Compare Treasures of Turkey by SmarTours vs Best of Turkey (Summer) by Trafalgar

Day 1: Depart USA

Your fascinating tour of Turkey, the “Crossroads of Civilizations” begins as you depart on overnight flights to Istanbul.

Day 2: Arrive Istanbul (Turkey)

Meals: Dinner

Accommodation: TRYP by Wyndham Hotel

Upon arrival when you visit Istanbul, you’ll be met and transferred to your centrally located hotel. This evening your tour director hosts a welcome dinner and orientation.

Day 3: Istanbul

Meals: Breakfast

Situated at the meeting point of Europe and Asia, Istanbul offers a fascinating blend of east and west. Your guided morning tour includes visits to St. Sophia, the great Byzantine Basilica built in the 6th century. Your tour ends with a visit to the vast and bustling Grand Bazaar, world famous labyrinth and passages housing numerous stores where you’ll have shopping opportunities galore. The balance of the day is at leisure and you may wish to join a leisurely cruise on the Bosphorous.

Day 4: Istanbul/Ankara

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Swissotel Ankara

Depart for the Turkish capital, Ankara, the country’s second largest city. Upon arrival, visit the Mausoleum of Kemal Ataturk, founder and first president of the Turkish Republic. Leading up to the Mausoleum, is a vast brick courtyard and monumental avenue lined with Neo Hittite stone statues and cenotaphs beneath its colonnades. You will also visit the fascinating Anatolian Civilization Museum. The balance of the day is at leisure to explore on your own.

Day 5: Ankara/Cappadocia

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Dinler Hotel

Today, travel by road through the Turkish countryside to the world-renowned region of Cappadocia, a breathtaking landscape with striking and bizarre rock formations and underground cities.

Day 6: Cappadocia

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

On today’s guided excursion, visit the Open Air Museum in the Goreme Valley to view early Christian churches decorated with beautifulfrescoes depicting various scenes from the Bible. You’ll also visit the Kaymakli Underground City, which was hollowed out of volcanic rock and extends seven to nine floors deep into the earth. It is made up of a maze of corridors, chambers, storehouses, kitchens and churches. Finally, visit the village of Avanos, famous for its beautiful old houses as well as pottery and onyx workshops.

Day 7: Cappadocia/Konya/Antalya.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Marmara Hotel

This morning visit the 13th century Sultan Han located at a secluded point on the ancient Silk Road between Aksaray and Konya. It was used as a caravanserai during the Seljuk period when trade flourished, requiring roads for caravan transport and inns for the traveling traders and their camels. Continue your journey by road via Konya, passing through lush forests, orchards and olive groves on the sloping hills downward to the splendid Mediterrannean Sea.

Day 8: Antalya

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Full day at leisure to enjoy at your own pace. Your seaside resort hotel enjoys a choice location overlooking Turkey’s fabled Turquoise Coast. You may join an optional tour ($63) to ancient Perge, the most attractive and well-preserved Pamphylian city that reached its apex during the reign of Alexander the Great. Continue to Aspendos, founded by the colonists from Argos and best known for its huge theater. On this optional tour you’ll also visit the Antalya’s Archaeological Museum that houses artifacts and antiques from 2500 years of Anatolian culture.

Day 9: Pamukkale/Izmir

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: DoubleTree by Hilton Izmir Hotel

Journey to Pamukkale and visit the Necropolis and the ancient city of Hieropolis (“Holy City”), situated atop the Pamukkale hot springs. These hot springs have served as a thermal bath since the 2nd century B.C. Later, arrive in Izmir, believed to be the birthplace of Homer.

Day 10: Ephesus Excursion

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Today, venture to explore Ephesus considered to be the world’s best-preserved classical city and famous throughout history for its Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Ephesus was undoubtedly one of the most important cultural centers of the ancient world and among its impressive structures you will marvel at the Library of Celcus, Temple of Hadrian, the Great Theater and the Odeon. Later, visit to the House of Virgin Mary, a shrine said to be the final home of the Virgin Mary near Ephesus. Return to Izmir.

Day 11: Pergamum/Canakkale

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Drive to Pergamum, a powerful kingdom during the ancient Hellenistic period, and visit the Acropolis, an impressive structure that houses the Temple of Trajan, the Heroon Shrine, the Sanctuary of Athena and the Altar of Zeus. You’ll also view the Theater and the Library of Pergamum, whose collection came second only to that of Egypt’s Alexandria. Arrive in Canakkale. Iris Hotel

Day 12: Troy/Istanbul

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: Renaissance Istanbul Polat Bosphorus Hotel

This morning, marvel at the classical city of Troy as you tour this 4000-year-old city and legendary center of the Trojan War, made immortal by Homer’s epic poem the Iliad. Cross by ferry the Dardanelles, a narrow strait connecting the Aegean and Black Sea and arrive in Istanbul. Upon your return to Istanbul, you may delight in a visit to the Spice Market, the exotic food market selling dried fruits and spices, the underground cistern, the water source of the Byzantine and Ottoman periods. This evening savor an included festive farewell dinner.

Day 13: Istanbul

Meals: Breakfast

On a guided morning tour, a local expert will introduce you to some of the highlights of the city, previously known as Constantinople and the seat of the Eastern Roman Empire. Visit the splendid Topkapi Palace, the residence of the Ottoman Sultans for almost 600 years and now a fascinating museum. Here, visit of the Treasury section with the crown jewels and the unique collection of Chinese porcelains. Continue to the ancient Hippodrome, the place chariot races and competitive athletic events took place during the Roman period and finally, explore the elegant Blue Mosque, a 17th century Ottoman Mosque famous for its six minarets and magnificent interior with blue tiles. The balance of the day is at leisure.

Day 14: Istanbul/USA

Meals: Breakfast

Today we bid our tour of Turkey farewell. Your exciting journey concludes as you arrive New York.

Day 1: Welcome to Istanbul

Stand at the ancient crossroads between Europe and Asia, embarking on a journey of discovery through ancient lands and the marauding empires who fought to rule it. Arriving in vibrant Istanbul, you will be transferred to your hotel before joining your Travel Director and fellow travelers for a memorable Light Meal to kick off your epic adventure.

Arts Hotel Taksim

Dinner

Day 2: Discover Colorful Istanbul Dive Into Culture

Spend your day delving into a city where modern and ancient coexist effortlessly. Gain insights into the Ottoman Empire's power during your guided tour of the Topkapi Palace and see the 4th-century Egyptian obelisk. Visit Hagia Sophia and the Hippodrome. See the exquisite Blue Mosque, said to rival even the Great Mosque in Mecca. Dive Into Culture this afternoon, with a visit to the Grand Bazaar. Spend your afternoon haggling with passionate market vendors lining its labyrinthine lanes.

Arts Hotel Taksim

Breakfast

Day 3: Journey to Gallipoli and Çanakkale

Pay tribute to the brave souls who lost their lives at Gallipoli – the national pride of two nations, the Turkish and Australians, were awakened at the site of the bloody WWI battlefields and are commemorated to this day. See Anzac Cove and the Dardanelles, and visit the cemeteries of Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair, the final resting place of many Allied soldiers. We continue to Çanakkale where we dine at our hotel tonight.

Iris

Breakfast, Dinner

Day 4: Off to Troy, Pergamon and Izmir

Explore the legends of Troy and see the symbolic replica of the famous Wooden Horse the Greeks used to break their siege of this ancient city. Visit the ancient Asclepion Medical Center in the city of Pergamon before retiring in Izmir this evening where we'll dine at our hotel.

Kaya Izmir Thermal & Convention

Breakfast, Dinner

Day 5: Explore the Ruins of Ephesus

Stroll through the ruins of the ancient Greek city of Ephesus, past the amazingly intact façade of the Library of Celcus and down to what was once its thriving port. During your visit to a Turkish carpet emporium, learn about the rich heritage and intricate artistry of carpet weaving. See the House of Virgin Mary at Mt. Koressos, then spend the rest of the day at leisure. This evening you may consider joining an optional dinner at a local restaurant in Izmir and indulge in some of the local raki.

Kaya Izmir Thermal & Convention

Breakfast

Day 6: Onwards to Pamukkale

Leave the coastal city of Izmir behind as you journey inland to Pamukkale. Relax and enjoy the blissful thermal pools at your hotel before dinner.

Colossae Thermal

Breakfast, Dinner

Day 7: Venture to Hierapolis and Antalya Connect with Locals

Tread in the footsteps of the ancients who sought relief and relaxation at the Roman health spa at Hierapolis, then admire the bubbling pools and delicate white cascades of water of Pamukkale's Cotton Castle Springs. Later, we travel through scenic countryside and join the Yazir community in the Taurus Mountains, where we’ll Connect With Locals and gain insights into their traditions at our Be My Guest lunch. Our stop for the next two nights is the Mediterranean retreat of Antalya. Enjoy some time on your own ambling through the winding lanes of its old city and admiring beautifully preserved Ottoman architecture. This evening, join your companions for a Regional Dinner at a local restaurant.

Oz Hotels Antalya

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8: Enjoy Ancient Perge

Enjoy a morning on your terms to soak up the enchanting seaside atmosphere of the Turkish Riviera, embarking on an optional yacht cruise or relaxing at the hotel pool. This afternoon, we travel to the Roman city of Perge to visit the impressive Antalya Archaeological Museum and see treasures spanning the centuries.

Oz Hotels Antalya

Breakfast

Day 9: On the Road to Aspendos and Konya

Witness the world's best-preserved theater of antiquity during your first stop in Aspendos this morning, before continuing to Konya, where we will gain insights into the mystical Whirling Dervish sect whose remains lie in the Mevlana Museum and Mausoleum. We continue to the Karatay Tile Museum, spellbound by its exquisitely Seljuk-tiled dome, before returning to our hotel where we'll dine tonight.

Dedeman

Breakfast, Dinner

Day 10: Continue to Cappadocia Stays With Stories

See a well-preserved 13th-century caravanserai, at which weary travelers used to rest. We journey to Cappadocia with its honey-colored rocky spires providing an enchanting backdrop for our visit to the underground city of Saratli on the ancient Silk Road. Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at King’s Valley eco farm. Local host Ali shares how he created an eco farm on the very spot where his grandfather’s garden once stood, in an effort to preserve traditional farming and revive the local economy. Tonight we stay in one of Trafalgar's Stays With Stories located with views of the valley and ancient Ortahisar rock castle.

Exedra Hotel

Breakfast, Dinner

Day 11: A Day to Explore Spectacular Göreme Dive Into Culture

The other-worldly landscapes of Cappadocia take center stage today as we explore its volcanic landscape dotted with caves and troglodyte dwellings. We visit the Göreme Open-Air Museum to admire the extraordinary rock-hewn churches and the fairy chimneys of Paşabağ. Dive Into Culture to learn about the art of pottery making in Avanos. This evening, indulge in the flavors of traditional pottery kebabs during a Regional Dinner at a local restaurant.

Exedra Hotel

Breakfast, Dinner

Day 12: Onwards to Ankara

Arriving in the youthful capital of Turkey today, we visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations and the final resting place of the country's beloved Atatürk, the first president of the modern Turkish nation. This evening we dine at our hotel in Ankara.

Grand Mercure Ankara

Breakfast, Dinner

Day 13: Return to Istanbul

Returning to Istanbul, we enjoy the rest of the day on our own. Delve into the depths of the Basilica Cistern, savor the intoxicating smells of the Spice Market or ascend Galata Tower for exquisite views of east and west. Consider an optional cruise navigating the waters of the Bosphorus before meeting your Travel Director and fellow companions for a memorable Farewell Dinner.

Arts Hotel Taksim

Breakfast, Dinner

Day 14: Farewell Istanbul

Our epic journey into antiquity has come to an end as we bid Istanbul and newfound friends a fond farewell.

Breakfast