Welcome to Istanbul, the largest city in Turkiye, born from a blend of European and Asian influences. Upon your arrival at the airport, make your way to your hotel and check-in for the rest of your day at leisure.
At 8pm, meet your tour director and fellow travellers for a welcome dinner.
Greet the day with breakfast at your hotel, then join a guided tour of Istanbul. See the 17th-century Blue Mosque, delve beneath Sultanahmet – the Old City, formerly known as Constantinople – to visit the Basilica Cistern, dating back almost 1,500 years.
Wander the Grand Bazaar, one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world, and peruse more than 3,000 stalls. Then, take a trip to the renowned Spice Market.
Continue to the Dolmabahce Palace, coated in 14-tonnes of gold.
Later, embark on a cruise along the Bosphorus Strait, gliding through the waters that separate Europe and Asia.
Following breakfast at your hotel, travel four hours southwest to Canakkale, a gateway to the World War I battlefields of Gallipoli. Arrive at the Gallipoli Peninsula, the famed site where ANZAC troops fought for nine months during the Great War. Here, take the time to wander ANZAC Cove, where soldiers landed on 25 April 1915. Pause for a moment of silence to pay your respects at the Lone Pine Memorial, commemorating the Australians and New Zealanders who lost their lives in battle.
Continue on to a nearby local winery for a Turkish wine tasting with cheese pairing. Cross the Dardanelles Strait to check in at your Canakkale hotel, where you’ll enjoy dinner before turning in for the evening.
Travel time: Driving – approx. four hours
Set off this morning on a 30-minute drive to the historic city of Troy, immortalised in the tales of the Trojan War. Follow your guide as you visit the Troy Museum to learn about the siege of Troy, detailed in the Iliad.
Next, pay a visit to Pergamon (an approximately three-hour drive), a once-mighty Greek city boasting the Asklepion hospital. In ancient times, patients would enter the Asklepion temple via a sacred pathway believed to mark their journey back to good health.
Later, travel 90 minutes further on to Izmir, where you can check in and freshen up at your hotel before sitting down to dinner.
Travel time: Driving – approx. five hours
This morning, enjoy breakfast at your hotel before departing for one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Follow your guide through the Greco-Roman ruins of Ephesus. A century’s worth of excavation has uncovered rich architectural history here, including the ruins of the imposing Temple of Artemis and the restored Library of Celsius.
Travel to the nearby village of Sirince, a traditional Greek-Ottoman village known for its olive oil and fruity wine production. Sit down for lunch, then head to Pamukkale, famed for its thermal springs and travertines. Pay a visit to a local workshop for leather production, a practice with a centuries-old legacy.
This evening, savour dinner at your hotel and free time to explore its health facilities.
Travel time: Driving – approx. three hours
Ephesus ancient city visit
Rise and shine for a day exploring Pamukkale, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site. Tour the travertine pools, admiring their glacial appearance.
Visit Hierapolis, the ancient city founded by the King of Pergamon atop the thermal terraces in 130 BCE. Make your way to the Cleopatra Antique Pools within its ruins, a famous spa rumoured to have once been visited by the Queen of the Nile herself.
Spend time soaking in the thermal waters before travelling onward to Konya across the next five hours. Upon arrival, check-in and sit down for a well-earned dinner at your hotel.
Travel time: Driving – approx. five hours
Pamukkale hot springs
Your day begins with a guided tour of Konya, renowned for the Sufi whirling dervishes. Explore the Mevlana Museum, dedicated to the 13th-century poet and religious figure. Visit a dervish hat workshop and learn about the practice and origins of felt making, and the significance of the ‘tombstone’ hats to Sufism.
Continue to Cappadocia, a landscape of caves and ‘fairy chimneys’ – unique formations of eroded volcanic rocks – and attend a ritual of the dervish dancers.
Arrive in Goreme village in the heart of Cappadocia, characterised by terraces and skies often dotted with hot air balloons. Check into your cave lodgings and get settled before heading to dinner.
Travel time: Driving – approx. three hours
Cappadocia cave stay
Rise early and make your way to the rooftop of your Goreme accommodation to watch hot air balloons make their ascent over Cappadocia at sunrise. You may even choose to take a hot air balloon flight over the fairy chimneys themselves (surcharges apply). Otherwise, gather your energy over breakfast and set your sights on the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Goreme Open Air Museum.
Move on to a Turkish carpet factory to learn about the artistry of traditional carpet-weaving. Savour a traditional lunch at the charming Old Greek House, located in the village of Mustafapasa.
On return to Goreme, you will have the rest of the afternoon at leisure.
Cappadocia cave stay
Following breakfast, depart for an exploration of the broader area surrounding Cappadocia’. Begin at the Three Beauties, prominent fairy chimneys with boulders resting at their tops, believed to represent a family immortalised in stone. Then, explore the Valley of Love and the hills of the Red Valley.
Descend into the underground avenues of either Ozkonak or Mazi, subterranean cities dating back to the early Roman and Byzantine periods. Join a traditional pottery demonstration to discover the skilled process and local techniques in shaping clay. Then, return to your cave stay for one last evening while watching a Turkish dance performance over dinner at the hotel, paired with an open bar featuring local drinks.
Cappadocia cave stay
This morning, head to the airport for your economy class flight to Istanbul Airport (IST), departing at approximately 10am. Once you’ve arrived, the rest of the day is at your leisure.
In the evening, join your fellow travellers for a farewell dinner.
Travel time: Flight – approximately 90 minutes
After one last breakfast at your hotel, it’s time to bid farewell to your fellow travellers and check out. Make your own way to Istanbul Airport (IST) or Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (SAW) for your onward journey.