Welcome to Istanbul! At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome dinner at the hotel.

Hotel: Hotel Titanic City Taksim or similar in Istanbul

Meals: Dinner

A Gateway between Orient and Occident ISTANBUL Guided sightseeing includes the Topapki Palace, Hagia Sophia, the Roman Hippodrome and the Blue Mosque followed by a Turkish Delight tasting.

TOUR HIGHLIGHT

CULTURE and TRADITIONS Founded by the Greeks as Byzantium more than 2,500 years ago, and finally called Istanbul after the Ottoman conquest in the 15th century, the city on the Bosporus remains one of the most exciting places in the world. Its strategic location as a gateway between Orient and Occident, the Islamic and the Christian worlds, and the Black Sea and the Mediterranean predestined it for a turbulent yet exciting history.

Hotel: Hotel Titanic City Taksim or similar in Istanbul

Meals: Breakfast

Bravery on the Beach

GALLIPOLI Visit the WWI battlefields on the Gallipoli peninsula, the Anzac Cemetery and the Lone Pine Memorial before crossing the Dardanelless by ferry. 236 mi/ 380 km.

TOUR HIGHLIGHT

HISTORY and HERITAGE Visit the moving and inspirational sites, where Allied troops, mainly Australians and New Zealanders, suffered heavy casualties in a disastrous campaign. Pay tribute to the heroes of those tragic months of 1915 at the Anzac Cemetery and the Lone Pine Memorial.

Hotel: Hotel Doubletree by Hilton Canakkale or similar in Canakkale

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Trojan War TROY Enjoy a guided visit

PERGAMUM Guided visit of the Asklepion, a shrine to the Greek God of medicine. 267 mi / 430 km

TOUR HIGHLIGHT

HEALING THE BODY and THE SOUL Nestled between hills, the Asklepion retains a sense of serenity and history. The sick approached the temple via the Sacred Way, a path that started their journey to health determined according to what dreams the patience experienced and which also included theatre shows. All of this was done in the belief that healing was a sacred art and that people’s souls needed to be mended as well as their bodies.

Hotel: Hotel CHARISMA DE LUXE HOTEL KUSADASI or similar

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Ancient Civilization Preserved EPHESUS Follow your Guide for a walk through the ancient ruins and the archaeological museum. 137 mi / 220 km.

TOUR HIGHLIGHT

HISTORIC SPOTS Ephesus was one of the most famous cities of the ancient Mediterranean. It was the second biggest city of the Roman Empire and today it is one of the largest Roman archaeological sites in the eastern Mediterranean.

 Hotel: Hotel Adempira Termal and Spa or similar in Pamukkale

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

In the Shadow of Mount Olympus HIERAPOLIS Visit the thermal resort founded by a Pergamene king in 190 BCE. BURSA Visit the Great Mosque the covered bazaar and the silk market followed by a Kestane Sekeri tasting. 280mi/ 450 km

TOUR HIGHLIGHT

ANCIENT TASTES ON THE SILK ROAD Wander through the long winding bazaar in Bursa, Turkey’s centuries-old city center, taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of the buzzing marketplace. Treat your taste buds to one of the city’s famous sweets, the Kestane Sekery, and find the perfect gift for yourself or a friend, a piece of authentic Bursa-made silk.

 Hotel: Hotel MOEVENPICK BURSA HOTEL AND THERMAL SPA or similar in Bursa

Meals: Breakfast

Ancient Walls and Ecumenical Council IZNIK Guided visit includes St. Sophia’s Church and the Archaeological museum ISTANBUL Farewell dinner at a local restaurant 137 mi / 220 km.

TOUR HIGHLIGHT

CERAMIC BEYOND TIMES Iznik is a completely “open-air museum” with its rare ancient history and uniqueness. It is also the birthplace of the world famous Iznik tiles – a treasured artform dating back to the Ottoman Empire.

Hotel: Hotel RENAISSANCE ISTANBUL POLAT BOSPHORUS or similar in Istanbul

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Safe travels until we meet again! Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.

Hotel: N/A

Meals: Breakfast