Best of Turkey Escorted Vacation

You will be transferred to your hotel in Istanbul upon arrival. (Your arrival transfer is included only if you arrive on the actual day the tour commences. For customers arriving earlier an individual transfer can be organized at an additional cost.) The rest of the day is at leisure until you meet your tour director for a welcome briefing.

Today, enjoy a full-day tour of Istanbul including a visit to Topkapi Palace, residence of the Ottoman Sultans between 1453 and 1852 (excluding harem). Visit the Hippodrome which was once the center of life where chariot racing and other public events took place. Tour the Blue Mosque built between 1609 and 1616, and famous for its blue ceramic tiles. Next, see St. Sophia, a church built in the 6th century and converted to a mosque by the Ottomans. It is now a museum and one of the world’s greatest architectural wonders. Your last stop will be the famous Grand Bazaar, the world’s largest and oldest covered market with over 60 streets. In the evening, consider joining an optional dinner with belly dancing entertainment. (B)

In the morning, depart for Gallipoli, the site of many battles during WWII. Visit Anzac Cove, the Lone Pine Cemetery, and Chunuk Bair. Then cross the Dardanelles to Canakkale. (B,D)

Visit Troy with its famous wooden horse, best known for being the setting of the Trojan War. Enjoy lunch with locals in a traditional village.  Then continue to Pergamum and visit the ancient medical center Asklepion. Arrive in Izmir in the evening. (B,L,D)

Today, tour the ruins of Ephesus, an important cultural center of the ancient world, and explore the 2,000-year old marble streets, a theater, the Library of Celsius, a gymnasium, and Hadrian's Temple. Take a short drive to see the Virgin Mary's stone cottage. Continue to a regional rug production center to have firsthand experience of this unique art form. In the evening consider having an optional dinner at a local restaurant. (B)

Drive through lush valleys to Pamukkale which means "Cotton Castle", describing the white lime cascades formed by hot mineral springs. Visit the ruins of the Roman health spa of Hierapolis. Enjoy a swim in your hotel's thermal pool. (B,D)

After a morning at leisure, depart for Bodrum to visit the Castle of St. Peter and the renowned Underwater Museum. (B)

Enjoy a day at leisure in Bodrum or consider joining an optional tour to the Greek Island of Kos. (B,D)

After breakfast, depart for Antalya. En route, visit the famous ancient city of Termessos. (B,D)

This morning, visit to the ancient Greek city of Perge, famous for its Temple of Artemis. Continue to Aspendos with its magnificently preserved 15,000-person theater. Return to Antalya and enjoy a relaxing afternoon by the Mediterranean Sea, an area known as the Turquoise Coast. (B,D)

Early in the morning, depart for Konya to visit the mausoleum of the sufi philosopher Mevlana. Continue to Cappadocia, famous for it's "moon-like" landscapes. En route, visit a 13th century caravanserai and the famous underground city of Saratli. (B,D)

Consider an early morning optional hot air balloon tour. Experience floating through the volcanic valleys, fairy chimneys and caves at sunrise. After breakfast, visit Goreme, a historical region of Turkey, located among rock formations. It was first settled back in the Roman period. Many rock churches can still be seen today, as Christianity was then the prevailing religion in that region. Continue to the town of Avanos, renowned for its high quality earthenware. Also visit Pasabagi and the Red Valley, and attend a brief regional pottery workshop in a cave. Enjoy dinner at an authentic local restaurant. Later in the evening, consider seeing an optional Whirling Dervishes performance. (B,D)

Early in the morning, depart for Ankara. Enjoy an afternoon tour of the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations with its Hittite treasures and artifacts from the world's oldest city. (B,D)

You will be transferred to the Ankara airport for your return flight home. (Your departure transfer is included only if you depart on the actual day the tour concludes. For customers departing later an individual transfer can be organized at an additional cost.) (B)