Magnificent Turkey Tour Istanbul to Antalya

Day 1 UK to Istanbul

Our VIP door-to-door travel service collects you from home for your flight to Istanbul.

On arrival, we transfer to our hotel.

Day 2 Istanbul

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 incredible tiles adoring the Blue Mosque; and gaze up at the domes and minarets of UNESCO-listed Hagia Sophia.

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 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.

We’ll finish off our day in the Grand Bazaar. We’ll call in at one of the bazaar’s historic coffee roasters for a cup of authentic Turkish coffee, prepared and poured the traditional way. A fantastic end to a whirlwind first day in Turkey.

Day 3 Istanbul

This morning, we’ll pay a visit to Süleymaniye Mosque. 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 dried teas have been sold since the 17th century, and where many locals still shop today. Our final stop for the morning is the Sunken Cistern, an atmospheric underground reservoir built in the 6th century and held up by more than 300 columns.

The afternoon is free to explore Istanbul at your own pace. If you like, join our optional food tasting tour, where you’ll have the chance to snack on tasty Turkish street food at a mix of markets and pastry shops.

Day 4 Gallipoli to Canakkale

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. Before dinner, we’ll enjoy a glass of wine while watching sunset over the waters of the Dardanelles - a lovely chance to reflect on the day together.

Day 5 Troy to Pergamon to Kusadasi

Uncover 4,000 years of history as you stroll around the archaeological site of Troy, 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.

Day 6 Ephesus to Aphrodisias to Pamukkale

Ephesus is first on our agenda today. 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 gardens of a cooperative in nearby Selcuk. Get involved with the cooking if you like, or 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 visit the beautiful classical site of Aphrodisias, with its stadium and temple of Aphrodite, before continuing to our hotel in Pamukkale.

Day 7 Pamukkale to Perge to Antalya

Explore Pamukkale-Hieropolis, a spa and wellness resort popular with the Romans. See the necropolis and 2nd-century theatre, and photograph the white travertine terraces, filled with pools of mineral-rich water.

We’ll continue to Perge, an ancient Roman city once visited by St Paul, and then Antalya, a historic port city where we’ll end our tour.

Day 8 Antalya to UK

Today we depart for the airport and your return flight to the UK.

Upon arrival, your vehicle will be waiting for the journey home.