Classic Legendary Lands Tour

We depart from Istanbul in the early morning and head to the Gallipoli Peninsula, a place of deep historical significance. Here, we explore the WW1 Battlefields of Gallipoli, including the Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair Memorials, ANZAC Cove, Johnston's Jolly, The Nek, and original trenches and tunnels. We spend the night in a special class hotel in Çanakkale, where a delicious dinner awaits.

We start the day with a visit to the ancient city of Troy, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the new, award-winning Troy Museum. From there, we continue to Bergama and ascend to the magnificent acropolis of Pergamon, a renowned cultural and political center in its time. We end the day in Kuşadası, where we stay in a boutique hotel and enjoy breakfast and dinner.

Today, we delve into history with a guided tour of Ephesus and a visit to the site of the Temple of Artemis. We soak in the mystical atmosphere of the ancient city and theatre before heading to the former Greek village of Sirince, famous for its fruit wines. We also learn about the long traditions of carpet weaving in Turkey at a local carpet village. We return to our boutique hotel in Kuşadası for breakfast and dinner.

Today, we travel the ancient Silk Road, visiting the Sultanhani Caravansary and the Mevlana museum in Konya along the way. In the evening, you have the option to join a traditional Turkish folklore evening. We spend the night in a boutique cave hotel in Cappadocia, where breakfast and dinner are served.

Today, we marvel at the lunar landscape of Cappadocia. We visit the Goreme Valley Open Air Museum, admire the fairy chimneys, and explore the many levels of an underground city. We return to our boutique cave hotel in Cappadocia for breakfast and dinner.

We depart from Cappadocia in the morning and head to Ankara for our direct flight to Van. Upon arrival, we meet our tour guide and explore the Citadel with its three thousand Urartian fortress of Van, where we witness an extraordinary sunset. We spend the night in a boutique hotel in Van, where breakfast is provided.

After breakfast, we travel by ferry to Akdamar Island to see a spectacular 10th-century church built by an Armenian king. If time permits, we may even swim in Lake Van. We then visit the largest Urartu Museum in the world, where artifacts from various historical periods are displayed. We also visit the Van Cat House to see the unique Van cats, known for their swimming ability. We return to our boutique hotel in Van for breakfast.

Today, we leave for Dogubayazit via Muradiye and the Bendimaahi Falls. In Dogubayazit, we visit the spectacular Ishak Pasha Palace, a unique fusion of Seljuk, Ottoman, Georgian, and Armenian-Persian architecture. We continue our journey north, skirting around the western edge of Mt. Ararat, one of the world's great natural spectacles. We spend the night in a boutique hotel in Kars, where breakfast is provided.

This morning, we journey to the site of Ani, the former capital of the Armenian kingdom. We explore the ruined city, including several churches, the Cathedral of Ani, the citadel, and a mosque. In the afternoon, we visit the 12 Apostles Church and Kars Castle. We return to our boutique hotel in Kars for breakfast.