Day 1: Istanbul (B)
Arrival at Istanbul; meet and greet then transfer to hotel.

Suleymaniye Mosque

Day 2: Istanbul (BLD)
Full-day classical tour to explore Ottoman architectural marvels in Istanbul. Visit Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, Blue Mosque, St. Sophia, Topkapi Palace, with its Harem and the Suleymaniye Complex.

Istanbul Eyup Mosque

Grand Bazaar

Day 3: Istanbul (BLD)
Drive along the Golden Horn to Eyup Mosque. Later, take a boat trip along the Bosphorus, viewing imperial places, traditional wooden villas and little quays. Disembark and visit the Sadberk Hanim Museum containing a rich private collection of ethnographic and archaeological objects. Finally see the Grand Bazaar, the world's largest souk.

Safranbolu Traditional House

Day 4: Istanbul - Safranbolu (BLD)
Drive north to the Black Sea, passing through villages and beautiful landscapes. Arrive at Safranbolu, a lovely town with its traditionally built wooden houses. Explore the timbered houses and local market and taste local food.

Ankara Polatli Gordion Ruins

Day 5: Safranbolu - Ankara (BLD)
Leave for Ankara, Turkey's capital. A city tour of Ankara featuring visits to the world famous Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, Mausoleum of Ataturk, Haci Bayram Mosque and the Temple of Augustus.

Konya Karatayhan

Day 6: Ankara - Konya (BLD)
Drive to Konya via the picturesque Salt Lake. En route visit a 13th century caravanserai, Sultanhan. Continue to Konya. Upon arrival, visit Karatay Theological School which houses a Ceramics Museum.

Mausoleum of Mevlana

Day 7: Konya - Kütahya (BLD)
See the Mausoleum of Mevlana, Slender Minaret and Museum of Stone and Wood Carvings. Afterwards leave for Kutahya, famous for its tiles.

Kutahya Aizoni Temple of Zeus

Day 8: Kutahya - Bursa (BLD)
Observe the continuing tradition of tile-making and visit a 17th century Turkish house, the Great Mosque and the Green Mosque. Drive to the ancient site of Aizonai to see the well-preserved Temple of Zeus, theater, stadium and agora. Continue Bursa.

Bursa Grand Mosque Interior

Day 9: Bursa - Canakkale (BLD)
See the city's highlights such as the Great Mosque, the Green Mausoleum and Silk Bazaar. Proceed to Canakkale, en route stop at a village, with its school and Turkish bath.

 

Gallipoli

Day 10: Canakkale - Edirne (BLD)
Drive to Edirne, the Hadrianople of the Romans, a former capital of the Ottomans. On the way, visit Gallipoli Peninsula with landmarks of the battlefields of the First World War.

Edirne Selimiye Mosque

Day 11: Edirne - Istanbul (BLD)
In the morning visit the 14th century Yildirim Mosque, the Covered Bazaar and the 16th century Selimiye Mosque. Then drive to Istanbul. Farewell dinner.

Day 12: Istanbul (B)
Transfer for your homebound flight.