the rest of the afternoon and evening in Guzelyurt.

Day 14 - Cappadocia. Morning balloon ride. Avanos, Mustafapasa, Soganli valley, Uchisar town.

Day 15 - Flight from Nevsehir Airport to Aratuk (istanbul) at noon.

Day 16 - Istanbul

Day 17 - Istanbul

Day 18 - Depart Istanbul

I have a few questions if anyone can help:

1. I am quite uncomfortable flying Sun Express from Izmir to Kayseri. Is taking the train from Izmir to Ankara followed by bus a good alternative? (read from turkeyplanner.com that it is not bad). Is the 9 Eylül Ekspresi (September 9th Express) at 850 pm having the same kinda comfortable sleeper compartments as Izmir Mavi Tren at 7 pm? Anyone took this trains before?

2. When we arrive in Ankara in the morning, I am thinking of visitng Mausoleum of Kemal Atatürk, though with our backpacks and luggage it might be cumblesome. Anyone taken this bus before and any problems booking the tickets upon arrival?

3. One of my main interests in Cappadocia is to visit Guzelyurt and do photography of the High Church (3km away from Guzelyurt) during sunset. Does anyone know if the High Church will be lighted up at night and around what time? Anyone been to Guzelyurt before and what do you think of it?

4. Has anyone walked the full hike in Ihlara Valley before and have a driver pick you up on the other side? Do you think its worth doign the full walk?

5. Would 2.5 full days in Santorini be too much? I have yet to really read up in detail on all the things to do in Santorini but I read previously there are soem good walking trails there.

6. Has anyone rented a car in Cappadocia before and driven to the outskirts?

7. If you have tips for good photography spots at the different places...please share!

Basically I have almost booked all my accomodation for the above places to be covered. Also had some good feedback on LP forum and also tripadvisor forum. However, I would still like to hear from fellow CSers who have been there...on your advices, which are the attractions you think are worth visiting and which in your opinion are overrated. Always good to have fellow singaporean and photographers' opinions.

I have found some previous good info here provided in a thread "Suggested itinerary? Travelling to Turkey / Greece in Apr/May."

All your comments are greatly welcomed. Thanks!

 

[pokiemon]

Hello all,

I am heading to Greece/Turkey end of this month for 2+ weeks, coming in from the Greek Islands to Kusadasi. My iti looks like this:

Day 1 - Arrive in Athens at 2 pm. Philippopou hill in the evening for night shots of the Acropolis.

Day 2 - Day trip around Athens.

Day 3 - Afternoon bus to Kalabamka (Meteora).

Day 4 - Whole day at Meteora monasteries.

Day 5 - Morning bus from Meteora to Athens. Metro ride to Pireaus at 4 pm to catch ferry to
Santorini. Arrive at Santorini at 1245 am.

Day 6 - Santorini

Day 7 - Santorini

Day 8 - Santorini to Naxos by ferry in afternoon, followed by night ferry to Samos.

Day 9 - Samos to Kusadasi by ferry (Samos Star in the morning). Stay in Selcuk for the night.

Day 10 - Visit Ephesus. Overnite train to Ankara.Bus to Izmir in the late afternoon. For train to Ankara, Catch either 1. overnight 9 Eylül Ekspresi (September 9th Express) at 850 pm or 2. Izmir Mavi Tren at 7 pm.

if you are visiting ephesus ruins, give yourself 4hrs.

Day 11 - Arrive in Ankara at 10 am. Visit Mausoleum of Kemal Atatürk. Travel to Goreme by bus.4 hrs bus to Nevsehir followed by short trip (10 km) to Goreme.

Day 12 - Cappadocia. Göreme Open Air Museum in the morning. After lunch, visit Love Valley, Paşabagı and Dervent (Pink) Valley.

you may want to give yourself abt 4hrs at goreme. also zelve ruins may be worth visiting if it is not on your itinerary. it's a unesco site.

Day 13 - Cappadocia. Full day excursion. Morning to underground cities (Derinkuyu), Ihlara Valley & Guzelyurt. Underground cities (Derinkuyu) in the morning, couple of hours hiking in Ihlara Valley followed by the rest of the afternoon and evening in Guzelyurt.

Day 14 - Cappadocia. Morning balloon ride. Avanos, Mustafapasa, Soganli valley, Uchisar town.

Day 15 - Flight from Nevsehir Airport to Aratuk (istanbul) at noon.

Day 16 - Istanbul

Day 17 - Istanbul

Day 18 - Depart Istanbul

I have a few questions if anyone can help:

1. I am quite uncomfortable flying Sun Express from Izmir to Kayseri. Is taking the train from Izmir to Ankara followed by bus a good alternative? (read from turkeyplanner.com that it is not bad). Is the 9 Eylül Ekspresi (September 9th Express) at 850 pm having the same kinda comfortable sleeper compartments as Izmir Mavi Tren at 7 pm? Anyone took this trains before?

2. When we arrive in Ankara in the morning, I am thinking of visitng Mausoleum of Kemal Atatürk, though with our backpacks and luggage it might be cumblesome. Anyone taken this bus before and any problems booking the tickets upon arrival?

3. One of my main interests in Cappadocia is to visit Guzelyurt and do photography of the High Church (3km away from Guzelyurt) during sunset. Does anyone know if the High Church will be lighted up at night and around what time? Anyone been to Guzelyurt before and what do you think of it?

4. Has anyone walked the full hike in Ihlara Valley before and have a driver pick you up on the other side? Do you think its worth doign the full walk?

yes. the driver will drop u on one end and pick you up the other. trail takes abt 2-3hrs depending on how fast you walk and which trail you take. so i will visit it if you can afford the time and not sick of churches (after going to derinkuyu and gerome).

5. Would 2.5 full days in Santorini be too much? I have yet to really read up in detail on all the things to do in Santorini but I read previously there are soem good walking trails there.

yes unless you are into walking. but again if you had covered ihlara valley you can give this a miss.

6. Has anyone rented a car in Cappadocia before and driven to the outskirts?
most hotels will offer you a driver on a half day or full day. so when you make your trips to say derinkuyu you can make a quick stop over. in any case, your half day or full day should cover pretty much outskirts of cappadocia.
7. If you have tips for good photography spots at the different places...please share!

Basically I have almost booked all my accomodation for the above places to be covered. Also had some good feedback on LP forum and also tripadvisor forum. However, I would still like to hear from fellow CSers who have been there...on your advices, which are the attractions you think are worth visiting and which in your opinion are overrated. Always good to have fellow singaporean and photographers' opinions.

I have found some previous good info here provided in a thread "Suggested itinerary? Travelling to Turkey / Greece in Apr/May."

All your comments are greatly welcomed. Thanks!

also istanbul 2 full days is good.