Turkish Delights History and Coastal Charms - 9 Days

Welcome to Antalya. On arrival, we’ll meet you and transfer you to your hotel – please check the information boards in the hotel reception for the exact meeting place and time. In the afternoon, we’ll take a short tour of this coastal city of more than a million inhabitants, visiting Hadrian’s Gate, the Ottoman district and the striking waterfall that flows directly into the sea. Dinner is included. Please note: This tour may have travellers joining or departing at various points along the route, meaning group composition can change during the tour. Please also be aware that depending on group composition, guiding may be in additional languages as well as English.

We leave Antalya and travel to Aspendos to visit its Roman theatre – widely regarded as one of the best preserved in the world. We then continue to Side to see the seafront Temple of Apollo, and you can wander the port and lively streets at your own pace. The route carries us across the Taurus Mountains – peaks rise above 3,500 metres and remain snow‑covered for much of the year – before we pause in Karaman to view its fortress from the outside. We continue into the Cappadocia region, arriving in Nigde for an included dinner.

We spend a full day exploring Cappadocia – a remarkable region of moonlike valleys, rock-hewn churches and historic troglodyte settlements. We begin in Gumusler with its underground monastery from the 7th century, known for some of the finest Byzantine frescoes in Turkey. We then continue to Kaymacli to explore the vast underground city that once sheltered up to 30,000 people, before heading to Uchisar – a natural rock fortress with panoramic views over the valleys. After lunch, we visit the Göreme Valley and its open-air museum to see remarkable rock-cut churches – admission is included. We stay overnight in Avanos and dinner is included.

At the far edge of Cappadocia, we explore the Ihlara Valley, known for its cool waters and rock–cut churches and villages. We visit a 13th–century caravanserai, then continue to Konya to tour the Mevlana Mausoleum (Rumi) and learn about the Dervish order. Dinner is included. In the evening, you can choose to attend a dervish dance performance at the cultural centre.

From Konya, we travel along a scenic lakes route to Egridir, a charming town beside a large lake known for its historic walls and mosques. You will have free time to find lunch. We then continue to Hierapolis–Pamukkale – tickets included – to see the Cotton Palace formed by mineral rich waters. Dinner is included.

From Pamukkale we travel to Ephesus, the best preserved ancient city in Asia Minor and once home to a quarter of a million people around 2,000 years ago. We visit the House of the Virgin Mary, the Basilica of St John, and the remarkable ruins of Ephesus – admission included. We then continue to Kusadasi, a bustling coastal town known for its lively atmosphere, thriving shops, and small castle. Dinner is included.

Note: From May to October, accommodation will be in Aydin instead of Kusadasi. In this case, after exploring Ephesus we stop in Kusadasi from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. for a panoramic tour before continuing to Aydin.

We depart early for Lake Bafa to take in the views before continuing to Bodrum, a fortified city of Greek origin. Here, you’ll have free time – you can visit the castle, stroll the lively streets or head to the marina. After lunch, we travel on to Marmaris, an attractive coastal town known for its castle, pier and fountains. Dinner will be included. Please note – on some departures, particularly in summer, we stay in nearby Mugla instead of Marmaris.

We depart for Dalyan for a scenic boat trip along the river to view the Lycian Rock Tombs. We then continue by boat to a large lake, stopping at the thermal springs – you may choose to bathe in the warm waters or try a mud bath. Afterwards, we travel on to Antalya for a brief city tour, taking in Hadrian’s Gate, the Ottoman quarter and the waterfall that plunges directly into the sea.

After breakfast, we conclude our journey in Antalya – thank you for travelling with us. We hope you leave with lasting memories of your time in Turkey.