Turkey, 10 Days · Classic tour

From Istanbul to Izmir

Surrender to the magic of Turkey

Embark upon an amazing journey through the cities, landscapes, culture and history of the destination that fuses the very best of East and West: Turkey. Join us on a trip where you'll discover places with epic names and places with mystical airs, Istanbul, Ankara, Cappadocia, Pamukkale, Ephesus, Izmir, Pergamon, Troy, Bursa... The legend that remains alive in time is awaiting you.

Ready to get going?

From Istanbul to Izmir

Departure date

December 2024

From

Dublin, Knock, Galway, Shannon, Donegal, Cork, Kerry county...

Archaeological

Travel details

Day 1 City of origin - Istanbul

Day 2 Istanbul

Day 3 Istanbul - Ankara

Day 4 Ankara - Cappadocia

Day 5 Cappadocia

Day 6 Cappadocia - Pamukkale

Day 7 Pamukkale - Ephesus - Izmir

Day 8 Izmir - Pergamon - Troy - Çanakkale

Day 9 Çanakkale - Gallipoli - Istanbul

Day 10 Istanbul - City of origin

City of origin - Istanbul

Departure with destination Istanbul. Transfer to hotel. Overnight stay.
Istanbul

Istanbul

Includes: BreakfastLunch
Breakfast at hotel. Departure to visit the Egyptian bazaar (spice market) and then boat tour on the Bosphorus, the strait that separates Europe from Asia, where you'll marvel at the outstanding natural beauty of Istanbul's forests, palaces and wooden palaces built on both banks. After lunch, visit to the Sultanahmet district, with the square of the Roman Hippodrome, and the splendid Basilica of Hagia Sophia. Free time at Grand Bazaar. Tour terminates at Grand Bazaar. Overnight at the hotel.

Istanbul - Ankara

Includes: BreakfastDinner
Breakfast at hotel. The day kicks off at Topkapi Palace, residence of the Sultans of the Ottoman Empire, famous for its wonderful collection of jewellery and porcelain (harem room with additional charge). Onward to the Grand Bazaar (closed on Sundays and religious festivals), a building that houses more than 4,000 stores and where there'll be some time at your leisure for shopping. Departure by coach to Ankara, crossing Istanbul's intercontinental bridge. Arrival in the country's capital city, dinner at hotel and overnight stay.

Ankara - Cappadocia

Includes: BreakfastDinner
Breakfast at hotel. Tour around the Turkish capital, including the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations and the mausoleum of Atatürk, founder of the Turkish Republic. Departure for Cappadocia, visiting en route the underground city, built by Christian communities to protect themselves from Arab attacks. Arrival in Cappadocia. Dinner and overnight stay at hotel.

Cappadocia

Includes: BreakfastDinner
At dawn, possibility of an optional excursion by hot air balloon, flying over the spectacular landscape of Cappadocia. Breakfast at hotel followed by a day exploring this fantastic region, one of a kind in the world, stopping at places like the Goreme Valley, with its rock churches decorated with paintings from the 10th and 11th centuries; the troglodyte village of Uçhisar, and the Derbent Valley, with its curious natural formations. Time at your leisure to visit local craft workshops selling rugs and semi-precious stones. Dinner and overnight stay at hotel.

Cappadocia - Pamukkale

Includes: BreakfastDinner
Breakfast and departure to Pamukkale. En route, a stop-off to visit the Sultan Han caravanserai dating back to the Seljuk kingdom. Arrival and time at your leisure in this place known as 'the cotton castle', unique in the world for its thermal pools of calcareous origin and its petrified waterfalls. Dinner and overnight stay at hotel.

Pamukkale - Ephesus - Izmir

Includes: BreakfastDinner
Breakfast. Departure to visit the ruins of Ephesus, a city dedicated to Artemis, visiting the Odeon, the Temple of Hadrian, the House of Love, the Library of Celso, the Agora and the House of Virgin Mary, said to be her final resting place. Stop-off at a leather production centre and onward journey to Izmir, the third largest city in Turkey. Dinner and overnight stay at hotel.

Izmir - Pergamon - Troy - Çanakkale

Includes: BreakfastDinner
Breakfast at hotel and departure to Pergamon, the current Bergama. Arrival and visit to the ruins including the Asclepeion, which was the first hospital in Asia Minor. Onward journey to Troy, the setting for Homer's Iliad. Then on to Çanakkale. Arrival, dinner and overnight stay at hotel.

Çanakkale - Gallipoli - Istanbul

Includes: Breakfast
Breakfast at hotel. We will cross Dardanelles Strait by car ferry and continue to Gallipoli Peninsula. We will visit one of the most emotionally touching places in Turkey, the WWI Battlefields of Gallipoli, including Brighton Beach, Beach Cemetery, ANZAC Cove, Ariburnu Cemetery, ANZAC Commemorative Site, Respect to Mehmetcik Statue, Lone Pine Australian Memorial, Johnston's Jolly, Turkish and Allied trenches and tunnels, 57. Regiment Turkish Memorial,The Nek,Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial. Continuation to Istanbul for overnight.
Istanbul

Istanbul - City of origin

Includes: Breakfast
Breakfast at hotel (if the flight and transfer schedule allows). Transfer to the airport. Flight with destination the city of origin. Arrival. End of the trip and our services.

Your trip includes

  • Return flight.

  • Accommodation in planned hotels or similar category.

  • Transfers as per itinerary.

  • Transport in air-conditioned vehicles appropriate to the size of the group.

  • English-speaking/bilingual local guides.

  • Half-litre bottle of water per person on the minibus/coach (from day 3 to day 9).

  • Onboard WiFi from day 3 to day 9.

  • Services with ***MANDATORY PAYMENT at destination: €205 sightseeing package per person, and fee for services and tips (hotels and restaurants): € 45 per person.

  • Diet: 9 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 6 dinners.

Your trip doesn't include

  • Electronic Visa to enter in Turkey.

  • Tips for drivers and guides (payment at destination; we recommend €3 per person per day for guides and €2 for drivers).

  • Any other service not previously mentioned as included.

  • Insolvency protection.

Expected Hotels (or similar)

In this section you will find a selection of hotels according to the category specified in the itinerary.

Days 1 - 2

Day 3

Days 4 - 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

Category A

Barin Hotel

Sehzadebasi Fevziye Cd No:7, Istanbul

Very Good 7

Laleli Gonen Hotel

Fethibey Caddesi Zeynepkamil Sokak 24, Istanbul

Excellent 9

Hotel Buyuk Keban

Gencturk Caddesi No: 39, Sehzadebasi - Fatih, Istanbul

Very Good 8

Grand Ant Hotel

Kucuklanga Cad No 9 Aksaray, Fatih, Istanbul

Very Good 8
Category B

Yigitalp Hotel

Gencturk Cad. Cukur Cesme Sok. No:38, Sehzadebasi, Istanbul

Very Good 8

Darkhill Hotel

Mimar Kemalettin Mah. Koca Ragıp Paşa Cad. No: 9 Laleli, Istanbul

Excellent 9

Carlton Hotel

Feyziye Cad No. 22 Sehzadebasi, Istanbul

Very Good 7

Ephesus Hotel Istanbul

Mesih Pasa Mah Aksaray Caddesi No 24, Laleli Istanbul, Istanbul

Important remarks

- The Grand Bazaar and the Egyptian Bazaar will remain closed on religious holidays, Sundays and national holidays. Please consult.

- The tours include cultural stops at local workshops so you can learn about the production of traditional crafts.

- If you'd like to have rooms with double or twin beds during your trip, please let us know in advance.We'll do everything possible to fulfil your wishes, but we can't guarantee anything as it's all subject to availability when you check in at each hotel.

- Please provide the passport details of passengers within 48 hours of making the booking, as requested by the national government for all visitors to Turkey.

- Triple rooms in Europe are generally rooms with twin beds or a double, in which a folding bed is installed to accommodate the third person. Due to the inconvenience this causes, we advise against using this option as far the possible.

- During congresses and special events, the confirmed hotels and other accommodations may be different to those indicated.

- During the circuit by Europe, only one suitcase and one carry-on bag per person are allowed.

- Check-in time at the hotel on the day of arrival depends on each establishment, but in no case will it be before 3:00 p.m., unless otherwise indicated.

- VERY IMPORTANT: The base price does not include the price of the services with mandatory payment at destination: €205 sightseeing package per person, and fee for services and tips (hotels and restaurants): € 45 per person.

- Mandatory payments at destination paid with credit cards may be subject to bank fees and currency exchange variations (please check with your bank).Therefore, and in order to avoid any discrepancies in the amounts, we recommend making the payment in cash.

- You can book the hot air balloon flight in Cappadocia or Pamukkale prior to departure. Ask us for prices. Flights are always weather permitting and subject to authorisation from the Turkish Civil Aviation Authority.

- During the International Marble Fair in Izmir in April, accommodation can be confirmed in Kusadasi.

- The Ataturk Mausoleum in Ankara may be closed to visitors without prior notice due to governmental ceremonies. In the event of such ceremonies, the mausoleum will be open to visitors from the outside.

- The order of the itinerary may be altered for logistical reasons, without prior notice, but no scheduled trips will be cancelled (except in the case that adverse weather conditions prevent its realisation).

- A credit card is considered a guarantee, so sometimes you will need one for check-in at hotels.

- Prices are calculated based on admission fees to the sights as of the date of publication. If there is an increase in these prices, you will be promptly informed.

- If you are a person with reduced mobility, please contact us to confirm the suitability of the trip.

- Consult the necessary documentation to enter the destinations visited and for transit in the countries where air stopovers are made.