Insight - Treasures of Turkey - Classic Group (04/2024 - 10/2024) (I949ZN19)

15 Days From Istanbul to Istanbul 
Tour Style: Eastern Mediterranean
Insight Brochure Price from $3,536.00
Brochures: Ancient Civilizations 2023 v2, Ancient Civilizations 2024 v1
Visits: Turkey

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Travel Turkey on this 15-day guided tour. See Cappadocia, where golden landscapes give way to caverns below. You’ll descend into a local resident’s cave house for a tour and talk about their way of life. Later, see whirling dervishes — twirling dancers who will entertain you during a special dinner. In Göreme, explore rock-hewn churches decorated with ancient paintings before dining on the unique flavors served at a local restaurant that supports women from the village. Travel to Turkey’s third largest city, Izmir, and explore one of the world’s finest archaeological sites, Ephesus. Here, walk to its gargantuan amphitheater, which could seat as many as 24,000 people. In Istanbul, see the Blue Mosque’s tiled domes and the Hippodrome, where Roman chariot races were held. Try your hand at bargaining in the city’s Grand Bazaar, which includes more than 4,000 shops.
Choice Highlights

Well-being

• : Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxury, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with onboard washroom. Alternate vehicles without onboard washroom or 40 seats may be used on occasion. Our customized luxury coaches are sanitized before the start of your tour and are maintained to very high standards. Physical distancing measures have been implemented on our customized luxury coaches.   ​
• : Experience enhanced hygiene protocols to align with the latest guidance following COVID-19.All Travel Directors, Well-Being Directors and Drivers have completed training in enhanced well-being and hygiene protocols.
• : We only work with establishments we are confident will consistently adhere to our high well-being standards, which include hotels, restaurants and sight-seeing venues.
• : Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.

Travel Director

• : "Not only does it have a land in two continents, but Istanbul is the only city in the world which was the capital of three empires: the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman Empires."

Authentic Dining

• Istanbul: Enjoy getting to know your fellow travellers as you savour a delicious Welcome Dinner in a local restaurant.
• Cappadocia: Discover the flavours of Cappadocia as you indulge in a regional dinner of colourful dishes, before watching a spectacular Sema performance of Whirling Dervishes at a 13th century Seljuk Caravanserai.
• Istanbul: Toast the culmination of your tour with a lively Celebration Dinner at a popular local restaurant.
• Dining Summary: 9 Dinner with Wine (DW), 14 Breakfast (B), and 1 Lunch (L)

Top Rated Highlights

• Istanbul: Enjoy a relaxing cruise on the Bosphorus in Istanbul, where you'll pass Ottoman palaces, old mansions and fortresses.
• Bursa: On your orientation with your Travel Director visit the town’s mosques, bazaars and famous Silk Market.
• Bursa: Visit the Grand Mosque, the glorious Green Mosque and mausoleum.
• Cumalikizik: Visit the over 700 year-old village to get glimpse into what Ottoman villages away from the capital looked like.
• Ankara: Discover the mysterious Hittite civilisation and visit the mausoleum of Atatürk.
• Ankara: On your orientation with your Travel Director of the capital of modern Turkey discover its Roman and Byzantine heritage, visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations and the Mausoleum of Atatürk.
• Göreme: With your Local Expert, explore the underground cities, rock-cut churches, fairy-tale chimneys and the Pasabag Valley.
• Avanos: Learn about the ancient art of pottery making in Avanos.
• Konya: Visit a well preserved Seljuk Caravanserai.
• Konya: Accompanied by your Local Expert, visit the beautiful Mevlana Tekke museum for an insight into the mystic Whirling Dervishes. See the Karatay Medrese and Ince Minaret.
• Aspendos: Visit the world's best preserved Roman Theatre in Aspendos.
• Antalya: Visit the historic Old Town and wander through its charming narrow streets, discovering souvenir markets and sweeping sea views.
• Pamukkale: See the cascading Cotton Castle of milky white travertine pools and the ancient ruin of Hierapolis.
• Corinth: Visit the open-air museum Aphrodisias dedicated to goddess Aphrodite, see the ancient city and statues that have survived preserving most of their originality.
• Izmir: Explore this city with your Travel Director.
• 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.
• Pergamon: Visit Asklepion, the first hospital and spa centre in the world for physical and mental health and see its well-preserved and impressive Roman columns.
• Troy: Visit this ancient sight fabled to have been destroyed over love and view the huge reconstructed Trojan Horse.
• Troy: On your orientation with your Travel Director hear about the nearly 4000 year-old settlement, see the wooden Trojan Horse and hear about myths and legends connected to this archaeological site.
• Gallipoli: Pay your respects at Anzac Cove and Lone Pine Cemetery.
• Istanbul: Visit the Blue Mosque and explore Hagia Sophia. With your Local Expert, gain an insight into the lives of the Ottoman Sultans during a private tour of the fabulous Topkapi Palace. Later, enjoy a relaxing cruise past Ottoman palaces, old mansions and fortresses. Visit the Hippodrome, see the Bosphorous and the Golden Horn. Then you are given a complete guide on how to haggle in the Grand Bazaar.
• Istanbul: With a Local Expert visit the Blue Mosque and St. Sophia museum and gain an insight into the lives of the Ottoman sultans at the fabulous Topkapi Palace.

Make Travel Matter

• Uchisar: Enjoy the unique flavours of Anatolia at Uchisar Kadineli Restaurant, where every dish is homemade with love. This remarkable establishment provides employment for more than 65 women from the village. The restaurant is owned by women and focuses on empowering women through employment. Some employed as administrators, some as teachers, some as cooks and some as waiters. Here they are taught how to sow clothes by using modern technology, how to knit, how to cook, how to make various kinds of artifacts, and how to merchandise their products and convert it to money for their families. Uchisar Kadineli Restaurant advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality.

Insight Experiences

• Cappadocia: Join a Cappadocian local, who has lived in the city for decades and take a tour of their cave house to learn more about their unique way of life.

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Insight Tour Itinerary

Day 1	Welcome to Istanbul
	Welcome to Turkey. You’ll start in vibrant Istanbul, where a representative will pick you up from the airport and transfer you to your hotel. Located in the heart of the city, you’ll be close to Taksim Square, which is famous for its Republic Monument, dining and shopping options. Join your Travel Director at 18:30 for a Welcome Dinner, where you’ll get to know your fellow travellers.
	Visits: Istanbul
	Meals: Dinner with Wine
	Accommodation: Grand Hyatt Istanbul.
Day 2	Bosphorus Cruise and Bursa
	In the morning embark on a cruise along Bosphorus Strait, one of the world’s busiest waterways. Leisurely cruise past the quaint fishing villages that line its shores. Travel towards the old city and see the beautiful Ottoman palaces and fortresses, on the waterfront. Later, leave Istanbul for Bursa. A large city in northwest Turkey, it was the first major capital of the Ottoman Empire. There will be time in the afternoon to explore the city’s bazaars, silk markets and historic monuments. This evening, venture to a local restaurant for a tasty meal.
	Visits: Istanbul, Bursa
	Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
	Accommodation: Mövenpick Bursa Hotel and Thermal Spa.
Day 3	Cumalikizik and Gordion
	Begin your day of culture in Bursa with a visit to the Green Mosque, the Grand Mosque and the Mausoleum complex. Continue to the charming village of Cumalikizik, with its traditional wooden houses and very narrow cobblestone streets. Later you’ll head to Gordion, which was once the capital city of ancient Phrygia, as you make your way to Turkey’s modern capital, Ankara. Enjoy a relaxed evening at your hotel, the Hilton SA. Perhaps take a dip in its indoor pool or unwind in its jacuzzi or hammam.
	Visits: Bursa, Cumalikizik, Gordion, Ankara
	Meals: Breakfast
	Accommodation: Ankara HiltonSA, Ankara.
Day 4	Sophisticated Ankara
	A day for history enthusiasts, explore Turkey’s bustling cultural capital, Ankara. Sightseeing includes a visit to the Hittite Museum and Anit Kabir, the Mausoleum of Atatürk, Turkey's greatest modern leader and the first President of the Republic of Turkey. Later, head to Avanos in Cappadocia. Famed for its unique geological formation, Cappadocia is a scenic delight with golden hills and panoramic views.
	Visits: Ankara, Cappadocia
	Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
	Accommodation: DoubleTree by Hilton Avanos, Cappadocia.
Day 5	The Underground Cities of Cappadocia Experience
	With its striking golden, volcanic landscapes, underground city and otherworldly buildings, Cappadocia could never be called ordinary. At every turn you’ll be delighted with yet another geographical or architectural surprise. Today you’ll travel to the striking town of Göreme. Explore its rock-hewn churches decorated with ancient wall paintings. Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at the Uçhisar Kadineli Restaurant and get a taste of Anatolia’s regional flavours. This establishment provides employment for the women of the village and supports their financial freedom. Next, continue on to the Pasabag Valley and visit the underground city of Özkonak where you’ll have time to explore its tunnels and holes with your Travel Director. Later, join a Cappadocian local who has lived in the city for decades and take a tour of their cave house. Explore this unique way of living, learning about local traditions and family life. Dinner tonight will be at a local restaurant, later you’ll witness a performance of Whirling Dervishes.
	Visits: Cappadocia
	Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner with Wine
	Accommodation: DoubleTree by Hilton Avanos, Cappadocia.
Day 6	Konya
	Start your day by learning more about traditional pottery making in Avanos. It’s then time to take a journey along the famous Silk Road to visit a 13th century caravanserai, a historic roadside inn where travellers would rest and recover after a day’s journey, most notably along the iconic road itself. Later, you’ll head to Turkey’s most religious city, Konya, the old capital of the Anatolian Seljuk Empire. Once here, visit the Mevlana Museum, with its beautiful fluted turquoise dome, and see the Karatay Medrese and Ince Minaret.
	Visits: Cappadocia, Konya
	Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
	Accommodation: Novotel Konya Hotel.
Day 7	Through the Taurus Mountains
	You day begins with a scenic drive down the Taurus Mountains to Aspendos, an ancient city in Antalya. Known for having the best-preserved Roman theatre anywhere in the world, learn more as you explore it with your fellow travellers. Continue to your hotel for the next two nights and enjoy time to relax.
	Visits: Konya, Antalya
	Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
	Accommodation: Akra Barut Antalya.
Day 8	Antalya's Old Town
	Start your day with a visit to Antalya's pretty Old Town, with its souvenir markets and sweeping sea views. The rest of the day is free to relax and enjoy the leisure facilities at your hotel. Alternatively, explore Antalya at your own pace. Ask your Travel Director for recommendations on places to explore in the city, take a stroll around the harbour or perhaps take a boat trip off the coast.
	Visits: Antalya
	Meals: Breakfast
	Accommodation: Akra Barut Antalya.
Day 9	The Pools of Pamukkale
	Cross the soaring Taurus Mountains to see the remains of the ancient city of Hierapolis, a Roman spa city founded around 190 B.C. Next to the ruins, you can see the gleaming white travertine terraces of Pamukkale. Famous for its mineral-rich thermal waters and chalk-white limestone terraces, explore the area with your Travel Director. Later, head back to your hotel, the esteemed DoÄŸa Thermal Health & Spa. Take full advantage of its indoor and outdoor thermal pools, steam room and its Turkish bath complex.
	Visits: Antalya, Pamukkale
	Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
	Accommodation: DoÄŸa Thermal Health & Spa, Pamukkale.
Day 10	Izmir
	Start your morning with a trip to the Temple of Aphrodite, dedicated to the goddess of love, beauty and fertility, in Geyre. Based in the ruins of the ancient city of Aphrodisias, it was the focal point of the city in its heyday. You’ll see the towering, fourteen columns of the temple that have been re-erected. End your day in the quaint Aegan port of Izmir.
	Visits: Pamukkale, Geyre, Izmir
	Meals: Breakfast
	Accommodation: Swissotel Büyük Efes, Izmir.
Day 11	Ancient Ephesus
	Today you’ll spend the day exploring pretty Izmir, Turkey’s third largest city. A vibrant destination on Turkey’s Aegean coast, it is was founded by the Greeks and has been an important port since ancient times. Explore one of the world's finest archaeological sites, Ephesus. Walk through the colonnaded Arcadian Way, see the Library of Celsus and the huge Amphitheatre, before visiting the House of the Virgin Mary, situated above the Ephesus ruins.
	Visits: Izmir
	Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
	Accommodation: Swissotel Büyük Efes, Izmir.
Day 12	Pergamon, Troy and Çanakkale.
	Begin your day of legends with a trip to Pergamon. Once a powerful ancient Greek city, you’ll find the Asklepion temple here. A famous shrine and healing centre, it was built in honour of Asklepios, the god of medicine. Next, head to Homer’s city of Troy, the focal point of the Trojan war and the backdrop to one of history’s most famous love stories, that of Paris and Helen of Troy, the face that launched 1000 ships. A replica of the mighty Trojan Horse, which helped the Greeks capture the city in 1200 B.C., can be found beside the city’s walls. After some time exploring, continue your journey to Çanakkale, a gateway to the Gallipoli WWI battlefields.
	Visits: Izmir, Pergamon, Troy, Çanakkale
	Meals: Breakfast
	Accommodation: Kolin Hotel, Canakkale.
Day 13	Gallipoli and ANZAC Cove
	This morning, cross the Dardanelles Strait by ferry to the Gallipoli Peninsula. Located in the southern part of East Thrace, it was here that, for nine months during the Great War, Anzac troops fought, in an attempt to gain control of the Dardanelles Strait. Learn more about these events as you visit Anzac Cove and pay your respects at the Lone Pine Cemetery. Later, return to Istanbul where you’ll spend the next two nights.
	Visits: Çanakkale, Gallipoli, Istanbul
	Meals: Breakfast
	Accommodation: Grand Hyatt Istanbul.
Day 14	Istanbul and the Ottoman Empire
	Today you’ll take in the sites of Istanbul. In the morning, visit the historic Blue Mosque. Made up of domes and minarets, head inside and see its beautiful blue tiled interiors. See the Hippodrome, where Roman chariot races were held, before exploring Hagia Sophia. Built in A.D. 537, it has recently turned from a museum into a mosque and is famous for its domed roof. Visit the Topkapi Palace, perched above the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn, the primary inlet of the waterway. Enjoy the excitement of bargaining in the bustling Grand Bazaar. In the evening, join your fellow travellers and toast to your trip over a Celebration Dinner at a local restaurant.
	Visits: Istanbul
	Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
	Accommodation: Grand Hyatt Istanbul.
Day 15	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 onward flights, or for those extending their stay in Istanbul, speak to your Travel Director for tips and tricks on where to head.
	Visits: Istanbul
	Meals: Breakfast

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Available Room Types: Single, Triple, Twin, Twinshare
Child: ages 5 to 17