Journeys: Discover Turkey

Arrive at any time. Arrival transfer is included.

TRANSPORT: You will be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel to start your adventure.

ACTIVITY: Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.

Start the day with breakfast at the hotel before walking to Topkapi Palace. Built between 1460 and 1478, Topkapi Palace is one of the world’s largest surviving palaces and served as the home of the Ottoman Sultans for almost 4 centuries. A unique mix of Islamic, European and Ottoman architecture, the palace contains over 400 rooms, including opulent pavilions, a jewel-filled treasury and a sprawling harem. In the afternoon, opt for a visit to the Archaeological Museum or the Basilica Cistern on your own. Then, set out on a guided visit of the Old City, the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the Hippodrome, an arena used for chariot racing throughout the Byzantine period. In the evening, enjoy dinner at your leisure.

ACTIVITY: Take a step back in time with a visit to the Topkapi Palace. Once home to the Ottoman sultans and their harems, it's now a museum hosting a number of collections, ranging from porcelains found in Europe, Asia and China to Ottoman-era weaponry.

ACTIVITY: Begin the day in Istanbul with a walking tour in the old city, including a visit to the historic Hippodrome, the magnificent Hagia Sophia (or Aya Sofya), and the Blue Mosque. The Hagia Sophia is one of the great churches of the Byzantine Empire; it was converted into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest. Be awed by the Blue Mosque's symmetry and internal tile work, and take the chance to learn more about the ceremony behind Islam, as it is a working mosque.

In the morning, transfer from Istanbul to Gallipoli, where you’ll visit the WWI site of the Battle of Gallipoli and learn the somber story behind its war monuments. After lunch in town, travel to Anzac Cove and join your Chief Experience Officer at Lone Pine Memorial, which commemorates the 4,932 Australian and New Zealand servicemen who died in the Anzac area. Stop at the Dardanelles—a narrow 60-mile-long (97 km) strip of water dividing Europe from Asia—and admire a location that has been of great strategic significance for centuries. End the day in Çanakkale, a busy harbor town with a thriving student population. Enjoy dinner, then perhaps take an evening stroll along the lovely waterfront.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

ACTIVITY: Visit this moving and beautiful site, a great complement to any trip to Turkey, even for those not familiar with the Battle of Gallipoli. Tour the grounds to see ANZAC Cove, the war cemeteries, and Lone Pine. Learn how the Turks fought off the numerically superior, but badly commanded, Allied forces who were forced to withdraw nine months later; this battle holds special significance for Australians and New Zealanders, as both nations lost many soldiers.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Following breakfast, head out for a visit to the city of Troy with your Chief Experience Officer. With its 4,000 years of history, Troy is one of the most renowned archaeological sites in the world. Upon its discovery in the mid-19th century, the site became culturally important due to its profound influence on literary works and the arts for more than 2 millennia. After the tour, attend a Trojan War and Mythology talk with the author of the book, Troja, where you’ll learn about the Trojan War and how legend has been woven into history’s understanding of this event. Next, travel from Troy to Bergama—a renowned town in Hellenic and Roman times, known for its great library—and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. Afterwards, visit the Pergamon Acropolis with your Chief Experience Officer for a tour of its monumental temples, theatres, porticoes, gymnasium and library. In the evening, arrive in Selçuk, where dinner will be at your leisure.

ACTIVITY: Visit the acropolis of Pergamon, once the capital of the Hellenistic Attalid dynasty, a major centre of learning in the ancient world. See ancient monumental temples, theatres, and a library set into the sloping terrain.

ACTIVITY: After visiting Troy, sit down with the author of the book “Troja” and listen as details are given on the creation of this story. Learn more as the author explains the reasons for the war, what happened during the war, how it ended, and the effects of the war on past civilizations. Discuss how the Trojan War and ancient legends influenced the direction of the manuscript, and ask yourself how often history fades into story. At the end of the talk, the group will participate in a question-and-answer session with the author.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

ACTIVITY: See historic Troy, made famous by Homer’s “Iliad,” (and more recently by Orlando Bloom and Brad Pitt). Tour the city that, for centuries, was regarded as just a myth, until its ruins were found in in the mid-19th century. Imagine what a great city this must have been, while taking a tour of the remains. Don't miss the chance to have a photo taken with the Trojan horse.

Begin your morning with a tour of the ruins of Ephesus, an ancient Greek city on the coast of Ionia. The city was famous for its Temple of Artemis, which was completed around 550 BC and named one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Temple was destroyed in AD 268 in a raid by the Goths. Within the temple’s ruins, you’ll visit the Terrace Houses, the museum, the Monastery of St. John and the library, which was built in AD 124 and once held nearly 12,000 scrolls. From Ephesus travel to Şirince, where you will participate in a cooking class to learn about and savor traditional Aegean cuisine, prepared with fresh, seasonal ingredients from a local market. After your class, dine on your delicious creations for lunch. In the afternoon, spend time exploring Şirince. Walk through the peaceful streets, enjoy the green scenery of the olive and grape farms in the distance, and have a cup of Turkish tea at a local coffee house. Travel back to Selçuk for dinner on your own and an evening to explore this historical town at your leisure.ACTIVITY: Tour the ruins of ancient Ephesus to get a feeling of what life must have been like during Roman times. Take in its massive, well-preserved theatre, which dominates the view down Harbour Street. See the two-story library, whose façade has been carefully reconstructed from all original pieces. Built in AD 125, it once held nearly 12,000 scrolls.ACTIVITY: This museum houses an impressive collection of artifacts discovered in the excavation of the ancient Greek city of Ephesus.FREE TIME: Enjoy free time in Selcuk to walk through the quaint streets and visit some of the sites on your own.ACTIVITY: Aegean cuisine is the shared Turkish and Greek culture of the region's past. The climate is suitable for growing a wide range of vegetables and contains an abundance of olive trees for olive-oil production. During your visit to Şirince the group will join a cooking class and learn all about the traditional dishes in the region. Prepare a range of village-style vegetable dishes using seasonal fresh ingredients from the local market. Begin the class with a walking tour of the market where your guide will provide plenty of tips for picking the best, local, seasonal products. Then, return to the open garden kitchen where you will learn how to cook Aegean dishes with your fresh produce. Toast your new knowledge over lunch and try your delicious dishes.

This morning after breakfast, leave Selçuk and travel to Laodikeia for a Chief Experience Officer-led visit of this landmark. Within the settlement lies the church of Laodicea, which is the last of the 7 churches of Asia Minor that St. John addresses in the Bible. Wander the ruins before continuing on to Pamukkale for lunch in the village. Then, set out on a guided walk of Pamukkale and the ancient city of Hierapolis, which was founded by one of Alexander the Great’s generals for the purpose of using the mineral hot springs in the area. View the unreal landscape of mineral forests, petrified waterfalls and a series of terraced basins known as Pamukkale (Cotton Palace). Learn about these striking natural formations and the development of a complex system of canals, which brings the thermal water to nearby villages and fields. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon at your leisure and opt for a mineral bath in Pamukkale.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

ACTIVITY: Visit Laodikeia with your CEO. A place that is one of the important archaeological remains for the region, possessing biblical importance as one of the Seven Churches of Asia Minor that St. John addresses in the Bible.

ACTIVITY: Tour the white cliffs of Pamukkale to learn about this World Heritage-listed site and natural wonder. Made up of 17 hot water springs, the cliffs are formed when the calcium carbonate hardens with time. Explore the ancient site of Hierapolis built on top of the white "castle." See the large, ancient baths within the city (thought to be evidence that the hot springs of Pamukkale were used as a spa since second century BC).

FREE TIME: Enjoy the remainder of your day here on your own with free time to take a mineral bath or to keep wandering around Pamukkale.

After breakfast, leave Pamukkale and transfer to Termessos for a Chief Experience Officer-led visit of this ancient city that was founded by the Solims who lived in the Psidia Region. Termessos sits over 3,280 ft (1,000 m) above sea level and is known as the Eagle’s Nest. Visit the amphitheater and take in the stunning panoramic views of the Pamphylia region and Taurus Mountains as you enjoy a picnic. Arrive at Antalya, a lovely seaside town, in the late afternoon and wander the charming hillside streets on a walk with your Chief Experience Officer.ACTIVITY: Enjoy an orientation walk around Antalya to get your bearings and see more of the city.ACTIVITY: Take in the splendour of the ancient city of Thermessos. Found by the Solims who lived in the Psidia Region and born from the legend of Bellerophon. This mountaintop city is one of the best preserved sites in Turkey. It sits over 1,000 metres above sea level and the amphitheatre has stunning panoramic views of the Pamphylia region and the Taurus Mountains.TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

Enjoy a full day on your own to partake in the optional activities offered in the area. Choose to visit Ancient Perge or the Archaeological Museum in Antalya to learn more about the ancient architecture of the area or explore the Old Harbor along the marina. You may also go for a refreshing swim in the aquamarine waters at Lara Beach.

FREE TIME: FULL DAY Take advantage of a full free day to enjoy the optional activities available in Antalya.

Travel from the coast of Antalya inland to Konya, stopping along the way to visit the ancient city of Aspendos in Southern Turkey. Ruled by Greeks, Persians and Romans, Aspendos was once an important trade center. Today, a number of ancient structures survive, including the basilica and the Aspendos Theatre, considered to be the best preserved ancient theatre in the world. From here, travel onwards to the town of Beysehir for lunch and a visit to the 13th-century Esrefoglu Mosque. Arrive in Konya in the late afternoon and go to the Mevlana Museum and Garden. Once a lodge, the museum now houses a mausoleum known as “Mevlânâ Tomb,” the resting place of 13th-century Persian poet, Islamic theologian and Sufi mystic Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī (or Mevlânâ). The remainder of the evening is yours to explore the area.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

ACTIVITY: Your CEO will lead the group on a visit to Aspendo Theater, a monument among the biggest of its kind. The theater's capacity was between 7,300 and 7,600 people. Both the archaeological remains and historical sources confirm that Aspendos was standing by the 5th century BC with the arrival of the Persians to Pamphylia. The site continued to retain importance until Alexander's control of Asia Minor.


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ACTIVITY: Eşrefoğlu Mosque was built in the 13th century and named after the rulers of the area called Eshrefids. It includes all the main elements of early Anatolian Turkish architecture and is the biggest, most well-preserved, wooden-columned mosque in the Islamic World.

ACTIVITY: Mevlana Museum and Garden has been operating since 1926 in Konya. Enjoy a visit here with your group and learn about the complex's history in this area of the world.

In the morning, visit the Sultanhan Caravanserai. Built in 1229, it was once an important stopover along the Silk Road. From there, you’ll travel to Derinkuyu where you’ll have lunch on your own, then explore the Underground City of Derinkuyu—famously used as hiding places for Christians escaping the persecution of the Roman Empire between the 5th and 10th centuries. As you walk around, see the new life people created in this underground world, including cellars, rooms for food storage, kitchens, churches, stables, wine presses and shafts for ventilation. Upon arrival in Cappadocia, you’ll see a Whirling Dervish performance. Originally practiced as a weekly remembrance of God by the Mevlevi tekke community, this outstanding example of pure dance has been practiced since the 13th century and is part of a Muslim ceremony to glorify God and seek spiritual perfection. It is also believed that while revolving from right to left, the dervish embraces all humanity with love. After the performance, dinner will be at your leisure.

TRANSPORT: Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.

ACTIVITY: Visit the largest and best preserved Seljuk caravanserai in Turkey. It was built in 1229 and became a very important stopover along the Silk Road crossing through Anatolia. The caravanserai lost its importance during the Ottoman era, but its more recent restorations have opened it to visitors and created a resurgence of interest in the structure.

ACTIVITY: Visit one of the underground cities (there are approximately 30 in the region) that were famously used as hiding places for Christians escaping the persecution of the Roman Empire between the fifth and tenth centuries. See how people transferred their surface lives to this underground world – there are cellars, rooms for food storage, kitchens, churches, stables, wine and oil presses, and shafts for ventilation.

ACTIVITY: Witness this spellbinding dance-like worship, practiced by followers of the Mevlevilik Sufi order and clap along to the beat of dance, steps, and merriment.

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before visiting the Göreme Open-Air Museum on a Chief Experience Officer-led tour of these vibrant painted cave churches, which were carved out by Orthodox monks nearly 1,000 years ago. From here set out on a hike through the UNESCO World Heritage Site-listed “fairy chimneys”—a surreal moonscape created by a series of volcanic eruptions. Over the years, wind and rain sculpted the area into thin valleys, curvy cliff faces and pointy rock formations. The Cappadocians chiseled homes into the soft rock. In the afternoon, enjoy time on your own to visit the Turkish Baths, to see Uchisar Castle or to further explore the main streets of town. Dinner this evening will be enjoyed with a local family around their table in Zelve Village. Try dishes made with local ingredients like eggplant and minced meat as you share stories with the host family.

ACTIVITY: Be inspired by the natural beauty of the historic Göreme Open Air Museum, a complex of medieval painted cave churches carved out by Orthodox monks. Tour the more than 10 caves on site, and enjoy the color and vibrancy of many of the churches that are up to 1,000 years old.

ACTIVITY: Lace up those hiking boots and wander through the fairy chimneys with your CEO as you begin the walk down to Goreme Valley. This surreal moonscape was created by a series of volcanic eruptions and over the years, wind and rain have sculpted the area into thin valleys with curvy cliff faces and pointy rock formations.

FREE TIME: Free time to settle in and enjoy the optional activities available in Cappadocia.

Start the day by flying to Istanbul, where you’ll spend time on your own getting to know this amazing city. You may opt to visit Dolamabahçe Palace, Galata Tower, the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts or the Basilica Cistern. In the evening, set out on a cruise along the Bosphorus Strait, where you’ll enjoy stunning views of the Ottoman palaces and the city skyline.

TRANSPORT: Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.

FREE TIME: Set off for free time in Istanbul. You may opt to visit Dolamabahçe Palace, Galata Tower, the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts or the Basilica Cistern.

ACTIVITY: Set out on a private evening cruise on the Bosphorus Straight. Enjoy stunning views of Ottoman palaces and the city's skyline while on board.

In the morning, explore the iconic Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. Along with a specialist guide, you’ll listen to a lecture about the Ottoman Empire’s ties to the bazaar and learn about its modern secular Turkish founder, Kemal Ataturk. The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world and is comprised of 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops. The tour will finish at an old Ottoman inn for coffee, tea and a chat with your guide. In the afternoon, take advantage of time on your own with a visit to the atmospheric Spice Bazaar. Stroll down one of the most popular streets in Istanbul on the Istiklal Walk—exploring shops, cafés and historic sites along the way. Or visit Galata Tower, which was built as a watchtower over the walls of Galata, and is now an exhibition space and museum. This evening, enjoy a farewell dinner with your fellow travelers.

ACTIVITY: Walk to and explore the iconic Grand Bazaar in Istanbul with a specialist guide. Enjoy a lecture on the historical, cultural, and modern importance of the Grand Bazaar as you wander through one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world. Stop by some of the 4,000 shops along the 61 covered streets and marvel at the first shopping mall of the world. Finish the walk at an old Ottoman Inn where coffee and tea will be served. Enjoy the refreshments and have a conversation with your expert guide about the Grand Bazaar.

FREE TIME: Opt to visit the Spice Bazaar, or stroll down one of the most popular streets in Istanbul and visit shops, cafes, and historic sites as you go. You can also opt to see Galata Tower or other museums, the choice is all yours. Ask your CEO for recommendations.

Depart at any time.

ACTIVITY: Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with any onward travel arrangements you require.