BEST OF TURKEY

•  Arriving in vibrant Istanbul, you will be transferred to your hotel before joining your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a memorable Light Meal to kick off your epic adventure.

• Spend your day delving into a city where modern and ancient coexist effortlessly.
• Gain insights into the Ottoman Empire’s power during your guided tour of the Topkapi Palace and see the 4th-century Egyptian obelisk.
• Visit Hagia Sophia and the Hippodrome.
• Dive Into Culture this afternoon, with a visit to the Grand Bazaar.
• Spend your afternoon haggling with passionate market vendors lining its labyrinthine lanes.

Included Experience: Discover Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar

• Pay tribute to the brave souls who lost their lives at Gallipoli.
•  See Anzac Cove and the Dardanelles, and visit the cemeteries of Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair, the final resting place of many Allied soldiers.
•  We continue to Çanakkale where we dine at our hotel tonight.

• Explore the legends of Troy and see the symbolic replica of the famous Wooden Horse the Greeks used to break their siege of this ancient city.
• Visit the ancient Asclepion Medical Centre in the city of Pergamon before retiring in Izmir this evening where we’ll dine at our hotel.

• Stroll through the ruins of the ancient Greek city of Ephesus, past the amazingly intact façade of the Library of Celcus and down to what was once its thriving port.
•  During your visit to a Turkish carpet emporium, learn about the rich heritage and intricate artistry of carpet weaving.
• See the House of Virgin Mary at Mt. Koressos, then spend the rest of the day at leisure.
• This evening you may consider joining an optional dinner at a local restaurant in Izmir and indulge in some of the local raki.

Optional Experience: Izmir Seafood Dinner

• Leave the coastal city of Izmir behind as you journey inland to Pamukkale.
•  Relax and enjoy the blissful thermal pools at your hotel before dinner.

• Tread in the footsteps of the ancients who sought relief and relaxation at the Roman health spa at Hierapolis, then admire the bubbling pools and delicate white cascades of water of Pamukkale’s Cotton Castle Springs.
• Later, we travel through scenic countryside and join the Yazir community in the Taurus Mountains.
• Our stop for the next two nights is the Mediterranean retreat of Antalya.
• Enjoy some time on your own ambling through the winding lanes of its old city and admiring beautifully preserved Ottoman architecture.
• This evening, join your companions for a Regional Dinner at a local restaurant.

Included Experience: Lunch with the Yazir Community in the Taurus Mountains near Antalya

• Enjoy a morning on your terms to soak up the enchanting seaside atmosphere of the Turkish Riviera, embarking on an optional yacht cruise or relaxing at the hotel pool.
•  This afternoon, we travel to the Roman city of Perge to visit the impressive Antalya Archaeological Museum and see treasures spanning the centuries.

Optional Experience: Antalya Old Town and Waterfall Yacht Cruise

• Witness the world’s best-preserved theatre of antiquity during your first stop in Aspendos this morning, before continuing to Konya.
•  We continue to the Karatay Tile Museum, spellbound by its exquisitely Seljuk-tiled dome, before returning to our hotel where we’ll dine tonight.

• We journey to Cappadocia with its honey-coloured rocky spires providing an enchanting backdrop for our visit to the underground city of Saratli on the ancient Silk Road.
• Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at King’s Valley eco farm.
•  Tonight we stay in one of Trafalgar’s Stays With Stories located with views of the valley and ancient Ortahisar rock castle.

Included Experience: Stays with Stories and Visit a family-run farm in Nevşehir

• We visit the Göreme Open-Air Museum to admire the extraordinary rock-hewn churches and the fairy chimneys of Paşabağ.
• Dive Into Culture to learn about the art of pottery making in Avanos.
•  This evening, indulge in the flavours of traditional pottery kebabs during a Regional Dinner at a local restaurant.

Included Experience: Visit Avanos and discover the art of pottery making

Optional Experience: Performance of Whirling Dervishes

• Arriving in the youthful capital of Turkey today, we visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations and the final resting place of the country’s beloved Atatürk.
•  This evening we dine at our hotel in Ankara.

• Returning to Istanbul, we enjoy the rest of the day on our own.
• Delve into the depths of the Basilica Cistern, savour the intoxicating smells of the Spice Market or ascend Galata Tower for exquisite views of east and west.
•  Consider an optional cruise navigating the waters of the Bosphorus before meeting your Travel Director and fellow companions for a memorable Farewell Dinner.

Optional Experience: Traditional Bosphorus Cruise

• Our epic journey into antiquity has come to an end as we bid Istanbul and newfound friends a fond farewell.