Wonders of Turkey

11 days
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4.6/5 Excellent
100+ reviews  
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Group Tour
Gifted with natural wonders like Göreme and the white terraces of Pamukkale, ancient Ephesus stands out as Turkey's finest gem.

Overview

Trip type
Group Tour
Lodging level
Luxury - 5 star
Physical level
Easy

Highlights

    • Istanbul: Visit the Blue Mosque and St. Sophia museum. With a Local Expert gain an insight into the lives of the Ottoman Sultans at the fabulous Topkapi Palace. Enjoy a relaxing cruise past Ottoman palaces, old mansions and fortresses.
    • Gallipoli: Pay your respects at Anzac Cove & Lone Pine Cemetery.
    • Pergamon: Visit Asklepion, one of the most famous shrines and therapeutic centres of the ancient world.
    • Ephesus: Tour one of the world's finest ancient sites, visit the House of the Virgin Mary and Archaeological Museum.
    • Pamukkale: See the cascading ‘Cotton Castle' of milky white travertine pools.
    • Konya: Visit the beautiful Mevlana museum for an insight into the mystic Whirling Dervishes.
    • Göreme: Explore underground cities, rock-cut churches and fairytale chimneys and the Pasabag Valley.
    • Göreme: Explore underground cities, rock-cut churches and fairytale chimneys and the Pasabag Valley.
    • Ankara: Discover the mysterious Hittite civilisation and visit the Mausoleum of Atatürk.

What's this trip about?

    Gifted with natural wonders like Göreme and the white terraces of Pamukkale, ancient Ephesus stands out as Turkey's finest gem.

Details

Itinerary focusOperator does not provide
Group sizeStandard Group - 25 + people
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transport
Start CityIstanbul, Turkey
End CityIstanbul, Turkey

Travel Themes

  • Cultural
  • 50 Plus

Destinations

Activities

  • Culture
  • Historic Sightseeing
  • History
  • Nature
  • Ruins & Archaeology
  • Short Cruise

Trip includes

    • An expert Insight Tour Director, at the pinnacle of their career, will guide you on your journey. Serving as your 'travelling concierge', this skilled guide will act as consummate organiser and be your 'friend in a foreign land'.
    • Enjoy the unique comfort of Insight's luxury air-conditioned 40 seat coach with extended leg room and on-board restroom. It's business class comfort.
    • A personal radio headset gives you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating insights and commentaries.
    • Baggage handling everywhere, with seamless and prompt delivery to your door at every hotel.
    • Hotel and restaurant tips included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. Plus we include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
    • Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi.
    • Insight Flourishes - from time to time, your Tour Director will enchant you with local tidbits, each representing authentic food or beverages unique to the destination.
    • Included airport transfers at scheduled times on arrival and departure days.

Popular Trips

Itinerary

Travel Map

Day 1: Welcome to Istanbul

Accommodation: Renaissance Istanbul Bosphorus/Wyndham Grand Istanbul Levent

Welcome to a land rich in archaeological sites, historic monuments and an enormous variety of spectacular scenery. On arrival at Istanbul Airport, you will be met and transferred to you...

Day 2: Istanbul and the Ottoman Empire

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Renaissance Istanbul Bosphorus/Wyndham Grand Istanbul Levent

Visit the Blue Mosque with its beautiful tiles and the Hippodrome where Roman chariot races were held. Then visit Hagia Sophia, now a magnificent museum before c...

Day 3: Gallipoli, Anzac Cove and across the Dardanelles Strait to Çanakkale

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Kolin, Çanakkale

Drive along the shores of the Sea of Marmara to the Peninsula of Gelibolu, better known in the west as Gallipoli. Here are the battlefields where, for nine disastrous months during the Great War...

Day 4: Explore Homer’s Troy and on to Pergamon and the Port of Izmir

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation: Renaissance, Izmir

Drive to Homer's legendary city of Troy, where archaeological excavations have established nine levels of habitation, including the great city captured in 1200BC by means of the renowned Trojan H...

Day 5: Ancient Ephesus and Kusadasi

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Charisma, Kusadasi

(Relaxed Start) Visit the Archaeological museum at Selçuk where many of the excavated artefacts of Ephesus are displayed. Explore Ephesus itself, one of the world's finest archaeological sites...

Day 6: Along the Maeander River to the Pools of Pamukkale

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Doğa Thermal Health & Spa, Pamukkale

(Relaxed Start) Follow the Maeander River Valley, (so full of twists and turns it gives us the word ‘meander') to Pamukkale, famous for its dazzling chalk-white array of ...

Day 7: Konya, the Whirling Dervishes and Cappadocia

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Alfina Cave Accommodation, Cappadocia

Head to Konya, the old capital of the Anatolian Seljuk Empire and home to the mystic Whirling Dervish sect. Visit the Mevlana Tekke, a museum and national monument, with its...

Day 8: The Underground Cities of Cappadocia Experience

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Alfina Cave Accommodation, Cappadocia

In the morning, enjoy an experience to Göreme, a region of volcanic landscapes and rock-hewn churches decorated with ancient wall paintings, some of which you can see in the open-air m...

Day 9: The Modern Day Capital of Ankara

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Hilton SA, Ankara

Learn about pottery making in Avanos and drive to Ankara to visit the Hittite Museum and Anit Kabir, the Mausoleum of Atatürk, Turkey's greatest modern leader.

Day 10: To Istanbul

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Renaissance Istanbul Bosphorus/Wyndham Grand Istanbul Levent

Take a scenic drive through the countryside to Istanbul. In the evening, join a farewell Celebration Dinner at a colourful local restaurant! Guests jo...

Day 11: Farewell Istanbul

Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, transfer to the airport.

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Dates & Availability

Price From $1,690
Price per day$154
Last Updated: 1/24/2025

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

Check current availability, prices, specials & more.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

Insight Vacations Reviews & Ratings

4.6/5  Excellent
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Well planned! Our local guides were knowledgeable, friendly and witty - when put all together it made our tours so much more enjoyable. Though I’m not a morning pers...

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Our tour guide was knowledgable and enthusiastic. Best in class.

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Logistics

Accommodation

  • Renaissance Istanbul Bosphorus

Istanbul (Central) - Turkey

  • Kolin Hotel

Canakkale (Scenic) - Turkey

Complimentary WifiA brand new modern hotel situated near to the city centre overlooking the sea. Hotel facilities include a fitness centre, Turkish bath, sauna, jacuzzis and pools.

Cancellation policy

Travel arrangements for any member of the party may be cancelled at any time by written notice by the person who made the booking. Please note the following:

If notice of cancellation is received by Insight more than 45 days prior to the tour departure date, (80 days for La Serenissima) deposit will be retained along with the Travel Protection payment.

If full payment is not received 45 days prior to departure date (80 days for La Serenissima) , Insight has the right to cancel your reservation. Insight will not be responsible for lost reservations.

If a person in a party cancels and there is a room change caused by this cancellation (such as loss of Friendly Five discount -Twin to Single, or Triple to Twin), charges for the upgrade will be the responsibility of the remaining party.

The following charges will apply when notice of cancellation is given after the booking is confirmed:

No. of days prior to Tour departure date and the related Cancellation Fee as % of total price

  • Over 45 days - Loss of Deposit
  • 45-22 days - 25%
  • 21-8 days - 30%
  • 7-1 days - 50%
  • Day of departure/no show - 100%
Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Meals Included

10 Breakfasts and 8 Dinners

Age Requirements
No age restrictions
Optional Activities
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Additional Information
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Trip ID
insightvacations-WonTurIns

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