Turkey a la carte

Today join a small group tour of Istanbul. Start your day by visiting the stunning Topkapi Palace that served as a palace of the Ottoman Sultans. Continue to the magnificent St Sophia (viewing from outside), the Hippodrome and the Sultanahmet Mosque, better known as the Blue Mosque, whose cascading domes and six slender minarets dominate the skyline of Istanbul. Finish your day at the Grand Bazaar, one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 3,000 shops.

This morning you will be picked up from your Istanbul hotel between 6.30am and 7.00am and transferred to Eceabat. On arrival in Eceabat at approx. 12:30pm you will be met by the local guide and after lunch at a local restaurant, depart on a guided tour of Gallipoli. Visits will include Brighton Beach, Beach Cemetery, ANZAC Cove, Ariburnu Cemetery, ANZAC Commemorative Site, Mehmetcik Statue, Lone Pine Australian Memorial, Johnston's Jolly (Turkish and Allied trenches and tunnels), Turkish 57th Infantry Regiment Cemetery, The Nek Cemetery and Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial. Upon completion of the tour, you will be transferred to your hotel for an overnight stay. Overnight in Canakkale.

Morning at leisure. After lunch enhance your Gallipoli experience with a boat trip along the coast to the ANZAC Landing Beaches. Visit Kabatepe Simulation Center for a 3D recreation of many of the historical events of the campaign, followed by a local boat trip along the coastline for a sea perspective of the Gallipoli landing beaches. You will have the unique opportunity to see Brighton Beach, Beach Cemetery, Anzac Cove, Ariburnu Cemetery and the ANZAC Commemorative site at North Beach from the sea, just as the soldiers of 1915 did. You also have the possibility to snorkel above the wreck of the Milo, a steamer that was deliberately sunk in late 1915 to form a breakwater for William’s Pier. Late afternoon (around 5.30pm), transfer by tourist bus back your hotel.

Morning departure by tourist bus for a visit of Troy. Admire the ruins and a replica of the Trojan Horse, a wooden horse said to have been used during the Trojan War by the Greeks to enter the city of Troy and win the war. Continue across the Ida Mountains to arrive at Pergamum, the capital of the Hellenistic Attalid dynasty. Here you will visit the impressive Acropolis of Pergamum, perched on a high, steep-sided hill - one of the highest and most magnificent Acropolis in ancient history. Continue to Kusadasi for a three-night stay.

Today you will discover the wonderful ancient city of Ephesus and feel the atmosphere of Hellenistic and Roman times. Start the tour visiting the House of the Virgin Mary where she may have spent the last days of her life. Pope John-Paul II declared the Shrine of Virgin Mary as a pilgrimage place for Christians and it is also visited by Muslims who recognize Mary as the mother of one of their prophets. Every year, on August 15th, a ceremony is organized to commemorate Mary's Assumption. Next explore the Odeon, Goddess Rome Temple, Hadrian Temple, Divine Ceasar Temple, Pollia and Trajan Fountains, Celsius Library, more than thousand-year-old public toilets, Ephesus Theatre, Harbour Street and many other highlights of the town of Ephesus. Conclude the day with a visit to the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and which made the city earn the title Servant of The Goddess. Lunch today will be at a local restaurant. Upon completion of the tour you will be transferred back to your hotel in Kusadasi.

Explore Pamukkale, an extraordinary natural wonder similar to New Zealand’s lost Pink and White Terraces. The city contains hot springs and travertines, terraces of carbonate minerals left by the flowing water. Your tour today will begin with lunch at a local restaurant in Pamukkale. After the lunch the next stop will be the ancient city of Hierapolis, a UNESCO World Heritage site which differs from all other ancient cities in being located not on earth or rock, but on solid limestone layers formed by limestone water that flowed for centuries over this raised level plateau. "Hierapolis" means "sacred city" and the city was given this name because of the large number of temples it had. Today, the theatre, the Apollo temple and the Necropolis are the most important places to see in Hierapolis. During the tour you will see the Necropolis (Cemetery) of Hierapolis which is one of the biggest ancient cemeteries in Anatolia Roman Bath, Domitian Gate, and the Main Street, Byzantium Gate. Then walk to the natural warm water terraces which were formed by running warm water that contains calcium. The temperature of the water is about 35 Celcius. You will have the chance to see the gleaming white travertine terraces of Pamukkale, located next to the ruins of Hierapolis. The extraordinary effect is created when water from the hot springs loses carbon dioxide as it flows down the slopes, leaving deposits of limestone. The layers of white calcium carbonate, built up in steps on the plateau, gave the site the name Pamukkale (cotton castle). There will be some free time to swim in antique Cleopatra’s Pool (Optional). At the end of the tour, return to your hotel in Kusadasi.

Private transfer to Izmir airport for your flight to Cappadocia. On arrival, you will be transferred to your cave hotel where accommodation has been reserved for three-nights. Remainder of the day at leisure.

This morning hike through the famous rock-cut churches of the Rose Valley and rest in Cavusin, an old Greek village known for its Christian houses and churches. After lunch, visit the Ortahisar Castle and its storage caves. Continue to the Kaymakli Underground City where pigeons contributed to the lives of locals by fertilizing vineyards with their manure. Evening is at leisure in Cappadocia.

This morning depart for a walking visit of the Deverent Valley where various types of Fairy Chimneys are found in abundance. Continue to Pasabagi (the Monk's Valley), an area remarkable for its multiple stems and caps. Next visit Avanos, known for its pottery art - a craft dating back to the Hittite period. The red clay worked by local craftsmen comes from the residue in the Kizilirmak River, the longest river of Turkey. After lunch, proceed to the Goreme Open Air Museum to visit the churches, chapels and monasteries carved into Fairy Chimneys with frescos painted on the walls dating back to the 10th and 13th C. Return to your hotel for overnight.

This morning transfer to Kayseri airport for your flight to Istanbul. On arrival at Istanbul airport, you will be met and transferred to your Karakoy Hotel looking across to the Old City. Afternoon to explore, shop, or take an optional tour to round off your trip to Turkey.

Options:
* Attend a local cooking class
* Walking “eat and chat” tour
* Istanbul Backstreet tour

Transfer to the airport for your onward flight.

• Arrival and departure transfers by private vehicle
• Accommodation of your choice (option of Cave Hotels in Cappadocia)
• Meals as specified in itinerary (B-Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner)
• Air-conditioned tourist bus from Istanbul to Eceabat and Eceabat to Kusadasi
• Domestic flights Izmir/Kayseri and Kayseri/Istanbul
• Sightseeing tours with professional English-speaking guides (small group or regular)
• Entrance fees
• 24/7 support in Turkey
• Assistance of local representatives
• Turkey Travel Notes – issued by Innovative Travel

• International airfares
• Optional tours and excursions
• Porterage
• Tipping/Gratuities (please refer to tour notes for a recommended guideline)
• Personal Expenses
• Departure taxes
• Hotel charges for minibar or any extra charges
• Visas (unless specified)
• Any other services not clearly mentioned in the inclusions above