Battlefields, Ruins & Fairy Chimneys - 12 Days

Welcome to Istanbul. We meet you on arrival and transfer to your hotel – the rest of the day is yours to explore at leisure.

After breakfast we set out on a fully guided tour of this unique city that spans two continents, taking in the Blue Mosque, St Sophia Museum, Topkapi Palace – including Hagia Irene and the Harem – and the Hippodrome. In the afternoon you may choose to cruise the Bosphorus, gliding between Europe and Asia on an optional half day boat trip.

Today we travel to the Gallipoli battlefields to reflect on the First World War campaign as we visit Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair Memorials, ANZAC Cove, The Nek, Johnston’s Jolly and original trenches and tunnels. The day ends in Canakkale.

We depart Çanakkale for Troy to explore the ancient city and museum, then continue to Bergama to visit the magnificent Acropolis of Pergamon, once a major cultural and political centre, before heading on to Kuşadası.

We delve into the ancient world with a guided tour of Ephesus and the site of the Temple of Artemis, feel the ambience of the city and theatre, then explore the Ephesus Archaeology Museum with its impressive collection of artefacts. At a carpet village we learn how hand–woven carpets are made and what determines their value.

This morning we enjoy a display of locally handcrafted leather goods, then continue to Pamukkale to see the dazzling white travertine terraces and tour the ancient city of Hierapolis. You can take a soothing dip among fallen columns in the thermal waters once prized by the Romans.

After breakfast we travel to Antalya, pausing to visit Laodicea – chief city of the Lycus River Valley, once known as Diospolis, the City of Zeus – before continuing to the resort town. We also visit the Antalya Necropol Museum for insights into ancient burial practices and artefacts from various historical periods.

We spend a full day exploring the ancient cities of Perge and Aspendos, admiring the superb Roman theatre at Aspendos seating 15,000. We then visit Side, one of Turkey’s finest classical sites, with the Temple of Apollo and evocative ruins.

Today we cross the central plains to Cappadocia, visiting the Sultanhani Caravanserai and the Mevlana Museum in Konya en route.

This morning we visit Pigeon Valley and Red Valley, then pause at Çavuşin village. We continue to Avanos for a demonstration of its famed hand–made pottery, before exploring in the afternoon the Göreme Open–Air Museum, admiring the fairy chimneys and discovering the remarkable multi–level chambers of an underground city.

We head to the airport for an included morning flight to Istanbul. On arrival at the hotel, the rest of the day is at leisure.

After breakfast our journey concludes – we bid farewell to new friends and transfer you to the airport for your onward flight.