Aegean Explorer

Saturday. Welcome to Turkey and the start of your holiday. There's an included arrival transfer to our hotel.

If you're arriving early, why not join our optional Backstreets of Istanbul tour before the main tour begins? Get off the beaten track and experience the real Istanbul on this immersive morning adventure. Begin with a visit to Suleymaniye Mosque, an exquisite blend of Islamic and Byzantine architecture overlooking the Golden Horn. Take a coffee break at Pierre Loti Hill before exploring the historic Fener–Balat districts, home to Muslim, Christian, and Jewish communities. Wander through the bustling backstreets of old Taksim, and finish at the vibrant Egyptian Spice Market, where you can sample local treats or simply soak up the lively atmosphere.

Please note: To join this optional tour, flights must arrive in Istanbul before 5:00 AM on Day 1. We strongly recommend booking pre-tour accommodation.

For those arriving later on, relax in the hotel or head out and explore the city. At 8 pm, we'll gather in the hotel to meet our fellow travellers and the guide before our adventure begins.

Istanbul. We'll start the day with an exciting tour of Istanbul's old city. We'll make a number of stops on our trip, starting with a visit to the stunning Blue Mosque. We head inside to marvel at its famed blue Iznik tiles, and can see the unique 6 minarets on the outside. We'll continue to the ruinous Hippodrome – now a small park of sorts and once scene of chariot races and political activities in Byzantine times. We'll also discover the exterior of Hagia Sophia - constructed as a Basilica in the 6th century by Emperor Justinian. Visit inside Topkapi Palace and see the Underground Cistern – an ancient underground water tank - replete with carved and fluted Corinthian columns and a puzzling head of Medusa. Visitors walk on walkways suspended above the shallow water.

Istanbul – Gallipoli. Early this morning, we travel to the WW1 battlefields of Gallipoli. Here, we’ll embark upon a guided tour of the region, once the site of fierce fighting and today almost hauntingly beautiful, with its wooded landscape dotted with understated memorials to the war dead. Our guided tour of the region will take in sights such as ANZAC Cove, Lone Pine Australian War Memorial and cemetery, Chunuk Blair New Zealand War Memorial and cemetery, the Nek, Johnston’s Jolly and the many fortified trenches still clearly visible amongst the scrub after all these years.

Crossing the Dardenelles by ferry (offering panoramic views of the entire Gallipoli Peninsular) we proceed to our hotel for a little rest and relaxation.

Gallipoli – Kusadasi. Heading south, we enjoy a guided tour of Homer’s Troy, famed for the Trojan wooden horse and fabled Helen. Continuing to ancient Pergamum - the cultural and political capital of its time, before continuing onto coastal Kusadasi. Make the most of the hotel facilities this evening.

Today, we enjoy a guided tour at the legendary Roman ruins of Ephesus. Positively the best-preserved classical city in the eastern Mediterranean, and among the best places in the world to get a feel for what Roman life must have been like. Ephesus, under the Romans was a vast city with a population nearing 250,000. It became the Roman capital of Asia Minor. We’ll have plenty of time to tour the marble ruins of Ephesus. Be sure to see the famous Library of Celcus, the gymnasium of Vedius and Stadium, the great theatre and stroll the streets in the ruins of this large Roman ruined city. It’s completely fascinating. We’ll see public toilets, a brothel, fountains and various temples. Carpet weaving has long traditions in Turkey and afterward we stop to watch a demonstration of how they are made.

Kusadasi - Pamukkale. Today, after breakfast, we drive to Pamukkale visiting the region’s famed calcium rich terraced pools. Known locally as the Cotton Castles, they are a natural phenomena and gift of Mother Nature.

Pamukkale was formed when warm, calcium rich mineral water cascaded over the cliff edge, cooling and depositing in the process. The calcium built natural shelves and pools on the cliffs, known as travertines. Today, some of the pools are closed. However, areas of the travertines can be walked upon, albeit in bare feet. We can however opt to enjoy a unique and very pleasant dip in the warm waters at the Pamukkale Thermal, with its submerged fragments of fluted marble columns in the centre of the ruined spa town of Hierapolis, which was a was a cure centre founded around 190 BC by the Romans. This evening we have some free time to relax and unwind.

Friday. This morning we make our way to Denizli airport for our flight to Istanbul. On arrival to Istanbul Airport we bid farewell to our group and representative and catch our onward flights.

If travelling between 28 October 2024 - 1 April 2025, your internal flight is scheduled to arrive at the new Istanbul Airport at approx. 12:25pm. Please ensure you book an international flight departing Istanbul after 5pm, allowing for flight delays. If you are departing via Sabiha airport you will need to make arrangements between airports and we recommend booking flights after 6:30pm Alternatively, you could choose to extend your stay by purchasing an additional night's hotel accommodation.

Please Note: If travelling after 01 April 2025 , your internal flight is currently arriving at the new Istanbul airport at approx. 08:50am. Please ensure you book an international flight departing Istanbul after 1pm, allowing for flight delays. If you are departing via Sabiha airport you will need to make arrangements between airports, and we recommend booking flights after 2:30pm