Treasures of Turkey

Day 1 – Flight to Istanbul

Direct morning flight from Heathrow to Istanbul with private transfer to our hotel in the old city.

Day 2 – Highlights of Istanbul

Guided sightseeing including Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and Underground Cisterns. Transport between visits is by metro or tram, including the Tunel funicular.

Day 3 – Cruise the Bosphorus

Another day in Istanbul to visit the Grand and Spice Bazaars, the two main railway stations, Sirkeci on the European side and the majestic Haydarpasha on the Asian side. We also have a 2-hour private cruise on the Bosphorus.

Day 4 – Gallipoli

Drive south to Gallipoli to visit the WW1 battlefields and cemeteries. Cross the Dardanelles by ferry for an overnight stay in Canakkale.

Day 5 – Troy & Pergamon

A short drive to the ancient city of Troy, then continuing along the Aegean coast to Pergamon, a Hellenistic city from the 3rd Century BC. Drive further along the coast for overnight stay in a small hotel in Yeni Foca.

Day 6 – Camlik Railway Museum

Continuing to the Ephesus area, we spend the next 2 nights in a small hotel in a village about 15km from the ancient city itself. In the afternoon we visit the Camlik open air steam loco museum, one of the largest collection of steam locos in Europe. The museum is situated on the site of the former Camlik station.

Day 7 – Ephesus

A full day exploring Ephesus, including the Terrace Houses where the rich Romans lived and the Temple of Artemis, one of the ancient Seven Wonders of the World.

Day 8 – Onwards to Cappadocia

We catch the morning train from Selcuk to Izmir Airport (about an hour’s journey) for an afternoon flight to Cappadocia for a 2-night stay.

Day 9 – Amazing Sights

The Cappadocia region is probably most famous for its volcanic scenery with towering pillars of rock. The soft volcanic material also encouraged the building of cave dwellings, churches and monasteries which we can visit. We round off our visit with a Whirling Dervish ceremony at a 13th Century caravanserai (a “motel” on the Old Silk Road).

Day 10 – Flight to Kars

Drive to Ankara Airport for direct flight to Kars. An early start may be necessary depending on flight schedules. 2-night stay in Kars.

Day 11 – Kars & Ani

Today’s sightseeing includes the 12th Century Kars citadel, Fethiye Mosque (originally a Russian church) and the new Cheese Museum (an important local produce of the area). A short drive brings us to Ani, the spectacular ancient city that was once the capital of the Armenian Kingdom in the 11th Century.

Day 12 – The Dogu Express

We return to Istanbul by train starting with a day of spectacular mountain scenery sparsely populated with small villages. The train departs Kars at 0800 and arrives Sivas, where we alight for an overnight stay, at 2250.

Day 13 – Return to Istanbul

A little time to recover after the late-night arrival before catching the 1320 train to Ankara where there is a change of trains, arriving in Istanbul at 2027.

Day 14 – Flight to London

Transfer to the airport for early afternoon flight to Heathrow, arriving late afternoon.