Itinerary
- Day 1
Istanbul
You'll arrive in Istanbul and get transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is open, so you can wander around at your own pace and get a feel for the city.
- Day 2
Istanbul
After breakfast, you'll take a guided tour through Istanbul's Old City. You'll see the Blue Mosque, St Sophia Museum, and Topkapi Palace including the Harem and Hagia Irene. Later in the afternoon, there's an optional Bosphorus cruise if you're interested.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Fully guided tour of Istanbul Old City
- Visit Blue Mosque
- Visit St Sophia Museum
- Visit Topkapi Palace including Hagia Irene and the Harem
- Visit the Hippodrome
Optional Activities
- Half day Bosphorus cruise
Landmarks Blue Mosque St Sophia Museum Topkapi Palace Hagia Irene Hippodrome - Day 3
Gallipoli
Today you head to Gallipoli to visit the WWI battlefields and memorials. You'll walk through Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair Memorials, ANZAC Cove, The Nek, and Johnston's Jolly, then see the original trenches and tunnels from this historic site.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit Lone Pine Memorial
- Visit Chunuk Bair Memorial
- Visit ANZAC Cove
- Visit The Nek
- Visit Johnston's Jolly
- Visit original trenches and tunnels
Landmarks Lone Pine Memorial Chunuk Bair Memorial ANZAC Cove The Nek Johnston's Jolly - Day 4
Troy - Behramkale - Kusadasi
Leaving Çanakkale, you'll travel to Troy, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and check out the Troy Museum. Then you'll head to Behramkale village to walk around the traditional stone houses and have Turkish tea or coffee before continuing south to Kusadasi.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Explore ancient city of Troy
- Visit Troy Museum
- Explore Behramkale village
Optional Activities
- Turkish tea or coffee at a local café in Behramkale
Landmarks Troy Troy Museum Behramkale - Day 5
Kusadasi
You'll take a guided tour of Ephesus, seeing the Temple of Artemis site and the ancient theatre. After that, you'll visit the Ephesus Archaeology Museum to see regional artifacts. Later, you'll stop at a carpet village to learn about traditional hand-weaving and how carpet values are determined.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Guided tour of Ephesus
- Visit Temple of Artemis
- Explore ancient theatre
- Visit Ephesus Archaeology Museum
- Visit carpet village and learn hand-weaving techniques
Landmarks Ephesus Temple of Artemis Ephesus Archaeology Museum - Day 6
Pamukkale
This morning you'll see a display of locally handcrafted leather goods. Then you'll head to Pamukkale to see the white calcium terraces and tour the ancient city of Hierapolis. You'll have time for a refreshing dip in the hot springs that have been used since Roman times, and you'll be surrounded by ancient columns.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- View display of locally handcrafted leather goods
- Visit Pamukkale travertines
- Tour ancient city of Hierapolis
- Swim in hot springs used in Roman times
Landmarks Pamukkale Hierapolis - Day 7
Pamukkale - Antalya
After breakfast, you're heading to the resort town of Antalya. On the way, you'll stop at Laodicea, which was the chief city of the Lycus River Valley region. Once in Antalya, you'll visit the Necropol Museum to learn about ancient burial practices and see artifacts from different historical periods.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit Laodicea
- Visit Antalya Necropol Museum
Landmarks Laodicea Antalya Necropol Museum - Day 8
Antalya
You'll spend the day exploring the ancient ruins of Perge and Aspendos. In Aspendos, you'll see the Roman Theatre built in the 2nd century with seating for 15,000 people. You'll also visit Side, which has the Temple of Apollo and other classical ruins worth checking out.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Full day tour of ancient ruins of Perge
- Visit Aspendos
- See Roman Theatre
- Visit Side and Temple of Apollo
Landmarks Perge Aspendos Roman Theatre Side Temple of Apollo - Day 9
Konya - Cappadocia
You're traveling through central Turkey to Cappadocia today. Along the way, you'll visit the Sultanhani Caravansary and the Mevlana museum in Konya before arriving at your cave hotel in Cappadocia for the evening.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit Sultanhani Caravansary
- Visit Mevlana museum in Konya
Landmarks Sultanhani Caravansary Mevlana museum - Day 10
Cappadocia
Starting the day, you'll visit Pigeon Valley and Red Valley, then stop at Çavuşin Village. From there, you'll head to Avanos, a pottery town where you can see a local pottery demonstration. In the afternoon, you'll explore Cappadocia's landscape, visiting Göreme Open-Air Museum, seeing the fairy chimneys, and checking out an underground city with its multi-level chambers.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit Pigeon Valley
- Visit Red Valley
- Stop at Çavuşin Village
- Visit Avanos
- See local pottery demonstration
- Visit Göreme Open-Air Museum
- View fairy chimneys
- Explore underground city multi-level chambers
Landmarks Pigeon Valley Red Valley Çavuşin Village Avanos Göreme Open-Air Museum - Day 11
Cappadocia - Amasya
You'll drive through central Anatolia heading north. You'll stop at Hattusas, the ancient Hittite capital, to see its impressive ruins including monumental gates and temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After that, you'll continue to Amasya, a city with Ottoman wooden houses and rock tombs carved into the riverside cliffs.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit Hattusas ancient capital of Hittite Empire
- Explore ruins including monumental gates and temples
Landmarks Hattusas - Day 12
Amasya - Kastamonu
You'll walk around Amasya's town center along the Yeşilirmak River to see the Ottoman houses. You'll visit the Hazeranlar Mansion, a well-preserved 19th-century building, and take a short riverside walk. By late morning, you'll leave for Kastamonu, arriving in the afternoon with time to explore.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Explore Amasya town center
- Stroll along Yeşilirmak River
- Visit Hazeranlar Mansion
- Take riverside walk in Amasya
Optional Activities
- Explore local surroundings in Kastamonu
Landmarks Hazeranlar Mansion Yeşilirmak River - Day 13
Kastamonu - Safranbolu
This morning you'll explore Kastamonu's cultural sites like Kastamonu Castle for city views, the Nasrullah Mosque and Square, and the Liva Pasha Mansion Ethnography Museum. You'll walk through streets with historic wooden houses before leaving late morning. On the way to Safranbolu, you'll stop at a Glass Viewing Platform for canyon photos, visit Yörük Village to see authentic Ottoman houses, then continue to Safranbolu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its Ottoman architecture and cobblestone streets.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit Kastamonu Castle
- Visit Nasrullah Mosque and Square
- Visit Liva Pasha Mansion Ethnography Museum
- Stop at Glass Viewing Platform
- Visit Yörük Village
Landmarks Kastamonu Castle Nasrullah Mosque Liva Pasha Mansion Ethnography Museum Glass Viewing Platform Yörük Village Safranbolu - Day 14
Safranbolu
You'll explore Safranbolu's historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You'll visit the Cinci Han and Cinci Hammam, former Silk Road stops, and the Kaymakamlar Museum House showing traditional Ottoman life. You'll see the Izzet Mehmet Pasha Mosque and get panoramic views from the Clock Tower. In the afternoon, you'll head to Amasra on the Black Sea coast for a short walking tour and photos before returning to Safranbolu.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Explore Safranbolu historic town center
- Visit Cinci Han
- Visit Cinci Hammam
- Visit Kaymakamlar Museum House
- Visit Izzet Mehmet Pasha Mosque
- Visit Clock Tower
- Walking tour of Amasra
- Photo stop in Amasra
Landmarks Cinci Han Cinci Hammam Kaymakamlar Museum House Izzet Mehmet Pasha Mosque Clock Tower Amasra - Day 15
Safranbolu - Istanbul
You're heading west from Safranbolu toward Istanbul through scenic northern Turkish landscapes. You'll stop at Abant Lake, a natural gem surrounded by pine forests and rolling hills. You'll take a leisurely walk along the shore, enjoy the fresh air, and maybe grab a coffee or tea at a lakeside café before driving on to Istanbul.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Stop at Abant Lake
- Leisurely walk along lakeshore
Optional Activities
- Coffee or tea at lakeside café
Landmarks Abant Lake - Day 16
Istanbul
Your tour wraps up today with an airport transfer from Istanbul.
- Meals
- Breakfast
