Insight Vacations 11D Wonders of Turkey

• Istanbul - Çanakkale - Troy - Ayvalik - Pergamon - Izmir - Kusadasi - Pamukkale - Cappadocia - Ankara

• Visit this ancient sight fabled to have been destroyed over love and view the huge reconstructed Trojan Horse.
• Visit the Archaeological museum housing many of the artifacts from Ephesus.
• Discover one of the world's finest ancient sites. Led by your Local Expert, walk the Arcadian Way, see the Library of Celsus and Amphitheatre and visit the House of the Virgin Mary.
• See the cascading Cotton Castle of milky white travertine pools and the ancient ruin of Hierapolis.
• Visit the beautiful Mevlana Tekke museum for an insight into the mystic Whirling Dervishes. See the Karatay Medrese and Ince Minaret.
• Visit the narrow passages and interconnecting rooms of this Stone Age underground city dug out from the hills and built to block invaders and defend against attacks.
• Learn about the ancient art of pottery making in Avanos.
• Discover the mysterious Hittite civilisation and visit the mausoleum of Atatürk.
• Enjoy a relaxing cruise on the Bosphorus in Istanbul, where you'll pass Ottoman palaces, old mansions and fortresses.
• visit the Blue Mosque and St. Sophia museum and gain an insight into the lives of the Ottoman sultans at the fabulous Topkapi Palace.

DAY 1: WELCOME TO ISTANBUL
Welcome to Istanbul. On arrival at Istanbul airport you will be met and transferred to your luxury hotel, the Grand Hyatt Istanbul. Join your Travel Director at 18:30 for a Welcome Dinner, where you'll meet your fellow travellers. (Dinner)

DAY 2: GALLIPOLI AND ANZAC COVE
Make your way along the shores of the Sea of Marmara to historic Gallipoli. Located in the southern part of East Thrace, it was here that for nine months during World War I, ANZAC troops fought to gain control of the Dardanelles Strait. Learn more about these events as you visit Anzac Cove and Lone Pine Cemetery. (Breakfast, Dinner)

DAY 3: TROY, PERGAMON AND IZMIR
Begin your day with a trip to Homer's city of Troy, the focal point of the Trojan war. A replica of the mighty Trojan Horse, which helped the Greeks capture the city in 1200 B.C., can be seen beside the city's walls. Continue your journey to Pergamon. Once a powerful ancient Greek city, you'll find the Asklepion temple here, built in honour of Asklepios, the god of medicine. End your day in the coastal city of Izmir. (Breakfast, Dinner)

DAY 4: RELAXED START | ANCIENT EPHESUS AND KUSADASI
Start your morning with a trip to the nearby town of Selçuk. Home to the House of the Virgin Mary and the Temple of Artemis, you'll begin with an educational visit to the Archaeological Museum. Delve into the area's history as you explore the museum's exhibits. Later, explore the famous site itself. Walk through the colonnaded Arcadian Way, see the Library of Celsus and the huge Amphitheatre, before visiting the House of the Virgin Mary, a famous Catholic and Muslim shrine. (Breakfast, Dinner)

DAY 5: THE POOLS OF PAMUKKALE
This morning, head to a local organic farm and meet the farm director, who will take you on a walking tour of his lush lands. You'll have the satisfying task of picking fruits and vegetables from his fields for your Farm-to-Table lunch. Next, make your way to Pamukkale. Visit the ruins of the ancient Roman spa city of Hierapolis, founded in 190 B.C. You'll see the city's well-preserved theatre and its turquoise travertine pools. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

DAY 6: KONYA, THE WHIRLING DERVISHES AND CAPPADOCIA
Today you'll explore Konya. The home of the Whirling Dervish, this city offers tradition in abundance. See the Mevlana Tekke museum, with its recognizable turquoise dome. See the Karatay Madrasa, built in 1251, before moving on to the Ince Minaret, a 13th century madrasa. Continue your journey to Urgup, an historic town in the heart of Cappadocia. On your way stop off at one of the bestpreserved Seljuk Caravanserais in Anatolia. Your abode for the night is the unique Alfina Cave Hotel Cappadocia, built in old cave dwellings. (Breakfast, Dinner)

DAY 7: THE UNDERGROUND CITIES OF CAPPADOCIA EXPERIENCE
Journey to Göreme, a striking town in the Cappadocia region of Turkey. You will recognise this famous area from the bright balloons that decorate its sky and the striking golden, volcanic landscapes that surround it. Explore its rock-hewn churches decorated with ancient wall paintings. Next, continue on to the Pasabag Valley. Located on the road to Zelve, you'll find otherworldly earth pillars here, ‘fairy chimneys' and troglodyte dwellings. Move on to the underground city of Özkonak where you'll have time to explore its tunnels and holes. You will be welcomed into the home of a local Cappadocian living in an authentic cave house, where you will explore their unique ways of living and learn about local traditions and family life. Complementing the day's events, dinner tonight will be at a local restaurant, where you'll witness a performance of Whirling Dervishes. (Breakfast, Dinner)

DAY 8: ANKARA
This morning, learn about the art of earthenware pottery making in Avanos. Continue your journey to Ankara, where you'll visit the Hittite Museum and Anit Kabir, the Mausoleum of Atatürk, Turkey's greatest modern leader. (Breakfast)

DAY 9: TO ISTANBUL.
It's time to head to Istanbul. A glorious fusion of East and West, this popular city offers something for everyone, history, culture, modernity, delicious cuisine and of course the friendliest of faces. As you make your way from Eminönü to the Black Sea, witness the area's beautiful Ottoman waterfront palaces and fortresses. Board a cruise along the Bosphorus. (Breakfast)

Day 10: ISTANBUL & THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE
Take in the sites of Istanbul. In the morning visit the historic Blue Mosque. See the Hippodrome, where Roman chariot races were held, before exploring Hagia Sophia. Built in A.D. 537, it is now a museum, famous for its domed roof. Visit the Topkapi palace, perched above the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn. Enjoy the excitement of bargaining in the bustling Grand Bazaar. In the evening, join your fellow travellers for your Celebration Dinner at a local restaurant. (Breakfast, Dinner)

DAY 11: FAREWELL ISTANBUL
It's time to say goodbye to your new friends as your trip comes to an end. A transfer will take you to the airport for your onwards flights. (Breakfast)

Fall in love with Turkey on this 11-day guided tour. See Ephesus, an ancient city built in the 10th Century B.C. with an amphitheater that once sat 24,000 people. Drive through the Maender River Valley to an organic farm, where you can walk the lush lands, then feast on fresh produce during a mouth-watering lunch. See the turquoise travertine pools in Pamukkale where ancient Romans used to soak — then dip into the spa at your hotel to indulge in its Turkish baths. Take a tour of a traditional cave house in Cappadocia with the local who lives there, then dine as you watch whirling dervishes dance nearby. Visit the Mausoleum of Atatürk, the resting place of the country’s first president, in Ankara. Travel to Istanbul, where you’ll see the infamous Blue Mosque before bargaining at the electric Grand Bazaar, which boasts more than 4,000 shops.

Insight Experiences

• Pamukkale: Head to a local organic farm where you will be treated to a Farm-to-Table lunch made with the fresh local produce. Visit Ephesus with a Local Expert.

Athentic Dining:

• Sema performance in a stone house followed by dinner in Cappadocia
• Celebration Dinner in Istanbul.