On the Highlights of Turkey Tour we visit the ‘must see’ sights of Turkey!
20 days and 19 nights
TWO DEPARTURE DATES FOR 2025
Tours will be scheduled to commence July 6 – 25, 2025 (July tour will not go ahead) and September 14 – October 3, 2025.
This tour will proceed with a minimum 10 passengers and a maximum of 16 ensuring a personalised experience.
Day 1 / Sunday – Arrival day and a warm welcome to Istanbul. You will be collected from the airport and transferred to our hotel in the Old City that will be a short walk to many of the historic sites and also the Grand Bazaar. Later this evening we will enjoy our first authentic Turkish meal.
The night will be spent at: Valide Sultan Hotel or equivalent – Sultanahmet.
Meals provided will be: Dinner
Extras included: Transfer from Istanbul Airport
Day 2 / Monday – A guided tour of the Old City. We visit the Hippodrome, the sporting
and political centre of the Old City; the Blue Mosque, renowned for its tiles and marble; Topkapi Palace, residence of the Sultans for over three centuries, the imposing Aya Sophia, formerly a church, then a mosque, a museum and recently converted to a mosque again. We also visit the newly restored Underground Cistern (Yerebatin Saray). We also take short walk to the Grand Bazaar! Tonight we will enjoy a group dinner of traditional Turkish food.
The night will be spent at: Valide Sultan Hotel or equivalent – Sultanahmet.
Meals provided will be: Breakfast and dinner
Entrance fees provided: All entrance fees.
Extras included: Guide for the day.
Day 3 / Tuesday – Today we will make our way to the Spice Market and then board a ferry for a cruise up the Bosphorus to the Black Sea. Lunch at a fishing village and some time to explore the village before the ferry trip back.
The night will be spent at: Valide Sultan Hotel or equivalent – Sultanahmet.
Meals provided will be: Breakfast and dinner
Entrance fees provided:
Extras included: Bosphorus Ferry Cruise (the cost of lunch is not included).
Day 4 / Wednesday- An early departure and a five hours drive to the Gallipoli battlefields. We will stop in the town of Ecebat for lunch where our guide will be waiting to meet us. After lunch our guide will take us on a tour of the memorials including Lone Pine, Anzac Cove and Chunuk Bair. After what I am sure will be a moving experience we will travel across the Dardanelles to Canakkale to our hotel and then dinner on the waterfront.
The night will be spent at: Grand Anzac Hotel or similar – Canakkale
Meals provided will be: Breakfast and Dinner
Entrance fees provided: All entrance fees
Extras included: Guide at Gallipoli
Day 5 / Thursday – We depart Canakkale and travel along the Aegean to Troy where the beautiful Helen once created havoc! Our guide will be on hand to explain the complexities of this unusual site which is dominated by a replica of the famous “wooden horse” – we will then travel to the agricultural town of Bergama where we will have lunch and then make our way to the ancient site of Pergamum which sits high on the hillside above the town of Bergama providing spectacular views of the surrounding country side. After a guided tour of Pergamum we will travel further along the Aegean to the quaint town of Selcuk where we will check into our hotel. A group meal at the hotel today.
The night will be spent at: Kalehan Hotel or similar- Selcuk
Meals provided will be: Breakfast and Dinner
Entrance fees provided: Troy, Pergamum.
Extras included: Guide at Troy and Pergamum
Day 6 / Friday – A leisurely start and a drive into the mountains to town of Sirince, formally a village inhabited by Greeks but abandoned at the time of the population exchange. This quaint village is renowned for it’s locally produced fruit wines.
For those that are interested, today there is an option of a cooking class in Sirince – it will provide us the opportunity to learn how to make some Turkish dishes and then enjoy these for lunch and enjoy the lovely view from where our cooking class was conducted – cost of this is not included in the tour cost.
After lunch in Sirince we will travel to Ephesus – a Greco/Roman site which is a magnificent example of both Greek and Roman architecture.
A group dinner tonight.
The night will be spent at: Kalehan Hotel or similar – Selcuk.
Meals provided will be: Breakfast and Dinner.
Entrance fees provided: Ephesus
Extras included: Guide at Ephesus
Day 7 / Saturday – Time this morning to visit the local Saturday market in Selcuk. We will travel inland to Pamukkale where we will spend the night in this historic spa town. Our hotel is in the Karahayit region which is famous for its “red” mud mineral springs. Our hotel has a thermal pool, a mud pool and a health spa.
A bufet dinner at the hotel tonight.
The night will be spent at: Pam Hotel in Pamukkale
Meals provided will be: Breakfast and Dinner
Entrance fees provided:
Extras included:
Day 8 / Sunday – This morning we will visit the site of Pamukkale, which is most famous for the calcified falls that have been created as a result of the natural spring water in the area. It is also the site of Hierapolis, which was an ancient Roman spa. There are an abundance of ancient Roman tombs scattered in the area plus a beautiful Roman theatre. Our guide will be on hand to conduct a tour of the site – we will have lunch in the village of Pamukkale. The afternoon will be free to luxuriate in the mud pool at our hotel or enjoy a treatment at the Wellness Centre. Dinner will be at the hotel.
The night will be spent at: Pam Hotel
Meals provided will be: Breakfast and Dinner
Entrance fees provided: Pamukkale / Hierapolis
Extras included: Guide at Pamukkale / Hierapolis
Day 9 / Monday – We depart Pamukkale and we travel through the Taurus mountain range towards the Mediterranean coast to Fethiye. Fethiye is a major harbour city located on the Mediterranean coast and was totally destroyed by earthquake in 1957. The seaside boulevard was built on reclaimed land created by dumping the debris from the earthquake into the sea. Today it is a major agricultural and tourist centre with facilities to cater for tourists but with the charm of a rural town. We will board our Turkish yacht (Gulet) which will be moored in Fethiye harbour and commence our cruise. The crew on the Gulet will look after us and will provide dinner aboard the Gulet.
The night will be spent at: On the Gulet
Meals provided will be: Breakfast and Dinner
Day 10 / Tuesday – Another relaxing day on the Mediterranean Coast to do as you please – eat, drink, sleep, read or swim.
The night will be spent on the Gulet
Meals provided will be: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 11 / Wednesday – Another relaxing day….need I say anymore!
The night will be spent: On the Gulet
Meals provided will be: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
*The cruising itinerary will be at the discretion of the captain and dependent on weather conditions.
Day 12 / Thursday – After breakfast, we sadly disembark the Gulet where our bus will be waiting and travel towards Antalya. The next two night will be spent in Old City in Antalya at a restored Ottoman house which sits right on top of the harbour.
The night will be spent at: The Old City – Antalya at the Aspen Hotel or equivalent
Meals provided will be: Breakfast.
Entrance fees provided:
Day 13 / Friday – A free day in Antalya. You can wander around the Old City, lunch on the harbour or just mix it with the locals. For the history buffs a visit to the museum in Antalya which house artefacts from many of the important ancient sites in the region will be a must.
The night will be spent at: The Old City – Antalya. Aspen Hotel or equivalent.
Meals provided will be: Breakfast and Dinner.
Day 14 / Saturday – We depart Antalya after breakfast and make our way inland to Konya which is one of the most conservative cities in western Turkey. On route we stop at Manavgat Fall for morning tea. Konya is the founding place of the Whirling Dervish Sect and also the capital of the Selcuk Empire and there are many examples of the unique architecture for which this period is famous. Our hotel will be centrally located to allow easy access to the centre of town and the markets. The Whirling Dervish Museum is a “must see” this afternoon. Those that have a weakness for gold will find the underground gold “mall” a competitive place to make your purchase A traditional group dinner in Konya tonight and the possibility of seeing the Whirling Dervishes perform the Sema
The night will be spent at: Konya – Balikcilar Hotel or equivalent.
Meals provided will be: Breakfast and Dinner.
Entrance fees provided: Manavgat Falls
Day 15 / Sunday – We will depart Konya after breakfast and head towards Cappadocia. En-route we will stop at Sultanhani which is one of the best preserved caravansaries used by ancient traders on the Silk Route. On arrival in Cappadocia we will stop at the town of Goreme where local carpet traders will provide information about carpet making – a traditional craft practised by the local village women and that was once a thriving industry. We will then travel to Avanos which its most famous for its many potteries. En route we will stop at a local pottery where you will have the opportunity to try your hand at the potter’s wheel and learn more about the craft that Avanos is famous for. Our hotel is interesting and atmospheric and is a labyrinth of tunnels and rooms that have been carved into the rock. Allow yourself plenty of time to find reception after you have checked into your room!? Dinner will be a group dinner.
The night will be spent at: Sofa Hotel – Avanos
Meals provided will be: Breakfast and Dinner.
Entrance fees provided: Sultanhani.
Day 16 / Monday – Early this morning there is an option today to view the fabulous Cappadocian scenery from a hot-air balloon. This is an experience not be missed (not included in tour cost).
After breakfast our first stop will be the underground city of Kaymakli. This and all the underground cities in the region are a feat in engineering. We then travel to Uchisar Castle which will provide spectaular view of the Cappadocia region. Then to Goreme Open Air Museum where the best examples of “rock churches” and frescos in the region can be found. We will stop in the town of Goreme for lunch. Then explore the “fairy chimneys” at Pasabag and then finally the village of Zelve where a whole village was carved into the rock and was inhabited until the early 50s. A group dinner tonight.
The night will be spent at: Sofa Hotel – Avanos
Meals provided will be: Breakfast and dinner.
Entrance fees provided: Kaymakli Underground City, Goreme Open Air Museum, Uchisar, Zelve and Pasabag.
Extras included: Guide for the day.
Day 17 / Tuesday – A leisurely start for our 2-3 hours walk through Goreme Valley, we take a very “untouristy” walk along the river bed and we complete our walk at the village of Cauvsin where we can explore the village that was carved out of the porous rock.
No trip to Turkey is complete without experiencing a traditional Turkish Bath. For those that are interested we will travel to the town of Urgup for a Turkish bath experience (this will be an additional cost).
Tonight is “Folklore Night”!! This is a show of regional dances including a belly dancer. A banquet style meal with all alcoholic and non- alcoholic drinks included. Drink the local brew (Raki), and you can then show us your own unique Turkish dancing style.
The night will be spent at: Sofa Hotel – Avanos
Meals provided will be: Breakfast
Extras included: Folklore Night including dinner and drinks.
Day 18 / Wednesday- We depart Cappadocia and arrive in Ankara where we visit the Mausoleum of Ataturk. We will check into our hotel and then have a few hours to explore Ankara, which is the capital of Turkey. A group dinner at the hotel tonight.
The night will be spent at: Elit Palas Hotel – Ankara.
Meals provided will be: Breakfast and Dinner.
Day 19 / Thursday – An early departure which will see our arrival into Istanbul for a late lunch A chance to do some last minute shopping at the Grand Bazaar or take in some historic sites. Our final group meal together tonight and a chance to bid each other a safe trip home.
The night will be spent at: Sultanahmet
Meals provided will be: Breakfast and Dinner.
Day 20 / Friday – The tour ends today after breakfast and transport will be provided to the airport to board
your flight.
Meals provided will be: Breakfast
Extras included: Transfer to Ataturk Airport
The important stuff:
- The cost of the total tour will be 3,560 Euro – the figure quoted in Euros as I have been forced into this position to overcome currency fluctuations and also because almost all costs when booking accomodation, bus and entrance fee are quoted in Euro. As an example, on the first day tour of Istanbul the cost of entrance fees alone is 90Euro. Payment can either then be made in Euro or in Australian Dollars at the exchange rate of the day.
- Single supplement if required will be an additional 550 Euro.
- Please also read Turkey Tours-Fine Print for additional important information.
- Included in the tour cost will be:
- Shared hotel accommodation as per itinerary (single supplement is available at extra cost if preferred and will also be charged if no room partner is available). PLEASE NOTE THAT SINGLE SUPPLEMENT IS NOT AVAILABLE ON THE GULET.
- Airport transfer if arriving on the Friday or Saturday prior to the commencement of the tour and if departing on Friday or Saturday at the completion of the tour.
- Private air-conditioned bus transport as per itinerary.
- Meals as per itinerary 19 Breakfasts, 3 lunches and 17 dinners.
- Folklore Night including entertainment, dinner and all drinks.
- All entrance fees as listed in itinerary.
- Bosphorus Cruise.
- Guides in Istanbul, Troy, Gallipoli, Cappadocia, Bergama, Kaymakli and Ephesus.
- All tipping for all group activities i.e. hotels, yacht, group meal, guides, folklore. *Tip for bus driver is not included please allow $3-4 AUD per day per person for this.
- 3 nights on a traditionally crafted Turkish Gulet (Yacht) – all meals included.