Tour Overview
| Duration | 12 Days / 11 Nights |
|---|---|
| Country | Turkey — The Full Circle |
| Cities | Istanbul → Gallipoli → Troy → Pergamon → Ephesus → Pamukkale → Antalya → Cappadocia |
| UNESCO Sites | 6+ (Troy, Pergamon, Ephesus, Pamukkale, Goreme, Historic Istanbul) |
| Tour Type | Private Tour — Most comprehensive Turkey itinerary |
| Price | From US$2,190 per person (4★ hotels, domestic flights included) |
Data source: turkeytravel.com — the complete Anatolian journey, history from Troy to Ottomans
Day 1: Arrive Istanbul
Airport pickup, transfer to hotel. Evening at leisure.
Overnight in Istanbul.
Day 2: Istanbul Byzantine & Ottoman
- Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Basilica Cistern
- Topkapi Palace with Harem (comprehensive tour)
- Grand Bazaar exploration
Overnight in Istanbul.
Day 3: Gallipoli Battlefields
- Morning drive to Gallipoli Peninsula (4 hours)
- Gallipoli WWI Battlefields Tour:
- ANZAC Cove — Where Australian and New Zealand troops landed on April 25, 1915
- Lone Pine Australian Memorial — 4,934 graves, site of fierce 4-day battle
- Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial — Strategic high point of the campaign
- Johnston’s Jolly — Original Turkish and Allied trenches, just 8m apart
- 57th Infantry Regiment Memorial — Turkish memorial to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s regiment
- Canakkale — Evening free in this charming Dardanelles town. See the wooden Trojan Horse from the 2004 movie “Troy”
Overnight in Canakkale.
Day 4: Troy & Pergamon
- Troy (Truva) — 4,000 years of history in 9 archaeological layers. See:
- The replica Trojan Horse (climb inside!)
- Walls of Troy VI/VII (the Homeric Troy, ~1250 BC)
- Ramp of Troy II — where Schliemann found “Priam’s Treasure”
- Odeon (Roman concert hall) and Bouleuterion (council chamber)
- Pergamon (Bergama) — Hilltop Acropolis of one of the greatest Hellenistic kingdoms:
- Steepest theatre in the ancient world (10,000 seats, 70° incline)
- Temple of Trajan — gleaming white marble, visible for miles
- Library of Pergamon — once held 200,000 scrolls, second only to Alexandria
- Altar of Zeus base (original frieze in Berlin’s Pergamon Museum)
- Drive to Kusadasi
Overnight in Kusadasi.
Day 5: Ephesus Full Day
- Ephesus Ancient City (comprehensive tour with Terrace Houses)
- House of Virgin Mary
- Temple of Artemis (one column remains)
- Sirince Village — wine tasting in this picturesque hillside village
Overnight in Kusadasi.
Day 6: Pamukkale & Hierapolis
- Pamukkale white travertines — barefoot walk
- Hierapolis Roman Theatre, Necropolis, Plutonium (Gate to Hell)
- Cleopatra’s Pool swim
- Laodicea (optional) — One of the Seven Churches of Revelation, recently excavated with massive glass-covered church
Overnight in Pamukkale.
Day 7: Antalya & Mediterranean Coast
- Scenic drive to Antalya (3.5 hours)
- Antalya Old Town (Kaleici) — Hadrian’s Gate, broken minaret (Kesik Minare), Ottoman houses
- Duden Waterfalls — cliffside cascade into the Mediterranean
- Evening at Antalya Marina with views of the Taurus Mountains
Overnight in Antalya.
Day 8: Antalya to Cappadocia
- Morning at leisure — swim at Konyaalti Beach or visit Antalya Museum
- Konya (en route to airport) — Brief visit to Mevlana Museum, the resting place of Rumi, the great Sufi poet and founder of the Whirling Dervishes. See the Green Dome and Rumi’s tomb
- Afternoon flight to Cappadocia (via Istanbul)
- Settle into your cave hotel
Overnight in Cappadocia.
Day 9: North Cappadocia
- Optional sunrise hot air balloon
- Goreme Open Air Museum
- Pasabag, Devrent Valley, Avanos (pottery lunch)
- Sunset at Red Valley
Overnight in Cappadocia.
Day 10: South Cappadocia
- Kaymakli Underground City
- Ihlara Valley hike (4km)
- Selime Monastery
- Pigeon Valley viewpoint
- Optional: Turkish Night Show with whirling dervishes
Overnight in Cappadocia.
Day 11: Ankara & Return to Istanbul
- Drive to Ankara (3 hours) — Turkey’s modern capital
- Museum of Anatolian Civilizations — World-class museum tracing Anatolia from Paleolithic to Ottoman. See Hittite treasures, Phrygian artifacts (King Midas), and Neolithic finds from Catalhoyuk
- Anitkabir — Mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey. Impressive architecture and ceremonial changing of the guard
- Evening flight to Istanbul
Overnight in Istanbul.
Day 12: Departure
Transfer to Istanbul Airport for departure. Take with you memories spanning the Trojan War to the Ottoman Empire, ancient cities to fairy chimneys.
What’s Included
- 11 nights (4★ hotels + 3 nights cave hotel)
- 3 domestic flights, professional guide, A/C vehicle
- 11 breakfasts + 7 lunches
- All entrance fees (Troy, Pergamon, Ephesus, Pamukkale, Goreme, Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, Anitkabir)
- Gallipoli battlefield tour
