Itinerary
- Day 1
Istanbul
You'll arrive in Istanbul and get transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to wander around and get a feel for the city that straddles Europe and Asia. It's a good chance to settle in, maybe walk around your neighborhood, and grab dinner somewhere local.
Optional Activities
- Istanbul Classics full day tour (9am-4pm) visiting St Sophia Museum, Byzantine Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and Grand Bazaar
- Bosphorus Cruise - afternoon cruise lasting 1 hour, allow 30 mins for transport to and from port
- Traditional Turkish Folklore Evening with dinner, unlimited beer, wine, Turkish Raki, soft drinks and entertainment featuring belly dancers, traditional folk dancers and musicians
- Bosphorus by Night - 8pm pickup from hotel for boat sailing the Bosphorus with views of Ottoman summer palaces and dinner
- Istanbul Two Continents Tour visiting Spice Bazaar, Bosphorus Cruise, Rumeli Fortress, Dolmabahce Palace, Bosphorus Bridge and Camlica Hill
- Bosphorus by public ferry - day-long journey with spectacular views from the Black Sea
- Prince's Islands by public ferry - escape to Buyuk Ada (Big Island) with no vehicles, only horse and buggy and bicycles
- Day 2
Istanbul
After breakfast, you'll head out on a guided tour hitting the main historical sites. The Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia Museum, and Topkapi Palace are on the agenda, plus you'll see Hagia Irene and the Harem while you're there. The Hippodrome comes next. Later in the afternoon, there's an optional Bosphorus cruise if you want to see the strait between Europe and Asia from the water.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Fully guided tour of Istanbul including Blue Mosque, St Sophia Museum, Topkapi Palace (including Hagia Irene and the Harem), and Hippodrome
Optional Activities
- Half day Bosphorus cruise between two continents
Landmarks Blue Mosque St Sophia Museum Topkapi Palace Hagia Irene Hippodrome 
- Day 3
Gallipoli
Today takes you to Gallipoli, one of Turkey's most significant WWI sites. You'll walk through the battlefields and visit several memorials including Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair. The tour covers ANZAC Cove, The Nek, and Johnston's Jolly, and you'll see original trenches and tunnels from the war.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Guided tour of WWI Battlefields of Gallipoli including Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair Memorials, ANZAC Cove, The Nek, Johnston's Jolly, original trenches and tunnels
Landmarks Lone Pine Memorial Chunuk Bair Memorial ANZAC Cove The Nek Johnston's Jolly 
- Day 4
Çanakkale to Kuşadası
You'll leave Çanakkale and head to Troy, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with its own excellent museum that's worth your time. After that, you'll drive to Behramkale, an old village with stone houses and narrow alleys where you can wander around and stop at a local café. By evening, you'll head south to Kuşadası for the night.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Guided tour of Troy ancient city and UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Visit to Troy Museum
- Exploration of Behramkale traditional village
Landmarks Troy Troy Museum Behramkale 
- Day 5
Kuşadası
This day focuses on Ephesus with a guide walking you through the ancient theater and the Temple of Artemis site. You'll spend time at the Ephesus Archaeology Museum looking at regional artifacts from the area. Later, you'll visit a carpet village to watch craftspeople work and learn how traditional hand-weaving happens and how they value these pieces.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Guided tour of Ephesus ancient city
- Visit to Temple of Artemis site
- Exploration of ancient theatre
- Visit to Ephesus Archaeology Museum
- Carpet village visit with hand-weaving demonstration
Landmarks Ephesus Temple of Artemis Ephesus Archaeology Museum 
- Day 6
Pamukkale
You'll see a display of handcrafted leather goods, then head to Pamukkale and its striking white terraces formed by calcium deposits. The ancient city of Hierapolis sits above it, and you'll get to walk through the ruins. There's also time to soak in the hot springs surrounded by Roman columns, which locals have used for healing for centuries.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Display of locally handcrafted leather goods
- Visit to Travertines (white calcium terraces)
- Guided tour of ancient city of Hierapolis
- Bathing in therapeutic hot springs among ancient columns
Optional Activities
- Hot Air Ballooning - Short flight 45 minutes with early morning departure (EUR 20 surcharge for credit card payments; longer flights available on request)
- Cleopatra's Pool - swimming amongst ruins in thermal spring pool
- Whirling Dervish Show - evening ceremony inspired by Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi (1207-1273)
Landmarks Pamukkale Travertines Hierapolis 
- Day 7
Cappadocia
You'll travel along the historic Silk Road route, stopping at Sultanhani Caravansary and the Mevlana museum in Konya. After that, you'll arrive in Cappadocia. There's an optional traditional Turkish folklore evening if you're interested in music and dancing.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit to Sultanhani Caravansary
- Visit to Mevlana museum in Konya
Optional Activities
- Traditional Turkish Folklore Evening - dinner with unlimited beer, wine, Turkish Raki, soft drinks and entertainment featuring belly dancers, traditional folk dancers and traditional Turkish musicians; also available as show without dinner
Landmarks Sultanhani Caravansary Mevlana Museum 
- Day 8
Cappadocia
Cappadocia's unusual landscape with its fairy chimneys and rock formations is the focus today. You'll walk through Goreme Valley Open Air Museum seeing carved churches and dwellings. Then you'll explore an underground city with its different levels, getting a sense of how people lived beneath the surface.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit to Goreme Valley Open Air Museum
- Exploration of fairy chimneys
- Guided tour of underground city with multiple levels
Optional Activities
- Hot Air Ballooning - Short flight 45 minutes starting early morning over the moonscapes of Cappadocia; experienced pilots take you deep into valleys and rise as high as 2000 feet (EUR 20 surcharge for credit card payments; longer flights available on request)
- Turkish Bath - traditional sauna, marble slab, exfoliating massage and washing; approximately 1 hour duration
Landmarks Goreme Valley Open Air Museum 
- Day 9
Ankara to Istanbul
An early start gets you to Ankara, Turkey's capital. You'll visit Anitkabir, the mausoleum built for Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, which is significant to Turkish history. After that, you'll drive back to Istanbul.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit to Anitkabir (mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk)
Landmarks Anitkabir 
- Day 10
Istanbul Departure
After breakfast, your trip wraps up. You'll say goodbye to people you've met along the way and then head to the airport for your flight home.
- Meals
- Breakfast
