Turkish Odyssey                               • Istanbul • Ankara • Cappadocia • Pamukkale • Antalya • Kas • Fethiye • Marmaris •

18 Days / 17 Nights                                                   • Bodrum • Kusadasi • Pergamum • Troy • Canakkale • Dardanelles • Gallipoli •

Guaranteed Departures

Day 1 Friday Istanbul

Arrival and transfer to hotel. Welcome to fabulous Istanbul where you will discover the rich palaces of the Ottoman Empire and the beauty of its mosques. Check out the lively cafes and trendy restaurants.

Meet the Tour Director and your travelling companions at the welcome briefing about 7pm

Day 2 Saturday Istanbul

Full day tour to include: Topkapi Palace (excluding harem), Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, and the Grand Bazaar.

Optional: Dinner with belly dancing entertainment.

Day 3 Sunday Istanbul – Ankara

Morning - optional tour of St. Sophia and Bosphorus cruise. Hagia Sophia is considered a unique monument in Byzantine architecture. It was a place of Christian worship for over 900 years and a mosque for close to 500 years.

The Bosphorus is the strait that forms part of the boundary between Europe and Asia.

Afternoon departure for Ankara, the capital and second largest city in Turkey. Early evening arrival (450 kms). Dinner

Day 4 Monday Ankara – Cappadocia

Morning visit to the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations Anatolian Civilizations Museum with the world's largest collection of Hittite artifacts. It was named European Museum of the Year in 1997. Next visit the Mausoleum of Ataturk, founder and first president of the Turkish Republic. Completed in 1960 it dominates the modern part of the city. Drive to Cappadocia, touring a 13th century caravan inn en route. Built on the Silk Road during the Seljuk period for traders, the inn provided rooms, food, medical attention, equipment repair and other conveniences. Overnight in Cappadocia. Dinner

Day 5 Tuesday Cappadocia

Early Morning Optional: Balloon Tour. Experience of floating through volcanic valleys, fairy chimneys and caves with the sunrise of Cappadocia. After breakfast, visit the churches of the Goreme Valley which contain the most spectacular paintings of the region. The area has been designated as a huge open air museum. Zelv'es cliff-side Byzantine monastic complex and Uchisar's natural citadel, Sarhatli underground city. Dinner and overnight in Cappadocia. Dinner

Day 6 Wednesday Cappadocia – Pamukkale

En route to Pamukkale we visit the famous mausoleum of the sufi philosopher Mevlana in Konya which became a museum in 1927. Pamukkale is an extraordinary limestone mountain with cascading hot springs where the Romans built an ancient spa. Early evening arrival for dinner and overnight in Pamukkale. Dinner

Day 7 Thursday Pamukkale – Antalya

Early morning visit to the unique Cotton Castle with the calcium cascades. Also visit one of the first spa centers of the ancient world; Hierapolis - founded by King Eumenes II of Pergamon around 190 B.C. The remains of the tow include the ancient ruins of the baths, temples, the well-preserved theatre, and the largest necropolis or graveyard in Anatolia containing over 1200 tombs. After our visit of Hierapolis continue to Antalya on the Mediterranean coast. Dinner

Day 8 Friday Antalya Full Day Tour

Tour the ancient city of Perge. Just 18 kms from Antalya, Perge was an important city in Pamphylia and was visited by St.Paul during his missionary journeys. Aspendos is famous for having the best-preserved Roman theatre in the Mediterranean region. Dinner

Day 9 Saturday Antalya – Demre – Kekova – Kalkan

Visit the famous Church of St. Nicholas (said to be the original Santa Claus) in Demre. Demre was one of the most important cities of the Lycian civilization. Boat trip to Kekova. Kekova is a region of fascinating islands, bays and ancient cities. Kekova has a rarely seen attraction; a sunken city. Geological movements caused an ancient city to be submerged, creating a strange scene with half of the city under water and half above. Overnight in Kalkan. Dinner

Day 10 Sunday Kas – Xanthos – Patara – Fethiye

Today we will visit the ancient cities Patara and Xanthos then we proceed to famous beach resort Fethiye. The colorful ceramics in the center of the Patara reveal that the history of the city reaches back to 5 B.C. It was one of the most important seaports during the time of Alexander the Great. Xanthos was the oldest and largest city of Lycia. Dinner in a restaurant and overnight in Fethiye, a traditional market town set around a beautiful natural harbour. Dinner

Day 11 Monday Fethiye

The bay of Fethiye has islands, coves, long sandy beaches. Spend a day at leisure or take an optional tour - Boat Trip to 12 Islands. Dinner and overnight in Fethiye. Dinner

Day 12 Tuesday Fethiye – Caunos – Marmaris

After breakfast depart to Dalyan, a village with a backdrop of stunning mountains. Take a river boats to have a tour to famous mud baths with sulphur hot springs, view the Ancient Kings’ Tombs of Caunos City. Enjoy a relaxing swim break at Iztuzu Beach (also known as Turtle Beach) where is a natural shelter and breeding site for Blue Crabs and nearly extinct Loggerhead Sea Turtles (Caretta Caretta). Dinner and overnight in Marmaris. Dinner

Day 13 Wednesday Marmaris (Rhodes)

Marmaris is one of Turkey's most popular resorts with pine-clad hills dropping steeply to the sea, jagged inlets and tiny rocky islets off the coast. Day at leisure in Marmaris or take an Optional Tour to Rhodes.Dinner

Day 14 Thursday Marmaris – Bodrum

After breakfast drive to Bodrum, a lively resort town, known in antiquity as Halircarnasus. Visit the Castle of St Peter which houses the renowned Museum of Underwater Archeology. Then proceed to the Mausoleum of Halicarnassos, an ancient tomb that is the origin of the word "mausoleum." Dinner and overnight in Bodrum. Dinner

Day 15 Friday Bodrum – Kusadasi

Early morning drive to Kusadasi. Tour the famous ruins of Ephesus, once the commercial center of the ancient world famous for its Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The city of Ephesus lay largely in ruins forgotten until the early 20th century. Continue to the House of the Virgin Mary. Tradition has it that after the death of Christ, John brought the Virgin Mary to Ephesus where she is said to have spent her last days in a small house built for her on Mt. Koressos. It is now a popular place of pilgrimage. Optional tour to Sirince. Dinner and overnight in Kusadasi. Dinner

Day 16 Saturday Pergamum – Troy – Canakkale

Visit ancient Medical Center Asclepion in Pergamum. Gallen, was a medical authority who set up shop here as physician to Pergamum’s gladiators. The most significant ruins are the great library of Pergamum that once housed over 200,000 books. The main structure of the Acropolis includes the Library as well as the marble columned Temple of Trajan. Tour Troy with its famous wooden horse. Homer’s fortified city of Troy was lost until 1871 when a German adventurer Heinrich Schliemann discovered and excavated it at his own expense. He uncovered four superimposed towns (nine have since been uncovered). See the legendary walls and the replica of the famous wooden horse that guards the entrance and continue on to Canakkale for overnight. Dinner

Day 17 Sunday Dardanelles – Gallipoli – Istanbul

Morning departure for Gallipoli. This area is known for the war cemeteries and memorials for the Turkish and foreign soldiers killed during the sea and shore battles of 1915. There are sunken ships, trenches, castles, towers and hundreds of remains from the war. Visit Anzac Cove, site of World War I landing of the ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps). Also see Lone Pine Cemetery and Chunuk Bair. Drive to Istanbul for overnight.

Day 18 Monday Istanbul – Return

Transfer to airport.

°17 Nights superior first class hotels

° Meals - Breakfast daily & 14 Dinners (nightly except in Istanbul)

° Licensed guides throughout

° Luxury motorcoach   

° Luggage Handling

° Local Taxes and Service Charges

° Arrival Transfer & Departure Transfer