Join your tour group at the hotel.

Kent Hotel, Istanbul (4-star)

A full-day city tour introduces us to the sights and sounds of Istanbul. We’ll travel back thousands of years as we visit Sultanahmet Meydanı, once the sporting and social heart of Constantinople; admire the vast Blue Mosque; and gaze up at the domes and minarets of the UNESCO-listed Hagia Sophia. Next is the Sunken Cistern, an atmospheric underground reservoir built in the 6th century and held up by more than 300 columns. We’ll finish off our day in the colourful Grand Bazaar. With almost 4,000 shops hawking antiques, carpets, jewellery and more, it’s the biggest souk and the oldest covered market in the world. To end the day, we’ll call in at a coffee roaster for a cup of authentic Turkish coffee, prepared and poured the traditional way.

Kent Hotel, Istanbul (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Istanbul city tour, including Hippodrome of Constantinople, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, the Sunken Cistern and Grand Bazaar (all day)

Coffee tasting at a local coffee roaster (afternoon)

This morning, we’ll pay a visit to Süleymaniye Mosque, considered to be the most beautiful imperial mosque in the city. One of the mosque’s outbuildings is home to a display of 14th and 15th-century books, manuscripts and orders of the sultans. Although it’s not open to the public, we’ll have private access to view the collection. Next, we’ll make our way to Misir Carsisi, the Egyptian Spice Bazaar, where spices, herbs and all sorts of dried teas have been sold since the 17th century, and where many locals still shop today. We’ll have time to wander through the warren of stalls, perhaps picking up some fragrant cardamom or saffron to take home. Later, we’ll tour the UNESCO-listed Topkapı Palace Museum. Once home to Ottoman sultans, it’s now filled with treasures including fine art, jewel-encrusted swords, Chinese porcelain, scrolls of delicate calligraphy, and the exquisite Spoonmaker's Diamond. The complex is as much an attraction as the exhibits though, with peaceful gardens, opulent décor and tales of courtiers and concubines. The afternoon is free for you to explore Istanbul at your own pace. If you like, join our relaxing optional Bosphorus cruise.

Kent Hotel, Istanbul (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Istanbul tour, including Süleymaniye Mosque, the Egyptian Spice Bazaar, and Topkapı Palace Museum (morning)

A five-hour drive alongside the Sea of Marmara will bring us to the Gallipoli peninsula. This area is steeped in history, so our guide will talk us through the importance of the Dardanelles strait and the part it played during the First World War as we go. Arriving at Gallipoli, we’ll tour the battlefields, scene of the aborted Allied invasion of 1915, visiting Cape Helles, Suvla Bay and Anzac Cove. We'll then cross the strait to Canakkale.

DoubleTree by Hilton Canakkale (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Tour of Gallipoli battlefields (afternoon)

Today is a long but rewarding drive of around six hours. The World Heritage Site of Troy is our first destination. Uncover 4,000 years of history as you stroll around this ancient archaeological site, immortalised in Homer’s epic, ‘The Iliad’. For lunch, we’ll head to the nearby village of Bergama. Splitting into smaller groups, we’ll visit local houses, chatting with our hosts as we enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal. We’ll continue to the Greco-Roman city of Pergamon, admiring its acropolis, temples and 10,000-seat theatre. From here, we drive south to Kusadasi.

Ramada Hotel & Suites by Wyndham, Kusadasi (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Visit to Troy (morning)

Bergama village lunch experience (afternoon)

Visit to Pergamon (afternoon)

Ephesus is first on our agenda today. The remains of this ancient Greek city are remarkably well preserved and protected by UNESCO. We’ll see the famous façade of the Celsus Library, mosaicked pedestrian walkways and roads scored with ruts from chariot wheels. We’ll also stop at the House of the Virgin Mary, just outside Ephesus, where Mary was believed to have spent her final years. Lunch will be a picnic in the sunny gardens of a cooperative in nearby Selcuk. Get involved with the cooking if you like, or simply sit back and enjoy your surroundings. While we’re here, you’ll have the chance to see how traditional carpets are hand-woven. After lunch, we’ll continue to our hotel in Pamukkale.

Spa Hotel Colossae Thermal Pamukkale (5-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Visit to Ephesus & House of the Virgin Mary (morning)

Picnic in Selcuk with cooking and carpet weaving demonstration (afternoon)

Explore Pamukkale-Hieropolis this morning, a spa and wellness resort popular with the Romans. See the necropolis and 2nd-century theatre, and photograph the dream-like white travertine terraces, filled with pools of mineral-rich water. We’ll continue to Antalya, a historic port city where we’ll conclude our tour.

Best Western Plus Khan Hotel, Antalya (4-star)

Today includes…

Excursions & visits: Visit to Pamukkale-Hieropolis (morning)

Say goodbye to your tour group for your onward travel.

Antalya