Description

DAY 1: ARRIVE IN ISTANBUL, TURKEY (D)
Arriving at Istanbul Airport, you will meet your tour guide for the transfer to your hotel and do the check-in.

Turkey, a vibrant country that boasts and amazing mix of ancient and new, Asian and European. This thriving modern society welcomes visitors with genuine warmth and hospitality.

Your guide will give a briefing at the hotel for the itinerary.

Welcome Dinner and overnight at your hotel in Istanbul.

DAY 2: ISTANBUL (B)
Breakfast at the hotel and depart for a morning tour of Istanbul.

Visit Hippodrome, the former centre of sportive and political activities of Constantinople. During the visit you’ll be able to see the Obelisk from Egypt, the Serpentine Column from Delphi and the fountain of Willhelm II.

On to the Blue Mosque, one of the largest mosques in Istanbul dating from the 17th century. It is one of the principal adornments on the skyline of Istanbul and also famous for its blue tiles and 6 minarets.

Continue to Topkapı Palace, the former imperial residence from where the Great Ottoman Empire was ruled. Today, it is a spectacular museum which houses one of the largest collections of Chinese and Japanese porcelain and also has sections where you will see the famous 86-carat diamond, the Topkapi Dagger, etc.

Visit the Spice Market. In addition to its historical importance, you can discover the different spices, their flavours and healing qualities. Known in Turkish as Misir (Egyptian) Carsisi, the Spice Market is located in Eminonu, right next to the Flower Bazaar. It was once built by Hatice Turhan Sultan in 1660. As the name suggests, the shops have hundreds if not thousands of different spices. Bedazzle your senses with the tempting variety of interesting spices used for savoury cooking as well as medicines, such as saffron, nigella seeds, chilli, cumin, curry etc.

This afternoon, explore Istanbul on own or you may want to take optional tours to see St. Sophia and Grand Bazaar or enjoy a cruise of Bosphorus.

DAY 3: ISTANBUL – GALLIPOLI – CANAKKALE (B/D)
Early breakfast at the hotel, check out and drive towards Çanakkale.

The journey takes approx. 4-5 hours and on arrival, we will visit the World War I battlefields of the Gallipoli Peninsula, where one of the Turkey’s greatest modern military victories took place.

After the tour, drive to the hotel, dinner and overnight at your hotel in Canakkale.

DAY 4: CANAKKALE – TROY – PERGAMON – IZMIR (B/L/D)
After breakfast, you will drive to Troy, both factual and legendary, located in the Northwest of Anatolia, in the Southeast of the Dardanelles and close to Mount Ida.
Troy is best known for being the focus of the Trojan War described in the Greek Epic Cycle and especially in the Iliad, one of the two epic poems attributed to Homer. Metrical evidence from the Iliad and the Odyssey seems to show that the name Ilion formerly began with a digamma: Wilion. This has now been supported by the deciphering of the Hittite tablets showing the Hittite form “Wilusa”, referring to Troy.

Visit the archaeological site of this 5000 year-old city, scene of the legendary Fall of Troy in the Trojan War as described in Homer’s Iliad, made famous by its wooden horse. See a reconstruction of the fabled Wooden Horse as well as the city ruins from a succession of nine civilizations.

We then drive to Bergama (Pergamum) which was once a great centre of culture, still surviving as one of Turkey’s finest archaeological sites.

Visit the Asclepion, the ancient Roman spa center followed by an enjoyable lunch in a local village.

Continue drive to Izmir, a city believed to be the birthplace of Homer.

After checking in, Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Izmir.

DAY 5: IZMIR – EPHESUS – IZMIR (B/L/D)
After breakfast at the hotel, enjoy a full day tour to Ephesus. The world famous ancient city of Ephesus was once the commercial centre of the ancient world. The city’s wealth and patronage supported its splendid architectural program was dedicated to the goddess Artemis.

The ruins include a theatre, gymnasium, agora, baths, Temple of Hadrian and the library of Celcius. We will also visit House of Virgin Mary.

Lunch in a local restaurant.

Afterwards, return to Izmir for Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

DAY 6: IZMIR – PAMUKKALE – ANTALYA (B/D)
After breakfast, departure from the hotel for Hierapolis (Pamukkale). Near the city of Denizli is Pamukkale (Cotton Castle), a beautiful and spectacular natural site, unique in the world with its fairy-like, dazzling white cascade. Pamukkale’s terraces are made of travertine, which is a sedimentary rock deposited by water from hot springs.

You will see the thermal spring water plunging down the mountain side which has created this natural formation of stalactites, cataracts and the basin. The thermal water has been used since the Roman period for the therapeutic powers.

You will visit the Roman city of Hierapolis with its Apollo-Temple competing with Delphi, the monumental Nympheum, a 4th century Basilica and the Theatre. Then visit the best preserved Necropolis.

Afterwards, drive to Antalya. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Antalya.

DAY 7: ANTALYA (B/D)
Breakfast at the hotel and enjoy a full day at leisure.

Antalya is an international city that has become a prime destination in Turkey.

Optional : Perge & Aspendos &Antalya Archaeological Museum.
An optional tour is offered to the well-known Pamphilian Cities. Perge, the Heart of Pamphylia, was a vast Roman Province with a combination of Greek, Roman and Byzantine cultures. See the Roman Baths, the Agora, the colonnaded street, the Nymphaeum and the Stadium(cap.12.000). Aspendos is a masterpiece and the best-preserved theatre in the world. This Roman Theatre was built in 2 AD and had a cap. 15.000 You will visit the ancient aquaducts of Aspendos.

On the return trip, visit Antalya Archaeological Museum.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Antalya.

DAY 8: ANTALYA – CAPPADOCIA (B)
After breakfast at the hotel, early departure for Cappadocia. En route, visit the 13th century Caravanserai of Sultanhan. The caravanserai provided to the traders, both foreign and native, with heated rooms, food, medical attention, equipment repair and many other common conveniences.

Continue to Nevsehir in Cappadocia where we will arrive in the evening.

Tonight, enjoy an optional Whirling Dervishes Performance

DAY 9: CAPPADOCIA (B/D)
You may wish to begin the day very early and join an optional hot air balloon ride that takes you soaring over the magnificent Cappadocian landscape with its incredible fairy chimney rock formations.

After breakfast, enjoy a full day tour of Cappadocia, visit the Goreme Open Air Museum to see the best examples of Byzantine art in Cappadocia. These are found in rock-cut churches with frescoes and paintings dating from as early as the 10th century. Visit the Ozkonak Underground city.

DAY 10: CAPPADOCIA – ANKARA (B/D)
After breakfast, depart from your hotel to Turkish capital of Ankara. Upon arrival see the Mausoleum of Kemal Ataturk, founder of the modern Turkish Republic.

Visit Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. The museum has the finest archeological collection in all Turkey and contains records of every civilization that passed through Anatolia which are priceless items from as far back as 7,500 years.

Dinner and overnight in Ankara.

DAY 11: ANKARA – ISTANBUL (B /D)
After breakfast, depart from the hotel and return to Istanbul.

Arrive in Istanbul and transfer to the hotel. Spend the remainder of the day at leisure.

Enjoy the optional Bosphorus Cruise or simply wander the streets.

In the evening transfer to the restaurant for your Farewell Dinner.

DAY 12 : ISTANBUL DEPARTURE (B)
After breakfast at the hotel transfer to Istanbul Airport to catch the flight home.

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