Vacation Overview
Tour Details
Treasures Of Turkey - With Anzac Day, Classic GroupTravel 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.
Dining Summary- 10 Dinner (D)
- 14 Breakfast (B)
- 1 Lunch (L)
Choice Highlights- Choose between two carefully selected activities
- Istanbul: An immersive digital experience through the iconic structure's rich past, showcasing its transformation from a Byzantine cathedral to an Ottoman mosque and now a museum, with captivating exhibits and architectural wonders.
- Istanbul: Visit Hagia Sophia with your Local Expert. You’ll step beneath the central dome and see how elements from its time as a Byzantine basilica and as an Ottoman mosque share the same interior, reflecting the building’s long and layered history.
Authentic Dining- Istanbul: Begin your travels savoring traditional flavors over dinner at a local restaurant.
- Cappadocia: Experience a Sema ceremony performed by the whirling dervishes, part of the Mevlevi Sufi tradition. You’ll watch the ritual unfold through music, movement and costume, in a form of worship still practised across Turkey today.
- Istanbul: Toast the culmination of your travels during dinner at a local restaurant.
Insight Choice- Istanbul: An immersive digital experience through the iconic structure's rich past, showcasing its transformation from a Byzantine cathedral to an Ottoman mosque and now a museum, with captivating exhibits and architectural wonders.
- Istanbul: Visit Hagia Sophia with your Local Expert. You’ll step beneath the central dome and see how elements from its time as a Byzantine basilica and as an Ottoman mosque share the same interior, reflecting the building’s long and layered history.
Insight Experiences- Cappadocia: Step inside a traditional cave house and meet a local Cappadocian who has lived there for decades. Hear how the home was shaped, how it has changed over time and what it means to remain rooted in this landscape.
Make Travel Matter- Uchisar: Enjoy the unique flavors 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. This experience advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality.
Top Rated Highlights- Istanbul: Cruise along the Bosphorus, the strait that links the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara. You’ll watch ferries, fishing boats and cargo ships share the waterway and see how Istanbul’s districts line both banks, built around this route between Europe and Asia.
- Bursa: On your orientation with your Travel Director visit the town’s mosques, bazaars and famous Silk Market.
- Cumalikizik: Visit the over 700 year-old village to get glimpse into what Ottoman villages away from the capital looked like.
- Ankara: Visit Anitkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of modern Turkey and the Republic’s first President. You’ll walk through the ceremonial complex and enter the Hall of Honor, observing how the architecture and setting underline his role in the country’s modern history.
- 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.
- : 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.
- Göreme: Explore the rock-cut churches of Göreme, carved into the soft volcanic rock of Cappadocia. Inside, you’ll see early Christian frescoes that have survived for centuries, offering a close look at how communities once lived and worshipped here.
- Avanos: Visit a pottery studio in Avanos, a town on the Kizilirmak River with a clay-working tradition that dates back to Hittite times. Watch how red river clay is prepared and shaped at the wheel, and follow the stages as each piece is formed, dried and decorated.
- Konya: Step inside the Sultanhani Caravanserai, built in 1229 to support traders and travelers crossing the Anatolian plain. See how the space was designed for overnight shelter, with stables, storerooms and a central courtyard still intact.
- Konya: Accompanied by your Local Expert, visit the beautiful Mevlana Tekke Museum for insight into the mystic Whirling Dervishes. See the Karatay Medrese and Ince Minaret.
- Aspendos: Visit the world's best preserved Roman Theater in Aspendos.
- Antalya: Visit the historic Old Town and wander through its charming narrow stre
Daily Itinerary
Insight Vacations: Treasures of Turkey - With Anzac Day, Classic Group
Day 1 - Welcome to Istanbul
Welcome to Turkey. Your journey begins in vibrant Istanbul, the only city in the world that spans two continents: Europe and Asia, where a representative will pick you up from the airport and transfer you to the hotel. Relax and settle in before joining your Travel Director and fellow travelers for dinner.
Accommodations: Radisson Blu Sisli, Istanbul
Meals: Dinner
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 along the waterfront. Later, leave Istanbul for Bursa, a large city in northwest Turkey that was the first major capital of the Ottoman Empire. Visit the Green Mosque, the Grand Mosque and the Mausoleum Complex. 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.
Accommodations: Mövenpick Bursa and Thermal Spa
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3 - Cumalikizik and Gordion
Begin your day in the charming village of Cumalikizik, with its traditional wooden houses and narrow cobblestone streets. Later, 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.
Accommodations: Ankara HiltonSA
Meals: Breakfast
Day 4 - Sophisticated Ankara
A day for history enthusiasts, explore Turkey’s bustling cultural capital, Ankara. Sightseeing includes visits to the Hittite Museum and 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. Visit the underground city of Özkonak, carved into soft volcanic rock.
Accommodations: DoubleTree by Hilton Avanos, Cappadocia
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5 - Cappadocia Relaxed Start
With its golden volcanic landscapes, underground city and otherworldly rock formations, Cappadocia is anything but ordinary. Early risers may choose an Optional Experience to watch the sunrise as hot air balloons lift off and drift above the valleys. Later, travel to Göreme to explore rock-hewn churches decorated with ancient wall paintings. Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at Uçhisar Kadineli Restaurant and savor Anatolian flavors while supporting employment for local women. Continue to Pasabag Valley, then meet a Cappadocian local for a tour of their cave house and insights into traditions and family life. This evening, witness Whirling Dervishes before dining at a local restaurant.
Accommodations: DoubleTree by Hilton Avanos, Cappadocia
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 - Konya Relaxed Start
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 travelers 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.
Accommodations: Novotel Konya
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 7 - Through the Taurus Mountains
See the Karatay Medrese and Ince Minaret Medrese, and visit the Mevlana Museum before a scenic drive scenic drive through Taurus Mountains to Aspendos, an ancient city in Antalya. Known for having the best-preserved Roman theater anywhere in the world, learn more as you explore it with your fellow travelers.
Accommodations: Akra Antalya
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8 - Antalya's Old Town
Visit Antalya's charming 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 harbor or perhaps take a boat trip off the coast.
Accommodations: Akra Antalya
Meals: Breakfast
Day 9 - The Pools of Pamukkale Relaxed Start
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, return to your hotel, the esteemed Doga Thermal Health & Spa. Take full advantage of its indoor and outdoor thermal pools, steam room and its Turkish bath complex.
Accommodations: Doga Thermal Health & Spa, Pamukkale
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 10 - Ancient Ephesus
Explore one of the world's finest archaeological sites, Ephesus. Walk through the colonnaded Arcadian Way, see the Library of Celsus and the huge Amphitheater. Then visit the House of the Virgin Mary, a revered Catholic site located above the Ephesus ruins. Continue to the nearby town of Selçuk for an educational visit to the Archaeological Museum. Delve into the area’s history as you explore the museum’s exhibits, many of which have been retrieved from the nearby Ephesus excavation site.
Accommodations: KoruMar De Luxe, Kusadasi
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 11 - Troy and Çanakkale
In Homer’s city of Troy, the focal point of the Trojan War and the backdrop to the legend of Paris and Helen, the ‘face that launched 1,000 ships’, explore the storied site. 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. Then continue to Çanakkale, gateway to the Gallipoli WWI battlefields. This evening, you may choose to join the Optional Experience, The Flavors of Canakkale on a city center walk, for a gentle stroll with local bites, including a Biga-style Turkish meatball sandwich and a traditional cheese dessert.
Accommodations: DoubleTree by Hilton Canakkale
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 12 - Çanakkale
Dawn and first light signals the commencement of the annual Dawn Service. Attend alongside Australian, New Zealand and other foreign dignitaries and military personnel to honor the fallen soldiers. After the service, pay your respects at the Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair Cemeteries, whilst learning more about the events that lead to the Anzac troops fighting in an attempt to gain control of the Dardanelles Strait. This afternoon, return to your hotel for the rest of your day at leisure. Perhaps relax poolside and admire the beautiful surroundings or book in for one of the many treatments on offer at the hotel spa.
Accommodations: DoubleTree by Hilton Canakkale
Meals: Breakfast
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, this was the site where, 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.
Accommodations: Radisson Blu Sisli, Istanbul
Meals: Breakfast
Day 14 - Istanbul and the Ottoman Empire
Today, take in the sites of Istanbul. In the morning, visit the historic Blue Mosque and the Hippodrome, where Roman chariot races were held, before exploring Hagia Sophia your way with Insight Choice. Choose between visiting Hagia Sophia Digital Experience, offering an immersive journey through the landmarks marvels, or alternatively, visit Hagia Sophia built in A.D. 537, 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 travelers and toast to your trip over dinner at a local restaurant.
Accommodations: Radisson Blu Sisli, Istanbul
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
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.
Meals: Breakfast