Itinerary
- Day 1
Istanbul
You'll be picked up and transferred to your 4-star hotel in Istanbul. The rest of the day is yours to wander around and get a feel for the city at your own pace. It's a good chance to settle in and maybe grab dinner somewhere local once you're ready.
Optional Activities
- Explore Istanbul independently
- Day 2
Istanbul
After breakfast, you'll spend the day with a guide who'll take you through Istanbul's most significant landmarks. The tour covers the Blue Mosque, St Sophia Museum, Topkapi Palace, the Hippodrome, and the Grand Bazaar. You'll walk between sites spanning both the European and Asian sides, so there's quite a bit to see. The guide provides context for each location.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Guided tour of Blue Mosque
- Guided tour of St Sophia Museum (or Cistern Basilica if closed)
- Guided tour of Topkapi Palace (or alternative if closed)
- Guided tour of Hippodrome
- Guided tour of Grand Bazaar
Landmarks/POIs Blue Mosque Hagia Sophia Museum Topkapi Palace Hippodrome Grand Bazaar Cistern Basilica - Day 3
Istanbul
Start with a walk along the Golden Horn waterfront, then head to the Egyptian Bazaar to browse through the market on your own. After that, you'll board a boat for a scenic cruise along the Bosphorus. From the water, you'll see palaces and fortresses on both the European and Asian shores. The boat finishes at either Taksim or Sultanahmet Square depending on the route.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Walking tour along Golden Horn
- Boat trip along Bosphorus
Optional Activities
- Free time in Egyptian Bazaar
Landmarks/POIs Golden Horn Egyptian Bazaar Bosphorus Taksim Square Sultanahmet Square - Day 4
Istanbul to Çanakkale
An early pickup gets you on the road to Gallipoli with breakfast provided along the way. You'll visit several WWI Battlefields including Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair Memorials, ANZAC Cove, The Nek, and Johnston's Jolly, plus original trenches. Later, you'll cross the Dardanelles by ferry and stop at the wooden Trojan Horse from the Troy movie before heading to Canakkale for the night.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast on road), Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Guided tour of Gallipoli WWI Battlefields
- Visit to Lone Pine Memorial
- Visit to Chunuk Bair Memorial
- Visit to ANZAC Cove
- Visit to The Nek
- Visit to Johnston's Jolly
- Visit to original trenches and tunnels
- Ferry crossing of Dardanelles
- Photo stop at wooden Trojan Horse
Landmarks/POIs Gallipoli WWI Battlefields Lone Pine Memorial Chunuk Bair Memorial ANZAC Cove The Nek Johnston's Jolly Dardanelles Trojan Horse - Day 5
Çanakkale to Kuşadası
You'll start at Troy Antique City to see the famous Trojan Horse location. From there, you'll head to Pergamum Acropolis where you can walk through impressive temple ruins and explore the ancient library. The site was an important cultural center in antiquity. You'll end the day in Kusadasi for overnight.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Guided tour of Troy Antique City
- Guided tour of Pergamum Acropolis
Landmarks/POIs Troy Antique City Pergamum Acropolis - Day 6
Kuşadası to Athens
This morning focuses on Ephesus, one of Europe's most intact ancient cities. You'll see temples, streets, houses, a Roman theater, and the Celsius Library. Later, you'll visit the Temple of Artemis in Selcuk, which counted as one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. In the afternoon, you'll transfer to Izmir airport for a flight to Athens. You'll arrive in the evening and check into your hotel.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Guided tour of Ephesus ancient city
- Visit to ancient Agoras
- Visit to Temples in Ephesus
- Visit to Streets and Houses in Ephesus
- Visit to Roman theater in Ephesus
- Visit to Celsius Library
- Visit to Temple of Artemis in Selçuk
Landmarks/POIs Ephesus Celsius Library Temple of Artemis - Day 7
Athens
After breakfast, you'll meet your guide around 08:45 for a half-day tour of Athens. The guide shows you the Panathenaic Stadium, the Prime Minister's residence, Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian's Arch, Parliament, and other constitutional sites. The main event is the Acropolis with the Parthenon and its sculptures, followed by the Acropolis Museum. You'll be back around 13:30.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Half-day guided Athens sightseeing tour
- Visit to Panathenaic Stadium
- View of Prime Minister's residence
- Visit to Temple of Olympian Zeus
- View of Hadrian's Arch
- View of Parliament
- View of memorial to Unknown Soldier
- View of Academy of Athens
- View of University
- View of National Library
- Visit to Constitution Square
- Guided tour of Acropolis
- Visit to Parthenon
- Visit to Propylaea
- Visit to Temple of Athena Nike
- Visit to Erechtheion
- Visit to Acropolis Museum
Landmarks/POIs Panathenaic Stadium Temple of Olympian Zeus Hadrian's Arch Parliament of Greece Constitution Square Academy of Athens National Library of Greece Acropolis Parthenon Propylaea Temple of Athena Nike Erechtheion Acropolis Museum - Day 8
Athens
An early pickup at 07:30 takes you to Piraeus Port for a full-day cruise to three Saronic Gulf islands: Hydra, Poros, and Aegina. Lunch is included on board as you travel between them. You'll return to Piraeus at 19:15 and get transferred back to your hotel. Keep in mind the cruise might be cancelled if weather turns bad, and a land excursion would replace it instead.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch on board)
Included Activities
- Full-day cruise to Hydra, Poros, and Aegina
Landmarks/POIs Hydra Poros Aegina Saronic Gulf - Day 9
Athens
After breakfast, your assistant will meet you at the hotel and arrange your transfer to the airport by minibus or taxi for your departure flight.
- Meals
- Breakfast
