Istanbul, Ephesus & Troy

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
Discover colourful Istanbul, straddling two continents
See the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the famed Topkapi Palace
Journey south via poignant ANZAC Cove
Step back in time in ancient Troy and Pergamon
Experience an optional fish dinner
Enjoy three nights in shore-side Kusadasi
Be amazed by the ruins of Ephesus
Discover wonderful Pamukkale on an optional excursion

WHAT DOES THIS PRICE INCLUDE?
Eight nights’ bed and breakfast accommodation at hotels in Istanbul, (3 nights - bed and breakfast), Canakkale (1 - half-board), Bergama (1 - half-board), and Kusadasi (3 - half-board)
Dinners at your hotels in Canakkale, Bergama and Kusadasi
Return flights from the UK to Istanbul (returning from Izmir via Istanbul)
Coach travel and transfers throughout
Fully escorted by a friendly, experienced tour manager

YOUR ITINERARY
View a full breakdown of your holiday to help you plan your trip

Day One – Fly to Turkey
Fly to Istanbul, meet your tour manager and transfer to your hotel for a three-night stay. Depending on your time of arrival, acquaint yourself with your surroundings. Enjoy your first evening in an extraordinary city that bridges the divide between Europe and Asia, marked by the narrow strait of the Bosphorus, and that brims with reminders of its illustrious past.

Day Two – Included tour of Instanbul
Introducing the city that was once Byzantium, then Constantinople. Explore the sights of the historic Sultanhamet Peninsula. Your tour includes entry to the extraordinary Topkapi Palace with its priceless treasures. With its outer courtyard and gateways into its labyrinthine inner quarters, you’ll also visit the renowned Harem quarter. You’ll also take in the colourful Spice Bazaar, with its heaped displays of aromatic powders and trays of Turkish delight. This evening, there’s the chance to enjoy a traditional fish dinner.

Day Three – Included tour of Instanbul
Another unforgettable day sees you return to the historic peninsula to explore the contrasting wonders of the remarkable Blue Mosque, with its minarets and cobalt tiles, and the great Byzantine church of the Hagia
Sophia, once the world’s largest enclosed space. Your day will include a guided stroll through the ancient Roman Hippodrome and a visit to the world’s largest covered bazaar, the Grand Bazaar. The rest of the afternoon is free. Why not take an optional cruise along the Bosphorus River? Later, make the most of your last evening in this fascinating, glorious city, perhaps dining al fresco.

Day Four – Travel to Cannakale
Leaving Istanbul, this morning, you’ll travel by coach around the Sea of Marmara, then inland and south onto the stunningly beautiful, Gallipoli Peninsula. Here, in 1915, the Allied forces suffered catastrophic losses, including some 10,000 members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps – the famous ANZACs – at the hands of the defenders of the Ottoman Empire led by legendary Turkish leader and founder of modern Turkey, Atatürk.

The beauty of ANZAC Cove and its surroundings is a marked contrast to the sobering memorials and cemeteries. Later this afternoon, you’ll cross the narrow strait of the Dardanelles and head to sea-front Canakkale.

Day Five – Included tour of Troy
Enjoy a day amid the wonders of classical Greece, as you explore the nearby ruins of Troy, guarded by a replica giant wooden horse recalling the tale of the first Trojan War. You’ll then continue to Pergamum and stop off at the ancient site of Asclepion on the way. This is one of the oldest and largest health centres in the world, which was built to honour the god of health and medicine Asklepios, after the death of the famous ancient Greek physician, Hippocrates.

Later in the day, you’ll arrive at your hotel in Bergama to relax and have dinner.

Day Six – Included tour of Pergamun and travel to Kusadasi
Today, an included tour will cover the ruins of the Acropolis in Pergamon, which encompass temples, a two-storey library, and a spectacular, 10,000-seat theatre.

After a fascinating day, you’ll arrive in Kusadasi mid-afternoon. You’ll then begin your stay with dinner on the shores of the Aegean Sea.

Day Seven – Optional tour of Pamukkale
Spend today at leisure enjoying the many facilities of the resort, strolling along the harbour promenade, discovering the medieval Kale district or visiting tiny Pigeon Island.

Alternatively, join our optional excursion to Pamukkale. Here white calcium deposits, some 100 metres high, shape a slow-moving, ever-changing cascade, with hundreds of terraces and pools filled by an ancient mineral-laden spring. Ruins of a once great city surround the thermal baths, including a Temple of Apollo and restored Roman theatre.

En route to Pammukale, you’ll stop at the "red water" springs of Karahayit, famed for their curative powers. And afterwards, there’s a chance to enjoy the pleasures of a spa ande an included lunch on afternoon visit to the luxurious Pam Thermal Hotel, a five-star establishment that takes its 35°C waters from the spring below.

Day Eight – Included tour of Efesus
Your final included excursion takes in ruined Ephesus, one of the most important Roman and Byzantine cities, and witness – in the 1st Century AD – to the preaching of Saint Paul. The ruins - which include churches, bath-houses, fountains and temples, gymnasia, the great Roman Amphitheatre, the facade of the fabled Library of Celsus and the colonnade of the Arcadian Way - serve to reflect this greatness in breath-taking fashion. Continue to the House of the Virgin Mary. You’ll return to Kusadasi this evening to enjoy a last dinner at the hotel.

Day Nine - Fly back to the UK
Today you’ll transfer to the airport to begin your journey home.

HOTELS
Istanbul, Ephesus & Troy Touring Hotels

You will be staying in a series of comfortable hotels that are conveniently located for your tour itinerary:

Grand Yavuz Hotel, Istanbul - Bed & Breakfast (nights 1-3)
Positioned within the Old City, this elegant hotel looks out over the Sea of Marmara and is ideally located only a 15-minute walk from the Grand Bazaar. A spa with a traditional hammam is available (payable locally), and there are two restaurants and two bars, some with rooftop settings and impressive city views. All rooms are air-conditioned and offer a TV, safe, mini-bar, and free Wi-Fi.

Akol Hotel, Canakkale - Half-Board (night 4)
On the seafront, overlooking a tiny harbour and the straits of the Dardanelles and set close to a range of amenities, this hotel boasts three restaurants, roof-top and lobby bars, an outdoor pool and sun terrace. Bright, modern, air-conditioned rooms each offer a TV, safe, mini-bar, hairdryer and free Wi-Fi.

Berksoy Hotel, Bergama - Half-Board (night 5)
A relaxed hotel situated near the Red Basilica and the Bergama Museum. Guestrooms feature TVs, mini-fridges, balconies, air conditioning, safes, hairdryers, and Wi-Fi. There’s a restaurant with a terrace, an outdoor swimming pool, and a gym.

Paloma Marina Suites, Kusadasi - Half-Board (nights 6-8)
This stylish hotel stands in the heart of Kusadasi, a short walk from the the beach and the harbour. It has an outdoor swimming pool, a fitness centre, a restaurant and a bar. All the rooms are modern and have air conditioning, TV, mini-bars and free Wi-Fi.

Should circumstances require, we reserve the right to accommodate you in a conveniently located, alternative hotel of a similar standard.