Istanbul, Ephesus & Troy

Explore one of the world’s most exciting cities, and uncover the treasures of ancient Turkey on a truly fascinating tour.

Hagia Sophia, Istanbul

Pamukkale Day One – Fly to Turkey Fly to Istanbul, meet your tour manager and transfer to your hotel for a three-night stay. Depending on your time of arrival, acquaint yourself with your surroundings. Enjoy your first evening in an extraordinary city that bridges the divide between Europe and Asia, marked by the narrow strait of the Bosphorus, and that brims with reminders of its illustrious past.

Day Two – Included tour of Istanbul

Enjoy today’s first fascinating included tour, introducing the city that was once Byzantium, then Constantinople. Explore the sights of the historic Sultanhamet Peninsula. Your tour includes entry to the extraordinary Topkapi Palace with its priceless treasures. With its outer courtyard and gateways into its labyrinthine inner quarters, you’ll also visit the renowned Harem quarter. You’ll also take in the colourful Spice Bazaar, with its heaped displays of aromatic powders and trays of Turkish delight. This evening, there’s the chance to enjoy a traditional fish dinner in the popular Kumkapi district, its colourful restaurants teeming with visitors and locals alike.

Day Three – Included tour of Istanbul

Another unforgettable day sees you return to the historic peninsula to explore the contrasting wonders of the remarkable Blue Mosque, with its minarets and cobalt tiles, and the great Byzantine church of the Hagia Sophia, once the world’s largest enclosed space. Your day will include a guided stroll through the ancient Roman Hippodrome and a visit to the world’s largest covered bazaar, the Grand Bazaar. The rest of the afternoon is free. Why not take an optional cruise along the Bosphorus River? Later, make the most of your last evening in this fascinating, glorious city, perhaps dining al fresco. Day Four – Travel to Canakkale Leaving Istanbul, this morning, you’ll travel by coach around the Sea of Marmara, then inland and south onto the stunningly beautiful, Gallipoli Peninsula. Here, in 1915, the Allied forces suffered catastrophic losses, including some

Available Apr to Jun, Sep & Oct 2023

Fly direct from these airports. Prices from

• Birmingham £1,229 • Gatwick £1,115 • Heathrow £1,189 • Manchester £1,229 • Stansted £1,135

Personalise your holiday

• Kumkapi Fish Dinner (evening) – from £39 • Bosphorus River Cruise (half day) – from £19 • Pamukkale (full day) – from £84 Extend your holiday from £150

2023 Five Night Extension Staying at the Paloma Marina Suites, Kusadasi on Half Board basis Room for Sole Use from £265

Please note: The transfer time from the airport to your hotel is approximately 45 minutes upon arrival, and one hour on the return.

Çanakkale

Troy

İzmir Ephesus

Kuşadasi Istanbul

Turkey

Pamukkale

• Discover Istanbul, the only city in the entire world that straddles two continents • See the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the famed Topkapi Palace • Journey south via poignant ANZAC Cove • Step back in time in ancient Troy and

Pergamon • Enjoy three nights in shore-side Kuşadasi • Be amazed at the ruins of Ephesus • Discover amazing Pamukkale on an optional excursion • Extend your holiday with a three-night stay at a five-star resort on the Aegean Coast • Seven nights’ carefully chosen four-star bed and breakfast accommodation • Four dinners • Flights to Istanbul, returning from Izmir, with coach travel and transfers throughout • Fully escorted by a friendly, experienced tour manager

Our tour was fantastic, and our tour manager was so helpful, knowledgeable, and put us all at ease while giving us a wonderful overview of the history of the places that we visited. Gillian

Library of Celsus, Ephesus Acropolis, Pergomon Ancient Troy City Walls

10,000 members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps – the famous ANZACs – at the hands of the defenders of the Ottoman Empire led by legendary Turkish leader and founder of modern Turkey, Atatürk. The beauty of ANZAC Cove and its surroundings is a marked contrast to the sobering memorials and cemeteries. Later this afternoon, you’ll cross the narrow strait of the Dardanelles and head to sea-front Canakkale. Day Five – Included tour of Troy Enjoy a first day amid the wonders of classical Greece, as you explore the nearby ruins of Troy, guarded by a replica giant wooden horse recalling the tale of the first Trojan War. You’ll also visit the ruins of Pergamon, which include an acropolis, temples, a two-storey Library and a spectacular, 10,000seat theatre. After a fascinating day, you’ll arrive in Kusadasi, this evening. Begin your stay with dinner on the shores of the Aegean Sea. Day Six – Optional tour of Pamukkale Spend today at leisure enjoying the many facilities of the resort, strolling along the harbour promenade, discovering the medieval Kale district or visiting tiny Pigeon Island. Alternatively, join our optional excursion to Pamukkale. Here white calcium deposits, some 100 metres high, shape a slow-moving, everchanging cascade, with hundreds of terraces and pools filled by an ancient mineral-laden spring. Ruins of a once great city surround the thermal baths, including a Temple of Apollo and restored Roman theatre. En route to Pammukale, you’ll stop at the “red water” springs of Karahayit, famed for their curative powers. And afterwards, there’s a chance to enjoy the pleasures of a spa and an included lunch on afternoon visit to the luxurious Pam Thermal Hotel, a five-star establishment that takes its 35°C waters from the spring below. Day Seven – Included tour of Ephesus Your final included excursion takes in ruined Ephesus, one of the most important Roman and Byzantine cities, and witness – in the 1st Century AD – to the preaching of Saint Paul. The ruins - which include churches, bath-houses, fountains and temples, gymnasia, the great Roman Amphitheatre, the facade of the fabled Library of Celsus and the colonnade of the Arcadian Way - serve to reflect this greatness in breath-taking fashion. Continue to the House of the Virgin Mary. You’ll return to Kusadasi this evening to enjoy a last dinner at the hotel. Day Eight – Fly back to the UK Today you’ll transfer to the airport to begin your journey home.

fun fact...

Did you know that Ephesus was so prosperous that its centrepiece, the marble Temple of Artemis, was once the biggest temple on Earth?

your hotels

Grand Yavuz Hotel, Istanbul HHHH Bed & Breakfast nights 1-3

With views across Istanbul from the restaurant, the hotel is ideally located only 15 minutes walk from the Grand Bazaar. The hotel is well presented and offers a health club (payable locally), a bar, lounge and free Wi-Fi throughout. All rooms are airconditioned with a TV, safe and mini-bar.

Grand Yavuz Hotel Akol Hotel

Akol Hotel, Çanakkale Half-Board HHHH night 4

On the seafront overlooking a tiny harbour and the straits of the Dardanelles, this hotel boasts three restaurants, roof-top and lobby bars and an outdoor pool and sun terrace. Bright, modern, airconditioned rooms offer a TV, safe, mini-bar, hairdryer and free Wi-Fi. Paloma Marina Suites, Kuşadasi HHHH Half-Board nights 5-7

In the heart of Kuşadasi and only a short walk from the beach and the harbour, this stylish hotel offers many amenities including an outdoor pool, fitness centre, restaurant and bar. All rooms are modern and have air-conditioning, free Wi-Fi, TV and mini-bar.

Paloma Marina Suites