BMW The Ultimate Riding Machine

04-29 September 2013 (5,041 miles)

26 days / 25 nights (24 hotels / 1 overnight ferry)

Highlights:

• Blue Mosque, Hagia Spohia & Topkapi Palace in Istanbul

• Wander through the ancient sites of Troy & Ephesus

• See the amazing Whirling Dervishes of Konya

• World Heritage listed Cappadocia and a night in a cave hotel

• The Gallipoli Peninsula and it’s war cemeteries

We’ll start with an exhilarating week of riding, socialising and sightseeing through Eastern Europe: Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria are all on our route to Istanbul, the Gateway to the East. We have a full day to explore this enchanting, iconic city, wander among the Ottoman minarets and browse the beguiling bazaars and boutiques.

While Istanbul is unequivocally one of the most magical cities of the world, it’s only the start of our adventure. Our next port of call is Cappadocia with its spectacular lunar-like landscape and underground cities. We’ll be staying in a cave hotel for two nights!

Then it’s back on the bikes and on to Konya. This city has one of the country’s richest architectural collections of mosques, baths and seminaries. Our travels will take us through the hillside town of Sirince, surrounded by vineyards as we travel towards Ephesus – once home to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: the Temple of Artemis. While little of the temple remains, Ephesus is steeped with wonders of architecture and history, including the Library of Celsus and the huge cliff-side amphitheatre.

From here we reach the wonderful oasis of calm that is Assos, which clings to the northern Agean coast. We then make our way to the once-mighty walled city of Troy. Our final destination in Turkey is the Gallipoli Peninsula, site of the World War I campaign. Leaving Turkey behind, we have three days riding across Greece, including a visit to the Meteora region, before reaching Igoumenitsa and our ferry to Venice. This is a unique, extended tour of Turkey and Greece, just right for those wanting to travel further afield.

Price:Single Rider (Single room)£4,799 •Single Rider (Shared room)£3,699 •Rider & Pillion (Sharing room)£6,459