7 nights from

£1325

Highlights of Turkey

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Exceptional value for a journey of discovery from Istanbul to Ephesus via Troy, Pergamon and Bursa through ancient, Ottoman and Byzantine Turkey

Giving you a glimpse of life in every era of the country’s chequered past, this tour time-travels from Trojan to Greek and Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman Turkey, revealing a rich heritage and remarkably well-preserved ruins. It begins at the ‘meeting point of continents’, Istanbul, straddling Europe and Asia across the Bosphorus Strait; a heaving, hospitable, cosmopolitan city, where Byzantine churches beg to be explored, and magnificent minareted mosques supply the soundtrack of muezzin calls. Following the Sea of Marmara’s shore to the 1915 Allied landings of Gallipoli, it crosses the Dardanelles (Hellespont) at the narrowest point, to the Aegean coast at Canakkale, the launch pad for legendary ancient Troy.

After the classical Greco-Roman remains of Pergamon, Kusadasi’s beaches and busy marina mark a sharp re-entry into modern times; but the tempo turns again in a visit to the haunting ruins of Ephesus, its reconstruction finely balanced for visitors to ‘join the dots’ and imagine the city in its heyday. Circling northeast to complete the tour, our final visit is the first Ottoman capital, Bursa, whose beautiful buildings, inspired by Persian culture, earned the city its early epithet of Hudavendigar (God’s gift).

Overview

  • Istanbul  - 3 nights
  • Canakkale  - 1 night
  • Kusadasi  - 2 nights
  • Bursa  - 1 night
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Tour Highlights

  • Culture & Natural Wonders
  • Jules Verne Sightseeing
  • 5 UNESCO Heritage Sites
  • Local Expert Guides

Exceptional value for a journey of discovery from Istanbul to Ephesus via Troy, Pergamon and Bursa through ancient, Ottoman and Byzantine Turkey

Notes:

On occasion alternative hotels may be used.

Some visits are on foot with some uneven surface and inclines.

The St Sophia Mosque (Hagia Sophia) will be undergoing a long period of renovation and there will be some parts closed to visitors in 2024.

Accommodation

Hotel Yigitalp - Istanbul

A modern 4-star central hotel in the old city. Restaurant, bar, spa, Turkish Bath, sauna and WiFi (free). 83 air-conditioned rooms with private facilities, hairdryer, safe, mini-bar and satellite TV.

Akol Hotel - Canakkale

This 4-star hotel overlooks the Dardanelles Straight, in the heart of Canakkale and a few minutes’ walk from the seaside. Panoramic restaurant, rooftop bar and WiFi (free). Air-conditioned rooms with private facilities, hairdryer, safe, mini-bar, satellite TV and balcony.

Korumar Hotel De Luxe - Kusadasi

A 5-star hotel located by the Aegean Sea with two private beaches. Restaurants, bars, pools, sauna, jacuzzi, Turkish bath, spa and WiFi (free). 272 air-conditioned rooms with hairdryer, safe, mini-bar and satellite TV.

Gonluferah City Hotel - Bursa

A 4-star hotel overlooking the city of Bursa. Restaurant, bar, access to the thermal baths at the sister hotel adjacent and WiFi (free). 92 air-conditioned rooms with hairdryer, safe, mini-bar, tea/coffee making facilities and satellite TV.

Extra Nights

Stay in Istanbul before you start your tour or before flying back to the UK

Extra nights are on request, please call to discuss your requirements

Hotel Yigitalp
(per night) £48
Single supplement £32

Hotel Yigitalp - Istanbul

A modern 4-star central hotel in the old city. Restaurant, bar, spa, Turkish Bath, sauna and WiFi (free). 83 air-conditioned rooms with private facilities, hairdryer, safe, mini-bar and satellite TV.

Optional Excursions

Optional Full Day Istanbul Tour including Bosphorous Cruise

An optional full day tour today visits the huge Süleymaniye Mosque, with its monumental arches and 47m-high dome; Turkey’s largest and most grandiose palace, the Dolmabahçe, its 19thcentury façade dominating the waterside; and the lively, colourful, and aromatically scented Egyptian (Spice) Bazaar; then embarking on a classic Bosphorus cruise, passing palaces, mosques and villas. Lunch included.

Departures & Prices

per person in a twin/double room
Turkish Airlines from Heathrow

May
May 11 (Saturday)
  • Spring Sale

Was £1475

£ 1325

September
September 14 (Saturday)
October
October 12 (Saturday)
Price Includes:

Air travel and taxes, transfers, 7 nights’ accommodation, breakfast daily, 4 dinners, itinerary as described, services of guides and local representatives. If our specially negotiated airfares are unavailable at the time of booking, a supplement may apply.

Not Included:

Travel insurance, visa procurement, optional excursions, tipping, porterage, any government taxes or compulsory charges introduced after publication.

Supplements per person

Single Supplement
  • 2024: Sep, Oct
  • £265
  • 2025: Apr, May, Sep, Oct
  • £285
Flight Options
  • Turkish Airlines from Manchester
  • On request, please call for supplement
  • British Airways from London Heathrow
  • On request, please call for supplement
Privately Guided
£995
  • Privately guided tour available
  • £995 per person
Optional Excursions
  • Optional Full Day Istanbul Tour including Bosphorous Cruise (2024, 2025)
  • £75
Tour Only
  • Save
  • £325
  • Arrival transfer
  • £46
  • Departure transfer
  • £155

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