Turkey Group Discovery

10 Days / 9 Nights

Turkey Group Discovery

10 Days / 9 Nights
Departures: March - December 2024

From $4,396 AUD
Trip Style
Group Travel

Cultural

Departure city: Istanbul, Turkey
End city: Istanbul, Turkey

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Tour Leaders / Guides
Someone local to show you around
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Group Travel
Meet like-minded people and new friends

Discover the wonders of Turkey on this 10-day tour. Start in Istanbul and travel to Gallipoli, Troy, Pergamum and Ephesus. Soak your feet in thermal hot springs in Pamukkale and explore the dreamlike landscape of Cappadocia.

Trip

Highlights

  • Explore Turkey’s cultural and historical centre with a full-day tour of Istanbul
  • Visit the ruins at Troy, Pergamum, Hierapolis and Ephesus
  • Explore the beautiful and surreal landscape of Cappadocia
  • Head to the ancient city of Hierapolis to soak in the hot thermal springs
Trip

Inclusions

accommodation style
7 Nights Accommodation
in comfort hotels
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Meals
9 Breakfasts, 6 dinners
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Extras
Entrance fees + All permits and taxes
included coach transportation
Transportation
Transportation as per the itinerary
included airport transfers icon
Transfers
Airport pick-up and drop-off
Guide
All activities as per the itinerary with English-speaking guide
  • International and/or domestic flights
  • Optional activities
  • Other meals/drinks
  • Personal expenses
  • Tips
  • Travel insurance
  • Single supplement for private room available upon request
  • Anything not mentioned in 'inclusions'
Trip

Itinerary

Istanbul Airport Pick-Up

 

Upon arrival, you will be picked up at the Istanbul airport and transferred to your accommodation for check-in. Take the rest of the day to discover the magnificent city at your leisure. Overnight in Istanbul.

Istanbul Old City Tour

 

After breakfast, set off for your full-day tour of Istanbul! Spread across two continents, this historically important city played an integral role in the development of both the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. Visit the famous 17th-century Blue Mosque, the Aya Sofya Museum, the former residence of the Ottoman Sultans at Topkapi Palace, and the Hippodrome. Overnight in Istanbul.

 

Meals: B

Gallipoli Battlefields & Memorials

 

This morning you'll take a drive to Gallipoli, where you will enjoy a fully guided tour of this World War I battlefield site. Once home to some of history's fiercest battles, today the site contains a plethora of memorials. Visit the Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair memorials, ANZAC Cove, Johnston's Jolly, The Nek and the Gallipoli Museum. You will have the chance to see the original trenches and tunnels used during the war, before your transfer to your accommodation in Canakkale, where you'll stay the night.

 

Meals: B, D

Troy & The Acropolis of Pergamum

 

Start your day with a short drive to the ancient city of Troy. Lying undiscovered until midway through the 19th century, the excavations brought back to life the legend of the Trojan horse and the poems of Homer. Next, drive south to the acropolis of Pergamum, a former kingdom where you will enjoy a tour, including the Temple of Trajan and the famous library, which helped shape Pergamum into a renowned cultural and political centre. Overnight in Kusadasi.

 

Meals: B, D

Ephesus, Sirince & Kusadasi

 

After breakfast this morning, visit Ephesus, the city that at one time housed 250,000 people and is regarded as one of the best-preserved ancient cities in the Mediterranean. Discover the Temple of Artemis and explore the ancient marble streets of this ruined Roman city. In the afternoon, visit the vineyard village of Sirince and learn about the history of carpet weaving. Overnight in Kusadasi.

 

Meals: B, D

Pamukkale & Hierapolis

 

Your day starts with a drive to Pamukkale, the site of the white calcium terraces known as travertines. Pamukkale is one of the most extraordinary natural wonders of Turkey; the buildings appear to be made of snow or clouds as a result of the hot thermal springs that pour down the hillside depositing calcium carbonate, which solidifies as travertine. We call this geological fairyland Pamukkale, or 'Cotton Castle.'

 

The ruins of Hierapolis are the other main attraction. The city was founded in 190 B.C. by Eumenes II, king of Pergamon. In the 2nd and 3rd centuries, it reached the height of its development as a Roman thermal bath epicentre. Hierapolis has extensive ruins: the city walls, the octagonal Martyrium of St. Philip, the 2nd-century theatre, the Temple of Apollo, the basilica, and then the necropolis which spreads 2 km and contains ancient tombs. This area is considered to be one of the best-preserved cemeteries in all of Anatolia. The thermal hot springs have been used since Roman times, and now you too can take a relaxing soak in these mineral-rich waters. Overnight in Pamukkale.

 

Meals: B, D

Silk Road to Konya

 

Today, travel back in time and follow the ancient Silk Road towards Konya. Learn more about the history of this important trade route with a stop at the Sultanhani Caravanserai, before getting to Konya and visiting the Mevlana museum. Overnight in Cappadocia.

 

Meals: B, D

Cappadocia

 

Today head out and explore the beautiful and surreal landscape of Cappadocia. Unlike anywhere else on earth, this setting creates a fairytale view full of improbable rock formations and underground villages. Enjoy a full tour of the place often described as the 'jewel of Turkey,' and explore the subterranean churches and fortresses used by Christians to avoid persecution over a thousand years ago. Overnight in Cappadocia.

 

Meals: B, D

Ankara & Return to Istanbul

 

This morning you will take a drive to Ankara, Turkey's modern-day capital city. Visit Anitkabir, the mausoleum of the famed Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, before returning to Istanbul where you will stay overnight.

 

Please Note: Be prepared for a long travel day with a lot of driving.

 

Meals: B

Istanbul Airport Drop-Off

 

This morning enjoy a delicious breakfast and get ready for your transfer to Istanbul airport, where you'll catch your departing flight on to your next destination. We wish you safe travels!

 

Meals: B

10 Day Turkey Group Discovery Map

Terms and conditions apply.  Subject to change and availability.  Prices are per person twin share and subject to currency fluctuation. (ba)