DAY 1, Tuesday - Arrive in Istanbul
Arrive in Istanbul, at the crossroads of Europe and Asia and transfer to your hotel. Balance of the day is at leisure. Tonight, attend orientation meeting with a Welcome Drink at approximately 7:30 PM with your Tour Manager and fellow travelers. We recommend that you select flights which arrive in Istanbul no later than 4 PM on Day 2 of the itinerary, or earlier if possible
Overnight: Istanbul
DAY 2, Wednesday - Istanbul City Tour
Embark on a half day morning tour of Istanbul, the only city that straddles two continents. Your tour includes a short briefing and a picture stop at the courtyard of the Blue Mosque, a 17th century Ottoman Mosque famous with its six minarets and magnificent interior with blue tiles. Continue to the Hippodrome, the place where chariot races and competitive athletic events took place during the Roman period. You will also visit St. Sophia - the great Byzantine Basilica built in the 6th century, which remained the largest cathedral in the world for almost a thousand years, it was later converted to a mosque and now serves as a museum. Then, onto the lively Spice Market with its unforgettable aromas. Spend the remainder of the day at leisure, exploring this city that blurs the line between East and West, with incredible architecture that is rivaled only by its spectacular natural setting on the Bosphorus Strait. Alternatively, choose to partake in the optional tour to the Topkapi Palace residence of Ottoman Sultans and the Grand Bazaar, where bargaining is an art. This evening, join your Tour Manager and fellow travelers for a Welcome Dinner together
Optional: Half Day Istanbul with Topkapi Palace & Grand Bazaar (PM)
Overnight: Istanbul
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 3, Thursday - Anzac Cemetery, Drive to Canakkale
This morning, drive to the town of Gallipoli, site of the famous Ottoman victory against the Allies during World War I. Visit the Anzac Cemetery, a memorial to the casualties of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, whose fame grew back home as word of their heroic efforts spread. Afterwards, cross the Dardanelles by ferry and continue to the Canakkale province, located in northwest Turkey, where you will arrive in the early evening
Overnight: Canakkale
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 4, Friday - Visit Troy, Pergamum, Drive to Kusadasi
This morning, proceed to the classical city of Troy. Tour this 4000-year-old city and legendary center of the Trojan War, made immortal by Homer's epic poem The Iliad. Then, drive to Pergamum, a powerful kingdom during the ancient Hellenistic period, and visit the Asclepion, the ancient Roman spa center. Continue to Kusadasi, a city believed to be the birthplace of Homer, where you will arrive in the early evening
Overnight: Kusadasi
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 5, Saturday - Full Day in Kusadasi
Enjoy a full day at leisure in Kusadasi. Or, join the optional tour to Ancient Ephesus where the Temple of Artemis, one of the "Seven Wonders of the Ancient World," once stood. Walk along the 2000 year old marble streets; see the Great Theatre, the Odeon, the Fountain of Trajan, Temple of Hadrian, and the Library of Celsus. Visit the peaceful House of the Virgin Mary, believed to be her last residence and the Basilica of St. John. Following the tour, participate in an optional leather factory visit to shop or return to the hotel
Optional: Full Day Ephesus & House of Virgin Mary with Lunch
Overnight: Kusadasi
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 6, Sunday - Pamukkale Hot Springs, Necropolis, and Hierapolis
Depart Kusadasi and drive to Pamukkale, famous for its mineral-rich hot springs and white terraces. Visit the Necropolis and the ancient city of Hierapolis "Holy City," a UNESCO a World Heritage Site situated atop the Pamukkale hot springs. The Pamukkale hot springs have served as a therapeutic thermal spa since the 2nd century B.C. Tonight, gather together for dinner
Overnight: Pamukkale
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 7, Monday - Travel to Konya
Today, travel from Pamukkale, the "Cotton Castle," to Konya, a city renowned for its Seljuk architecture and also as the home of the "Whirling Dervishes." Arrive in the afternoon and visit the Mausoleum of Mevlana with its distinctive fluted dome of turquoise tiles. View works of the 13th century leader Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi, one of the greatest mystical poets of Islam. The Mevlevi Sufi order was founded to follow his teachings
Overnight: Konya
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 8, Tuesday - Visit Caravanserai of Sultanhan en route to Cappadocia
Depart for Cappadocia, visiting the magnificent Caravanserai of Sultanhan en route. Afterward, visit Guzelyurt, a fine example of cave dwellings and Greek influences in the Cappadocia region. Following a special home-hosted lunch, continue to Nevsehir in Cappadocia. Upon arrival in Cappadocia, visit a carpet atelier and have a demonstration of carpet weaving. After, check in to your hotel with free time before dinner. Tonight, attend the optional Whirling Dervish performance; their captivating mystical ritual connects one in infinite spinning to perfect harmony
Optional: Whirling Dervishes Performance (PM)
Overnight: Cappadocia
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 9, Wednesday – Morning Sightseeing in Cappadocia
Spend the morning exploring Cappadocia with your group to see Guvercinlik, Uchisar, Pasabag, and the Devrent Valley. Famed for temples and houses cut directly into the region's spectacular rock formations, Cappadocia has captivated travelers for centuries. Perhaps, opt to join the optional half day tour of Cappadocia* that includes the Open-Air Museum in Goreme Valley; see early Christian churches decorated with unique frescoes. Explore the village of Avanos, famous for its beautiful old houses and onyx, and visit a local pottery shop. The tour ends at the fascinating Ozkonak Underground City, built on the northern slopes of Mt. Idis (sightseeing order is subject to change)
Optional: Half Day Cappadocia (PM)
Overnight: Cappadocia
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 10, Thursday - Ankara, Mausoleum of Kemal Ataturk
This morning, depart for Ankara, the capital and the second largest city of Turkey. Upon arrival, visit the Mausoleum of Kemal Ataturk, founder and first president of the Turkish Republic. Leading up to the Mausoleum, also known as the Anitkabir, lies a vast brick courtyard and monumental avenue lined with NeoHittite stone statues and cenotaphs beneath its colonnades. The most noted cenotaphs within the complex are those of General Ismet Inonu, a close comrade of Ataturk's and his successor, and that of Ataturk himself, a large and highly decorative marble cenotaph, beneath which lies his tomb. Continue to the Anatolian Civilizations Museum - built in two Ottoman buildings located near Ankara Castle. The Museum, being among exceptional museums with its unique collection, exhibits Anatolian archaeological artifacts, as well as artifacts from the Paleolithic Age to the present
Overnight: Ankara
Meals: Breakfast
DAY 11, Friday - Travel to Istanbul
Depart for Istanbul, arriving in the early afternoon. Leisure time to explore on your own on this last day in Turkey. Perhaps, embark on the optional cruise along the Bosphorus, the winding straits separating Europe and Asia. View humble fishing villages and suspension bridges set against the dramatic outline of the Strait. Tonight, attend a festive Farewell Dinner with your newfound friends and Tour Manager
Optional: Half Day Istanbul Bosphorus Cruise (PM)
Overnight: Istanbul
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
DAY 12, Saturday - Depart Turkey
Transfer to the airport for your departure flight
Meals: Breakfast
***End of Tour***
SPECIAL FEATURES:
· At Gallipoli, visit the Anzac Cemetery, a memorial to the casualties of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps
· Tour the classical 4000-year-old city of Troy immortalized in Homer's epic poem, The Iliad
· Visit Pergamum, a kingdom dating back to the 4th century, home to the Roman center of Asklepion
· View Hierapolis, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, famed for its sacred hot springs
· Visit the Mausoleum of Kemal Ataturk, founder and first president of the Turkish Republic
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