Turkey Tour

We meet at the Istanbul Airport on 9am to start to Istanbul city tour.
Visit the Blue Mosque, also known as “Mosque of Sultan Ahmet”, which boasts a unique feature of six minarets. View its interior decoration and distinctive blue tiles. Next, view the only remains of Hippodrome of Constantinople, which are made up of 3 monumental columns and a fountain. This is where chariot races used to take place. Visit Topkapi Palace, once the seat of the Ottoman Empire. Today, it is a museum palace with a wide collection of porcelain, antiques, holy relics and other treasures. Later,shop at the 500-year-old Grand Bazaar, a maze of over 4,000 stalls and shops selling leather goods, jewellery, handicrafts, ceramics, Turkish coffee and other local products..
We will take a Public Coach to go to Ankara. (No Guide)
We meet at the Ankara Bus Station in the evening and transfer to hotel for dinner and overnight.

In the morning visit to the Anatolian Civilizations Museum at which numerous remnants from Stone Age, Neolithic Age, Hittites, Urartians, Phrygians and many others are on display; Mausoleum of Ataturk, the burial place of the national hero who founded modern Republic of Turkey. Then continue on to Cappadocia and overnight (L, D at only some hotels)
* Anatolian Civilizations Museum is currently under renovation and therefore only a small portion of it can be visited

Optional balloon tour. Depart from the hotel at 09.30-10.00 depending on the arrival time of the participants and visit to Devrent Valley to see the unique fairy-chimneys. Drive to Pasabagi (Monk's Valley) to see the most interesting mushroom-shaped pinnacles. In the afternoon, visit Goreme Open Air Museum where the remains of rock-cut churches and Christian settlements date back hundreds of years and then to Kaymakli Underground City, the place where early Christians hid from persecutors. Shopping time for the well-known merits of the area before returning to the hotel

Today’s ride will be fairly long and tiring due to the long distance between Cappadocia and Pamukkale and lack of convenient lodging location. Drive to Konya to visit to the Mausoleum of Mevlana, the world-wide famous mystic figure. Then continue on to Pamukkale and overnight

Tour the ruins of Hierapolis including the magnificently preserved cemetery "Necropolis", the Main Street and Gates, the Thermal Baths, the Roman Theatre and the Museum (Closed on Mondays). In the afternoon tour Aphrodisias, the city of Aphrodite; visit the Museum, the Temple of Aphrodite, the Theatre, the Stadium, the Agora, the Hadrian Baths, the Odeon, and the Bishop's Palace. Proceed to the hotel in Kusadasi for overnight

Morning tour to Ephesus area with Artemis Temple, Ephesus Antique City (Hillside Houses are excluded; entrance requires additional admission fee), one of the most popular ancient sites of Turkey with many acres of carefully excavated ruins; Virgin Mary’s House, where St. Mary is supposed to spend her last years together with St. John. Time for shopping. Overnight in Kusadasi.
* Ephesus Museum in Selcuk is currently under renovation and therefore no visits are possible

Early departure for Bergama and visit to the Asclepion and Acropol with the well preserved remains. In the afternoon continue on to Troy, the place where the legendary Trojan War took place as described in the historical work of Homer of Smyrna. After visiting the site with nine inhabitation levels covering a period of 3000 years, drive to Canakkale for overnight

After breakfast sail to the other side of Dardanelles by a ferryboat and drive to Istanbul with visit to Gallipoli, historically famous for being the site of many battles - particularly involving the Allied Forces including Australians and New Zealanders during World War I. Arrive in Istanbul late afternoon and transfer to the hotel or airport