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Turkey is a magical blend of the ancient, Christian and Ottoman worlds, with centuries of history and an atmosphere which links the mysterious east and modern west. If you have an interest in ancient history, architecture, culture, and religion, this holiday is for you.
- 12 nights in 4 * hand-picked accommodation
- Direct flights and transfers from UK
- Daily breakfast, 8 dinners, and 2 lunches
- 31st May 2025
- From £2699.00 per person
Price correct at time of publication 20.01.2025
Price as displayed with Riviera Travel. No additional fees.
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Explore Turkey's capital, Istanbul, with guided tours of Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace and visit the breathtaking Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, the Grand Bazaar and Spice Market.
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Visit three of the most famous ancient sites in the country: Troy, Pergamon and Ephesus.
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See Ankara and Ataturk’s mausoleum, the Anatolian Civilisations Museum, one of the best-preserved Seljuk caravanserais and Mevlana Rumi’s Mausoleum in Konya.
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Tour Ankara and Ataturk’s mausoleum and Aphrodisias - the city dedicated to the goddess of love.
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Venture underground to see the extraordinary city of Kaymakli, and visit the rock-cut churches of Göreme at its open-air museum.
Itineraries
Days 1 & 2
Ankara
Day 1: Arrive and settle in
Day 2: Today we head straight to the Anatolian Civilisations Museum for a guided tour. We will learn about the ancient history of Anatolia, the migration of humans from Africa and the subsequent societies that evolved. From the Stone Age came some of the first actual societies, like the remarkable Hittites who discovered iron making, invented the wheel, signed the world’s first written peace treaty and had laws and social systems we could recognise.
We then enjoy a guided tour of the Mausoleum of Kemal Ataturk. He was commander of the Turkish forces at Gallipoli. Known to be a national hero, he “founded” modern day Turkey in the 1920s. After the guided tour, you have some free time to explore as you wish.
We begin our journey to Cappadocia, stopping for lunch along the way. We drive alongside Tuz Golu, one of the world’s largest salt lakes, entering our destination and one of the planet’s most unique landscapes, a remarkably fertile volcanic plateau eroded into bizarrely contorted shapes.
Day 3
Cappadocia
The Cappadocia region is incredibly rich in amazing natural phenomena and extraordinary settlements built by its resourceful peoples throughout the ages. Its history is unparalleled; it was once the land of the Hittites, then the Lydians, the Persians, the Romans, the
Byzantines, the Turks and then the Mongols. Their remarkable legacies are astonishing. To survive periodic marauding invasions, entire cities
were built underground here, some boasted a staggering 3,000 inhabitants.
Day 4
Caravanserai of Sultanhani
Leaving Cappadocia’s hills you can really appreciate the wide-openvistas of Anatolian Plateau. After time for lunch, we continue the journey along part of the Ancient Silk Road and soon reach the great Caravanserai of Sultanhani, one of the Seljuk caravanserais – essentially camel “truck stops” – used by travellers since earliest times. Rebuilt many times during its turbulent history, the current 13th-century complex is probably the finest and best preserved, noted for its magnificent portal and the elegant simplicity of its massive walls. Exploring the great courtyard and surrounding rooms, it’s not hard to imagine the relief with which weary camel trains and their minders would rest here before continuing their epic journeys. We have a guided tour here and enjoy some free time to explore before continuing our journey. We start the day with a visit to the pottery making village of Avanos and see a demonstration of the potter’s art before beginning our journey south-west to Konya. Leaving Cappadocia’s hills, you can really appreciate the wide-open vistas of the Anatolian Plateau. Seemingly unremarkable today, this is the ancient Silk Road from the east.
Day 5
Pamukkale
Today we drive to Pamukkale, passing great lakes and dramatic mountain scenery along the way. On arrival we take a guided tour of the thermal pools and enjoy some free time to explore the ancient city of Heirapolis. Pamukkale – Turkish for “cotton castle” – holds one of the world’s most extraordinary phenomena. By a freak of nature, calcium carbonate has been deposited by the evaporation of mineral-rich springs, causing water to slowly drip down the mountainside, collecting in shallow terraces and spilling over cascades of travertine stalactites into thermal pools. Over the millennia, it has created a shimmering, brilliant-white scene that really is something special to behold. There’s also the ruined city-spa of Hierapolis, where emperors bathed two millennia ago. We stay at our hotel near Pamukkale, for one night with dinner.
Day 6
Aphrodisias
This morning we visit another momentous site in civilisation’s history, the enticingly named Aphrodisias, for a guided tour. As significant as
Ephesus, this is one of Turkey’s finest archaeological sites, yet much remains undiscovered. Evidence suggests Neolithic farmers worshipped the Mother Goddess of Fertility here 7,000 years ago. Our tour explores Greek and Roman remains and their legends, immersing us in those societies’ passion for passion. Pre-eminent amongst the ruins is of course the great Temple of Aphrodite, subsequently transformed into a Christian Basilica, and one of the most intact stadiums in the ancient world. After lunch, we travel towards the azure-blue Mediterranean and Kusadasi where we stay for two nights with dinner.
Day 7
Ephesus
Today we’ll have a guided tour of Ephesus, an ancient city with breathtaking buildings. So great was Ephesus, with its amazing two storey
Library of Celsus and the enormous amphitheatre, that the Romans made it their capital of Asia. We’ll see the Temple of Artemis, which was one of the original ‘Seven Wonders of the Ancient World’. Intriguingly, only a fraction of the city has been excavated to date, but the discoveries indicate a highly sophisticated society living in luxurious houses with marble-lined halls, mosaics and beautiful frescoes. Strolling through the centre of Ephesus, you’ll be walking the same streets as St Paul and St John, who both lived here for several years. We also discover the remains of St John’s Basilica, built by the Emperor Justinian over St John’s tomb. In complete contrast, hillside site of the House of the Virgin Mary. St John was entrusted to care for her, and it’s believed she travelled with him to Ephesus.
We return to our hotel in Kusadasi in the late afternoon, and the rest of the day at leisure.
Day 8
Pergamon
Departing Kusadasi, we follow the coast towards the ancient Hellenistic city of Pergamon, where we have a guided tour. Perched on a high rocky outcrop, with stunning views for miles around, the city was famed for its library, so concerned were the Egyptians about this competition that they cut off supplies of papyrus to Pergamon, thus prompting the invention of parchment. We’ll see the remains of the Temple of Trajan, the altar of Zeus and the world’s steepest ancient amphitheatre. We continue our journey along the scenic coastline to Canakkale where we stay for one night with dinner.
Day 9
Troy and Gallipoli
Troy
A fascinating day of contrasts awaits today. Firstly, there’s free time in Troy, famous for the ‘wooden horse’ story, when Queen Helen of Sparta eloped with Prince Paris to Troy and her enraged husband followed seeking her return. Today, Troy is a complex archaeological site that spans nine separate cities. It nevertheless remains a romantic and alluring place to anyone who has read about the heroic struggles recounted in Homer’s Iliad.
Gallipoli
We then take a short ferry cruise from Asia to Europe over the extremely scenic, steep-sided Dardanelles, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, to the Gallipoli peninsula. This was made famous during the First World War as the scene of one of the greatest and most tragic campaigns of the conflict.
Anzac Cove
We visit the Lone Pine memorial and Anzac Cove, where the Australians mistakenly landed and were forced to scale steep cliffs and ravines under constant bombardment. After some free time here, we continue our journey through this refreshingly picturesque landscape to Istanbul, where we stay for four nights, with breakfast.
Day 10
Istanbul
This morning, we enjoy a visit to the breathtaking Hagia Sophia, one of the city’s best landmarks and quite simply one of the world’s greatest architectural achievements. Built in the 6th century, it was the largest enclosed space in the world for 1,400 years. During our visit you can explore the second floor, including the galleries. During its time as a mosque, this is where the women would sit during the service. It offers views of the nave below and the dome above, as well as the spot where the empress’s throne once stood. In the South Gallery, ornate Christian and imperial portrait mosaics adorn the wall. These amazing Byzantine mosaics seem to cover every wall with their vibrant golds, reds and yellows.
Day 11
The Basilica Cistern and the Blue Mosque
Basilica Cistern
Istanbul has about 500 underground cisterns, many dating back to antiquity. Today, we'll go underground in Istanbul to see one of the most famous of them. Lost until it was rediscovered in the 16th century, the cistern has been welcoming visitors since 1837. Described as an underground cathedral, this feat of engineering dates back to the reign of Emperor Justinian in 532. The cistern could hold up to 80,000 cubic metres of water – and, standing inside it, you won't doubt it. With over 300 marble columns made from stone said to have been salvaged from ruined temples, look out for some of the ornate carvings including the famous carved heads of Medusa - eerie!
The Blue Mosque
Back above ground, we'll continue our day with a visit to the iconic Sultanahmet Mosque, or as it's more commonly known "the Blue Mosque". So named because of the beautiful blue tiles used to decorate the interior, the exterior is equally impressive with 6 minarets that, legend has it, were built to rival the iconic Hagia Sophia. - but we'll let you decide for yourself which is the grandest.
Day 12
Topkapi Palace
We start the day with a guided tour of the Topkapi Palace, the glittering and labyrinthine imperial residence of the sultans for over 400 years. Today, it is a spectacular museum, but in its heyday, it functioned as a city within a city, a home to over 4,000 guards, eunuchs, courtiers and
the ladies of the harem. There is a superb display of weapons from throughout history: crossbows, firearms inlaid with ivory and beautifully crafted armour from as far afield as Japan. The treasury is breath-taking too, with an amazing display of jewellery including the world’s fifth-largest diamond, emeralds, jewel-encrusted thrones and the famous Topkapi.
Day 13
Return home
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- *Maximum of 36 on a Classic tour and maximum of 25 on a Signature tour.
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