(NOTE: This program is available on ANY day of the week. Just ask!)
Let us know if you need any assistance with transfers from your own Istanbul hotel (arrival or departure).
Program
Day 1: Arrive in Istanbul
Welcome to Turkey! We will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel. After a short briefing about your tour, you will have the afternoon free to rest and explore Istanbul on your own. Overnight in Istanbul
Day 2 - Istanbul - (B/L)
After breakfast, we will continue on a full day tour of Istanbul’s main historical sites.
* Blue Mosque/Sultanahmet Mosque (Camii) built during the reign of Sultan Ahmet I during 1609-1616. It is the only mosque in Turkey with six minarets. Due to its magnificent hand-dyed blue, green and white Iznik tiles it has been named the "Blue Mosque" by Europeans. The central dome is 43 m in height and is 33.4 m in diameter; it also boasts 260 windows.
* Hagia Sophia/Aya Sofya is a truly awe-inspiring, 1,400-year-old Byzantine cathedral which houses mosaics, relics and iron work. Hagia Sophia was, for nearly a thousand years, the largest enclosed space in the world, and is still seen as one of the world's most important architectural monuments. It is one of Turkey's most popular attractions, drawn by the sheer spectacle of its size, architecture, mosaics and art. Built during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian in the 6th century AD.
* Topkapi Palace was the residence and administrative center of the Sultans during the Ottoman Empire, and was constructed in 1459-1465 shortly after the conquest of Constantinople. You'll see the Treasury that houses the Topkapi Dagger, the 86-carat Spoon Maker's Diamond, and the jewel-encrusted bones of St. John the Baptist.
The Grand Bazaar (Kapali Carsi) will also be visited on this tour. Overnight in Istanbul
Day 3: Istanbul - Gallipoli - Canakkale - (B/L/D)
Very early in morning we will depart from Istanbul, drive along the northern shores of the Marmara Sea; as soon as we arrive, we will have a lunch break.
*Gallipoli (Gelibolu) and the Dardanelles --After our lunch, we willl devote our afternoon to visiting Gallipoli, where fierce World War I fighting took place between Allied forces and the Turkish Army. At ANZAC (Australia and New Zealand Armed Corps) Cove, thousands lost their lives on one fateful dawn morning. We'll also visit other famous WWI battlesites and cemetaries in this area, including Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair. From here, we'll board a ferry and cross the Dardanelles Strait. World War I history buffs will know that the Dardanelles Strait was a strategic crossing point for the Allied armies to cross from Europe into Asia Minor.
Over a 9-month campaign, more than half a million soldiers lost their lives in the struggle to control this strait and the nearby Gallipoli peninsula. Still today, many villagers in this quiet and peaceful region speak of seeing ghosts wandering the cemeteries and hearing the sounds of battle.
*Canakkale will be our final destination for today and where we will spend our evening. After dinner, you might want to stroll the harbor wall; here, locals buy sunflower seeds and take evening strolls with their families to watch the sunset. When they reach the end of the promenade, they turn around, perhaps buy ice cream and walk again. Why not join them?
Overnight in Canakkale
Day 4: Canakkale - Troy - Istanbul - (B)
We continue our scenic drive along the Aegean, stopping for photo opportunities and perhaps to indulge the taste buds at one of the many farmer roadside stands selling olives, figs, pistachios, and other seasonal fruits. We then will head east towards Troy.
*Troy (Truva) is the ancient site written about by Homer in the classic Iliad. It dates back to approximately 3,000 BC and has been the site of nine different cities through the thousands of years it has been in existence. Upon entering Troy, a large wooden Trojan horse full-scale reproduction will dominate your view. You'll definitely want to climb up and get your picture taken! There is also a small museum on-site to help you get oriented.
After the tour of Troy, we will provide lunch in Canakkale, and then drive back to Istanbul. After our arrival, we will transfer you back to your hotel. Overnight in Istanbul
Day 5: Istanbul to Home - (B)
Gule, Gule! Farewell! It is time to go home. We'll transfer you to the airport and wish you well, asking that you keep Turkey in your hearts and hoping that our paths cross again!
If you have extended your time with an additional add-on trip, we will be confirming this with you today.
Prices are starting from 485 Euros per person in a double, contact us to get a price quote for your dates
Price includes:
* All transportation in comfortable vehicles
* All hotels
*
4 breakfasts, 3 lunches & 1 dinner
* Professional, English-speaking guides
* Entrance fees to historical sites
* All service charges and local taxes
Excludes
* International flight tickets
(NOTE: This is a fully-customizable program and is available all-year-round. If you are interested in obtaining more information about early booking, cash-paying discounts, hotel names (and web sites), or daily departure times, simply send back to us your e-mail inquiry, letting us know the dates you wish to travel, and we'll get back with you very soon.
You also may choose to extend your stay by adding-on such destinations Cappadocia, Ephesus, Pamukkale, etc., in order to fit your time and travel interests.) |
