Highlights of Turkey

1. ARRIVE ISTANBUL (2 NIGHTS) Transfer to your hotel on arrival. Meet later with your Travel Director and travelling companions for a Welcome Reception. Meal(s) Welcome Reception Hotel Radisson Blu Sisli 2. ISTANBUL SIGHTSEEING Visit the impressive Topkapi Palace, one of the greatest palaces of the Ottoman period, which has a superb position overlooking the Bosphorus. Explore the magnificent Hagia Sophia Basilica. After lunch, discover the wonders of the Blue Mosque, famous for its six minarets and beautiful blue Iznik tiles. Finally, tour the Byzantine Hippodrome, where chariot racing and other sporting events were held. Meal(s) Buffet Breakfast 3. ISTANBUL – GALLIPOLI – CANAKKALE In Gallipoli, see the Lone Pine Cemetery and the battlefields, including Anzac Cove and Chunuk Bair, where some of the fiercest fighting took place during World War I. Dine tonight at your hotel. Meal(s) Buffet Breakfast Dinner Hotel Kolin 4. CANAKKALE – TROY – PERGAMON – IZMIR Explore the legendary city of Troy, immortalised by Homer in the stories of King Priamus, Hector, Paris and the beautiful Helen. Admire the archaeological excavations revealing nine separate periods of settlement, plus the symbolic replica wooden Trojan horse commemorating the epic war machine constructed in the 13th century BC. Visit the Asclepion Medical Centre at the ancient kingdom of Pergamon. This afternoon, enjoy a unique Be My Guest luncheon. Dine tonight at your hotel. Meal(s) Buffet Breakfast Be My Guest Dining Dinner Hotel Wyndham Grand Ozdilek 5. IZMIR – EPHESUS – VIRGIN MARY’S HOUSE – PAMUKKALE Your fascinating walking tour of the ancient city of Ephesus includes the House of the Virgin Mary, the Temple of Hadrian guarded by Medusa's head, and the Great Theatre, which was built by the Romans between 41 and 117 AD and is still in use today. Later, relax and enjoy the blissful thermal pools at your hotel in Pamukkale. Dine tonight at your hotel. Meal(s) Buffet Breakfast Dinner Hotel Collosae Thermal 6. PAMUKKALE – HIERAPOLIS – BURSA Visit the ancient ruins of Hierapolis at Pamukkale, which is also famous for white ‘Cotton Castles' formed by limestone-laden thermal springs. Finish your day in the city of Bursa. Dine tonight at your hotel. Meal(s) Buffet Breakfast Dinner Hotel Thermal Kervansary 7. BURSA – ISTANBUL Wander through the old silk market and visit the Grand Mosque. Continue to Istanbul and spend time haggling for souvenirs in the vast, bustling Grand Bazaar. Join your fellow travellers this evening for a Farewell Dinner to mark the end of your holiday. Meal(s) Buffet Breakfast Farewell Dinner Hotel Radisson Blu Sisli 8. DEPART ISTANBUL Say goodbye to your companions and transfer to the airport for your flight home. Alternatively, why not continue your splendid adventure on one of our superb cruises, such as the 'Aegean Cruise' on the page opposite? Meal(s) Buffet Breakfast