Beat the tour busses, and sail to ancient destinations, to live a life-style that has been going on much the same for thousands of years. You will be part of a sailing experience on the ancient trade route, to discover the shores of North Aegean like no other contemporary visitor had done before.

Diverse activities include sailing, fishing, snorkeling, hiking and sight seeing. Your experience will not be limited to swimming and sunbathing in coves where you see countless tour boats. You will be part of the crew, as much, or as little as you want. You will become a sailor, an Aegean Seafarer at the end of the tour.

You will have private cabins and facilities, but do not expect waiters in white gloves. Our boat is a traditional gulet, also powered by an engine, but with the prevailing winds, sails will be the medium to cruise.

Wake up before sunrise, if you wish, and get ready for snorkeling. With the right bait and setline, dinners may be a feast with Dusky Sea Perch, Sea Bass or Eel. As we sail, our spinner will be in the water for the catch of the day.

We can not say the idea is new; the route was a beaten path two thousand years ago! Odysseus had to tie himself to his boat’s mast to overcome the temptation of sirens (mermaids of the Aegean); so bring a rope along...

• Off the beaten path locations, non-touristy, attractive fishing villages of the Aegean
• Gallipoli Peninsula, stage of a fierce battle during WW1
• Legendary Troy in Homer's epic, the Illiad
• Tenedos Island, shelter for the Greek fleet hiding from the Trojans
• Assos and the Temple of Athena, Aristotle’s favorite spot at sunset!
• Hellenistic Pergamon that rivaled Athens' Acropolis
• Aesclepion, ancient medical center dedicated to god Apollo
• Cunda Island, gourmet seafood capital of Aegean Turkey
• Ayvalik, land of olive groves and old, stately houses, for locals and swallows
• Ancient Ephesus, capital city of the Asian Province of Rome
• Bodrum, or ancient Halicarnassus, hometown of historian Herodotus
• Crusader Castle, home to a spectacular Museum of Underwater Archeology

day 1 - Istanbul --- Dinner will follow our welcome get-together and tour briefing.

Overnight in Istanbul

day 2 - Canakkale --- on the way to Asia Minor

Drive to Dardanelles. We will visit Gallipoli WW1 memorials, and learn about the fierce trench battle that changed the flow of history, and led to birth of three nations. We will then cross the Dardanelles, from Europe to Asia. Welcome to Asia Minor!

Overnight in Canakkale - Driving: 5,5 hours - Walking: 2 hours

day 3 - Bozcaada (Tenedos) --- in search of the Greek fleet

Today we will visit Homer's Troy. Troy was a strategic stronghold on the naval route through the straits. This was where boats anchored, to wait for the right wind to sail up north, against the merciless current of the Dardanelles. We will then take a ferry to Tenedos Island, to get to our boat. Tenedos Island is mentioned in the Iliad and Odyssey, as the hiding place of the Greek fleet during the legendary Trojan War. We will overnight in the shade of a castle from Phoenician times.

Overnight aboard our boat - Driving: 1 hour - Cruising: 1 hour

day 4 - Assos --- a Doric Temple for the sunset

Sail south in the dawn to Assos. This is where St. Paul and St. Luke met, and 300 years before them, Aristotle taught for three years. 1,000 feet above sea level, the - 6th century BC - Temple of Athena, is like a watchtower overlooking the Aegean. We will enjoy the view and watch the sunset from this temple.

Overnight on board - Saling: 4 hours - Hiking: 2 hours

day 5 - Ayvalik --- pass an olive branch...  

Enjoy waters of the Aegean, Lesbos on one side, and Gulf of Edremit on the other. We will sail with the morning breeze, till we arrive to Cunda, an old Greek village. We will then take a van to ancient Pergamon Acropolis, home of Altar of Zues, and renowned as the city where parchment was invented. In the afternoon, we will stroll the narrow streets of Ayvalik, and have local fish dinner in Cunda Island.

Overnight on board - Sailing: 2 hours - Driving: 3 hours - Hiking: 2 hours

day 6 - Nergiz Bay  --- Sound of silence...

Leave Ayvalik for Karaada early in the morning. As we sail south, we will try to catch the north-south current. We will try to fish as well. In the afternoon, we will start to feel the prevailing west wind of the Aegean, as a result of the difference between land and water temperatures. We will sail past the island of Chios to Nergiz Bay, a lovely, tranquil bay.

Overnight on board - Sailing: all day, 8 to 10 hours

day 7 - Kusadasi --- the port of ancient Ephesus...

Running free along the Aegean. We will focus on backwind sailing today, and learn how to cope with the howling wind, like the ancient mariners 3,000 years ago.

Overnight on board - Sailing: 6 to 7 hours

In the Roman times, Ephesus was one of the largest metropolitans of the world, and the capital city of Asian Province of the Empire. We will be walking the streets that several renowned personalities walked; such as Socrates, Anthony and Cleopatra... We will see the theater building where St. Paul preached, and the Celcius library, masterpiece of Roman architecture. We will also enjoy the "Terrace Houses", homes of the Roman jetset at the time. Overnight in a tranquil bay located by the Dilek Strait, the narrow channel between Turkey and Samos, Greece.

Overnight on board - Walking: 4 hours

Through the Dilek Strait, we will sail to Bodrum which is ancient Halicarnassus. In the afternoon we will stroll the streets of this attractive resort town and stop by Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, another wonder of the ancient world. We will then visit the Castle of St. Peter. The castle was built as a crusader stronghold in early 1400s, and houses the best Museum of Underwater Archeology in the world. A very exciting setting, and an outstanding exhibition of artifacts, as a result of thousands of dives. Overnight in a cove named after its crystal clear waters, the aquarium.

Overnight on board - Sailing: 6 hours - Walking: 3 hours