After a delicious breakfast, you’ll begin your exploration of this magnificent city with a comprehensive guided tour, with Shane joining you along the way.
Signature Highlight: Blue Mosque & Spice Market with Shane Delia
In Istanbul’s Old City, marvel at the 17th-century Blue Mosque, an Ottoman masterpiece famed for its shimmering blue tiles, cascading domes and six elegant minarets that ascend into the sky. Then, descend into the eerie stillness of the Basilica Cistern, an underground reservoir supported by hundreds of ancient columns, dating back nearly 1,500 years.
The sensory adventure continues at the famous Spice Bazaar, a centuries-old market filled with colourful stalls and the scent of saffron, sumac and dried rose petals. Join Shane on this bucket-list experience to discover his approach to ingredients and soak up his passion for Middle Eastern cooking.
Later, glide along the Bosphorus Strait on a scenic cruise, witnessing the unique spectacle of two continents divided by these historic waters.
Signature Highlight: Dinner at Michelin-starred Nicole Restaurant with Shane Delia
Your day concludes with an exceptional dining experience at the Michelin-starred Nicole Restaurant, where Chef Serkan Aksoy’s innovative Turkish cuisine redefines traditional flavours with contemporary flair. Picture-perfect plates are served on the chic terrace overlooking the Old Town, with a menu that features delicate amuse-bouches and refined dishes such as cauliflower tartlets, cabbage kebabs and a signature künefe dessert. Enjoy every bite, alongside celebrity chef Shane Delia and your fellow travellers.
Blue Mosque & Spice Market with Shane Delia
Dinner at Michelin-starred Nicole Restaurant with Shane Delia
After breakfast, explore Istanbul’s heart on a culinary journey through its storied streets.
Signature Highlight: Street food walking tour with Shane Delia
Today’s adventure explores the city’s gastronomic identity, accompanied by Shane Delia, who shares his insights, tips and personal anecdotes along the way. Begin with warm, flaky börek and Turkish tea at the iconic Taksim Sütiş. Meander along Istiklal Street, a bustling pedestrian boulevard lined with shops, cafes and historic landmarks, all the way to the Galatasaray neighbourhood.
Your food-focused tour continues with Trabzon-style pide at Nizam, a traditional Black Sea flatbread, oval-shaped and topped with regional meats and cheeses. Next, enjoy thick, aromatic Turkish coffee at the legendary Mandabatmaz, and Istanbul’s favourite delicacy: midye dolma (stuffed mussels), served near the Galata Tower.
Sample freshly baked simit – circular Turkish bread coated in sesame seeds – aboard the nostalgic tram to the Grand Bazaar, one of the world’s largest covered markets. Nearby, sample what locals say is one of the city’s finest döner kebab at Şahin Restaurant. The experience ends with breathtaking rooftop views over this historic trading hub.
Spend your afternoon at leisure or continue following your guide to visit some of Istanbul’s palaces: Dolmabahçe Palace, Topkapi Palace and the Hagia Sophia. Tonight’s dinner is at your leisure.
Street food walking tour with Shane Delia
Today, travel to Gallipoli and pay tribute to the brave souls who lost their lives here.
Signature Experience: Visit Gallipoli
Walk back through history at ANZAC Cove, where soldiers landed on that fateful day of 25 April 1915. Pay your respects at the moving Lone Pine Memorial, honouring the Australians and New Zealanders who made the ultimate sacrifice. This deeply moving experience provides time for quiet reflection on the courage and mateship that define the ANZAC spirit.
Later, cross the strategic Dardanelles Strait to reach Çanakkale, where you’ll settle into your comfortable accommodation. Enjoy dinner at the hotel with your fellow travellers before winding down for a restful evening.
Travel time: Driving – approx. four hours
Enjoy a delicious breakfast and get ready for a day of historic discovery.
Signature Highlight: Visit historic Troy with Shane Delia
Step back in time at the famous archaeological site of Troy, immortalised in the tales of the Trojan War and famously depicted in Homer’s epic ‘Iliad’. Visit the Troy Museum to bring the poem’s legendary siege to life through artefacts and interactive displays.
Continue to the ancient Greek city of Pergamon, once a powerful centre of learning, where theatres, gymnasiums, a library and other impressive ruins still stand today. Visit the remarkable Asklepion, an ancient medical centre where patients once entered via a sacred pathway believed to guide them toward restoration and health.
Continue to the coastal city of Izmir and check into the Hyatt Regency, a glamorous, sky-high stay overlooking the Aegean Sea.
Travel time: Driving – approx. five hours
Visit Historic Troy with Shane Delia
Today brings you to one of archaeology’s greatest treasures – Ephesus, home to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: the Temple of Artemis. Walk through brilliantly preserved Greco-Roman ruins where centuries of excavation have revealed architectural masterpieces, including the beautifully restored Library of Celsus.
Discover the charming village of Şirince, a traditional Greek-Ottoman settlement known for its olive oil and fruity wines. Settle in for lunch at Aziziye Restaurant, showcasing local specialties such as stuffed vine leaves, meatballs, and Çöp Şiş (lamb skewers), all elevated by the rich flavours of Aegean olive oil.
Visit a traditional leather workshop and witness a craft with centuries-old heritage. Enjoy some time to explore before retreating to the hotel for a buffet dinner and some time to enjoy the facilities.
Travel time: Driving – approx. four hours
Discover the ethereal beauty of Pamukkale, an otherworldly UNESCO World Heritage site famed for its cascade of gleaming white travertine terraces. These calcium carbonate formations, built over millennia by mineral-rich thermal springs, create a landscape unlike anywhere else on Earth.
Explore Hierapolis, the ancient spa city founded atop these thermal terraces in 130 BCE by the King of Pergamon. Admire the legendary Cleopatra Antique Pools that await within the ruins.
Afterwards, journey inland to the spiritual city of Konya, where you’ll settle in for the evening. Check in at Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Konya, a five-star luxury hotel, boasting four eateries, a sprawling swimming pool and a traditional Turkish bath. Enjoy a delicious buffet-style dinner at the hotel tonight, then retire for a restful evening.
Travel time: Driving – approx. five hours
Begin your day exploring Konya, the spiritual heart of the whirling dervishes and home to Sufi traditions. Visit the Mevlana Museum, dedicated to the 13th-century poet and Sufi mystic Rumi, whose profound teachings continue to inspire millions worldwide. Experience the ancient art of felt-making at a traditional dervish hat workshop, learning about the symbolic significance of these distinctive ‘tombstone’ hats in Sufi practice.
Continue to the extraordinary region of Cappadocia, where millions of years of volcanic activity and erosion have sculpted a landscape that seems plucked from a dream. The famous ‘fairy chimneys’ – towering rock formations crowned with capstone boulders – create a terrain so unique it’s often described as lunar. Here, you’ll witness the meditative ritual of dervish dancing in a performance.
Arrive in the heart of Cappadocia, where rock-carved cave dwellings reveal the lives of early Christian communities, and the skies are often dotted with colourful hot air balloons. Check into your hotel and spend the evening as you please.
Travel time: Driving – approx. three hours
After breakfast, prepare for a culinary journey that captures the essence of Cappadocian cuisine.
Signature Highlight: Market-to-table cooking class with Shane Delia
Begin with a morning stroll through a traditional village market alongside a local chef and Shane Delia, discovering regional produce, aromatic spices and time-honoured food traditions passed down through generations. Then, in a local home or boutique culinary studio, learn to prepare an authentic Cappadocian feast under expert guidance.
Your hands-on cooking experience may include crafting delicate mantı (Turkish ravioli), stuffing vine leaves for yaprak sarma, preparing the famous pottery kebab using traditional clay vessels, and creating layers of crispy baklava with pistachios and honey – all with Shane sharing his expert tips and insights along the way.
After all your hard work, sit down to enjoy the feast and further connect with Shane, learning more about his culinary philosophy and approach.
Spend the rest of the day at leisure, exploring Cappadocia’s rugged landscapes or relaxing by the hotel pool as hot air balloons drift overhead.
Market-to-table cooking class with Shane Delia
Today offers a closer look at Cappadocia’s extraordinary landscape. Begin your guided tour at the famous Three Beauties – towering ‘fairy chimneys’ topped with perfectly balanced boulders, believed to represent a family immortalised in stone by ancient legend. Continue through the Valley of Love in Göreme Historical National Park, and then the dramatically colourful Red Valley, where the interplay of light and volcanic rock creates an ever-changing canvas.
Later, descend into the underground avenues of either Ozkonak or Mazi, subterranean cities dating back to the early Roman and Byzantine periods. Marvel at the stone doors and the construction of these tunnels, which once protected the many living spaces, wineries and barns against invaders.
Witness the ancient art of pottery-making through a traditional demonstration, observing skilled artisans shape clay using techniques unchanged for centuries.
Signature Highlight: Traditional Turkish dinner & performance with Shane Delia
Your evening culminates in an atmospheric cave venue, where Shane Delia joins you for an authentic feast of regional specialties as traditional Turkish music and dance bring centuries of cultural heritage to life.
Traditional Turkish dinner & performance with Shane Delia
After breakfast, bid farewell to Cappadocia’s otherworldly beauty with a morning flight back to Istanbul. The brief journey provides a final aerial perspective of Türkiye’s diverse landscapes, from volcanic plateaus to coastal plains.
Upon arrival, enjoy the afternoon at your leisure – perhaps indulging in some final shopping at Istanbul’s renowned bazaars or simply relaxing at your hotel.
Signature Highlight: Farewell dinner with Shane Delia
Your once-in-a-lifetime journey culminates at the elegant Dersaadet Restaurant, perched on the iconic Galata Bridge. This refined fish restaurant offers panoramic views across the Golden Horn whilst serving the freshest seafood and traditional meze. It’s the perfect setting to reflect on your Turkish odyssey, share final memories with fellow travellers, and take away lasting insights from Shane Delia.
Travel time: Driving – approx. 90 minutes
Farewell dinner with Shane Delia
After a final breakfast, wave goodbye to spectacular Türkiye as you are transferred to Istanbul Airport (IST).