Itinerary

1. Day 1: Didyma

   • Early departure from Bodrum at about 07:30 and drive to Didyma, it will take about 1 hour. 
   • On the way to Didyma, we will stop by Bafa Lake. Bafa Lake on the Aegean coast of Turkey is famous for its Turkish breakfast restaurants and surrounded by the lake. The breathtaking scenery of The Besparmak Mountains. It is hard to describe the atmosphere at Bafa lake, but the place has a unique vibe and energy, which you should experience. Very unique off the beaten path of Turkey. After a break, we will drive to Didyma.
   • Arrival at Didyma. Didyma is home to Apollo's unique and majestic Temple, which was the biggest prophecy centre in Anatolia—considered one of the great monuments of antiquity. It was built in 560 BC. The ancient religious centre of Didyma, with its Temple of Apollo, was a marvel of the ancient world. Not only was it stunning architecturally, but it was also a beacon for the faithful because of its celebrated oracle (who would, sadly, come to an unhappy end with the advance of Christianity).
   • Miletus: Home of Thales: After the Temple of Apollo, drive to Miletos. It will take about 15 minutes driving. Miletos where flourished as an important commercial and governmental city from 700 BC to 700 AD. Its great theatre, which rises from the Meander River's flood plain, was built to seat 15.000 spectators, and it is still seen. The city was the point where the Meander River flew into the Aegean sea. Because of the alluviums, Miletos has been remote several times from the sea, which explains that one can see today different harbours.
   • Miletos was also the city of many scientists and philosophers such as Thales, Anaximander, Hekataios (principle source to Herodotos) and closer to us, Isidorus, the architect of St. Sofia in Istanbul. See the Greco-Roman Theatre, The Lion Harbour, The Harbour Monuments, The Bouleuterion (the parliament building), The Temple of Serapis, Faustina Bath. Then, you will drive to Priene for 15 minutes. 
   • We will have lunch in Priene; in a fish restaurant.
   • Priene, Home of Bias, was one of the most active ports of the Ionian Federation, making the site of particular interest. Priene sets dramatically at the foot of a sheer mountain wall. Priene overlooks the aptly named Meander River. This 2500 years old Ionian city. While you are here, see the Temple of Athena, the Stoa, the Agora, the Market Place, the Temenos of Zeus Olympic, which dates from the 3rd Century BC., the Bouleuterion, the Prytaneion where municipal or state council representatives met, the Theatre which still retains most of its Hellenistic features, the Sanctuary of Demeter which was dedicated to the deities of Plenty, Demeter and Kore.
   • Also, see the Upper Gymnasium and the Stadium, North-East Gateway, the House of Alexander the Great, where he stayed during his siege of Miletus in 334 BC. Priene was the hometown of philosopher and sages. “Bias” was born at Priene. He has been distinguished for his skill as an advocate and his use of it in defence of the right. About which Demodocus of Leros uttered the following saying – "If you are a judge, give a Prienian decision," and Hipponax said, "More powerful in pleading causes than Bias of Priene." He was always reckoned among the Seven Sages and was mentioned by Dicaearchus as one of the Four to whom alone that title was universally given — the remaining three being Thales, Pittacus, and Solon._
     Satyrus placed him at the head of the Seven Sages. Even Heraclitus, who poured scorn on figures such as Hesiod and Pythagoras, referred to Bias as "a man of more consideration than any." One example of his great goodness is the legend that Bias paid a ransom for some women who had been taken, prisoner. After educating them as his daughters, he sent them back to Messina, their homeland, and their fathers. It is said that Bias wrote a poem of 2000 lines on Ionia and the way to make it prosperous.

2. Day 2: Ephesus

   • Visit Ephesus, and imagine walking where some of the apostles of Jesus walked thousands of years ago. The ruins are a sight to behold. It feels like the vehicle you turned up in is a real-time machine. If you are on the west coast of Turkey, Ephesus has to be on your to-do list. Even if you are not fascinated by old bricks and carved stone, there is so much there that you will be by the time you leave.  It's one of the few ancient cities in the world where you will take in an amalgam of Ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine civilisations.
   • Among alleys and paths in the valley, you will get to enjoy sights such as the Library of Celsus (The Celsus Library is awe-inspiring. 
   • As you walk down the road viewing the ruins of Ephesus's ancient city, you come upon what is still standing of the Celsus Library. See the Temple of Hadrian, Gate of Augustus, Ephesus Theater (St. Paul preached to the Ephesians from this stage and was ultimately run out of town when the contributions at the Temple of Artemis began to fall off. The theatre has been used in more recent times for concerts. You can imagine Tom Jones singing, "Why Delilah" from the same stage where St. Paul preached!), Agora, baths, tombs, Odeon, Hercules Gate, the Temple of  Domitian, Fountain of Trojan, Toilets (Very interesting how they handled toileting in the ancient days...don't want to say more and spoil the surprise!), and so many other sublime antiquities. 
   • Allow yourself to get lost in this ancient city; you will feel its vibes and reach ecstasy. At least this is an inspiring and magical place. Great to go off-season and avoid the crowds. 
   • Visit the House of Virgin Mary on the top of Bulbul Mountain. The house was discovered in the 19th century. Catherine Emmerich (1775-1824), an invalid German nun who had never visited Ephesus, described the house and its situation in great detail, which she had seen in a vision. It is believed that St. John brought Mary (the mother of Jesus) to Ephesus sometime between AD 37-48, and she spent her last years of her life there.
   • The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus: Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, located on the western coast of Asia Minor (modern Turkey), was built in the 1200 BCE; it is double the dimensions of other Greek temples, including the Parthenon, that it was soon regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Artemis was the goddess of chastity, hunting, wild animals, forests, childbirth, and fertility. The problem is, it is almost totally removed, and it requires a great deal of imagination to appreciate what a majestic shrine this once was.
   • It's hard to pass up the opportunity to stand on the grounds of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, so that we would recommend this site to those interested. Besides, don't expect anything grand - all that remains is one "Franken-column" that has been constructed from fragments of broken columns unearthed there, and it's 4 m shorter than the originals. Close your eyes and use your imagination, though the actual temple included over 100 of these columns, so it must have been a sight to behold.
   • Isa Bey Mosque: It is a beautiful example of Seljuk Turkish architecture in an atmospheric location. It is the oldest known example of a Turkish mosque with a courtyard. The Mosque was built in 1375 at the direction of the Emir of Aydin. Columns and stones from the ruins of Ephesus and the Temple of Artemis were incorporated into the building. The mosque was restored in 1934. It measures 51m by 57m, including a large courtyard. The mosque itself consists of two lateral aisles covered with two domes in the centre. The surviving brick minaret on the north side has an octagonal base. Inside are a mihrab and pulpit, both made of marble and painted turquoise tiles in the domes. The columns of the interior are classical, from the local ruins. 
   • After you have taken in the sights of your Ephesus with The Temple of Artemis Tour, your tour guide will drop you back to Bodrum.