Best of Turkey
Overview
Highlights
- Discover the ancient and modern lives within Turkey as you explore thousands of years of history in the remarkable ruins of Ephesus, discover a WWI battlefield in Gallipoli, and immerse yourself in the vibrant vibe of the university town Eskesihir.
- Take in the dizzying diversity of this epic landscape with a visit to the stunning natural hot springs of Pamukkale, a cruise along the picture-perfect Turkish coast over Sunken Cities, and an optional hot-air balloon ride over the fairy-tale land of Cappadocia.
- Get to know the friendly locals with a fruit wine tasting in the serene village of Sirince and a home-cooked dinner at a local cave home in Cappadocia, then get treated to a Turkish BBQ feast by your local hosts in Kayakoy and get your hands dirty making ci borek – a popular local snack.
- Pull on your walking shoes and set out on a half-day trek along a section of rugged coastline, following part of the ancient walking trail of the Lycian Way and exploring the exotic landscape of Cappadocia on a short hike in the valley.
- Get among local life, from taking local buses and trains to enjoying a traditional gulet (boat) trip and staying in one of the cave hotels that Cappadocia is famed for.
- By travelling on this trip, you’ll directly support our Intrepid Foundation partner, CYDD (Çağdaş Yaşamı Destekleme Derneği). Donations help them provide scholarships and educational programs for economically disadvantaged youth in Turkey.
What's this trip about?
Details
Travel Themes
Destinations
Attractions
Activities
Trip includes
- Istanbul - Orientation Walk
- Gallipoli - Fully guided Gallipoli tour & visit to the Commonwealth graveyards
- Selcuk - Leader-led orientation walk
- Troy - Archaeological site visit
- Ephesus - Archaeological site visit
- Sirince - Village visit and fruit wine tasting
- Pamukkale - Hierapolis and Travertines National Park
- Kayakoy - Village visit
- Lycian Way - Hike from Kayakoy to Oludeniz Beach
- Kayakoy - Home-cooked Turkish BBQ dinner
- Kas - Leader led orientation walk
- Kas - Handicraft market
- Kekova - Turkish Coast Cruising & Sunken Cities
- Konya - Mevlana Museum
- Cappadocia - Leader-led orientation walk
- Cappadocia - Dinner at Local Family Home
- Goreme - Valley walk
- Eskisehir - Odunpazarı Village Visit
- Eskisehir - Ci Börek making & tasting
Popular Trips
Itinerary
Hoş geldin! Welcome to Turkey. Your adventure kicks off in Istanbul – the continent-straddling metropolis that the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans have all called home. There’s a welcome meeting at 1 pm, where you’ll meet your group leader and fellow traveller...
After breakfast this morning, hit the road to Canakkale – a port city on the southern shore of the Dardanelles. You’ll stop along the way to explore Gallipoli on a guided tour that will teach you about the significant events and history embedded in this area. Your gui...
This morning, drive to Selcuk with a stop in Troy – where history and mythology sit side-by-side. You’ll wander the ancient city walls with your leader and even get a chance to enjoy a photo op with a replica Trojan Horse. You’ll learn more about how this place has co...
This morning, take a private minivan to visit the ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus – one of the best-preserved Greco-Roman classical cities in the world. Once the capital city of Roman Asia Minor, the city has a fascinating history, which really comes alive with a...
A train ride inland through mountainous landscapes brings you to one of Turkey's most photographed sites – Pamukkale – which literally translates to ‘cotton castle’. Here, natural hot springs with a high calcium content cascade over the edge of the cliffs, leaving the...
Take a bus ride south – off the tourist trail – to the village of Kayakoy. This small town acts as your base for exploring the Mediterranean coast, including the resort town of Fethiye and the renowned Blue Lagoon. Kayakoy was once a thriving place and now it’s consid...
Today, set out on a half-day trek along a section of rugged coastline, following part of the ancient walking trail of the Lycian Way to nearby Oludeniz, where you can swim in the Blue Lagoon. You’ll walk up a steep rocky path up the hillside, make your way through for...
Make your way the short distance from Kayakoy to Fethiye by dolmus – a Turkish shared taxi. From there, take a public bus to Kas or Kekova, with some spectacular coastal scenery along the way. The picturesque village of Kas – whitewashed buildings covered in bougainvi...
Today, head to the shimmering turquoise waters on your gutlet and enjoy a day of fun, swimming, snorkelling, sun bathing and cruising over the ancient Sunken cities, with your lunch included on board. Disembark in the late afternoon and transfer back to your accommodation.
This morning, take a private bus inland towards Konya. While it’s a long day of travel, the scenery will keep you entertained as you cross the Toros Mountain range. The city is closely linked with the whirling dervish sect of Islam developed by Celaleddin Rumi – one o...
Leave Konya this morning by bus and head to The Cappadocian town of Urgup – with a vibrant, modern downtown area, plenty of boutique hotels built into the surrounding caves, it’s perfectly positioned to springboard you into your Cappadocia explorations tomorrow. The s...
This morning is an ideal time to discover Cappadocia’s unique landscapes from above – in a hot air balloon! Although this activity isn’t included, it's a highly recommended experience that most travellers opt for to see the wondrous desert scenes at sunrise. This afte...
Say goodbye to the fairytale Cappadocia and head to Eskisehir this morning. A fascinating city, often known as the ‘students’ city by the locals, is a change of scene, and you can expect a refreshing and vibrant vibe. Arrive in the afternoon and visit Eskişehir Odunpa...
After breakfast this morning, depart on a fast train bound for Istanbul. The afternoon and evening is yours to enjoy at leisure. This glorious city is a gorgeous spot to toast to a great adventure and your leader will be able to recommend the best places to visit and eat, depending on your interests. Tonight, why not toast to newfound friends and an epic adventure with an optional dinner.
With no activities planned for today, your Turkish adventure comes to an end after breakfast. If you wish to spend a few more days checking out the sights of Istanbul, just speak to your booking agent.
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Dates & Availability
Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Intrepid Travel.
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.
Intrepid Travel Reviews & Ratings
This was my fifth trip with Intrepid.
This was my fifth trip with Intrepid. The format suits my tastes for travel. Despite the long bus rides and one very dirty hotel, this was a wonderful trip. I was...
Overall the trip was everything I imagined
Overall the trip was everything I imagined and so much more - the historical information our group leader was able to give was fantastic and helped in my understandi...
I've done several Intrepid trips now, and
I've done several Intrepid trips now, and each one has been great. The way the trips are organised makes it really easy to travel and get under the skin of a place l...
This was an action-packed trip that covered
This was an action-packed trip that covered land, sea and a...
You offer a 5 % discount if
You offer a 5 % discount if you rebook another trip, I wrote twice before I booked this trip to say I had done a trip Bangkok - Bangkok and would I get a discount.....
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