Day 1  Istanbul: Arrival & Transfer to Hotel

Upon your arrival in Istanbul, you will be met with our company representative in the arrivals area of the airport who will be holding a signboard with your name on it. After meet and greet, you will then be transferred from the airport to your hotel in Istanbul. Rest of the day will be at leisure.

Day 2 Istanbul: Full-Day Istanbul Byzantine & Ottoman History Tour
(Included Meals: Breakfast & Lunch)

• Breakfast at hotel
• Picked up from your hotel for Full Day Tour
• Visiting Sites: Hagia Sophia, Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Grand Bazaar
• 13:00 Lunch
• 17:00 After the tour transfer back to your hotel
• Stay Overnight in Istanbul

Hagia Sophia: This ancient basilica, built by Constantine the Great in the 4th century and reconstructed by Justinian in the 6th century, is one of the architectural marvels of all time.

Sultanahmet Mosque: Across from St. Sophia built in the 16th century by the architect Mehmet, is known as the BLUE MOSQUE because of its magnificent interior decoration of blue Iznik tiles.

Hippodrome: Ancient Hippodrome, the scene of chariot races, with the three monuments; the Obelisk of Theodosius, the bronze Serpentine Column and the Column of Constantine.

Grand Cover Bazaar: In this labyrinth of streets and passages are more then 4,000 shops with each trade having its own area: the goldsmiths' street, the carpet sellers, Turkish arts and crafts, such as handpainted ceramic plates, hand-honed copperware, brassware and trays, water ewers, onyx-ware and meerschaum pipes.

Topkapi Palace: The great palace of the Ottoman sultans from the 15th to the 19th centuries housing an exquisite collection of cyrstal, silver, and Chinese porcelain, robes worn by the sultans and their families, the famous jewels of the Imperial Treasury, miniatures, the Holy Mantle; enshrining relics of the Prophet Mohammed. Overnight at your hotel in Istanbul.

Day 3 Istanbul: Bosphorus Cruise and Dolmabahce Palace Tour
(Included Meals: Breakfast & Lunch)

• Breakfast at hotel
• Picked up from your hotel for Full Day Tour
• Visiting Sites: Dolmabahce Palace, Camlica Hill, Across to Asia: Bosphorus Bridge, Pierre Loti Hill, Cable Car, City Walls, Lunch on the Boat, Rumeli Fortress, Beykoz
• 17:00 After the tour transfer back to your hotel.
• Stay Overnight in Istanbul

Dolmabahce Palace Interior Visit: Dolmabahce is the richest palace of whole Ottoman period and is very busy especially in the afternoon by group visits. That's why our tour is a gem as we're going to visit it in the peaceful morning period.

Bosphorus Bridge Across to Asia: Overshadowing Istanbul's traditional architecture is one of the world's largest suspension bridges, linking Europe and Asia.

Camlica Hill: We climb a Bosphorus side hill by bus for a view which commands a magnificent view that embraces the Bosphorus and old istanbul.

Pierre Loti Hill: The hill was named after the French novelist and naval officer Pierre Loti who visited Istanbul several times and stayed many years.

Fly over by Cable Car: Enjoy the beautiful view from the cable car all the way down to the hill.

City Walls: Constantinople's great city walls were breached only twice in 1600 years. The first breach occured in 1204 during the fourth Crusade.

Lunch on the Boat: After you embark the boat you will have chance to appreciate the rich open buffet season salads delicious hors d'oeuvre, Chicken Shish Kebap, rice and fruit (Drinks are excluded). (During low season we serve the lunch on the calm water of Golden Horn before heading up to Black Sea)

Rumeli Fortress: (From the sea) Legandary fortress best seen by the sea.

The Black Sea : Get the best shot where Bosphorus meets Black Sea.

Beykoz: (Stopover) Beykoz is the northern tip of Bosphorus, last stop on the Asian side and the intersection of Marmara Sea and Black Sea

Day 4 Canakkale: Gallipoli Tour
(Included Meals: Breakfast & Lunch)

• Breakfast at hotel
• Tour Starts
• Visiting Sites: Gallipoli, Lone Pine Memorial, Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial, ANZAC Cove, Ari Burnu Cemetery, Beach Cemetery, Brighton Beach, Turkish 57th. Infantry Regiment Cemetery, Mehmetcik Statue, Johnson’s Jolly Cemetery
• 13:00 Lunch
• After tour transfer to Canakkale for check in to your hotel
• Stay Overnight in Canakkale

Early morning pick up from your hotel and departure for Gallipoli. After about a 4.5 hours journey, arrive in Gallipoli and learn about the long and dreadful WWI campaign fought here between the Ottoman Turks and Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC). Begin your walking tour exploring the most interesting battlefields.

See the most poignant Australian memorial site - Lone Pine Memorial. Then stroll to the trenches of the Nek while learning about the soldiers who attacked from the nearby forest. Next, head to Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial and discover a rare battleground where Allied troops were triumphant, but only for a short period.

Stop for lunch about midway through your tour and enjoy plenty of opportunities for leisure time to continue sightseeing on your own.

Continue to ANZAC Cove, where most battles were fought, and pay your heartfelt respects to the troops who died here. Then, stroll through Ari Burnu Cemetery and see where 200 servicemen lay forever. Observe more memorials at Beach Cemetery, Brighton Beach, Turkish 57th. Infantry Regiment Cemetery, Respect to Mehmetcik Statue, Johnson’s Jolly Cemetery.

Day 5 Kusadasi: Troy & Pergamon Tour — Transfer to Kusadasi
(Included Meals: Breakfast & Lunch)

• 08:00 Breakfast at hotel
• 08:30 Tour Starts
• Visiting Sites: UNESCO World Heritage Site of Troy, Trojan Horse, Acropolis, Pergamon, Temple of Dionysus, Temple of Athena
• 13:30 Lunch
• After the tour, transfer to Kusadasi
• Stay Overnight in Kusadasi

You will be picked up around 8:30 from your hotel in Canakkale to travel to Troy. In Troy, you will visit the model of the Trojan Horse, Sacrificial Altars, the 3700-year-old city walls, Houses of Troy I from 3000 – 2500 B.C., the Bouleuterion (Senate Building), The Odeon (Concert Hall), current excavations, remains of the various cities from Troy 1 through Troy IX. At around 10:30, you will finish your Troy tour and depart for Bergama. Around 13:30, you will have lunch in Bergama and then depart for a fully guided Pergamon Acropolis tour. At Pergamon, the ancient world’s major power, you will visit the Acropolis, the ruins of Zeus Altar “Throne of Satan”, the Hellenistic Theatre which had a seating capacity of 10,000 people, the Great Library which held 200,000 books and Trojan, the Gymnasium situated on terraces, the lower Agora, Temple of Dionysus, Temple of Athena and Temple of Trojan.

After the tour, you will be transferred to Kusadasi and check-in to the hotel. 

Day 6 Pamukkale: Pamukkale & Hierapolis Tour 
(Included Meals: Breakfast & Lunch)

• Breakfast at hotel
• 9:30 Picked up from your hotel to Pamukkale
• Visiting Sites: Pamukkale, Hot Spring Waterfal, Hierapolis, Amphitheaters, Roman Stone Pillars, Antique Pool
• 13:00 Lunch
• After the tour, transfer to hotel for check in
• Stay Overnight in Kusadasi

After breakfast around 8:00 am you will be picked up from your Kusadasi hotel and taken to the meeting point in Selcuk where the full group will first meet. You will then begin the Pamukkale tour with a drive from Selcuk starting at 8:30 am to Pamukkale which will be around 3 hours.

In Pamukkale, you will see the Cotton Cliffs, one of the natural wonders of the world formed by deposits of calcareous salts.

Continue to Hierapolis, the ancient Roman city perched on a plateau formed over centuries by sedimentary limestone rock.

You will visit the ancient ruins of the City of Hierapolis. The highlights of Hierapolis are Necropolis, Roman Baths, Basilica, Domitian Gate, Latrina, Frontinious Street, Agora, Byzantium Gate, Triton Fountain, Cathedral, Apollon Temple, Plutonium, Theater and Antique Pool.

You will also be able to take some photos from the nicest corners of Pamukkale.

will be given some free time for approximately 60 minutes to explore the natural beauties of Pamukkale. As an option, you may choose to swim in the Pamukkale Antique Pools (at own expense) during this free time.The tour guide will inform you about the exact meeting point and time.

At the end of the tour around approximately 16:00, you will be transferred back to your hotel in Kusadasi.

Day 7 Kusadasi: Ephesus Tour 
(Included Meals: Breakfast& Lunch)

• 08:00 Breakfast at hotel
• 08:30 Picked up from your hotel for full day tour
• Visiting Sites: Temple of Artemis, Greco-Roman City of Ephesus, House of Virgin Mary, Sirince Village, Isabey Mosque
• 13:00 Lunch
• After the tour finishes, transfer back to the hotel
• Stay Overnight in Kusadasi

After breakfast at the hotel around 8:30 you will be picked up and met by your tour guide to begin your full-day tour of Ephesus. Your tour guide will brief you on the day’s activities.

You will first visit the Temple of Artemis which was once one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Next, you will visit the world-famous ancient Greco-Roman City of Ephesus, the most well-preserved example in the world. After visiting this impressive site, you will have a break for lunch.

Ephesus Antique Site: Enter through the Magnesia Gate and begin a slow, downhill walk with your guide into the ruins of this Roman provincial capital. Your route takes you past the Odeum, the Celsus Library, the Temple of Hadrian, the Fountain of Trajan and the Great Theater. The Theater had seating for 25,000, was the site where St. Paul preached to the Ephesians, and is used today for a local spring festival.

Temple Of Artemis: The temple of Artemision is known as one of the Seven Wonders of the Antic world. It has been built in the areas of Ephesus on a flat area which has over the centuries turned into a swamp.

House Of Virgin Mary: House of Virgin Mary, one of the most sacred places for Christianity, is located near Ephesus. Some believe the Virgin Mary had spent her last days in the vicinity of Ephesus.

Isabey Mosque: Isa Bey Mosque is one of the most delicate examples of Seljukian architecture, situated below the basilica of Saint John. The mosque was built by the master Syrian architecture Ali son of Mushimish al -Damishki, between the years of 1374 and 1375.

Sirince Village: The Sirince Village; which is an old Greek village and is well-know for its quaint beauty and wine tasting and production. Here you will have one hour free to explore on your own without a guide the different foods and wines of the area and visit various small traditional village shops.

After the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel.

Day 8 Cappadocia: Priene, Miletus & Didyma Tour
(Included Meals: Breakfast& Lunch)

• Breakfast at hotel then check out of your hotel in Kusadasi
• Early Picked up from your hotel for full day tour
  Visiting Sites: Miletus, Priene, Didyma, Apollo
• 13:00 Lunch
• After the tour finishes, transfer back to your hotel
• Stay Overnight in Kusadasi

You will be picked up from your hotel at around 8:30. Today you will visit Miletus, one of the oldest cities of Ionia, and the ancient cities of Priene and Didyma. First you will see Priene which in its time was one of the most spectacular of all the ancient Ionians cities. Then we will lead our way to Miletus to see Miletus with its magnificent theatre and the Byzantine fortress on the acropolis above. Our last stop will be Didyma. Here you will find the largest Ionic Temple in the world, that of Apollo. Also in Didyma lies the huge, cracked head of Medusa which long ago fell from the freeze. After the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel.

Day 9 Cappadocia:  Izmir-Istanbul Flight & Departure home

(Included Meals: Breakfast& Lunch)

This is the last day of your Turkey tour. After breakfast, we will transfer you to Izmir airport for a flight back to Istanbul. Tour ends upon arrival. (If you would like, you can extend your trip by adding extra nights in Istanbul, please advise).

We hope your tour was a memorable one and we look forward to seeing you in the future on one of our tours. Have a safe trip back home and thank you for choosing TOUR BOOK TURKEY

Included: 

• Arrival and departure airport transfers and all ground transportation
• Domestic flight and bus tickets as per the itinerary
• 3 nights in Istanbul at a standard quality or Boutique hotel including breakfast
• 1 night in Canakkale at a 3-star hotel including breakfast
• 4 nights in Kusadasi at a 4-star hotel including breakfast
• Professional licensed English speaking guide during the tours
• Meals as mentioned in the itinerary: (B) breakfast, (L) lunch
• Entrance fees mentioned by the itinerary
• Local taxes and service charges

Excluded: 

• International airfare & airport taxes
• Visa to enter Turkey
• Any optional tours
• Hot Air Balloon Ride
• Travel insurance
• Tips & Personal Items
• Drinks with meals (except the drinks served with breakfast)

• The order of the itinerary is indicative and subject to change, but all visits described will take place
• This is a regular group tour, but if requested at cost can be provided as a private tour
• The regular group tour has shopping stops included in the tour
• Hagia Sophia is closed on Monday, this will be replaced with the Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnici)
• Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesday, it will be replaced with the Beylerbeyi Palace
• Grand Bazaar is closed on Sunday
• During religious holidays, the spice market and Grand Bazaar are closed
• You can swim in the Antique pool in Pamukkale. However, please note that there is an extra charge that you will have to pay directly at your own expense before entry to the pools. This entrance fee to the pools is not covered as part of your tour. Please note that you must bring your own towel, swimsuit etc. if you need to use the pools