7 nights from
£1495
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).
On occasion alternative hotels may be used.
Some visits are on foot with some uneven surface and inclines.
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.
Travel insurance, visa procurement, optional excursions, tipping, porterage, any government taxes or compulsory charges introduced after publication.
Turkish Delights
Explore the Christian and Ottoman heritage of Istanbul (formerly Byzantium and Constantinople) including a Bosphorus cruise and visits to palaces, mosques, churches and bazaars, staying in historic hotels
Grand Tour of Turkey
A journey through the cities and the centuries, via coasts, peaks and plateaus, enjoy a comprehensive circling of significant sights, from Istanbul, at ‘the bridge of continents’, to ancient sites, intriguing culture and ethereal landscapes