Crimea tour of ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine cities

AND

PRESENT:

TOUR OF ANCIENT CITIES OF
THE NORTHERN BLACK SEA COAST

SEPTEMBER 06 - 17, 2002

Very few places in the world combine both natural beauty and rich historical heritage like Crimea.
Crimea is rich with natural attractions; Southern Crimea offers climate famous for its healing power, and the Crimean medicinal mud of its saltwater lakes (in the city of Saki) is as potent in its healing attributes as that of any muds of the Dead Sea.
At various times in its history Crimea was settled by Skythians, Sarmats and Taurs. Greek, Roman and Byzantine cities flourished here, Genoan forts were built. Tatar khanate existed here (first as part of the Golden Horde, then as an independent Giray dynasty). Here in the 10th century Kievan prince Vladimir converted to Christianity and later spread his new religion to all of Russia.

Many monuments from those times were preserved.
Yalta is a city famous for its beautiful location on the Black Sea. It is known as the place where Churchill, Stalin and Roosevelt met to decide the fate of Europe towards the end of World War II. It has been the traditional homeland of Crimean Tatars, an ethnic group who practice Islam. It is also Russian. In 1991, it became part of the independent nation of Ukraine, after the breakup of the USSR. But...
The Russian navy still has its fleet at Sevastopol. The dominant language (and official, according to the Crimean parliament) is Russian. Many road signs still point to Moscow (1,000 km.) V.I. Lenin's statues are still visible in many towns. The official language of Ukraine is Ukrainian. But Crimea has a strong Russian influence. And many Tatars are finally returning home, a generation after being deported by Stalin en masse to Uzbekistan.
Crimea is a beautiful land, home to Russians, Tatars and Ukrainians. Take the tour of Crimea...


The Cat Mountain	Sevastopol	Caffa fortress	The Swallow's Nest

ITINERARY

Day 1 Meeting at the airport, transfer to hotel. Free time. Dinner.

Day 2 Breakfast. Visit to the coin show. Lunch. Transfer to the rail road station. Leave for Simferopol at 3.30 PM by sleeper train.

Day 3 Arrive in Simferopol at 9.03 AM. Visit to the local coin show. Transfer to Feodosia. Check into sanatorium, lunch. Walking tour of Feodosia, with review of the ruins of fortress walls of Medieval Caffa, consular citadel, 14th century temples. Dinner in Armenian restaurant. Tasting of Crimean wines (optional - $10).

Day 4 Breakfast. Tour to Kerch - former Pantikapion, capital of the Kingdom of Bosporus. Visit to mount Mithradates, Burial Mound of the Kings, 9-10th century Byzantine Church of St. John , historical- archeological Museum. Lunch in Kerch. Return to Feodosia. Dinner in Tatar restaurant. One-hour boat cruise (optional - $5).

Day 5 Breakfast. Tour to Sudak (former Caffa, medieval Genoese colony) with a visit to a Genoese fortress, the largest archeological structure in Europe. Lunch. Tour to village Novyi Svet (New Light) with a visit to the winery of Prince Golitsin. Transfer to Yalta, check into hotel, dinner.

Day 6 Breakfast. Tour to Baghcha-Saray - capital of the Crimean Khanate. Lunch. Tour into cave city of Chufut-Kale, visit to the Assumption cave monastery. Return to Yalta. Dinner.

Day 7 Breakfast. Tour to Livadia, palace of Nicholas II where in 1944 the conference of heads of USA, Great Britain and USSR was held. Tour to Alupka, to the palace of Prince Vorontsov, governor of Crimea from 1823. Return to Yalta, lunch and dinner.

Day 8 Breakfast. Tour to Uchan-Su falls, transfer to Mount Ay-Petri (the highest peak in Crimea), crossing on horseback to the New Cave, ascent to the top of Ay-Petri (1,233 m.) through a grove of "iron" trees. Picnic, shish-ka-bobs (BBQ), wine, etc. Return to Yalta. Yacht cruise to the Swallow's Nest (optional - $10, min. 5 persons).

Baghcha-Saray, khan's palace

Day 9 Breakfast. Tour to Sevastopol and Inkerman with a visit to Cherson - former Greek, Roman and Byzantine colony, historical-archeological museum and a cave monastery. Visit to the local coin show. Visit to the panoramic display of the defense of Sevastopol during the Crimean War (1850's). Lunch. On the way to Sevastopol stop at the Church of the Resurrection built in 1892, located at the top of the Red Cliff (400 m.). Return to Yalta. Dinner.

Day 10 Breakfast. Transfer to Simferopol. Visit to the local coin show. Lunch. Leave for Kiev at 2:35 PM.

Day 11 Arrive in Kiev at 7.56 AM. Breakfast. Sight-seeing tour of Kiev with visits to the Kievo-Pechersk Monastery, Church of St.Andrew, Cathedral of St.Vladimir, Cathedral of St.Sophia, St.Michael Goldendome Monastery, the "Gold Pantry". Lunch. Dniepr mini-cruise (weather allowed). Meeting with a leading expert on the numismatics of the Northern Black Sea coast V. Anokhin. If the publication of his new book on the numismatics of Olbia, Cherson and the Kingdom of Bosporus (in English) is not delayed, then will attend the presentation of the book. Dinner in an ethnic Ukrainian restaurant.

Day 12 Breakfast. Transfer to the airport.

You can find out current Crimean weather by pressing this button

map of Ukraine

Current currency exchange rates are here

HOTELS SELECTED FOR THIS TOUR


ADRIA HOTEL (KIEV) The largest in Kiev 27-floor hotel is located on the left bank of the Dnieper river. Comfortable rooms with all conveniences (bathroom, telephone, 40-channel satellite TV, refrigerator). All major credit cards accepted. Business service including photocopying, fax, computer, Internet services. Sauna with pool, massage. Night club, casino, English pub, Japanese and Italian restaurants.	CENTRAL MILITARY CLINICAL SANATORIUM (FEODOSIA) 70 meters from the beach, in the center of Feodosia. Each room has two beds, shower, W.C., central heating, direct dial telephone. Restaurants, cafe, bars, discotheques. Park, post office.	MALACHITE HOTEL (YALTA) "Malachite" offers you a choice of 116 double and family rooms. Each room has two beds, bath, shower, W.C., central heating, satellite colour TV, direct dial telephone for local and international calls, refrigerator. Safe on request. Hotel has swimming pool on the hotel courtyard, gymnasium, table tennis, sauna. The city centre and the main harbour is within walking distance.

PRICE AND CONDITIONS

The price of $1,995 is for those who fly out of the US. For those who want to participate in the tour from other countries, please direct you inquiries to qarakhan@yahoo.com or by fax +380 - 642 - 551097. The price of $1,995 includes economy class airfare from JFK Airport, shared twin-bed rooms with private facilities in each room, lunch and dinner every day and almost all breakfasts, a fully escorted sightseeing program, visits to all excursions and museums as described above, airport transfers in Ukraine, the charge for the required Ukrainian visa. Visa applications will be sent to those who sign up for the tour, and the visas will be obtained for you. Accommodations at higher class hotels can be arranged for additional cost. Some single accommodations will be available at an extra charge. Please note that all of the accommodations on the sleeper train to Simferopol are in compartments with two single berths.

A deposit of $200 (payable to Mirage Travel and refundable in full until July 20, 2002) will reserve a place for you on this tour.

For this tour to operate, a minimum of 8 persons must sign up by July 2002. Final payment is due July 20, 2002.

The price is preliminary. Final price will be available in March 2002.

SPECIAL NOTES

The weather in September in Ukraine is warm. Sweaters will be welcome in evenings, it may rain sometimes, and comfortable footwear is a must.
While this is by no means a strenuous trip, we will be doing a lot of walking, and you should be physically able to enjoy active days.
The itinerary shown here has been requested far in advance of your arrival. Weather needed repairs of roads, hotels, and other facilities, and other factors can result in changes in what you will see and the order in which you will see it. Please remember that conditions and accommodations may not be exactly the same as at home.
Reservations can be made by completing the attached form and returning it with your $200 deposit per person to Mirage Travel, 12 Neptune Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11235 . Deposits are refundable in full until July 20, 2002, when final payment is due. If the tour has to be cancelled, you will receive a full refund. If you cancel, cancellation penalties will apply as follows: when written cancellation notice is received from July 20, 2002 until August 01, 2002, there will be a 30% cancellation penalty; for cancellation received between August 01 and August 15, 2002, there is a 50% penalty, and for cancellation received after August 15, the amounts refunded will consist only of whatever money, if any, which can be recovered from airlines and suppliers of other services.

Citizens of USA and EU do not need a visa for entry to Ukraine.

Additional information about travel in Ukraine and what to bring on the trip will be sent to those who sign up for the tour. For all questions related to the flight, please inquire to Mirage Travel, 12 Neptune Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11235 ; tel: (718) 743-7000; fax: (718) 743-7212, for any questions related to the stay in Ukraine, inquire to New World Travel; fax: (380-642) 420-111; e-mail: qarakhan@yahoo.com

RESERVATION FORM


Kerch (Pantikapion)	Caffa fortress	ancient Cherson

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