Type: Antiquities, Scenic Drive
Length: 8 Hours
Walking: Difficult - uneven surfaces
Mobility: NO wheelchairs
Guide: Licensed Guide
Language: English

Izmir Shore Excursion - This full day private shore trip explores the Acropolis and Museum of Pergamum, the ancient health center of Asclepion, and the modern city of Bergama.

Your licensed guide will meet you in front of Izmir's port terminal. As your drive north from Izmir you pass fertile fields and olive groves on your way to Bergama, once known as Pergamum, a great center of ancient culture. The ancient city was a capital of the Pergamum Kingdom, and it was here that parchment paper was invented.

Today, Pergamum is one of Turkey's finest archaeological sites. Take the cable car up to the Acropolis to see the remains of the citadel and the city walls, the foundations of the Zeus Altar (the carving of which are now in Berlin at the Pergamum Museum), and the Royal Palace. The famous Pergamum Library once contained 200.000 scrolls that were given as a gift to Cleopatra by Mark Anthony after the burning of the Library at Alexandria.

Walk through the Agora and see the restored Trajan Temple and the remains of the Demeter, Athena and Dionysus Temples. On the steep slopes of the Acropolis you will overlook the Theater which once held as many as 15.000 spectators, and see the modern town and surrounding hills stretch out into the distance.

Next you free time for lunch (meal not included) in the modern city of Bergama.

After lunch you visit the Archaeological Museum in Bergama which houses relics discovered during the excavations of Pergamum. In route you see the Basilica which was one of the earliest of the Seven Churches of Asia Minor as referred to in the Bible.

Later this afternoon visit the Asclepion, a healing center from the 4th century BC and one of the most important sites of Pergamum. Here fortunate patients received herbal, aquatic, physical and psychological treatment for their ailments. Then you visit the Temple of Asclepios, the amphitheater, and walk through the sacred corridor and down the ancient, arcaded, marble-paved boulevard while the Acropolis towers above you in the distance.

Later this afternoon you return to the cruise terminal in Izmir.

Tips on visiting Turkey:

Shopping - If additional time is available during your tour, many guides will ask if you are interested in seeing how Turkish carpets are made or if you wish to shop. These free demonstrations are very interesting and quite informative, but they are also a selling opportunity. Decide on your interest and tell your tour guide clearly whether shopping interests you or not. You should never feel obligated to make a purchase on any tour.