10-Nights Wonders of Turkey - Classic Group

Insight Vacations

Wonders Of Turkey - Classic Group, Summer
Fall in love with Turkey on this 11-day guided tour. See Ephesus, an ancient city built in the 10th Century B.C. with an amphitheater that once sat 24,000 people. Drive through the Maender River Valley to an organic farm, where you can walk the lush lands, then feast on fresh produce during a mouth-watering lunch. See the turquoise travertine pools in Pamukkale where ancient Romans used to soak - then dip into the spa at your hotel to indulge in its Turkish baths. Take a tour of a traditional cave house in Cappadocia with the local who lives there, then dine as you watch whirling dervishes dance nearby. Visit the Mausoleum of Atatürk, the resting place of the country’s first president, in Ankara. Travel to Istanbul, where you’ll see the infamous Blue Mosque before bargaining at the eclectic Grand Bazaar, which boasts more than 4,000 shops.


Dining Summary

• 7 Dinner (D)
• 10 Breakfast (B)
• 1 Lunch (L)

Choice Highlights

• Choose between two carefully selected activities
• Istanbul: An immersive digital experience through the iconic structure's rich past, showcasing its transformation from a Byzantine cathedral to an Ottoman mosque and now a museum, with captivating exhibits and architectural wonders.
• Istanbul: Journey through time with a visit to Hagia Sophia, take a unique glimpse into the complex layers of Istanbul's rich cultural and religious heritage.

Additional Included Highlights

• Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.
• Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
• We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.
• From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.
• Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).
• If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport.

Authentic Dining

• Istanbul: Begin your travels savoring traditional flavors over dinner at a local restaurant.
• Izmir: Head to a local organic farm where you will be treated to a Farm-to-Table lunch. Enjoy the breathtaking views during your meal made from seasonal crops grown on site.
• Cappadocia: Watch a spectacular Sema performance of Whirling Dervishes and discover the flavors of Cappadocia as you indulge in a regional dinner of colorful dishes.
• Istanbul: Toast the culmination of your travels during dinner at a local restaurant.

Insight Choice

• Istanbul: An immersive digital experience through the iconic structure's rich past, showcasing its transformation from a Byzantine cathedral to an Ottoman mosque and now a museum, with captivating exhibits and architectural wonders.
• Istanbul: Journey through time with a visit to Hagia Sophia, take a unique glimpse into the complex layers of Istanbul's rich cultural and religious heritage.

Insight Experiences

• Cappadocia: Join a Cappadocian local, who has lived in the city for decades and take a tour of their cave house to learn more about their unique way of life.

Make Travel Matter

• Ayvalik: Visit the Copmadam workshop, where one-of-a-kind items are made from recycled packaging, creating employment opportunities for local women. This experience advances United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality.

Top Rated Highlights

• Gallipoli: Pay your respects at Anzac Cove and Lone Pine Cemetery.
• Troy: Visit this ancient sight fabled to have been destroyed over love and view the huge reconstructed Trojan Horse.
• Ephesus: Visit the Archaeological museum housing many of the artefacts from Ephesus.
• Ephesus: Discover one of the world's finest ancient sites. Led by your Local Expert, walk the Arcadian Way, see the Library of Celsus and Amphitheater and visit the Palace of Knossos.
• Pamukkale: See the cascading Cotton Castle of milky white travertine pools and the ancient ruin of Hierapolis.
• Konya: Visit a well preserved Seljuk Caravanserai.
• Saratli: Visit Saratli Underground city known for its fine arts architecture.
• Göreme: With your Local Expert, explore the underground cities, rock-cut churches, fairy-tale chimneys and the Pasabag Valley.
• : Learn about the ancient art of pottery making in Avanos.
• Ankara: Discover the mysterious Hittite civilization and visit the Mausoleum of Atatürk.
• Istanbul: Visit the Blue Mosque and the Hippodrome. With your Local Expert, gain insight into the lives of the Ottoman Sultans during a visit to the fabulous Topkapi Palace. Then stroll through the Grand Bazaar.
• Istanbul: Enjoy a relaxing cruise on the Bosphorus in Istanbul, where you'll pass Ottoman palaces, old mansions and fortresses.

Well-being

• Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxurious, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom. Our customized luxury coaches are sanitized before the start of your tour and are maintained to very high standards. Physical distancing measures have been implemented on our customized luxury coaches.
• Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.

Featured Destinations

Canakkale Canakkale On the Asian shore, guarding the Dardanelles, is the quiet Turkish port town of Canakkale. History enthusiasts will want to venture to legendary Troy. Canakkale's Archaeological Museum boasts exhibits originally belonging to Frank Calvert, aide to the discoverer of the lost city, Heinrich Schliemann. Visit the vast memorial at Galipoli Peninsula, site of the notorious World War I campaign. Be sure to sample the culinary delights of a meze, a spectacular array of Turkish hors d'oeuvres.
Ankara Ankara Turkey's capital is a sprawling urban mass in the midst of the Central Anatolian steppe. Since 1920 when Ataurk set up his provisional government here, Ankara's main business has been government but several significant attractions make it worth a short visit. Most visitors head straight for Hisar, the Byzantine citadel atop the hill east of the old city, and the nearby Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. To the south is Ataturk's mausoleum, a monumental building, spare but beautiful, that echoes the architecture of several great Anatolian empires. The Presidential Mansion is preserved as Ataturk used it, with decor and furnishings of the 1930s, including billiard table and cigar-and-brandy nook. There's a lot of ancient history around too. Roman Ankara was a city of some importance, and Roman ruins are dotted in amongst the mosques and monuments of Muslim Anatolia.	Destination Guide
Cappadocia Cappadocia The underground cities of Cappadocia give you an idea of the sensation of what living in a labyrinth felt like. Derinkuyu is one of the 40 subterranean settlements in this area. It was at one time the home for up to 20,000 people. Its 18 stories descend into the Anatolian plateau south of Goreme. The ventilation shafts, circular and descending from the surface to the lower levels, and the massive circular doors remind you of the motivation for moving underground in the first place – to guarantee a degree of protection. There are eight floors of tunnels open to the visitor. Not for the claustrophobic.	Destination Guide
Pamukkale Pamukkale One of the most interesting geological sites in Turkey is in the town of Pamukkale, the "cotton castle" of terraced pools caused by cascading calcium rich mineral springs. From the edge of every terrace and every step in this fascinating natural phenomenon that has gradually formed throughout the ages hang brilliantly white stalactites, and you can hear the joyful splashing of the waters of the hot springs as they cascade down over slopes where their flow is impeded only by clumps of oleanders. You can also visit the ancient ruins of Hieropolis here, an interesting archaeological site.	Destination Guide
Izmir Izmir Izmir is a major seaport in western Turkey, on the Aegean Sea and is the gateway to Ephesus and Sardis. Ephesus is one of the ancient world's largest and most important archaeological and religious sites. Some of the site's most significant structures included the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Basilica of St. John, where the Apostle is buried and the House of the Virgin Mary. Other highlights include the Great Amphi-theatre where St Paul was arrested, Kuretes Street and the Library of Celsus. Sardis was an ancient city of Asia Minor, and the recently uncovered remains lie to the north-east of Izmir. The city attained its greatest prosperity during the reign of Croesus, king of Lydia, and after his overthrow in 546 BC by Cyrus the Great of Persia, it became the western capital of the Persian Empire.	Destination Guide
Istanbul Istanbul This centuries old capital guards the slender waterway between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, and is the doorway between the East and West. Visitors can explore remnants of Byzantine Constantinople in the Sultanahmet district, where you will have the chance to see ancient splendors, such as the Haghia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace. At night the city boast a lively nightclub scene and excellent Turkish dining options that may include cultural entertainment and dancing. Istanbul also features splendid shopping malls, boutiques, and hand crafted items can be found all over the city.	Destination Guide

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