Wonders of Turkey

(10 reviews)

From:

CAD $4595

11 Days

Best Rate: Guarantee

Trip Type: Group Tour

Activity Level: Easy

Fall in love with Turkey on this 11-day guided tour. See Ephesus, an ancient city founded in the 10th century BC, home to an amphitheater that once sat 24,000 people.

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Price based on per person in Double Room for departure 15 Apr 2027

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Experience Overview

Travel across Turkey with your Small Group, linking Istanbul’s mosques, bazaars and Bosphorus shores with the battlefields of Gallipoli, the ruins of Troy and the streets of ancient Ephesus. Meet women at a social enterprise, share a Farm-to-Table vineyard lunch and walk the travertine terraces of Pamukkale. In Cappadocia, step inside a cave house and watch a Sema ceremony. Along the way, visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations, enjoy a Small Group Exclusive experience at a backgammon lesson in a traditional coffee house and stand beneath the dome of Hagia Sophia.

Highlights

Dining Summary

7 Dinner (D)
10 Breakfast (B)
1 Lunch (L)

How You'll Travel

Business class coach with extended leg room
Top-rated dining, from farm-to-table to local restaurants
4 & 5-star stays

Authentic Dining

Istanbul: Meet your Travel Director and your small group for your first dinner together in Istanbul, marking the start of your journey through Turkey.
Izmir: Share a Farm-to-table lunch at Nif Bağları, a family-owned wine producer in the foothills near Izmir. Walk through the vines and learn how the land is used, then sit down to seasonal dishes made with produce grown on the property, served in the vineyard setting.
Istanbul: Toast the culmination of your travels during dinner at a local restaurant with your small group and Travel Director.

Top Rated Highlights

Gallipoli: Visit ANZAC Cove on the Gallipoli Peninsula, the landing site for Australian and New Zealand forces on 25 April 1915. The site remains the focus of ANZAC Day commemorations, including the dawn service held here each year.
Troy: Visit this ancient sight fabled to have been destroyed over love and view the huge reconstructed Trojan Horse.
Ephesus: Visit the Archaeological museum housing many of the artifacts from Ephesus.
Ephesus: Walk through Ephesus with a Local Expert, following the Arcadian Way into the heart of the Roman city. You’ll stand before the Library of Celsus, take in the scale of the amphitheater and visit the House of the Virgin Mary, set in the hills above the ruins.
Izmir: Join a backgammon lesson in a traditional Turkish coffee shop, learning the basic rules of tavla, a game played in Anatolia since Ottoman times. Sip traditional Turkish coffee before sitting down for a friendly match against local players, following the pace and customs typical of the neighborhood.
Pamukkale: Walk along the travertine pools at Pamukkale, where thermal waters have created white limestone terraces across the hillside. You’ll see how the calcium-rich water continues to shape the formations, leaving new deposits as it flows.
Konya: Step inside the Sultanhani Caravanserai, built in 1229 to support traders and travelers crossing the Anatolian plain. See how the space was designed for overnight shelter, with stables, storerooms and a central courtyard still intact.
Saratli: Explore the underground city of Saratlı, where tunnels, rooms and passageways were carved out to provide shelter and storage. You’ll walk through the lower levels and see how early communities built out daily life below ground.
Cappadocia: Start before dawn at a panoramic viewpoint in Cappadocia and watch hundreds of hot air balloons drift above the fairy chimneys, valleys and sculpted rock formations. As first light spills across the landscape, enjoy uninterrupted views and exceptional photo opportunities.
Göreme: Explore the rock-cut churches of Göreme, carved into the soft volcanic rock of Cappadocia. Inside, you’ll see early Christian frescoes that have survived for centuries, offering a close look at how communities once lived and worshipped here.
Avanos: Visit a pottery studio in Avanos, a town on the Kızılırmak River with a clay-working tradition that dates back to Hittite times. Watch how red river clay is prepared and shaped at the wheel, and follow the stages as each piece is formed, dried and decorated.
Ankara: Visit Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of modern Turkey and the Republic’s first President. You’ll walk through the ceremonial complex and enter the Hall of Honor, observing how the architecture and setting underline his role in the country’s modern history.
Istanbul: Cruise along the Bosphorus, the strait that links the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara. You’ll watch ferries, fishing boats and cargo ships share the waterway and see how Istanbul’s districts line both banks, built around this route between Europe and Asia.
Istanbul: Explore Istanbul’s historic peninsula with your Local Expert. You’ll move between the Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome and the former palace complex of Topkapi, tracing how the city shifted from Byzantine Constantinople to the Ottoman capital while life continues in the surrounding streets and markets.

MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®

Ayvalik: Visit the Copmadam workshop, where one-of-a-kind items are made from recycled packaging, creating employment opportunities for local women. Your visit directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality.

Insight Experiences

Cappadocia: Step inside a traditional cave house and meet a local Cappadocian who has lived there for decades. Hear how the home was shaped, how it has changed over time and what it means to remain rooted in this landscape.

Insight Choice

Istanbul: An immersive digital experience through the iconic structure's rich past, showcasing its transformation from a Byzantine cathedral to an Ottoman mosque and now a museum, with captivating exhibits and architectural wonders.
Istanbul: Visit Hagia Sophia with your Local Expert. You’ll step beneath the central dome and see how elements from its time as a Byzantine basilica and as an Ottoman mosque share the same interior, reflecting the building’s long and layered history.

Choice Highlights

Choose between two carefully selected activities

Istanbul: An immersive digital experience through the iconic structure's rich past, showcasing its transformation from a Byzantine cathedral to an Ottoman mosque and now a museum, with captivating exhibits and architectural wonders.
Istanbul: Visit Hagia Sophia with your Local Expert. You’ll step beneath the central dome and see how elements from its time as a Byzantine basilica and as an Ottoman mosque share the same interior, reflecting the building’s long and layered history.

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Trip Details

Product Code: 35201

Tour Type: Group Tour

Accommodation: Deluxe

Transport: Private

Guide Language: English

Travel Styles: Explorer, Budget

Tour Operator: Insight Vacations (CA)

Supplier Code: 180.1452A

Starts: Istanbul, Turkey

Finishes: Istanbul, Turkey

Duration: 11 days

Departures: Not Guaranteed

Physical Rating: Easy

Includes

Whats Included

Air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom
An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
Audio headsets for flexible sightseeing
All hotel tips, charges and local taxes
We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door
From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with a local specialty representing the destination.
Complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi where available

Price

Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $4595 ($418 /day)

Itinerary

Day 1: Welcome to Istanbul

Arrive in Istanbul, the only major city set across two continents, shaped by the Bosphorus and a skyline of domes and minarets. You’ll transfer to Canopy by Hilton Istanbul, in the Beyoğlu district, and have time to settle in. If time allows, head out for a first look at the city’s waterfront life, watching ferries cross the strait and taking in views towards the historic peninsula. This evening, meet your Travel Director and your small group for dinner in a local restaurant and begin getting to know the travelers you’ll be exploring with.

Accommodation: Canopy by Hilton Istanbul
Meals: Dinner

Day 2: Gallipoli, Anzac Cove and Troy

Follow the shores of the Sea of Marmara towards the Gallipoli Peninsula, a landscape defined by the 1915 campaign and the events commemorated each year on ANZAC Day. Visit ANZAC Cove and Lone Pine Cemetery, learning how the coastline and ridgelines shaped what happened here and how the memorial sites were established. Later, continue to Troy, the archaeological site linked to Homeric legend and later excavations that revealed multiple layers of settlement. See the replica Trojan Horse at Troy beside the excavated mound at Hisarlık, where archaeologists have identified nine main settlement layers dating from the Early Bronze Age to around A.D. 500.

Accommodation: Kolin, Çanakkale
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 3: Izmir

Start the day at Copmadam, a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience where women turn recycled materials into handmade goods. The co-operative supports long-term employment in a part of Turkey where opportunities for women remain limited. Continue to Nif Bağları, a family-owned wine producer in the hills outside Izmir, for a Farm-to-Table vineyard lunch. Later, arrive in Izmir with time to explore the waterfront, visit the Kemeralti Bazaar or stop for a coffee in the Alsancak district before dinner with your Small Group.

Accommodation: Swissotel Büyük Efes, Izmir
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4: Ancient Ephesus

Travel to Selçuk for a visit to Ephesus, walking along ancient streets lined with monumental remains from the city’s Roman period. Continue to a local workshop for an introduction to Turkish carpet weaving, learning how wool and silk, natural dyes and regional knotting techniques shape one of Anatolia’s long-standing crafts. Visit the House of the Virgin Mary, a small shrine above Selçuk visited by pilgrims. Later, arrive at a traditional coffee shop, learning the basics of tavla before sitting down for a game over Turkish coffee. Continue to İzmir for the night, where you could join an Optional Experience for dinner on the seafront promenade, sharing seafood and meze with drinks.

Accommodation: Swissotel Büyük Efes, Izmir
Meals: Breakfast

Day 5: The Pools of Pamukkale

Travel inland to Pamukkale, known for its white travertine terraces formed by mineral-rich thermal waters. Visit a leather shop to learn about Turkish leather craft, seeing how different materials, cutting methods and finishing techniques come together in the final designs. Continue to ancient Hierapolis with your Travel Director, visiting the Roman theater and the remains of streets, tombs and bathhouses, and see the pools that still flow across the terraces today. Later, check in to your hotel, the Doğa Thermal Health Spa, which draws its water from the same geothermal sources. You’ll have time to unwind in the thermal pools, try a traditional hammam or explore the wider spa facilities before dinner with your small group.

Accommodation: Doğa Thermal Health & Spa, Pamukkale
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 6: The Underground City and Cappadocia

Travel into central Turkey, following a route once used by traders and travelers on the Silk Road. Stop at the Sultanhani Caravanserai, a fortified roadside inn built in the 13th century to shelter caravans. Later, explore the underground city of Saratlı, where early communities carved out homes, storage areas and passageways beneath the ground. Arrive in Ürgüp in the early evening and settle into your hotel before dinner.

Accommodation: DoubleTree by Hilton Avanos, Cappadocia
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 7: The Cappadocia Experience

Move on to Göreme, a striking town in the Cappadocia region of Turkey. Rise early to watch the sunrise as hot air balloons lift off and drift above the valleys. Explore Göreme’s rock-hewn churches decorated with ancient wall paintings before moving on to the Paşabağ Valley. Located on the road to Zelve, you’ll find otherworldly earth pillars here, ‘fairy chimneys’ and troglodyte dwellings. Later, join a Cappadocian local who has lived in the city for decades and take a tour of their cave house. You’ll learn more about their unique way of living, local traditions and family life. Complementing the day’s events, this evening you could join an Optional Experience to witness a performance of the Whirling Dervishes. Join your fellow travelers for dinner at a local restaurant.

Accommodation: DoubleTree by Hilton Avanos, Cappadocia
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 8: Ankara

Begin in Avanos, a town on the Kızılırmak River known for its pottery traditions. Learn about the craft and see how local clay is worked and shaped before firing. Continue on to Ankara, Turkey’s capital and the center of the modern republic. Visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations, often referred to as the Hittite Museum, to see key finds from Anatolia’s early cultures. Then visit Anıtkabir, the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of modern Turkey and the Republic’s first President. The rest of the day is at leisure. Perhaps head up to Ankara Castle for views across the city, explore the lanes of Hamamönü’s restored Ottoman-era quarter, or spend longer in Ulus around the historic center.

Accommodation: Ankara HiltonSA
Meals: Breakfast

Day 9: To Istanbul

Leave Ankara for Istanbul, returning to the city where your journey began. On arrival, join a Bosphorus cruise to see Istanbul from the water, traveling between Europe and Asia as you pass Ottoman palaces, neighborhood mosques and busy quays along both shores. In the evening, explore at your own pace. You might walk through Karaköy and across the Galata Bridge, follow İstiklal Caddesi’s shops and cafes, or head towards the Spice Bazaar and Eminönü’s ferry piers.

Accommodation: Canopy by Hilton Istanbul
Meals: Breakfast

Day 10: Istanbul and the Ottoman Empire

Spend your final full day exploring Istanbul’s historic peninsula. Start at the Blue Mosque, known for its six minarets and interior Iznik tiles, then cross the Hippodrome, the former chariot-racing ground of Constantinople. Continue to Hagia Sophia with Insight Choice: select the Hagia Sophia History Digital Experience, outlining its shift from basilica to mosque and museum, or visit Hagia Sophia itself with your Local Expert. Later, visit Topkapi Palace, once the seat of Ottoman sultans, and walk the covered streets of the Grand Bazaar. In the evening, share a final dinner with your Small Group and Travel Director as your journey through Turkey comes to a close.

Accommodation: Canopy by Hilton Istanbul
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 11: Farewell Istanbul

Your journey through Turkey comes to an end in Istanbul. After breakfast, take a moment to say goodbye to your Travel Director and Small Group, reflecting on the days spent traveling together, before transferring to the airport for your onward travel.

Meals: Breakfast

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Tour Operator

Insight Vacations (CA)

Part of The Travel Company (TTC) family of brands, Insight Vacations began operations in 1978 and is based in Cypress, CA. Journeys are featured to destinations, such as the U.S. and Canada, Europe, Latin America, North Africa, Asia, the UK and Ireland. The company offers are a variety of tours under the classifications of Regional Journeys, Country Roads, Discovery Journeys, Easy Pace trips, and Special Interest tours. Insight is the ideal name for the tour operator, as the journeys provided by Insight Vacations allow travelers to gain further insight into whatever destination they wish to explore. For example, Discovery Journeys are the ideal choice for first-time visitors to Europe. Itineraries include Dine-at-Home or Farm-to-Table experiences so travelers can learn more about how locals live and dine. Regional Journeys allow trip-goers to see a specific location in Europe that they have always wanted to see – Poland, Switzerland, Italy, etc. The carefully planned trips enable customers to immerse themselves in one specific region or country and to become acquainted with its culture, traditions, and people. For anyone seeking travel off the beaten track, Insight Vacations offers Country Roads – trips that lead travelers off the well-tread tourist trail to explore hidden gems where visitors can savor the local produce with Farm-to-Table dining. Some trips are offered under the Easy Pace travel style – the ideal trip choice for trip-goers who wish to slow their pace during their vacation. During these tours, vacationers stay at least 3 nights at each destination, giving them some additional time to explore a place and enjoy it. Regardless of the travel style, many of the vacations offered by Insight Vacations begin with Relaxed Starts – giving travelers time to sleep in a little, spend more time at breakfast, or explore an area on their own. The tour company prides itself on providing business class tours that features luxury coaches with 40 seats. While most coach touring operators provide vehicles with 53 seats, Insight Vacations has re-configured its motor coaches to hold up to 40 guests. This gives passengers extra leg room while traveling and offers them more space and privacy.

In Business Since 1978

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Reviews

Anonymous - Traveled, November 2024

Your service was impeccable, both our driver and tour guide were top notch going over and beyond to take care of our every need especially when another in our group had an accident requiring medical attention at the hospital. Both were very professional and caring. Hotels were excellent but would have liked more free time to explore on our own in the evening with some direction if needed. It was a shame that Istanbul was only allocated 1.5 days when it felt like it should have had at least double that time. Felt like there was a lot of wasted time on this tour instead of maximizing the time we had for more sightseeing.

Source: Tour operator Submitted: 11/13/2024

Hassiba - Traveled, October 2024

It was a great trip. My concern is that Insight allows people who are vulnerable and at high risks of falling attend these tours which are designed for fit people. It would be great if a smaller group of people with special needs travel together. I was anxious all the time thinking that vulnerable team member will die during our vacation. The driver and the tour guide were excellent. Accomodation was nice though some fell short of the 5 star standard. More days should have been allocated to Istanbul as there were so many things to do in so little time. Farm section needs to be removed. It took valuable time away from other amazing activities. My highlight was Cappadocia and Ephesus.