Highlights
Slide

Glories of Turkey Discovery Tour

17 Days • Start City: Istanbul • End City: Istanbul • Meals: 16 Breakfasts, 6 Dinners
This 17 day tour, starts and ends in Istanbul, Turkey.
INCLUDES
  • Inbound Transfer - Istanbul Airport (IST) or Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW)
  • Outbound Transfer - Istanbul Airport (IST) or Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW)
  • Professional English-speaking tour guide for the duration of the tour
  • Transportation in a fully air-conditioned, non-smoking vehicle
  • Domestic flight between Ankara and Van and transfers
  • Domestic flight between Kars and Istanbul and transfers
  • Tips except Driver and Guide
  • Entrance fees
  • 16 nights - accommodation
  • 16 Breakfasts, 6 Dinners
EXCLUDES
  • Suggested optional activities
  • Tips - Driver and Guide
  • Compulsory Travel Insurance
ITINERARY
Day 1
Saturday Istanbul
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Welcome to Istanbul! You will be transferred to your hotel and the remainder of the day is yours, free to explore.
Overnight : Istanbul Category : 4 star Hotel : Nidya Hotel Galataport

Day 2
Sunday Istanbul Old City Breakfast
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Glories of Turkey Discovery Tour Day 2

After breakfast, you enjoy a fully guided tour of the only city to span two continents, visiting the Blue Mosque, St Sophia Museum, Topkapi Palace (including Hagia Irene and the Harem) and the Hippodrome.

Cruise between two continents on the stretch of water that separates Europe from Asia in the afternoon with an optional 'Half day Bosphorus cruise'.
Overnight : Istanbul Category : 4 star Hotel : Nidya Hotel Galataport

Day 3
Monday Gallipoli Battlefields Breakfast
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Glories of Turkey Discovery Tour Day 3

One of the most emotionally touching places in Turkey, today we visit the WWI Battlefields of Gallipoli including Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair Memorials, ANZAC Cove, The Nek, Johnston's Jolly, original trenches and tunnels.
Overnight : Çanakkale Category : Special Class Hotel : MD Barbaros Hotel

Day 4
Tuesday Troy, Behramkale, Kusadasi Breakfast, Dinner
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Glories of Turkey Discovery Tour Day 4

Depart from Çanakkale and head towards Troy, where we will explore the ancient city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the new, award-winning Troy Museum. We continue on to the old village of Behramkale, a picturesque settlement with stone houses and narrow streets that offer a glimpse into traditional Turkish village life. You will have time to explore the village, take in the beautiful scenery, and perhaps enjoy a cup of Turkish tea or coffee at a local café. From Behramkale, we head south to Kuşadası.
Overnight : Kuşadası Category : Boutique Hotel : Ilayda Avantgarde Hotel

Day 5
Wednesday Ephesus, Kusadasi Breakfast, Dinner
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Glories of Turkey Discovery Tour Day 5

Absorb yourself in history today with a guided tour of Ephesus and a visit to the site of the Temple of Artemis. Feel the mystical atmosphere of the ancient city and theatre before exploring the Ephesus Archaeology Museum, which houses an impressive collection of artifacts from the region. Carpet weaving has long traditions in Turkey, and at the carpet village, we learn how the carpets are made by hand and what determines their value.
Overnight : Kuşadası Category : Boutique Hotel : Ilayda Avantgarde Hotel

Day 6
Thursday Pamukkale, Hierapolis Breakfast, Dinner
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Glories of Turkey Discovery Tour Day 6

This morning we will enjoy a display of locally handcrafted leather goods before heading to the magnificent white calcium terraces, known as Travertines, in Pamukkale where we also tour the ancient city of Hierapolis. Take a dip, amongst ancient columns, in the hot springs that were used in Roman times for their therapeutic powers.
Overnight : Pamukkale Category : 4 star Hotel : Adem Pira Hotel

Day 7
Friday Laodacia, Antalya Breakfast
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Glories of Turkey Discovery Tour Day 7

After breakfast we head for the resort town of Antalya, stopping along the way to visit isit the Laodicea which was the chief city of the Lycus River Valley region. The full name of the city was Laodicea ad Lyceum (Laodicea on the Lycus). The city was originally known as Diospolis ("the City of Zeus"). The Greek deity considered to be the greatest of the Olympian gods. Then, we will head to resort town, Antalya. We will visit Antalya Arecheological Museum in the afternoon.
Overnight : Antalya Category : Boutique Hotel : Ruin Adalia Hotel

Day 8
Saturday Perge, Aspendos Breakfast
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Glories of Turkey Discovery Tour Day 8

Full day tour of the ancient ruins of Perge and Aspendos. In Aspendos, you can see the Roman Theatre built in the 2nd century and seating 15,000 people. Side is one of the best classical sites in Turkey with its Temple of Apollo and ancient ruins.
Overnight : Antalya Category : Boutique Hotel : Ruin Adalia Hotel

Day 9
Sunday Antalya, Cappadocia Breakfast, Dinner
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Glories of Turkey Discovery Tour Day 9

Today we travel to Cappadocia, through the central part of the country, visiting Sultanhani Caravansary and the Mevlana museum in Konya along the way.
Overnight : Cappadocia Category : Boutique Cave Hotel : Gamirasu Hotel

Day 10
Monday Cappadocia Breakfast, Dinner
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Glories of Turkey Discovery Tour Day 10

Today we will visit Pigeon and Red Valley and then we visit Cavusin village and lastly Avanos town where we will learn about hand-made pottery
Overnight : Cappadocia Category : Boutique Cave Hotel : Gamirasu Hotel

Day 11
Tuesday Goreme, Underground City, Istanbul Breakfast, Dinner
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Glories of Turkey Discovery Tour Day 11

Marvel at the lunar landscape of Cappadocia today as we visit the Goreme Valley Open Air Museum and the fairy chimneys, and explore the many levels of an underground city.
Overnight : Cappadocia Category : Boutique Cave Hotel : Gamirasu Hotel

Day 12
Wednesday Cappadocia, Van Breakfast
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Glories of Turkey Discovery Tour Day 12

Departure in the morning from Cappadocia, we head to Ankara for our direct flight to Van. On arrival to Van Airport, you will meet with your tour guide. Before we go to our hotel, we will explore the Citadel with its three thousand Urartian fortress of Van and witness the extraordinary sunset.
Overnight : Van Category : Boutique Hotel : Van Life Hotel

Day 13
Thursday Van, Akdamar Island Breakfast
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Glories of Turkey Discovery Tour Day 13

After breakfast, we will travel by ferry stopping at Akdamar Island to see a spectacular 10th century church built by an Armenian king, if there is time swim in Lake Van.

Then, we will drive back to city centre to visit the largest Urartu Museum in the World. Artifacts from the Paleolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Urartian, Persian, Roman, Byzantine, Islamic, Seljuk, Turkish-Islamic, and Ottoman Periods are exhibited in chronological order taking our visitors on a unique historical journey.

After the museum visit Van Cat House. Van cats are relatively large, have a chalky white coat, sometimes with ruddy coloration on the head and hindquarters, and have blue, amber eyes or one eye of each colour. This variety has been referred to as "the swimming cat", and has been observed to swim in Lake Van.
Overnight : Van Category : Boutique Hotel : Van Life Hotel

Day 14
Friday Van, Dogubayazit, Ararat, Kars Breakfast
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Glories of Turkey Discovery Tour Day 14

Today we leave for Dogubayazit via Muradiye and the Bendimaahi Falls. In Dogubayazit, we visit the spectacular Ishak Pasha Palace, 1685 - 1784, which has a unique fusion of architecture from Seljuk, Ottoman, Georgian, and Armenian - Persian styles.

We continue our journey north, skirting around the western edge of Mt Ararat. Mt. Ararat is one of the great natural spectacles of the world,. The name Ararat derives from the Bible (Jeremiah 51:27) and is a transliteration of 'Urartu' the name foreigners gave to this region and its inhabitants in Biblical times.
Overnight : Kars Category : Boutique Hotel : Kars Beylerbeyi Palace

Day 15
Saturday Kars, Ani Breakfast
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Glories of Turkey Discovery Tour Day 15

This morning we journey to the site of Ani, the former capital of the Armenian kingdom. In the mid 10th century, nothing in Europe could rival this capital of the Armenian kingdom in terms of either size or magnificence. The remains of the ruined city include several churches as well as the shell of the Cathedral of Ani, the citadel and a mosque. There are also some exciting remains of frescoes in the Church of St Gregory (Tigran Honentz) despite having been exposed to the elements for centuries.

Afternoon, we will visit 12 Aposotles Church and Kars Castle.
Overnight : Kars Category : Boutique Hotel : Kars Beylerbeyi Palace

Day 16
Sunday Kars, Istanbul Breakfast
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Glories of Turkey Discovery Tour Day 16

Transfer to Kars Airport for your onward flight back to Istanbul. On arrival to Istanbul Airport, you will be transferred to your hotel.
Overnight : Istanbul Category : 4 star Hotel : Nidya Hotel Galataport

Day 17
Monday Istanbul Breakfast
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After breakfast our tour concludes and we say goodbye to our new friends and are transferred to the airport for your onward flight.

MAP
Glories of Turkey Discovery Tour
ACCOMMODATIONS

This is intended to give an idea of the type of accommodation that may be expected. The actual hotels used for any given tour may change due to many reasons such as group size, availability, time of year, hotel standard has dropped or simply we found a better hotel. We update the website immediately if and when any changes take place. If and when we do change hotels it will be to a hotel of equal or higher standard and will be at no extra cost.

Where more than one hotel is shown for a given an overnight stop this means that one of those hotels will be used.

Çanakkale - Special Class - MD Barbaros Hotel
MD Barbaros Hotel
MD Barbaros Hotel
MD Barbaros Hotel
Kuşadası - Boutique - Ilayda Avantgarde Hotel
Ilayda Avantgarde Hotel
Ilayda Avantgarde Hotel
Ilayda Avantgarde Hotel
Pamukkale - 4 star - Adem Pira Hotel
Adem Pira Hotel
Adem Pira Hotel
Adem Pira Hotel
Cappadocia - Boutique Cave - Gamirasu Hotel
Gamirasu Hotel
Gamirasu Hotel
Gamirasu Hotel
Antalya - Boutique - Ruin Adalia Hotel
Ruin Adalia Hotel
Ruin Adalia Hotel
Ruin Adalia Hotel
Istanbul - 4 star - Nidya Hotel Galataport
Nidya Hotel Galataport
Nidya Hotel Galataport
Nidya Hotel Galataport
Van - Boutique - Van Life Hotel
Van Life Hotel
Van Life Hotel
Van Life Hotel
Kars - Boutique - Kars Beylerbeyi Palace
Kars Beylerbeyi Palace
Kars Beylerbeyi Palace
Kars Beylerbeyi Palace
DEPARTURE DATES & PRICES
Available Stop Sale Discounted Solo
IMPORTANT NOTES
  1. Group Size : Minimum Group Size of 2. Maximum Group Size of 20.
  2. Age : Minimum Age of 8. Whilst there is no Maximum Age set it is assumed the customer is fit enough to take part in the activity or tour. Health documents may be requested.
  3. Single travellers are obliged to pay Single Supplement and will have the hotel room to themselves.
  4. From 2024 onwards this tour will also include a visit to the new, award winning, Troy Museum while we are at Troy
  5. We require a copy/image of your passport in order to book flights. You will need to have your passport handy at check-in for any domestic flights. Domestic flight times may vary due to various circumstances.
  6. The flight from Kars to Istanbul arrives into Istanbul at 13:45
  7. The flight from Ankara to Van arrives into Van at 17:15
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