BEST OF TURKEY

•  Arriving in vibrant Istanbul, you will be transferred to your hotel before joining your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a memorable Light Meal to kick off your epic adventure.

Arrival Transfer: Depart Istanbul Airport (IST) at 13:30, 16:30

Welcome Meet your Travel Director at 18:30

• Begin your day at the Hippodrome, once the heart of Byzantine life, where you’ll see the 4th-century Egyptian obelisk.
• View the Blue Mosque, with its striking minarets, and the architectural masterpiece of Hagia Sophia.
• With a Local Specialist, explore Topkapi Palace and learn how Ottoman sultans once ruled an empire.
• Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at the museum of Classical Turkish Music.
• The rest afternoon is free, or you could choose to cruise the Bosphorus on an Optional Experience, taking in the sights.
• In the evening, another Optional Experience offers a taste of local culture, enjoy a traditional Turkish dinner with drinks as dancers and musicians take the stage in a lively performance.

Included Experience: Visit the house of famous classical composer Dede Efendi

Optional Experience: Traditional Bosphorus Cruise / Turkish Dance Show with Dinner and Drinks

• Pay tribute to the brave souls who lost their lives at Gallipoli.
•  See Anzac Cove and the Dardanelles, and visit the cemeteries of Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair, the final resting place of many Allied soldiers.
•  We continue to Çanakkale where we dine at our hotel tonight.

• Visit a land of Trojan legends, where the ancient city of Troy has been immortalised by Homer in tales of King Priam, Hector, Paris and Helen.
• Explore the archaeological site revealing nine layers of civilisation and see the replica wooden horse that recalls the Greek strategy used to end the legendary siege
• Later, travel to the village of Demircidere for your Be My Guest experience.
• Meet local women, visit the village bakery and enjoy lunch made with fresh, homegrown produce.
• Continue to Izmir and settle into your seaside hotel before dining together this evening.

Included Experience: Bake Traditional Bread and Taste the Local Wine with the Most Liberated Women in the Village of Demircidere

• Stroll through the ruins of the ancient Greek city of Ephesus, past the amazingly intact façade of the Library of Celcus and down to what was once its thriving port.
•  During your visit to a Turkish carpet emporium, learn about the rich heritage and intricate artistry of carpet weaving.
• See the House of Virgin Mary at Mt. Koressos, then spend the rest of the day at leisure.
• This evening you may consider joining an optional dinner at a local restaurant in Izmir and indulge in some of the local raki.

Optional Experience: Izmir Seafood Dinner

• Leaving Izmir behind, you’ll pause at the Ephesus Archaeological Museum to explore mosaics, statues and everyday artefacts from the ancient city.
• Continue inland to Pamukkale, where you’ll check in and ease into the thermal pools at your hotel before dinner.

• Tread in the footsteps of the ancients who sought relief and relaxation at the Roman health spa at Hierapolis, then admire the bubbling pools and delicate white cascades of water of Pamukkale’s Cotton Castle Springs.
• Later, we travel through scenic countryside and join the Yazir community in the Taurus Mountains.
• Our stop for the next two nights is the Mediterranean retreat of Antalya.
• Enjoy some time on your own ambling through the winding lanes of its old city and admiring beautifully preserved Ottoman architecture.
• This evening, join your companions for a Regional Dinner at a local restaurant.

• Enjoy a day at your own pace, taking in the captivating seaside ambiance of the Turkish Riviera.
• Stroll through the charming, winding streets of the old city, where you can admire the well-preserved Ottoman architecture.
• For an Optional Experience, you may choose a yacht cruise and guided tour of Antalya’s historic old town.

Optional Experience: Antalya Old Town and Waterfall Yacht Cruise

• Witness the world’s best-preserved theatre of antiquity during your first stop in Aspendos this morning, before continuing to Konya.
•  We continue to the Karatay Tile Museum, spellbound by its exquisitely Seljuk-tiled dome, before returning to our hotel where we’ll dine tonight.

• See a well-preserved 13th-century caravanserai, at which weary travellers used to rest.
• Journey to Cappadocia with its honey-coloured rocky spires providing an enchanting backdrop for our visit to the underground city of Saratli on the ancient Silk Road.
• Tonight we stay in one of Trafalgar’s Stays With Stories located with views of the valley and ancient Ortahisar rock castle.

Included Experience: Visit a family-run farm in Nevşehir, Stays with Stories

• Visit the Göreme Open-Air Museum to admire the extraordinary rock-hewn churches and the fairy chimneys of Paşabağ.
• Dive Into Culture to learn about the art of pottery making in Avanos.
•  This evening, indulge in the flavours of traditional pottery kebabs during a Regional Dinner at a local restaurant.

Included Experience: Visit Avanos and discover the art of pottery making

Optional Experience: Performance of Whirling Dervishes

• Arriving in the youthful capital of Turkey today, we visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations and the final resting place of the country’s beloved Atatürk.
•  This evening we dine at our hotel in Ankara.

• Returning to Istanbul, we enjoy the rest of the day on our own.
• Delve into the depths of the Basilica Cistern, savour the intoxicating smells of the Spice Market or ascend Galata Tower for exquisite views of east and west.
•  Consider an optional cruise navigating the waters of the Bosphorus before meeting your Travel Director and fellow companions for a memorable Farewell Dinner.

Included Experience: Discover Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar

• Our epic journey into antiquity has come to an end as we bid Istanbul and newfound friends a fond farewell.

Departure Transfer: Arrive at Istanbul Airport (IST) at 06:00, 12:00