17-Day Turkish Heritage Expedition: A Journey Through History, Culture & Natural Beauty

(Dinner included)
Welcome to Turkey Istanbul Airport. Meet with TravelShop Booking staff and transfer to your hotel, Transfer from airport & check in to your hotel. Overnight in Istanbul.

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)
Our tour of Istanbul will begin at 8:45 am, following breakfast. The impressive Hagia Sofia (Saint Sofia), originally built as a Church in the sixth century AD by the emperor Justinian, will be our first stop.
Topkapi Palace: The Ottoman sultans ruled their vast empire for more than 420 years from the enormous walled complex known as the Topkapi Palace, which will be our next stop. After that, we'll go to the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Mosque), a 17th-century Ottoman mosque renowned for its six minarets and magnificent blue tile interior. 
The Hippodrome square, used as a gathering place for chariot races during the Byzantine era, will then be explored. An optional half-day Bosphorus Cruise tour is available in the afternoon. Here, we will see the Serpent Column from Delphi, Greece, the Egyptian Obelisk, and the German Fountain of Wilhelm. Overnight in Istanbul.  

(Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)

Gallipoli is one of Turkey's most significant war memorials, where 500,000 soldiers' remains are interred.

We will leave early this morning for Çanakkale. You will be picked up from your hotel between 6:15 and 6:45 am. One of the most significant World War I sites is on the Gallipoli Peninsula, which we will travel to for about four hours.

One of Turkey's most significant war memorials is Gallipoli. We will tour the Gallipoli battlefield, including the Lone Pine Australian Memorial, the Chunuk Bair Atatürk Monument, Anzac Cove, and Johnston's Jolly Cemetery. We visit the original trenches and tunnels where the bloodiest and most dramatic battles of the Bayonet Wars and the Dardanelles Wars occurred.  Arrival and overnight stay in Çanakkale

(Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)

After breakfast, we'll travel to legendary ancient Troy.

Troy is on the World Heritage Archeological Site list, and the Archaeological Site of Troy is an ancient city that served as the setting for the Trojan War, famously described in Homer's Iliad.

Pergamon, which was the centre of the Pergamon Kingdom between 282-133 BC, is one of the most important kingdoms of Asia Minor with an Acropolis, Gymnasium, The steepest theatre in the World, and Red Basilica.

We'll visit the Acropolis, which serves as the city's administrative hub, and see the temples of Zeus, Dionysus, Athena, and Demeter, as well as the renowned Pergamon Library, which houses 200,000 rolls of scrolls. At the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, the Altar of Zeus, discovered during the Pergamon (Bergama) excavations, is now on display. The Great Theatre of Pergamon, located here, is the steepest in the world and once hosted up to 10,000 spectators.

We’ll drive to Kuşadası. Dinner and accommodation in Kuşadası. 

(Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)

Ephesus is a World Heritage site. We'll spend the day learning about the past of ancient Ephesus. The most stunning ancient city in the Ionia region, We'll visit Ephesus after seeing the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. As you stroll down Curetes Street and pass by the ruins of the 25,000-seat Grand Theater, the State Agora, the magnificent Celsus Library, the Odeon, Temesos, Prytaneion, Magnesia Gate, and the Ephesus Harbour, you will get a sense of the fascinating atmosphere of the city. Our next stop will be the House of the Virgin Mary, a Christian shrine where the Virgin Mary spent her final years.

Finally, we will travel to Sirince Village, a former Greek and Ottoman village well known for its fruit wines. Carpet weaving has a long history in Turkey. In this carpet village, we'll discover how the carpets are made by hand and what factors influence their price.  Accommodation in Kuşadası.  

(Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)

Pamukkale is Unesco World Heritage Site with fantastic travertines and Ancient Hierapolis city.

Following breakfast, we'll first take in a display of locally-made leather goods. Then make the (220 km) trip to Pamukkale.

After lunch, we'll continue. Visit the ruins of Hierapolis, where we will see the Domitian Gate, the Arcadian Street, the old Roman Theater from the second century, the Nymphaion, the Temple of Apollo, the Plutonium, and the Necropolis. We'll go through the Roman Gate, admire the historic Pamukkale Theater, and tour the hero’s grave monuments. We will then stroll along the travertine terraces and have the option to swim in the Ancient Cleopatra Pools (at an additional cost). Overnight stay in a thermal hotel in Pamukkale.  

(Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)

After a delicious breakfast at Pamukkale Thermal Hotel, we arrive at Dalyan Lagoon at zero sea-level altitudes, journeying through the 250 km, 1600-altitude plateaus and mountains with a magnificent view.

We take a leisurely boat ride along the Dalyan River, passing the prehistoric Kaunos King tombs carved into the cliff. The loggerhead turtles' (Caretta Caretta) protected nesting grounds are in the Dalyan Delta, a protected natural area. The Sultaniye mud baths are another option, which is enjoyable, refreshing, and an excellent opportunity for a photo—the journey to Fethiye, a seaside town.

Dinner and overnight in Fethiye.

(Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)

After breakfast in the hotel,  you are free to explore the town, local people, and local bazaars at your own pace, and there are also optional tours and activities.

Optional tours & activities:

* 12 island boat trips: where you can swim in the Tourquaz’s clear blue water and take in the breathtaking views of the turquoise bays, tiny islands, and uninhabited beaches. Lunch included.

* Saklikent Gorge tour: Amazing Saklikent Canyon panorama and walking tour.

Accommodation in Fethiye.  

(Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)

In the morning, we headed to Kayaköy.

Kayaköy is a village in Fethiye that the Greek people abandoned. It is an exchange made following the exchange agreement between Turkey and Greece.

Thanks to the lights of the morning sun, excellent photos of this deserted Greek village may be taken.  We'll then travel to Antalya's Old Town and the historic Antalya ancient Harbor, where you can see the landmark Hadrian's Gate, the Antalya Clock Tower, and the Fluted Minaret. We'll take in the Old Town's winding streets while shopping for trinkets at neighbourhood stores in Kaleiçi. There is a shopping opportunity for gifts at the local bazaar.

Dinner and overnight in Antalya.  

(Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)

After breakfast, we'll visit Perge Ancient City. Afterwards, visit Aspendos Theater, which has a 15,000-seat capacity and is a well-preserved ancient theatre in ancient Greco-Roman cities.

Even today, this magnificent theatre still hosts concerts and art exhibitions. Return to Antalya center. Free leisure day.   

Overnight in Antalya.  

(Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)

After breakfast, we'll move to Konya via the Taurus mountains.  We'll take a break in Konya along the way for lunch. Konya is a religious city with a larger area than many countries, with 39.000 km². Visit the Mevlana Museum, which is home to the tomb of Rumi, a famous 13th-century Persian poet and the creator of the Order of the Whirling Dervishes, as well as the Alaeddin Mosque, which was constructed on Alaeddin Hill during the Seljuk era. Take Lunch in a restaurant. Afterwards, we will visit Sille Village, which has 5000 years of history.

Sille Village, established during the Phrygians' time, was a critical accommodation place for Christian pilgrims going to Jerusalem. Dinner and overnight in Konya.  

(Breakfast and Dinner included)
Continue to Cappadocia and visit the Sultanhan Caravanserai in Aksaray; Sultanhanı Caravanserai was built during the Seljuk period for the safety and accommodation of camel caravans carrying spices and silk fabrics from China to Istanbul on the Silk Road. Arrival and overnight stay in Cappadocia  

(Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)

After breakfast, we start the Cappadocia  Tour with unique landscapes.

Red Valley ( Kızılçukur), located in the middle of Cappadocia, is the best place to watch the sunset and sunrise in Cappadocia.  An opportunity for wonderful nature pictures.

Pigeon Valley is named after the wild pigeons living in the region from their nests in the volcanic rocks. The farmers in the area carve these rocks and make unique nests for the pigeons, and then collect the pigeon manure accumulated here and use it in agriculture. Afterwards, visit Cavuşin Village.

Cavusin Village is where Turkish and Greek families lived until the beginning of the 20th century. Later, the Greeks went to Greece because of the exchange between the two countries.

We'll then eat lunch in the nearby town of Avanos, close to the River Kızılırmak. We can observe the production process for famous ceramics, and You can also enrol in a pottery studio to learn how to use the conventional kick wheels and purchase souvenirs in a pottery studio. End of the tour and transfer to hotel. Accommodation in Cappadocia

(Breakfast and Dinner included)

After breakfast, we drive early to Ankara, the capital of the Republic of Turkey. ( 310 Km ) Flight to Van from Ankara Airport. We met our guide at Van Airport. Afterwards, we will explore the Urartian citadel built 3,000 years ago with a view of Lake Van and witness the sunset over Lake Van. Accommodation in Van   

(Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)

After breakfast, we Traveled by Ferry on Van Lake to Akdamar Island. Visit Akdamar Church.

Akdamar Church is a magnificent 10th-century church built by an Armenian king. If there is time after the church tour, you can swim in Van Lake, which has a soda water feature.

Afterwards, we will visit the world's largest Urartian museum, where artefacts from the Paleolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Urartian, Persian, Roman, Byzantine, Islamic, Seljuk, Turkish-Islamic, and Ottoman periods are exhibited in chronological order, and we will travel to a unique history.

We will visit the Van Cat House. We completed our tour by visiting the Cat House, where Van cats, a wonderful cat breed with white colour and two different eye colours, are bred for the Van region.

Accommodation in Van.

(Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included)

After our delicious breakfast at the Van Hotel, we drive to Doğubeyazıt via Muradiye. In Doğubeyazit, we visit the magnificent Ishak Pasha Palace, which combines Seljuk, Ottoman, Georgian, and Armenian-Irani architecture uniquely.

Ishakpaşa palace, facing the magnificent view of Mount Ararat, was completed between 1685 and 1784.

Having lunch at a local restaurant in Doğubeyazit, transfer to Iğdır Airport, and Flight to Istanbul.

Transferred from Istanbul Airport to your hotel in Istanbul.  Accommodation in Istanbul

(Breakfast  included)

After breakfast check out from the hotel. We hope your tour was a memorable one and we look forward to seeing you in the future on another TravelShop BookingTour. Have a safe trip back home and thanks for choosing TravelShop Booking.