Experience the best of both worlds on our unique 11-day Turkey Prelude & Gulet tour. Begin with a deep dive into Türkiye’s epic history, exploring iconic sites from Istanbul to Gallipoli, Troy, Ephesus, and Pamukkale. Then, board a traditional gulet for a relaxing cruise along the Turkish Riviera. This unique journey offers a seamless blend of historical discovery and a tranquil coastal escape.
Day(s) : 11
Countries : Turkey
Start City : Istanbul
End City : Fethiye
Meals : 10 Breakfasts, 3 Lunches, 7 Dinners
Welcome to Istanbul! You will be transferred to your hotel and the remainder of the day is yours free to explore at your own pace.
Overnight : Istanbul
Category : 4 star
Hotel : Port Bosphorus Hotel
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 : Port Bosphorus Hotel
Today we visit the WW1 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
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
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
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
After breakfast, you'll bid farewell to your fellow travellers and meet your driver for the next leg of your journey. Today’s route takes us through the scenic rural landscapes of Turkey as we make our way to Fethiye, a charming resort town on the Mediterranean coast. Once you've checked into your hotel, the rest of the day is yours to relax and explore at your leisure.
Overnight : Fethiye
Category : Boutique
Hotel : Marina Boutique Hotel
Enjoy a leisurely morning soaking in the relaxed atmosphere of this beautiful resort town. Later today, you'll meet your crew and board your traditional gulet at Fethiye Harbour around 15:00. Our first stop will be Turunc Bay or Tarzan Bay, where you can swim and snorkel in crystal-clear waters. As we cruise past picturesque islands, we'll arrive at Tersane Island—also known as Dockyard Island—where you can explore the ruins of a former Greek settlement and a once-thriving naval shipyard.
Overnight : Gulet
Category : Gulet Cabin
Hotel : Gulet
After breakfast we depart for Hamam Bay. Enjoy a swim in the ancient ruins of these Roman Baths built by Mark Antony as a gift for Cleopatra. We then cruise to Sarsala Bay, a striking pine-surrounded bay, from which you can take a 45-minute hike to an ancient Lycian town, notable mostly for inscribed walls dating from the 3rd century BC. Bedri Rahmi Bay is our next stop, named after a famous Turkish painter. Jump in the clear blue water or explore the island.
Overnight : Gulet
Category : Gulet Cabin
Hotel : Gulet
Today we cruise towards Fethiye, passing the Yassica Islands and Gocek Islands. Most of these small islands are un-named but offer safe anchorage and secluded sandy beaches. Perfect for swimming, snorkelling or just soaking up some sun and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. A final stop and swim at Red Island before returning to Fethiye.
Overnight : Gulet
Category : Gulet Cabin
Hotel : Gulet
Wake up to the gentle motion of the gulet and enjoy your final breakfast on board as we anchor in Fethiye Harbour. Disembarkation is at approximately 10:00 a.m., followed by a transfer to Dalaman Airport (DLM) for your onward journey.
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.
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