Treasures of Turkey (Classic, Base, 15 Days)
Description
Summary
Description
Embark on a captivating 15-day journey through the rich history, vibrant culture, and stunning landscapes of Turkey. This multi-day tour offers a unique blend of ancient wonders, bustling cities, and tranquil villages. From the lively streets of Istanbul to the ancient ruins of Ephesus, from the unique geological formations of Cappadocia to the tranquil thermal waters of Pamukkale, this tour offers an immersive experience into the heart of Turkey. Enjoy a cruise along the Bosphorus Strait, explore the historic monuments of Bursa, and delve into the traditional life in the village of Cumalikizik. With comfortable accommodations, delicious meals, and expert guidance, this tour promises an unforgettable Turkish adventure.
Included
14 nights hotel accommodation
9 Dinner with Wine (DW)
14 Breakfast (B)
1 Lunch (L)
Istanbul: Enjoy getting to know your fellow travellers as you savour a delicious Welcome Dinner in a local restaurant.
Cappadocia: Watch a spectacular Sema performance of Whirling Dervishes and discover the flavours of Cappadocia as you indulge in a regional dinner of colourful dishes.
Istanbul: Toast the culmination of your tour with a lively Celebration Dinner at a popular local restaurant.
Bursa: On your orientation with your Travel Director visit the town’s mosques, bazaars and famous Silk Market.
Ankara: On your orientation with your Travel Director of the capital of modern Turkey discover its Roman and Byzantine heritage, visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations and the Mausoleum of Atatürk.
Troy: On your orientation with your Travel Director hear about the nearly 4000 year-old settlement, see the wooden Trojan Horse and hear about myths and legends connected to this archaeological site.
Cappadocia: Join a Cappadocian local, who has lived in the city for decades and take a tour of their cave house to learn more about their unique way of life.
Uchisar: Enjoy the unique flavours of Anatolia at Uchisar Kadineli Restaurant, where every dish is homemade with love. This remarkable establishment provides employment for more than 65 women from the village. The restaurant is owned by women and focuses on empowering women through employment. Some employed as administrators, some as teachers, some as cooks and some as waiters. Here they are taught how to sow clothes by using modern technology, how to knit, how to cook, how to make various kinds of artifacts, and how to merchandise their products and convert it to money for their families. Uchisar Kadineli Restaurant advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality.
Istanbul: Enjoy a relaxing cruise on the Bosphorus in Istanbul, where you'll pass Ottoman palaces, old mansions and fortresses.
Cumalikizik: Visit the over 700 year-old village to get glimpse into what Ottoman villages away from the capital looked like.
Ankara: Discover the mysterious Hittite civilisation and visit the Mausoleum of Atatürk.
Göreme: With your Local Expert, explore the underground cities, rock-cut churches, fairy-tale chimneys and the Pasabag Valley.
Visit the narrow passages and interconnecting rooms of this Stone Age underground city dug out from the hills and built to block invaders and defend against attacks.
Learn about the ancient art of pottery making in Avanos.
Konya: Visit a well preserved Seljuk Caravanserai.
Konya: Accompanied by your Local Expert, visit the beautiful Mevlana Tekke museum for an insight into the mystic Whirling Dervishes. See the Karatay Medrese and Ince Minaret.
Aspendos: Visit the world's best preserved Roman Theatre in Aspendos.
Antalya: Visit the historic Old Town and wander through its charming narrow streets, discovering souvenir markets and sweeping sea views.
Pamukkale: See the cascading Cotton Castle of milky white travertine pools and the ancient ruin of Hierapolis.
Corinth: Visit the open-air museum Aphrodisias dedicated to goddess Aphrodite, see the ancient city and statues that have survived preserving most of their originality.
Ephesus: Discover one of the world's finest ancient sites. Led by your Local Expert, walk the Arcadian Way, see the Library of Celsus and Amphitheatre and visit the Palace of Knossos.
Pergamon: Visit Asklepion, the first hospital and spa centre in the world for physical and mental health and see its well-preserved and impressive Roman columns.
Troy: Visit this ancient sight fabled to have been destroyed over love and view the huge reconstructed Trojan Horse.
Gallipoli: Pay your respects at Anzac Cove and Lone Pine Cemetery.
Istanbul: Visit the Blue Mosque and the Hippodrome. With your Local Expert, gain insight into the lives of the Ottoman Sultans during a visit to the fabulous Topkapi Palace. Then stroll through the Grand Bazaar.
Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).
If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport.
Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxurious, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom. Our customized luxury coaches are sanitized before the start of your tour and are maintained to very high standards. Physical distancing measures have been implemented on our customized luxury coaches.
Destinations
Map
Attractions
Daily Itinerary
Day 1 – Day 1: Arrival in Istanbul
- Istanbul - Arrival day
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Welcome to the vibrant city of Istanbul, Turkey. Upon your arrival, a representative will escort you to your hotel. Take some time to relax and freshen up. In the evening, join your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a delightful Welcome Dinner.
Day 2 – Day 2: Istanbul to Bursa
- Bursa
- Istanbul
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- Grand Mosque of Bursa
- Green Tomb
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Begin your day with a leisurely cruise along the bustling Bosphorus Strait, taking in the quaint fishing villages, beautiful Ottoman palaces, and fortresses along the waterfront. Later, journey to Bursa, the first major capital of the Ottoman Empire. Visit the Green Mosque, the Grand Mosque, and the Mausoleum complex. Spend your afternoon exploring the city's bazaars, silk markets, and historic monuments. In the evening, savor a delicious meal at a local restaurant.
Day 3 – Day 3: Bursa to Ankara via Cumalikizik and Gordion
- Bursa
- Ankara
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- Cumalikizik Village (UNESCO)
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Start your day in the charming village of Cumalikizik, known for its traditional wooden houses and narrow cobblestone streets. Continue to Gordion, the ancient capital city of Phrygia, before heading to Ankara, Turkey's modern capital. Enjoy a relaxed evening at your hotel, the Hilton SA (or similar), with amenities like an indoor pool, jacuzzi, and hammam.
Day 4 – Day 4: Ankara to Avanos via Hittite Museum and Anitkabir
- Ankara
- Avanos
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- Anıtkabir
- Ankara Vakıf Museum
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Spend your day exploring Ankara, Turkey's bustling cultural capital. Visit the Hittite Museum and Anitkabir, the Mausoleum of Atatürk, the first President of the Republic of Turkey. Later, journey to Avanos in Cappadocia, known for its unique geological formations and panoramic views.
Day 5 – Day 5: Exploring Cappadocia
- Avanos
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- Pigeon Valley
- Özkonak
- Güray Müze
- Uchisar Castle
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Today, explore the striking town of Göreme with its rock-hewn churches adorned with ancient wall paintings. Visit the Uçhisar Kadineli Restaurant for a taste of regional Anatolian flavors. Continue to the Pasabag Valley and the underground city of Özkonak. Later, join a local resident for a tour of their cave house and learn about local traditions and family life. In the evening, witness a performance of Whirling Dervishes before dining at a local restaurant.
Day 6 – Day 6: Avanos to Konya via Silk Road
- Konya
- Avanos
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- Sille Baraj Parkı
- Seyir Tepesi
- Mevlâna Museum
- Karatay Madrasah
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Start your day with a pottery making session in Avanos. Journey along the famous Silk Road to visit a 13th-century caravanserai. Later, head to Konya, the old capital of the Anatolian Seljuk Empire. Visit the Mevlana Museum, Karatay Medrese, and Ince Minaret.
Day 7 – Day 7: Konya to Antalya via Aspendos
Day 7: Konya to Antalya via Aspendos
- Aspendos Theater
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Begin your day with a scenic drive down the Taurus Mountains to Aspendos, an ancient city in Antalya known for its well-preserved Roman theatre. Explore the city with your fellow travellers before heading to Antalya's Old Town, known for its souvenir markets and sweeping sea views.
Day 8 – Day 8: Free Day in Antalya
- Antalya
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Enjoy a day at leisure in Antalya. Relax and enjoy the facilities at your hotel or explore the city at your own pace. Your Travel Director can provide recommendations for places to visit in the city, or you could take a stroll around the harbour or a boat trip off the coast.
Day 9 – Day 9: Antalya to Pamukkale via Hierapolis
- Pamukkale
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- Hierapolis Ancient Theatre
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Cross the soaring Taurus Mountains to visit the ancient city of Hierapolis, a Roman spa city founded around 190 B.C. Next, explore the gleaming white travertine terraces of Pamukkale, famous for its mineral-rich thermal waters. Later, head back to your hotel, the esteemed Doğa Thermal Health & Spa (or similar), and enjoy its indoor and outdoor thermal pools, steam room, and Turkish bath complex.
Day 10 – Day 10: Pamukkale to Kusadasi via Temple of Aphrodite
- Izmir
- Pamukkale
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Start your morning with a trip to the Temple of Aphrodite in Geyre, dedicated to the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility. Arrive into the coastal resort of Kusadasi for an evening at leisure.
Day 11 – Day 11: Exploring Ephesus
- Selçuk
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- House of Virgin Mary
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Discover the world-renowned archaeological site of Ephesus. Walk through the colonnaded Arcadian Way, see the Library of Celsus and the huge Amphitheatre. Visit the House of the Virgin Mary, situated above the Ephesus ruins, and the Ephesus Archaeological Museum.
Day 12 – Day 12: Ephesus to Çanakkale via Pergamon and Troy
- Çanakkale
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- Bergama Museum
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Begin your day with a trip to Pergamon, an ancient Greek city, where you'll find the Asklepion temple. Next, head to the city of Troy, the backdrop to one of history's most famous love stories. After some time exploring, continue your journey to Çanakkale, a gateway to the Gallipoli WWI battlefields.
Day 13 – Day 13: Çanakkale to Istanbul via Gallipoli Peninsula
- Çanakkale
- Istanbul
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- Akbas cemetary
- Gallipoli War Museum
- Lone Pine
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This morning, cross the Dardanelles Strait by ferry to the Gallipoli Peninsula. Learn about the events of the Great War as you visit Anzac Cove and pay your respects at the Lone Pine Cemetery. Later, return to Istanbul where you'll spend the next two nights.
Day 14 – Day 14: Exploring Istanbul
- Istanbul
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- Sultan Ahmed Mosque
- Hagia Irene
- Grand Bazaar
- Hagia Sophia
- Topkapı Palace
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Spend your day exploring the historic sites of Istanbul. Visit the Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome, Hagia Sophia, and the Topkapi Palace. Enjoy the excitement of bargaining in the bustling Grand Bazaar. In the evening, join your fellow travellers for a Celebration Dinner at a local restaurant.
Day 15 – Day 15: Departure from Istanbul
- Istanbul - Departure day
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As your unforgettable journey comes to an end, bid farewell to your new friends. A transfer will take you to the airport for your onward flights. For those extending their stay in Istanbul, your Travel Director can provide tips on where to explore next.
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