Turkish Wonders From Antalya to Istanbul - 10 Days

Welcome to Antalya, Turkey. On arrival, we’ll meet you for your transfer to the hotel. Please check the notice boards in the hotel reception – they display the meeting place and time with your guide.

In the afternoon, we’ll take a brief tour of this Mediterranean city of more than a million residents, visiting Hadrian’s Gate, the Ottoman‑era quarter and the waterfall that pours straight 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 – considered one of the best preserved in the world. We then continue to Side to admire the Temple of Apollo by the sea, and you’ll have time to wander the bustling port and lively streets.

Our route then crosses the Taurus Mountains – whose peaks rise above 3,500 metres and are snow covered for much of the year. We pause in Karaman to view its fortress from the outside before continuing into the Cappadocia region. Dinner is included in Nigde.

We spend the day exploring Cappadocia’s otherworldly landscapes, rock cut churches and troglodyte villages. We begin at Gumusler to visit its 7th century underground monastery, noted for some of Turkey’s finest Byzantine frescoes. In Kaymacli, we delve into the underground city that once housed up to 30,000 people. We then continue to Uchisar – a natural rock fortress with sweeping views. After lunch, we head to the Göreme Valley to visit the open air museum and its cave churches – entry is included. We stay overnight in Avanos and dinner is included.

We travel to the far edge of Cappadocia to visit the Ihlara Valley, known for its cool waters and rock cut churches and villages. We then stop at a thirteenth century caravanserai before continuing to Konya to visit the Mevlana Mausoleum – the resting place of 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 route between the lakes to reach Egridir, a lakeside town noted for its historic walls and mosques. You’ll have time here to choose a place for lunch. We then continue to Hierapolis–Pamukkale to see the Cotton Palace created by mineral rich waters – tickets included. Dinner is included.

We travel from Pamukkale to Ephesus, one of the best preserved ancient cities in Asia Minor and home to around a quarter of a million people 2,000 years ago. We visit the House of the Virgin Mary and the Basilica of St John, and explore the Ephesus archaeological site – entry included. We then continue to Kusadasi, a busy coastal town known for its lively atmosphere, thriving shops and small castle – dinner included.

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

Leaving Kusadasi, we travel to Izmir, Turkey’s third-largest city, for a short guided tour of this modern, westernised metropolis. We then head inland, pausing for lunch en route, before arriving in Bursa, the country’s fourth-largest city. Here we’ll take in the UNESCO-listed historic centre – traditional commercial quarters, mosques, religious schools, public baths and the celebrated Green Mosque. By the end of the day we continue to Istanbul.

Today we take a guided tour of Istanbul. We enter the Süleymaniye Mosque – the largest in the city – and continue past the ancient walls, the Golden Horn and the bustling fishing district. We stop to admire the exterior of Hagia Sophia. Tickets are included for our visit to Topkapi Palace – once the administrative heart of the Ottoman Empire – with time to explore its courtyards and pavilions. In the afternoon, you have free time to discover this city that spans two continents. Towards evening, we provide a transfer to Taksim, the city’s most vibrant commercial district, where you can choose a restaurant for dinner and see the charming old tram that runs through the area. You may also visit the nearby Galata Tower.

Today we’ll cruise the Bosphorus for around two hours – tickets included – aboard a private boat reserved for our group. This strait links the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara and divides Istanbul between its European and Asian sides. We’ll pass beneath the two bridges that connect the continents, take in the activity on the water, and admire the Sultan’s palaces, traditional wooden houses and Ottoman architecture along the shore. Afterwards, we’ll return to central Istanbul and you’ll have free time.

After breakfast, we conclude our journey in Istanbul – we hope you leave with lasting memories.