| Treasures of Turkey - Itinerary
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DAY
1 - UK – ISTANUBL
Welcome to Turkey!
You are met at the airport and transferred to your hotel.
Get together in the evening to meet your Tour Director and
fellow passengers for a Welcome Drink. Hotel: Conrad. |
DAY
9 - ANATALYA - PAMUKKALE
Pass pine forests and
cross the Taurus mountains on your way to Pamukkale. On arrival,
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
2 - ISTANBUL - BURSA
Embark on a superb Highlight
cruise along the Bosphorus past Ottoman palaces, old mansions
and fortresses. Leaving Istanbul, take a short ferry trip
and drive to Iznik. Visit the ruins of St Sophia and see the
city walls before continuing to Bursa. In the afternoon there
is time to haggle in the bazaar and silk markets. Hotel: Kervansaray
Termal. (BB,D) |
DAY
10 - PAMUKKALE - KUSADASI
Visit the Temple of Aphrodite at amazing Aphrodisias
before continuing to your beautiful beach-front hotel in the lively coastal town of Kusadasi.
Hotel: Korumar/Charisma. (BB,D) |
DAY
3 – BURSA - ANKARA
Visit the glorious Green
Mosque and Mausoleum complex and Grand Mosque in Bursa before
driving to the charming Cumalikizik Village with its traditional
wooden houses and narrow cobblestone streets. Visit Gordion,
where Alexander the Great cut the famous Gordion Knot, en
route to Turkey’s modern capital, Ankara. Hotel: Sheraton.
(BB,D) |
DAY
11 - KUSADASI - IZMIR
Tour one of the world’s finest archeological sites, Ephesus.
Visit the Amphitheatre and walk along the Arcadian Way to view the splendid facade of
the Library of Celsus. Visit the House of the Virgin Mary, situated above the ruins, before continuing
to the Selçuk archeological museum, where many artifacts from Ephesus are displayed. Stay
overnight in the Aegean port of Izmir. Hotel: Hilton. (BB,D) |
DAY
4 – ANKARA - CAPPADOCIA
Sightseeing includes
visits to the Hittite Museum and Anit Kabir, the mausoleum
of Ataturk, Turkey’s greatest leader in modern times. Visit
the mausoleum of Sufi philosopher Haci Bektas before heading
to Nevsehir in the historic Cappadocia region. Hotel: Dedeman.
(BB,D) |
DAY
12 - IZMIR - ÇANAKKALE
Stop in Pergamon, the
impressive site of an ancient kingdom, to visit the Acropolis,
the Temple of Athenaand library, before viewing the Red Courtyard
andthe ruins of the Asklepieon. Drive to Homer’s Troy tosee
the ruins of nine cities built on top of each other, and an
enormous reconstruction of the famous wooden horse. The evening
is spent in Çanakkale. Hotel: Kolin. (BB,D) |
DAY
5 – CAPPADOCIA - GöREME EXCURSION
In this unique region
of volcanic landscapes and ‘fairy-chimneys’, visit Göreme’s
rock-carved churches, see ancient frescoes in the open-air
museum and seethe Zelve valleys, where the scenery is dotted
withcaves and troglodyte dwellings. Visit the underground
city of Kaymakli and see the cone of Uchisar. Enjoy dinner
at the hotel followed by a colourful folklore show in an underground
cave, featuring dances from the different regions. (BB,HD) |
DAY
13 - ÇANAKKALE – ISTANBUL
Cross the Dardanelle
Straits by ferry and continue to the Gallipoli Peninsula,
scene of fierce fighting in World War One. Pay your respects
at Anzac Cove and visit the emotive Lone Pine Cemetery before
returning to Istanbul. Hotel: Conrad. (BB) |
DAY
6 – CAPPADOCIA - KONYA
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.
Visit the Mevlana Museum, with its beautiful fluted turquoise
dome, and see the Karatay Medrese and Ince Minaret. Hotel:
Dedeman. (BB,D) |
DAY
14 - ISTANBUL SIGHTSEEING
Visit the Blue Mosque and the Hippodrome, where Roman chariot races were held. Also visit St Sophia, a former cathedral and a mosque which is now a magnificent museum. The afternoon is dedicated to the Topkapi Palace, a walled city perched above the Bosphorous and the Golden Horn. Test your haggling skills now as you visit the glittering Grand Bazaar. Consider an evening of dinner and belly-dancing. (BB) |
DAY
7 – KONYA - ANTALYA
Descend the Taurus mountains
and drive to Aspendos to visit what is considered the best
preserved Roman Theatre anywhere in the world. 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. As night falls, enjoy a walking tour of Antalya’s
Old Town. Hotel: Sheraton Voyager. (BB,D) |
DAY
15 - ISTANBUL - UK
The tour ends after breakfast with transfers to the airport. (BB) |
DAY
8 –ANTALYA AT LEISURE
The day is set aside
to relax and explore Antalya or enjoy the leisure facilities
of the hotel. Other suggestions include a stroll around the
harbour area or taking a boat trip off the coast. (BB,D) |
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