Discover Turkey - 18 Days
Admire Istanbul's Byzantine splendour, Blue Mosque and Great Bazaar. Explore historic Troy - home of the Trojan horse - and scenery dotted with orange and lemon groves, shimmering limestone terraces and pine forests. Cruise the Aegean coast onboard a gulet and marvel at Cappadocia's surreal landscape - just a few of the highlights!
Day 1
Travel to Turkey
Days 2-7
Istanbul, Gallipoli, Selcuk, Troy and Pummukale. After the pre-departure meeting at 9am, we embark on a walking tour of Istanbul, exploring the historic sites of what used to be once known as Constantinople. The tour will include the Blue Mosque, an impressive six-minaret mosque. Construction on the mosque started in 1609 and it was built to reflect the strength of the Empire at that time. From the Mosque we will go to Topkapi Palace. This was the centre of the Ottoman Empire for nearly four centuries, and gives a good insight to the life of the Sultans and their many wives. Tonight we stay in Istanbul. Your Tour Leader at a hotel in the city will arrange the accommodation.
Our next stop on this tour is Gallipoli. We will get up reasonably early as the drive to Gallipoli takes approximately 6 hours with lunch in a café en route. The afternoon is spent taking a tour of Gallipoli, taking in the battle sites and museum (optional). There are memorials to all the Australian, New Zealand, French, British and Turkish troops who died here in what was one of WW1's more tragic offensives. It is possible to visit the trenches and to feel what it must have been like to be part of the battle for the Bosphorus. After the battlefields we take a ferry across the Bosphorus to cross from Europe to Asia and we spend the night at a hotel well located in the town of Cannakale.
Next day we continue to Selcuk, on the way we visit the ruins of Troy. Troy is perhaps Turkey's most famous ruins - largely due to the writings of Homer and many new excavations continue to this day. There is also a wooden horse replica, which people can climb in and pretend to be Greek soldiers. We will arrive in Selcuk in the early evening.
Selcuk is an interesting little town with some varied shops and cafes. A short drive away is the archaeological site of Ephesus. Once the "Capital of Asia", Ephesus is the largest and one the best preserved ancient cities in the Mediterranean. Of particular interest are the library, brothel and ancient public latrines (where the ancient Greek "Georgius Michaelus" used to get up to no good). The burial tomb of Cleopatra's sister is here which means that Cleopatra may well have been there too, as she is credited with her sister's murder. Some historians believe she achieved this with the help of Mark Anthony - a man not noted for his reluctance to stab his friends. We also have the chance to visit the Museum at Selcuk, which exhibits many of the great archeological treasures found at Ephesus.
From Selcuk we make our way to Pammukale and we visit the Calcium Falls. The pure white rock formation at Pammukale had become tarnished over the years due to a channel being cut to divert the flow of water away from them, but in more recent years the flow has been restored and this unique geological feature is now being restored to its former glory. We stay overnight at Pammukale, now a small tourist town with a number of hotels.
Days 8-13
Next we travel to the coastal town of Fethiye. It is from here that we board a gulet (traditional Turkish boat) for three days of sailing on the Mediterranean. Travelling along the warm Mediterranean Coast we make several stops at idyllic places and there will be plenty of time to catch some rays of sun, swim in the sea and perhaps try your hand at fishing. Whilst on the boat we visit Kekova Island, site of the legendary 'Sunken City' where walls, stairways, rock-cut houses and alleyways run down the steep hillside only to disappear beneath the waves. As the water here is crystal clear, on a calm day it is possible to see these features extending beneath the sea - along with many pieces of broken pottery and the occasional human bone!
After leaving the boat we will proceed to Kas. Formerly an Ottoman Greek fishing village. Kas is now a popular destination for vacationing Turks. The result is a bubbling little resort with loads of charm.
After spending the night in Kas, we carry on to Olympos with the option of visiting the tomb of St. Nicholas, the real Santa Claus, on the way. Whilst in Olympos, we spend two nights in tree houses and have time to visit the very un-commercialised pebbled (optional us$6.00) beach, or perhaps join a trek along the coastal footpaths. There is also the option to go to visit the 'Eternal Flames' - a site where natural gas flames seep out of the ground. Legend has it that the fire comes from a sleeping dragon that used to roam the area and was slain by a Roman Warrior.
Obviously the job was not done properly! The flames can be seen from well out to sea and have been used as a navigation aid by mariners for many centuries.
Days 14-17
Our next stop is Antalya, which is a prosperous seaside town with significant history. It is from here that we get the chance to spend a day white water rafting (optional) through the Anatolian gorges.
The next day we head through the mountains to Cappadocia. This is a region of unusual beauty even by Turkish standards. The combined forces of man and natural erosion have created many compelling environments with unique rock formations that give the valley a bizarre landscape. Watch out for Sand people because part of the Star Wars movie was filmed here!
One of the most impressive aspects of the area is the Kaymakli Caves, where the efforts of generations of troglodytes have transformed the soft volcanic rock into an entire underground village on four different levels. There is also an open-air museum, which is a better alternative for the claustrophobic. We use a local guide called Mustafa, which is important, as it is easy to get lost in the 300kms of tunnels.
Mustafa also likes to organize a Turkish 'Cultural' Evening (optional), which includes 'all you can eat and drink' Turkish meal, lots of local folk dancers, as well as a belly dancer with fantastic stomach muscles! The shopping for carpets, ceramics, jewellery and antiques is excellent in this region.
We now travel back to Istanbul via Ankara. In Ankara we visit the Ataturk Mausoleum, which is the national memorial to the founder of the Turkish Republic, built on a grand scale. Our last night is spent in this, Turkey's capital city and the following day, we depart in order to arrive in Istanbul in the late afternoon, having had an enjoyable and varied holiday.
We will arrive back into Istanbul at approximately 5.00pm.
Day 18
Travel home
ACCOMMODATION & TRANSPORT
Hotel Accommodation
12 Nights
Gulet Cruise
3 Nights
Private Transport Air-Conditioned Coach
HIGHLIGHTS
Turkey
Istanbul
Tour of Sultanahmet
Gallipoli
Memorial Sites, Anzac Cove and Museum
Troy
Selcuk Selcuk
Ephesus
Pammukale
Limestone Falls*
Fethiye
Gulet Cruise, Kekova Island
Kas
Olympos
Tree Houses, Eternal Flames*, Tomb of St Nicholas*
Antalya
White Water Rafting
Cappadocia
Underground City, Open Air Museum, Fairy Chimneys, Carpet Demonstration, Folklore Night*
Ankara
Ataturk Museum
Information given is given in good fath by the company, and is based on the latest information available at the date of publication. The company reserves the right to change any of the facilities or vehicles described in the itinerary without becoming liable for compensation or refund.
