HIGHLIGHTS OF TURKEY

• Meet at the crossroads of East and West – the effervescent capital of Istanbul launches your journey of discovery through centuries of turmoil and triumph.
• Spend the day exploring after being transferred to your hotel.
• Later, you’ll meet your Travel Director and travel companions for dinner.

Arrival Transfer: Depart Istanbul Airport (IST) at 13:30, 16:30

• Delve into the treasures of the Ottoman Empire, strolling through the exquisite Topkapi Palace with its spellbinding views of the Bosphorus.
• Visit Hagia Sophia, the Byzantine Hippodrome, to see where thundering chariots once raced to victory before viewing the Blue Mosque – its six minarets and beautiful blue Iznik tiles are a sight to behold.
•  Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at the museum of Classical Turkish Music.
• The evening is yours to further explore the city.

Included Experience: Visit the house of famous classical composer Dede Efendi

Optional Experience: Traditional Bosphorus Cruise

• Pay tribute to the heroism of the thousands of men who fought bravely at Gallipoli.
• Visit Lone Pine Cemetery and the battlefields that hold special significance for the Turkish, Australian, and New Zealand nations.
• Spend a quiet moment commemorating the lives lost at Anzac Cove and Chunuk Bair, sites of fierce fighting during World War I.
• Stay in Çanakkale for the evening, where we’ll dine at our hotel.

• Visit a land of Trojan legends, an ancient city immortalised by Homer in the stories of King Priamus, Hector, Paris and the beautiful Helen.
• Admire the archaeological excavations at Troy revealing nine separate periods of settlement and the symbolic replica wooden Trojan horse commemorating the epic war machine constructed by the Greeks to end a lengthy siege.
• This afternoon, Connect With Locals over lunch in the village of Demircidere at a Be My Guest experience.
• Travel to the broad boulevards of seaside Izmir later and dine in your hotel this evening.

Included Experience: Bake Traditional Bread and Taste the Local Wine with the Most Liberated Women in the Village of Demircidere

• Journey into antiquity and explore the ruins of the ancient Greek city of Ephesus admiring the well-preserved façade of the Library of Celsus and its famous Temple of Artemis.
• Visit the House of the Virgin Mary, the Temple of Hadrian guarded by Medusa’s head, and the Great Theatre, built by the Romans in the 2nd-century and still in use today.
• You’ll learn about the intricate heritage and art of carpet weaving during a visit to a Turkish carpet emporium.
• Relax and enjoy the blissful thermal pools at your hotel in Pamukkale.

• This morning, enjoy a leisurely visit to the ancient ruins of the Holy City of Hierapolis, imagining ancient patrons seeking revival and rest within their limestone-laden thermal springs.
• Visit the Mevlana Museum and Mausoleum in Konya, a former dervish lodge of the Mevlevi order, which reveals the origins of Sufism.
• Your last stop today is Konya where tonight you’ll dine at the hotel.

• Continue your journey to Cappadocia, you’ll see a 13th-century caravanserai  and underground city of Saratli on the ancient Silk Road.
• Then Dive into Culture to learn about the art of pottery making in Avanos. Later, consider joining an Optional Experience to watch the Whirling Dervishes then enjoy a Regional Meal at a local restaurant.
• Tonight we stay in one of Trafalgar’s Stays With Stories hewn out of the surrounding rock and houses.

Included Experience: Visit Avanos and discover the art of pottery making

Optional Experience: Performance of Whirling Dervishes Followed by Dinner at a Local Restaurant

• The whimsical landscapes of Cappadocia take centre stage today as you embark on a full-day excursion that will see you visit the Göreme Open-Air Museum, the Paşabağı and Kizil Vadi valleys.
• Join your fellow travellers for an included dinner this evening.

• Take a short flight this morning to Istanbul, Dive into Culture as you shop for souvenirs at Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar, one of the largest covered markets in the world with 60 streets and over 5,000 shops.
• The rest of the day is yours to explore the city your way.
• Enjoy a sensory explosion at the vibrant Spice Market, take a stroll through the historic Sultanahmet or find a quiet rooftop café and admire Istanbul’s iconic skyline.
• Tonight, join your Travel Director and fellow companions for dinner.

Included Experience: Discover Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar

• Bid a fond farewell to Turkey and your newfound friends as we prepare to depart for the airport for our journey home.

Departure Transfer: Arrive at Istanbul Airport (IST) at 06:00, 12:00