Treasures of Turkey - Classic Group

Tour Type: Regional
Brochure Type Ancient Civilizations 2024 v1

Travel Turkey on this 15-day guided tour. See Cappadocia, where golden landscapes give way to caverns below. You'll descend into a local resident's cave house for a tour and talk about their way of life. Later, see whirling dervishes ? twirling dancers who will entertain you during a special dinner. In Göreme, explore rock-hewn churches decorated with ancient paintings before dining on the unique flavors served at a local restaurant that supports women from the village. Travel to Turkey's third largest city, Izmir, and explore one of the world's finest archaeological sites, Ephesus. Here, walk to its gargantuan amphitheater, which could seat as many as 24,000 people. In Istanbul, see the Blue Mosque's tiled domes and the Hippodrome, where Roman chariot races were held. Try your hand at bargaining in the city's Grand Bazaar, which includes more than 4,000 shops.

Additional Included Highlights
  • Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).
  • Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
  • We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.
  • If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, y
  • Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.
  • From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.
Authentic Dining
  • Cappadocia Watch a spectacular Sema performance of Whirling Dervishes and discover the flavors of Cappadocia as you indulge in a regional dinner of colorful dishes.
  • Istanbul Enjoy getting to know your fellow travelers as you savor a delicious Welcome Dinner in a local restaurant.
  • Istanbul Toast the culmination of your tour with a lively Celebration Dinner at a popular local restaurant.
Dining Summary
  • 1 Lunch (L)
  • 14 Breakfast (B)
  • 9 Dinner with Wine (DW)
Insight Experiences
  • Cappadocia Join a Cappadocian local, who has lived in the city for decades and take a tour of their cave house to learn more about their unique way of life.
Make Travel Matter
  • Uchisar Enjoy the unique flavors of Anatolia at Uchisar Kadineli Restaurant, where every dish is homemade with love. This remarkable establishment provides employment for more than 65 women from the village. The restaurant is owned by women and focuses o
Top Rated Highlights
  • Ankara Discover the mysterious Hittite civilization and visit the mausoleum of Ataturk.
  • Learn about the ancient art of pottery making in Avanos.
  • Gallipoli Pay your respects at Anzac Cove and Lone Pine Cemetery.
  • Göreme With your Local Expert, explore the underground cities, rock-cut churches, fairy-tale chimneys and the Pasabag Valley.
  • Antalya Visit the historic Old Town and wander through its charming narrow streets, discovering souvenir markets and sweeping sea views.
  • Troy Visit this ancient sight fabled to have been destroyed over love and view the huge reconstructed Trojan Horse.
  • Corinth Visit the open-air museum Aphrodisias dedicated to goddess Aphrodite, see the ancient city and statues that have survived preserving most of their originality.
  • Istanbul Visit the Blue Mosque and explore Hagia Sophia. With your Local Expert, gain an insight into the lives of the Ottoman Sultans during a private tour of the fabulous Topkapi Palace. Then you are given a complete guide on how to haggle in the Grand
  • Pergamon Visit Asklepion, the first hospital and spa center in the world for physical and mental health and see its well-preserved and impressive Roman columns.
  • Ankara On your orientation with your Travel Director of the capital of modern Turkey discover its Roman and Byzantine heritage, visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations and the Mausoleum of Ataturk.
  • Aspendos Visit the world's best preserved Roman Theater in Aspendos.
  • Konya Accompanied by your Local Expert, visit the beautiful Mevlana Tekke museum for an insight into the mystic Whirling Dervishes. See the Karatay Medrese and Ince Minaret.
  • Troy On your orientation with your Travel Director hear about the nearly 4000 year-old settlement, see the wooden Trojan Horse and hear about myths and legends connected to this archaeological site.
  • Visit the narrow passages and interconnecting rooms of this Stone Age underground city dug out from the hills and built to block invaders and defend against attacks.
  • Bursa On your orientation with your Travel Director visit the town's mosques, bazaars and famous Silk Market.
  • Istanbul Enjoy a relaxing cruise on the Bosphorus in Istanbul, where you'll pass Ottoman palaces, old mansions and fortresses.
  • Pamukkale See the cascading Cotton Castle of milky white travertine pools and the ancient ruin of Hierapolis.
  • Cumalikizik Visit the over 700 year-old village to get glimpse into what Ottoman villages away from the capital looked like.
  • Ephesus Discover one of the world's finest ancient sites. Led by your Local Expert, walk the Arcadian Way, see the Library of Celsus and Amphitheater and visit the House of the Virgin Mary.
  • Konya Visit a well preserved Seljuk Caravanserai.
Well-being
  • Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.
  • Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxurious, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom. Our customized luxury coaches are sanitized before the start of your tour and are maintained to very high standards. Physical

Call (972) 298-5554 for more information or to book today! Mention code 18824340

Tour Operator
Insight Vacations
Offer
Offer valid through 12/30/2024
Duration
15 Days
Escorted
Escorted - Yes
DayDestinationDescription
Day 1IstanbulWelcome to Istanbul: Welcome to Turkey. You'll start in vibrant Istanbul, where a representative will pick you up from the airport and transfer you to your hotel.  Relax and settle in before joining your Travel Director and getting to know your fellow travelers over a delicious Welcome Dinner.

Accommodations: Grand Wyndham Levent
Day 2BursaBosphorus Cruise and Bursa: In the morning embark on a cruise along Bosphorus Strait, one of the world's busiest waterways. Leisurely cruise past the quaint fishing villages that line its shores. Travel towards the old city and see the beautiful Ottoman palaces and fortresses, on the waterfront. Later, leave Istanbul for Bursa. A large city in northwest Turkey, it was the first major capital of the Ottoman Empire. Here we visit the Green Mosque, the Grand Mosque and the Mausoleum complex. There will be time in the afternoon to explore the city's bazaars, silk markets and historic monuments. This evening, venture to a local restaurant for a tasty meal.

Accommodations: Mövenpick Bursa Hotel and Thermal Spa.
Day 3AnkaraCumalikizik and Gordion: Begin your day of culture in the charming village of Cumalikizik, with its traditional wooden houses and very narrow cobblestone streets. Later you'll head to Gordion, which was once the capital city of ancient Phrygia, as you make your way to Turkey's modern capital, Ankara. Enjoy a relaxed evening at your hotel, the Hilton SA. Perhaps take a dip in its indoor pool or unwind in its jacuzzi or hammam.

Accommodations: Ankara HiltonSA, Ankara.
Day 4CappadociaSophisticated Ankara: A day for history enthusiasts, explore Turkey's bustling cultural capital, Ankara. Sightseeing includes a visit to the Hittite Museum and Anitkabir, the Mausoleum of Ataturk, Turkey's greatest modern leader and the first President of the Republic of Turkey. Later, head to Avanos in Cappadocia. Famed for its unique geological formation, Cappadocia is a scenic delight with golden hills and panoramic views.

Accommodations: DoubleTree by Hilton Avanos, Cappadocia
Day 5CappadociaThe Underground Cities of Cappadocia Experience: With its striking golden, volcanic landscapes, underground city and otherworldly buildings, Cappadocia could never be called ordinary. At every turn you'll be delighted with yet another geographical or architectural surprise. Today you'll travel to the striking town of Göreme. Explore its rock-hewn churches decorated with ancient wall paintings. Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experience at the Uçhisar Kadineli Restaurant and get a taste of Anatolia's regional flavors. This establishment provides employment for the women of the village and supports their financial freedom. Next, continue on to the Pasabag Valley and visit the underground city of Özkonak where you'll have time to explore its tunnels and holes with your Travel Director. Later, join a Cappadocian local who has lived in the city for decades and take a tour of their cave house. Explore this unique way of living, learning about local traditions and family life. This evening you'll witness a performance of Whirling Dervishes before dining at a local restaurant.

Accommodations: DoubleTree by Hilton Avanos, Cappadocia
Day 6KonyaKonya: Start your day by learning more about traditional pottery making in Avanos. It's then time to take a journey along the famous Silk Road to visit a 13th century caravanserai, a historic roadside inn where travelers would rest and recover after a day's journey, most notably along the iconic road itself. Later, you'll head to Turkey's most religious city, Konya, the old capital of the Anatolian Seljuk Empire. Once here, visit the Mevlana Museum, with its beautiful fluted turquoise dome, and see the Karatay Medrese and Ince Minaret.

Accommodations: Novotel Konya Hotel.
Day 7AntalyaThrough the Taurus Mountains: You day begins with a scenic drive down the Taurus Mountains to Aspendos, an ancient city in Antalya. Known for having the best-preserved Roman theater anywhere in the world, learn more as you explore it with your fellow travelers. Continue to your hotel for the next two nights and enjoy time to relax.

Accommodations: Akra Barut Antalya.
Day 8AntalyaAntalya's Old Town: Start your day with a visit to Antalya's pretty Old Town, with its souvenir markets and sweeping sea views. The rest of the day is free to relax and enjoy the leisure facilities at your hotel. Alternatively, explore Antalya at your own pace. Ask your Travel Director for recommendations on places to explore in the city, take a stroll around the harbor or perhaps take a boat trip off the coast.

Accommodations: Akra Barut Antalya.
Day 9PamukkaleThe Pools of Pamukkale: Cross the soaring Taurus Mountains to see the remains of the ancient city of Hierapolis, a Roman spa city founded around 190 B.C. Next to the ruins, you can see the gleaming white travertine terraces of Pamukkale. Famous for its mineral-rich thermal waters and chalk-white limestone terraces, explore the area with your Travel Director. Later, head back to your hotel, the esteemed Doga Thermal Health & Spa. Take full advantage of its indoor and outdoor thermal pools, steam room and its Turkish bath complex.

Accommodations: Doga Thermal Health & Spa, Pamukkale.
Day 10KusadasiKusadasi: Start your morning with a trip to the Temple of Aphrodite, dedicated to the goddess of love, beauty and fertility, in Geyre. Based in the ruins of the ancient city of Aphrodisias, it was the focal point of the city in its heyday. You'll see the towering, fourteen columns of the temple that have been re-erected. Arrive into the coastal resort of Kusadasi for an evening at leisure.

Accommodations: Charisma De Luxe Hotel, Kusadasi.
Day 11KusadasiAncient Ephesus: Discover one of the world's finest archaeological sites, Ephesus. Walk through the colonnaded Arcadian Way, see the Library of Celsus and the huge Amphitheater, before visiting the House of the Virgin Mary, situated above the Ephesus ruins and the Ephesus Archaeological Museum.

Accommodations: Charisma De Luxe Hotel, Kusadasi.
Day 12ÇanakkalePergamon, Troy and Çanakkale.: Begin your day of legends with a trip to Pergamon. Once a powerful ancient Greek city, you'll find the Asklepion temple here. A famous shrine and healing center, it was built in honor of Asklepios, the god of medicine. Next, head to Homer's city of Troy, the focal point of the Trojan war and the backdrop to one of history's most famous love stories, that of Paris and Helen of Troy, the face that launched 1000 ships. A replica of the mighty Trojan Horse, which helped the Greeks capture the city in 1200 B.C., can be found beside the city's walls. After some time exploring, continue your journey to Çanakkale, a gateway to the Gallipoli WWI battlefields.

Accommodations: DoubleTree by Hilton Canakkale, Canakkale.
Day 13IstanbulGallipoli and ANZAC Cove: This morning, cross the Dardanelles Strait by ferry to the Gallipoli Peninsula. Located in the southern part of East Thrace, it was here that, for nine months during the Great War, Anzac troops fought, in an attempt to gain control of the Dardanelles Strait. Learn more about these events as you visit Anzac Cove and pay your respects at the Lone Pine Cemetery. Later, return to Istanbul where you'll spend the next two nights.

Accommodations: Grand Wyndham Levent
Day 14IstanbulIstanbul and the Ottoman Empire: Today you'll take in the sites of Istanbul. In the morning, visit the historic Blue Mosque and the Hippodrome, where Roman chariot races were held, before exploring Hagia Sophia. Built in A.D. 537, it has recently turned from a museum into a mosque and is famous for its domed roof. Visit the Topkapi Palace, perched above the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn, the primary inlet of the waterway. Enjoy the excitement of bargaining in the bustling Grand Bazaar. In the evening, join your fellow travelers and toast to your trip over a Celebration Dinner at a local restaurant.

Accommodations: Grand Wyndham Levent
Day 15IstanbulFarewell Istanbul: It's time to say goodbye to your new friends, as your trip comes to an end. A transfer will take you to the airport for your onward flights, or for those extending their stay in Istanbul, speak to your Travel Director for tips and tricks on where to head.

Accommodations:
Dates/Pricing

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DatePrice / DescriptionQuote
09/29/2024$4,195.00* (USD) / Land PriceQuote
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  • Treasures of Turkey - Classic Group

    From $4,125.00 (USD)

    Tour Type: RegionalBrochure Type Ancient Civilizations 2024 v1Travel Turkey on this 15-day guided tour. See Cappadocia, where golden landscapes give way to caverns below.

 
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