Day 01: Arrive Istanbul
Upon our arrival at Istanbul, we are met with a friendly 'merhaba' (hello) and escorted to our hotel. Check in time starts from 1400 hrs. Dinner is not included.
Overnight: Aziyade Hotel, Istanbul (3 nights)

Day 02: Istanbul
A full day tour to explore Istanbul, a fascinating city straddling two continents which, under the name Byzantium and Constantinople was the capital of the Roman and Byzantine Empires, and in 1453, became the third and last Capital of the Ottomans. Visit the Blue Mosque, recognizable from its six minarets, built between 1609 and 1616 for Sultan Ahmet I and decorated inside with 21,043 tiles from Iznik in a dominant blue color; the Hippodrome where political, cultural, and sports activities took place during Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman times; Topkapi Palace, the residence of the Ottoman sultans between the end of the 15th and the first half of the 19th centuries, with its treasures; and free time to wander and shop at the historical Grand Bazaar. Lunch during sightseeing. Dinner not included. (B, L)

Day 03: Istanbul
In the morning, visit imposing Haghia Sophia which marked the apogee of Byzantine Emperor Justinian's reign; St Savior in Chora whose mosaics and frescoes are among the most beautiful in the Byzantine World. After lunch visit Rustempasa Mosque with its beautiful Iznik (Nicea) tiles and ; the livelySpice Market with its exotic colors and aromas. You can take a Bosphorus cruise excursion. Dinner not included. (B, L)

Day 04: Istanbul/Ankara (Drive 440 km)
In the morning, drive to Ankara, the Turkish capital since 1923. Visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations which displays rich and unique collections such as the treasures in the Hittite section; We will briefly stop to see the Anitkabir, the Mausoleum of Ataturk, the father of modern Turkey. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Overnight: Marya Hotel, Ankara (1 night) (B, L, D)

Day 05: Ankara/Hattusa/Cappadocia (Drive 395 km)
In the morning, drive to Bogazkale to visit Hattusa, the capital of the powerful Hittites, where numerous cuneiform tablets have been discovered: you will see the Lower City with the Great Temple, the Upper City with the citadel and the double walls, the Royal Gate, the Lions Gate, the tunnel. You will also visit the rock sanctuary of Yazilikaya with its friezes and reliefs depicting the Hittite divinities. Continue south into the heart of central Anatolia to the volcanic region of Cappadocia. Upon arrival, visit the charming Uchisar village, with its tufa rock crowned with a citadel, which provides a magnificent panorama over the area, and the Valley of the Pigeon Houses. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Overnight: Kapadokya Inn, Cappadocia (2 nights) (B, L, D)

Day 06: Cappadocia
A full day tour to explore Cappadocia, a fantastic region with lunar landscapes. Visit the Red Valley; Goreme Valley, an open-air museum with rock-cut churches (7th-13th centuries) decorated with fine frescoes: the Church of St Barbara, the Church of the Serpent, the Church of the Sandal, the Church of the Apple, the Church of the Buckle... Also visit Avcilar Valley and Kiliclar Valley with their old cave-dwellings and fairy chimneys; underground city, a labyrinth organized on seven levels and used as shelter by the local population in period of invasions. Learn about arts and and crafts of rural Turkey with a pottery atelier visit and attend a lecture on Turkish hand-made rugs. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. (B, L, D)

Day 07: Cappadocia/Konya/Antalya (Drive 535 km)
In the morning, drive through the Plain of Konya, the granery of Turkey. En route, stop at the Sultanhan Caravanserai built during the Seljuk period in the 13th century and which is the largest in Anatolia. Upon arrival in Konya, the capital of the Sultanate of Rum and the holy city of the Seljuk Turks, visit the Museum of Mevlana, the famous mystic and poet who founded the Sufi Order of the Whirling Dervishes in the 13th century. Crossing the Taurus Mountains, drive to Antalya, overlooking the Turquoise depths of the Mediterranean. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Overnight: Golden Ring Hotel, Antalya (2 nights) (B, L, D)

Day 08: Antalya/Aspendus/Perge/Antalyla (Drive 90 km)
Through the coastal plain of Pamphylia, drive to Aspendus, whose 2C AD theatre is the best preserved Roman theatre in Asia Minor. Continue to Perge, and visit this other Hellenistico-Roman ancient city with its stadium, colonnaded street and theatre. Drive back to Antalya. Stroll in the narrow streets of the picturesque old town (kaleici) with its narrow streets and typical wooden houses overlooking the marina, to discover the Hadrian Gate, the Fluted Minaret, the Truncated Minaret, and Hidirlik Tower. Dinner and overnight at the hotel. (B, L, D)

Day 09: Antalya/Aphrodisias/Pamukkale (Drive 335 km)
In the morning, crossing the Taurus Mountains, drive to Aphrodisias the ancient city dedicated to Aphrodite, the goddess of Beauty, Love and Fertility, also famous for its school of sculpture: visit the stadium, which is the best preserved in Anatolia, the Temple of Aphrodite, the Tetrapylon, the Theatre, the Museum. Continue to Pamukkale, a unique natural site. Visit this " Cotton Castle " where the hot waters, leaving their limestone deposits, have created an unreal landscape with petrified waterfalls and basins; and Hierapolis, an ancient Roman health spa whose well preserved necropolis is one of the largest in the ancient world. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Overnight: C & H Hotel, Denizli (1 night) (B, L, D)

Day 10: Pamukkale/Ephesus/Izmir (Drive 270 km)
In the morning, drive through the plain of the Meander River to reach the imposing city of Ephesus, one of the most fascinating in the ancient world. Visit the site where you will see the Marble Street, the Agora, the Odeon, the Nympheaum of Trajan, the Temple of Hadrian, the Celsius Library, the Theatre, the remains of the Temple of Artemis, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Also visit the House of the Virgin Mary, which as been designated by the Vatican as a place of pilgrimage. Continue to Izmir, the third largest city in Turkey known as "The Pearl of the Aegean". Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Overnight: Aksan Hotel, Izmir (1 night) (B, L, D)

Day 11: Izmir/Pergamum/Troy/Canakkale (Drive 310 km)
In the morning, depart for Pergamum, the capital of the Attalid dynasty. Visit the ancient city where parchment was invented: the Acropolis with the ruins of the agoras, temples, palaces, the library which contained 200,000 volumes, the podium on which stood the Zeus Altar which was sent to Berlin, and the impressive theatre built on the hillside which provides a wonderful panorama of the surroundings. In the lower part of the ancient city, visit the Asclepion, a sanctuary and a healing center dedicated to the god of healing, Asclepius. Continue to the ancient city of Troy whose history covers a period of about 3,400 years with nine layers of settlements (Troy I to IX). King Priam's glorious city, which can be found in the Iliad, Homer's epic poem, was immortalized through mythological characters: Helen, Menelas, Paris, Agamemnon, Achilles, Hector...and the legendary Trojan Wooden Horse, a reconstruction of which stands at the entrance of the site. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Canakkale located on the Asian side of the Strait of the Dardanelles.
Overnight: Akol Hotel, Canakkale (1 night) (B, L, D)

Day 12: Canakkale/Gallipoli/Istanbul (Drive 335 km)
In the morning, cross the Strait of the Dardanelles by ferry. Continue to Gallipolli Peninsula where the Dardanelles War took place. Brief glance at the battlefields, trenches and memorials that remind us of the Turkish, English, French, Australian and New Zealander (ANZAC), and Indian soldiers fallen between 1915-1916. Continue to Istanbul. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Overnight:Aziyade Hotel, Istanbul (1 night) (B, L, D)

Day 13: Depart Istanbul
This morning we bid farewell and transfer to the airport for the departure flight. Check out time is by 1100 hrs. (B)

* The sequence of the itinerary may be changed depending on your arrival date.