14 Days Turkey Tour

Your fourteen-day journey through Turkey begins as you arrive in Istanbul. Our driver will be waiting at the exit with a sign bearing your name and will take you to your hotel. Take your time to check in and rest after the flight. At a convenient time, your travel consultant will meet you at the hotel to welcome you and outline the days ahead.

After breakfast, your guide will meet you in the lobby for a walking tour of the old city. The day takes in the great highlights of historic Istanbul: the soaring dome of Hagia Sophia, the elegant Blue Mosque, and the ancient Hippodrome with its Obelisk of Theodosius brought from Egypt and the Serpentine Column from the Temple of Delphi. You will pause at the German Fountain, explore the grand courtyards of Topkapi Palace — once home to the Ottoman sultans — and finish among the maze of stalls in the Grand Bazaar. The whole route is walkable, and afterwards you will be driven back to your hotel.

Early this morning your driver will collect you from the hotel for the transfer to the airport and your one-hour flight to Cappadocia. On arrival, our representative will meet you at the exit and take you to our office, where you can leave your luggage before setting off on a guided tour of northern Cappadocia. You will take in the sweeping panorama from Esentepe, see the Byzantine-era Uchisar Castle from below, and explore Pasabag, Devrent and the Three Beauties valleys — among the most striking landscapes in the region. The day continues in the old towns of Urgup and Avanos, the latter famous for its red-clay pottery, where you are welcome to try your hand at the wheel. Afterwards you will be transferred to your hotel.

An optional sunrise balloon flight over Cappadocia is well worth considering — for many, the highlight of the whole trip. After breakfast and check-out, your guide will collect you for a tour of southern Cappadocia: Meskendir and Rose Valley with their red rock and walking trails, the cave houses of Cavusin, the well-named Pigeon Valley and the view from Love Valley. You will explore the Kaymakli Underground City and its many levels of rooms, wineries, tombs and stables, and can see a traditional carpet-weaving demonstration if you are interested. At the end of the day you will be transferred to your hotel.

After breakfast at the hotel, you will be transferred to the airport in line with your flight time for the journey to Antalya. On arrival, our representative will meet you at the exit and take you to your hotel.

After breakfast, your guide will collect you for a day out around Antalya. The first stop is the ancient city of Perge, with the ruins of its Roman and Hellenistic gates and the agora — Saint Paul preached here during his first missionary journey. Next is Aspendos, home to one of the best-preserved Roman theatres in all of Anatolia. From there you will visit one of the region's loveliest waterfalls, and see the Temple of Apollo at Side before being transferred back to your hotel.

After breakfast and check-out, you will be transferred to the bus station for the local coach to Fethiye (about three hours), with beautiful views along the way. On arrival, you will be met at the bus station and taken to your hotel, with a free afternoon to explore the town of Fethiye.

After breakfast at the hotel, we will pick you up around 10:00 am and take you to the boat at Fethiye Marina for a full-day cruise around the Twelve Islands. There will be plenty of opportunity to leap into the water along the way: you will swim in the clear Mediterranean, stop at lovely beaches and discover historic spots and uninhabited islands. Spend the day swimming, snorkelling and soaking up the scenery. In the late afternoon we will cruise back to Fethiye Marina and transfer you to your hotel. Overnight in Fethiye.

After breakfast and check-out, your guide will collect you at the set time for a full day at Pamukkale and Hierapolis — about three hours' drive through lovely scenery, with a lunch break on arrival. You will visit the gates of ancient Hierapolis, its necropolis and beautiful ancient theatre, and the famous travertines, whose icy-white panorama is one of the trip's most striking sights; there is the chance to swim among the ruins in Cleopatra's pool or visit the Hierapolis Archaeology Museum. At the end of the tour you will be transferred to the lovely resort town of Kusadasi (Bird Island).

After breakfast and check-out, your guide will collect you for a tour of Ephesus. You will visit the Temple of Artemis — one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World — the 25,000-seat amphitheatre, the famous Library of Celsus, the Temple of Hadrian and the harbour street of the ancient city, ending at the House of the Virgin Mary, her final home. Afterwards you will be transferred to your hotel.

After breakfast and check-out, we will collect you from the lobby and set out for Pergamon. Following a lunch stop, we will explore the ancient city, including the Acropolis and the Altar of Zeus, the lower Agora, the Asclepion healing centre, the Hellenistic theatre, the Temple of Dionysus and the Red Basilica — originally a temple to Serapis. The theatre is especially striking, a remarkable feat of engineering built into the steep hillside. From Pergamon we continue towards Gallipoli, stopping overnight in Canakkale.

After breakfast and check-out, your driver will collect you for a tour of Troy. You will see the replica of the wooden Trojan Horse — which you can climb into for a photo — the excavation information centre with its underground exhibits, the fortification walls of Troy VI with their tower and gateway, the sacrificial altars, the Odeon and the Temple of Athena, focal point of a great annual festival in the goddess's honour. After a lunch break, the tour continues to the Gallipoli battlefields: Brighton Beach, the Ariburnu and ANZAC Cove cemeteries, the Lone Pine Australian memorial, the original tunnels and trenches at Johnston's Jolly, the Nek cemetery, Chunuk Bair, and the Ataturk and New Zealand memorials. At the end of the day you will be transferred to Istanbul.

After breakfast, spend the day exploring Istanbul however you like. A half-day Bosphorus cruise is a wonderful way to see the city from the water, or you could arrange a trip to the nearby islands for a swim or a bike ride. In the evening, a Bosphorus dinner cruise is a memorable addition to your fourteen-day tour, with the lights of the European and Asian shores gliding past.

After breakfast, check out of the hotel between 12:00 and 1:00 pm. Depending on your international flight time, your driver will be waiting in the lobby to take you to the airport. This brings your fourteen-day Turkey tour to a close, and we hope to welcome you again.