Classics of Turkey Super Saver 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.

Consider joining an optional full-day tour of Topkapi Palace (excluding the harem), the Hippodrome, the Blue Mosque, and the Grand Bazaar. As the evening draws near, consider an optional dinner with traditional belly-dancing entertainment. (B)

After breakfast, consider an optional morning tour of St. Sophia and a Bosphorus cruise. In the afternoon depart for the capital city of Ankara. (B,D)

Visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations with its Hittite treasures and artifacts from the world's oldest city anf the Mausoleum of Ataturk, father of modern Turkey.  Visit the undergound city of Sarhatli. Continue to Cappadocia, famous for its "moon-like" landscapes. En route, visit a 13th century caravanserai. Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant and consider joining an optional Whirling Dervishes performance. (B,D)

Consider an early morning optional balloon tour to experience floating through volcanic valleys, fairy chimneys and caves at sunrise. After breakfast, enjoy a day tour of Cappadocia including visit Goreme, a historical region of Turkey, located among the rock formations, which 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, the Red Valley, and attend a brief regional pottery workshop in a cave. (B,D)

Depart for Pamukkale. En route, you will visit the famous mausoleum of the sufi philosopher Mevlana in Konya. Enjoy dinner and an overnight stay in Pamukkale. (B,D)

Today is the day to pay an early morning visit to the unique Cotton Fortress, the white calcium cascades, and also pay a visit to one of the first modern spa centers of the ancient world, Hierapolis. Then we drive to Izmir. Dinner and overnight in Izmir. (B,D)

Today, consider joining full day tour of the famous ruins of Ephesus and St. Mary’s Cottage. Dinner and overnight in Izmir (B,D)

Today, visit the ancient medical center Asklepion in Pergamum. Continue to a traditional village where you may have lunch with locals. Then continue to Troy with its legendary walls and the replica of the famous wooden horse used during the Trojan War. Continue to Canakkale for dinner and an overnight stay. (B,D)

After breakfast, depart for Gallipoli, the site of many battles during WWI. Visit Anzac Cove, the Lone Pine Cemetery, and Chunuk Bair. Cross the Dardanelles to Istanbul. Enjoy a farewell dinner. (B,D)

You will be transferred to the Istanbul 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)