Treasure of Turkey 15 Day tour from $1658 an Insight Vacations luxury tour > |
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click to enlarge mapTour HighlightsHotels Insight's First Class, Superior First and Deluxe Hotels are centrally located in every major city and feature names you can trust such as Sheraton and Hilton. You will also stay in the very best scenic locations in Canakkale, Kusadasi, Pamukkale, Antalya, Konya and Cappadocia. Fellow Passengers Suitable for both first time travellers and also those who want to experience a slightly more exotic tour. Many Australian and New Zealanders book this tour for the emotive visit to Gallipoli. It equally appeals to those with an interest in early Christian history and a sense of adventure. Highlights Like the Wonders of Turkey, Goreme Valley, Ephesus & Pamukkale are all highlights of this tour too. In addition, the well preserved Roman Theatre at Aspendos is perhaps the finest example in existence. However, for many, the highlight of this tour is often the friendly Turkish people themselves! Excursions & Sights - Visit the ruins of St. Sophia and see the city walls in Iznik
- Visit the Grand Mosque & Bursa's greatest monument, the Green Mosque and Tomb
- Visit Ataturk's Mausoleum and Hittite Museum in Ankara
- Visit the mausoleum of Haci Bektas
- Visit Caravanserai Sultanhani
- Tour Kaymakli's underground city
- Visit Konya's Mevlana MuseumVisit Perge's ancient ruins
- Visit the ruins in Hierapolis and Pamukkale's white terraces
- Visit the Temple of Aphrodite at Aphrodisias
- Tour the excavations at Ephesus
- Visit the House of the Virgin Mary & Selcuk Archeological Museum
- Visit Pergamon's Acropolis, Temple of Athena, library & Asklepieon
- View the Trojan Horse in Troy
- Visit Lone Pine Cemetery and Anzac Cove in Gallipoli
- Visit the Blue Mosque, Basilica of St. Sophia & Grand Bazaar in Istanbul
- Visit the fabulous Topkapi Palace
Guided City Tours In depth sightseeing tours in Bursa, Goreme, Aspendos, Perge, Ephesus, Troy, Pergamon, Gallipoli and Istanbul. Orientation tours in Iznik, Bursa, Ankara, Konya & Antalya Insight's First Class Services - Insight's professional multilingual Tour Director to escort you
- Travel by luxury air-conditioned coach with reclining seats and onboard toilet
- First Class hotels with all service charges, taxes and porterage
Complimentary Transfers Complimentary arrival and departure transfers between Istanbul airport and your Insight tour hotel Quality Dining & Entertainment A spectacular highlight folklore show in an underground cave in Cappadocia 14 buffet breakfasts and 11 special-menu dinners, or buffets, plus tea or coffee.
Tour Itinerary Tour Pace A well paced tour with 2 night stays punctuating the itinerary where necessary. Day 8 in Antalya is completely at leisure for guests to relax or hit the beach and shops. In towns and cities where we stay only one night, the driving days are not too long, with frequent stops for sightseeing. DAY 1 ISTANBUL AT LEISURE At the beginning of a tour you'll treasure forever in your memory, you are met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Tonight, we get together to meet our Tour Director and fellow passengers for a Welcome Drink. Hotel: Conrad Istanbul. DAY 2 ISTANBUL - BURSA This morning we embark on a superb highlight cruise along the Bosphorus past Ottoman palaces, old mansions and fortresses. Leaving Istanbul, we take a short ferry trip and drive to Iznik. We visit the ruins of St. Sophia and see the city walls before continuing to Bursa. This afternoon there is time to haggle in the bazaar and colourful silk markets. Hotel: Celik Palas Bursa. (BB,D) DAY 3 BURSA - ANKARA This morning we visit the glorious Green Mosque and Mausoleum complex and Grand Mosque in Bursa. Then we drive to the charming Cumalikizik Village with its traditional wooden houses, and narrow cobblestone streets. We then visit Gordion, where Alexander the Great cut the famous Gordion Knot, en route to Turkey's modern capital Ankara. Hotel: Ankara Hilton. (BB,D) DAY 4 ANKARA - CAPPADOCIA Our sightseeing this morning includes visits to the Hittite Museum and Anit Kabir, the mausoleum of Ataturk, Turkey's greatest leader in modern times. Later we visit the mausoleum of the Sufi philosopher, Haci Bektas. We then head to Nevsehir in the historical Cappadocia region. Hotel: Dedeman. (BB,D) DAY 5 CAPPADOCIA - GOREME EXCURSION In this unique region of volcanic landscapes and 'fairy-chimneys', we go to Goreme to visit the rock-carved churches containing ancient frescoes in the open air museum and the Zelve valleys, where the scenery is dotted with caves and troglodyte dwellings. We also visit the underground city of Kaymakli and see the cone of Uchisar. Tonight we enjoy dinner at the hotel followed by a colourful folklore show in an underground cave, featuring dances from the different regions. (BB,HD) DAY 6 CAPPADOCIA - KONYA We visit the Caravanserai of Sultanhani before driving to Turkey's most religious city, Konya which was once the home of the mystic sect of Whirling Dervishes and the old capital of the Anatolian Seljuk Empire. Here, we visit the Mevlana Museum, with its beautiful fluted turquoise dome. We also see the Karatay Medrese and Ince Minaret. Hotel: Konya Hilton. (BB,D) DAY 7 KONYA - ANTALYA Today we descend the Taurus mountains and drive to Aspendos, to visit what is considered the best preserved Roman Theatre anywhere in the world. Next, we drive to the Hellenistic or Roman city of Perge to visit the extensive ruins, including the great Theatre, the Stadium, and the gate-towers leading into a street where ancient chariot ruts can still be seen! Then on to our hotel in Antalya. This evening, we enjoy a walking tour of the old town. Hotel: Sheraton Voyager. (BB,D) DAY 8 ANTALYA AT LEISURE Today is at leisure to relax and explore Antalya, or enjoy the leisure facilities of our hotel. Perhaps take a stroll around the harbour area or take a boat trip? (BB,D) DAY 9 ANTALYA - PAMUKKALE We pass pine forests and cross the Taurus mountains today on our way to Pamukkale. On arrival, we visit the ruins of Hierapolis, and the beautiful 'Cotton Castle' – an apt description of its dazzling white limestone terraces. Hotel: Colossae Thermal. (BB,D) DAY 10 PAMUKKALE - KUSADASI This morning we visit the Temple of Aphrodite at amazing Aphrodisias before continuing to our beautiful beach front hotel in the lively coastal town of Kusadasi. Hotel: Korumar. (BB,D) DAY 11 KUSADASI - IZMIR Today we tour one of the world's finest archeological sites - Ephesus. We visit the Amphitheatre and walk along the Arcadian Way to view the splendid facade of the Library of Celsus. Situated above the ruins is the House of the Virgin Mary, which we visit next, before continuing to the Selcuk archeological museum, where many artifacts from Ephesus are displayed. We stay tonight in the Aegean port of Izmir. Hotel: Hilton International. (BB,D) DAY 12 IZMIR CANAKKALE Our first stop today is Pergamon, the impressive site of an ancient kingdom, where we visit the Acropolis, the Temple of Athena and library, before viewing the Red Courtyard and the ruins of the Asklepieon. From here, we drive to Homer's Troy, where we see the ruins of nine cities built on top of each other, and an enormous reconstruction of the famous wooden horse. Now on to our hotel in Canakkale. Hotel: Kolin. (BB,D) DAY 13 ANAKKALE - ISTANBUL This morning we cross the Dardanelle Straits by ferry and continue to the Gallipoli Peninsula, scene of fierce fighting in World War I. Here, we pay our respects at Anzac Cove and visit the emotive Lone Pine Cemetery before returning to Istanbul. Hotel: Conrad. (BB) DAY 14 ISTANBUL SIGHTSEEING In Istanbul today we visit the Blue Mosque, and the Hippodrome, where Roman chariot races were held. We also visit St. Sophia, which has been a cathedral and a mosque, but is now a magnificent museum. The afternoon is dedicated to the Topkapi Palace, a walled city perched above the Bosphorous and the Golden Horn. Now we're off to the glittering Grand Bazaar. Perhaps enjoy dinner with belly-dancing this evening? (BB) DAY 15 ISTANBUL Our tour ends after breakfast with a transfer to the airport. (BB)
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