This 11-day, 10-night tour will show you Turkey's best cultural and historic attractions.
Your first two nights will be spent in the city of Istanbul, Turkey's largest city. Istanbul - formerly called Constantinople - served as a former capital of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. While in historic Istanbul, see the spectacular Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar, the ancient Hippodrome, and the 15th century Topkapi Palace; this UNESCO World Heritage Site was the official residence of the Ottoman Sultans for four centuries. You will then travel to Turkey's capital city of Ankara, which is home to the Turkish government, the State Opera and Ballet, and the amazing Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. While here you will visit the museum to see its collection of artifacts from the Hittite Empire (18th century BC to 1178 BC).
As part of the program, you will also spend two nights in Cappadocia, a region of immense historic and cultural heritage. You will tour an underground city, attend a pottery workshop and experience the unusual rock formations of Göreme National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You'll continue southwest to the city of Pamukkale, home to widely-frequented thermal springs and the remarkable ruins of the ancient Greek city of Hierapolis.
The next two nights will be spent in the resort, seaside town of Kusadasi, an excellent base for touring the Roman ruins of Ephesus (Turkey's equivalent of Pompeii). Ephesus also has an interesting history with early Christians. It is believed that the Virgin Mary eventually settled here and lived until her assumption. St. Paul also lived in Ephesus for two years.
Upon departing Kusadasi, you will set out north along the coast, visiting the ruins of two ancient Greek cities en route: the legendary city of Troy - best remembered for being the setting of the Trojan War - and Pergamum. Mentioned in the Book of Revelations, Pergamum's origins date back to the 16th century BC. Its library, which was one of the best in the ancient world, was pillaged by Marc Antony so that he could gift Cleopatra the library's best treasures. While in Pergamum you will tour the Asklepion, an ancient medical center constructed to honor the god of healing.
Before returning to Istanbul, you will stay in the port city of Canakkale to explore the Gallipoli Peninsula and learn the history of the WWI campaign that resulted in over 200,000 lost lives. Today it is a site of memorials, cemeteries and battlefields. Your comprehensive tour of Turkey will finish back in Istanbul, where you will have a final evening to enjoy this vivacious, cosmopolitan city.
