Seven Days of Olive Harvest, Culture & Flavour in the Aegean

Seven (7) Days Residential Olive Harvesting is a full immersive holiday in the Bodrum–Milas countryside — combining hands-on olive picking, olive oil tasting, cooking classes, vineyard visits, wine tasting, and sightseeing in Bodrum and Muğla. A week that will change the way you see olive oil forever.

Day One — Arrival & Welcome Dinner
Arrive at our home in the late afternoon, settle into your room, and enjoy a warm welcome dinner overlooking the Aegean Sea — because this house is "more a kitchen" than anything else.

Day Two — Olive Harvest Day & Olive Press Experience
Wake up early and meet at the olive orchards. Place nets under the trees and begin harvesting before breakfast — collecting at least 3 packs of olives (40 kg each) while tea and coffee are prepared on a wood fire. After a rich Turkish breakfast, harvesting continues with a friendly challenge. Enjoy snacks by the fire — sometimes high-tea style, sometimes wood-fire grilling. Visit the communal olive press to watch fresh olive oil come out, taste it with bread, and learn about acidity levels. Celebrate with a glass of wine if you've earned it.

Day Three — Village Farm Visit & Olive-Oil Cooking Class
After a classic Turkish breakfast with fresh eggs, visit a small village vegetable farm to pick ingredients. Make böreks with herb & cheese and ground beef & potato fillings, vegetables cooked in olive oil, and even an olive oil dessert. Taste olive oils from different Turkish regions and learn to distinguish early vs late harvest, and good vs bad olive oil. Evening is free — fireplace, village stroll, or a seaside visit to Bargilya.

Day Four — Village Breakfast, Weaving Culture & Vineyard Wine Tasting
Head to the countryside to visit villages and vineyards. Breakfast is in a typical village where a family cooks, farms, and weaves carpets and kilims. Learn the art and tradition of weaving, including the dowry tradition. In the afternoon, visit a local vineyard, meet the owner, learn about regional grapes, and enjoy wine tasting with nibbles.

Day Five — Bodrum Town & Wine-Pairing Dinner at Karnas Vineyards
After breakfast, spend free time in Bodrum — visit the Castle and monuments, shop, and enjoy the town. In the afternoon, return to get ready for a fine-dining wine pairing dinner at Karnas Vineyards, tasting their award-winning wines.

Day Six — Ancient Cities Day Trip: Stratonikeia, Lagina & Milas
Leave early for a cultural day trip to Stratonikeia — an ancient city inhabited until the 1940s, with ruins beside 19th-century village homes. Breakfast at the site with a professional guide. Visit Lagina, a mystical sanctuary dedicated to Hekate. Stop in Milas (Mylasa) to visit its archaeological museum and vibrant farmers market.

Day Seven — Farewell
After your last breakfast together, it's time to say goodbye. The week ends with one promise: olive oil will never be the same for you again — and you'll leave with unforgettable memories of this ancient corner of the Aegean.