This 11 days tour package includes the most popular destinations in Western and Central Turkey — Istanbul, Troy, Ephesus, Pamukkale, Aphrodisias, Konya, and Pamukkale. Tours can be customized according to the group you want to go to. Our knowledgeable and experienced travel consultants will be able to reach your desired holiday location without having to search for individual places.
What to see during the 11-day Great Anatolia Tour?
What to expect during the 11-day Great Anatolia Tour?
Day 1: Arrival in Istanbul
You will be met at the airport by our meet&greet staff and transferred to your hotel in a private car. Stay in Istanbul.
Day 2: Istanbul Old City Tour
You will be picked up from your hotel after breakfast to visit the Byzantine and Ottoman Relics found in the Sultanahmet area. The tour is on foot as the places of visit are within walking distance of each other. You will visit the Hagia Sophia Museum, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Harem of the Palace, and Basilica Cistern. The lunch will be served at a local restaurant. The tour ends with the Grand Bazaar tour, the most popular historical shopping center in Istanbul
Day 3: Dolmabahce Palace, Bosphorus and Pera Tour
Departure from your hotel after breakfast and start the day by visiting Dolmabahce Palace, the last residence of Ottoman Sultans located on the shores of the Bosphorus. It was home to six sultans from 1856, when it was first inhabited, until 1922. The construction of the palace cost five million Ottoman Mecidiye gold coins, the equivalent of 35 tons of gold. The design contains eclectic elements from Baroque, Rococo, and Neoclassical styles. The Museum-Palace has golden gilded ceilings, crystal staircases, and the largest Bohemian and Baccarat Crystal Chandelier collection in the world. After visiting this magnificent palace, you will get on a public boat for your Bosphorus tour of about 2 hours. Bosphorus is a 33 km long strait and is a natural border between Asia and Europe. The boat will go up to the narrowest part where Rumeli and Anatolian Fortresses are. During the cruise, you will see the most impressive sights along the shores of the Bosphorus including Ciragan Palace, Maiden´s Tower, Bosphorus bridges, Rumeli and Anadolu fortresses, and million dollars seaside mansions. The lunch is served at a nice local restaurant. In the afternoon, you will visit Istiklal Street and Pera District packed with music shops, bookstores, movie theaters, cafes, restaurants, and bars. You will also visit the Galata Tower offering a gorgeous view of the Old City and Pera districts. At the end of the tour, you will be dropped off at your hotel.
Day 4: Golden Horn Tour
Departure from your hotel at around 08:30 and drive to Suleymaniye Mosque, the imperial mosque of the Ottoman Empire constructed by Architect Sinan. The next visit is to Chora Church Museum, a small but impressive building dating to the 11th century and unique with Christian frescoes and mosaics inside. The best spot looking over the Golden Horn is Pierre Loti Hill where there is a tea house today for breaks. The tour will go on with a short boat tour in Golden Horn to see the site from the sea. After lunch, the tour ends with shopping at Spice Bazaar, the most popular place in the city for spices, Turkish delights, and coffee. You will be transferred to the bus station for the bus to Canakkale departing at 16:00. Upon your arrival to Canakkale at around 21:30, you will be greeted and transferred to your hotel.
Day 5: Troy Tour
You will be picked up from your hotel after breakfast and start driving for Troy Ancient City for 25-30 mins. You will be greeted by the model of the Trojan Horse, which stands as a symbol of the famous wooden horse used at the time. Then you will see the Sacrificial Altars, 3700-year-old city walls, Houses of Troy I, The Bouleuterion (Senate Building), The Odeon (Concert Hall), current excavations in progress, and the remains of various cities from Troy I to Troy IX. After your visit, you will continue driving to Bergama Town, where you will have lunch. After the lunch break, you will visit the Ancient City of Pergamum, one of the most famous cities of ancient times and the 400-year capital city of the Pergamum Kingdom. You will see The Acropolis, The Library once held 200.000 books and scripts, the Temple of Athena, the Temple of Trajan, The Gymnasium, the Lower Agora, The Hellenistic Theater, and the Temple of Dionysus. After your visits, you will drive to the Ephesus area. Drop off at your hotel in Selcuk and Kusadasi.
Day 6: Ephesus Tour
You will be picked up from your hotel after breakfast by your private guide and drive to Ephesus, the most splendid ancient city in Turkey which requires about 2 hours to visit. The next visit is to the Virgin Mary’s House where it is believed she spent the last years of her life and was buried. After lunch, you will visit the remaining important places to see in the area: Ephesus Museum where the objects discovered in Ephesus are exhibited, Diana Temple which was one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world, St. John Castle, and the remains of the Church situated at the top of Ayasoluk Hill and Isa Bey Mosque being the most important structure belonging to Turkish heritage.
Day 7: Aphrodisias Ancient City, Hierapolis, and Pamukkale Tour
Departure from the hotel after breakfast, and drive to Aphrodisias ancient city, the famous sculpture school, and the center of ancient Asia Minor. Aphrodisias Museum keeps some of the best examples of Greek and Roman sculpture works. We arrive at Pamukkale at lunchtime famous for white-colored rocks formed by thermal waters containing calcium bicarbonate. The ancient city Hierapolis at the site was a famous healing center and the hotels at the site are still booked for their thermal water pools in the present day. The Roman Pool or Cleopatra Pool at the site is still in use. You may use the ancient pool by paying the entrance fee at the site on your own. You will be guested in one of the thermal & spa hotels at night to enjoy the hot water pools.
Day 8: Konya and Rumi Museum Tour
After breakfast, you will be transferred to Konya. Upon your arrival at the Konya visit, the Empire was founded by Turks and has been the residence of Rumi Dervishes. Mevlana Rumi spent his life in Konya where he wrote his famous books about Sufi and his ideas spread over the world after his death from here. Following the transfer from the bus station to Konya city center, you will take a guided tour of Konya to visit Mevlana Museum and his tomb, Karatay Madrasah, Aladdin Hill, the old bazaar, and the other remnants belonging to Seljuk architecture. At the end of the tour, you will be transferred to your hotel.
Day 9: Cappadocia and free day.
After breakfast, you will be transferred to the bus station for a day bus to Cappadocia. Upon your arrival at Cappadocia after a 4 hrs ride, you will be transferred to your hotel. Free time at leisure.
Day 10: Northern Cappadocia Tour
After breakfast in the morning, you will drive to Devrent Valley where the geographical formations remind a place on another planet. Then in Pasabagi, you’ll take a stroll among the amazing fairy chimneys of Cappadocia. From there drive to Avanos to have lunch. Cappadocia is also famous for traditional pottery production where you will also attend a workshop. The next visit is to Goreme Open Air Museum keeping the best-preserved Byzantine cave churches in the area. Then return to the hotel after the tour.
Day 11: Southern Cappadocia Tour
Depart from your hotel after breakfast and the day starts with a 4km hike through the Rose Valley visiting the churches. The next visit is to the Christian & Greek village of Cavusin. We will have lunch in Pigeons Valley unique with small niches carved in the rocks. Cappadocia has several underground cities used by the residents to escape from their enemies and Kaymakli Underground City is among the famous ones on our visiting list. You will also visit the Ortahisar Natural Rock Castle offering a beautiful view over the valley. After the tour, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Istanbul in the evening. Upon your arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel.
Extra Tour Details
- Everyday departure (All year round)
- Duration: 11 days
- Private/Group
What has been included in this Great Anatolia excursion?
Included:
- Accommodation BB
- All sightseeing & excursions mentioned in the itinerary
- Lunch during the tours
- Transfer service from Hotels & Airport
- English Guide
Excluded:
- Beverage during the tour
- Tips to the guide&driver(optional)
- Entrance Cleopatra Pool
- Not mentioned diners
- Not mentioned flights
- Entrance fee for Harem Section in Topkapi Palace.
- Personal expenses
Which extra activities can you do during the Great Anatolia Tour?
- Pamukkale Paragliding
- Pamukkale Hot Air Balloon
- Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon
