Turkey Historical and Archaeological Tour

Itinerary

• Day 1: Arrive in Istanbul

  Dated back to 2,000BC, Turkey having a huge number of historical relics no doubt is a paradise for archaeology and history enthusiasts. This tour will take you to a famous battlefield in modern history and some of the most important archaeological sites that witnessed the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations.

  Welcome to Istanbul! On arrival, meet your tour guide at the airport and then take the private transfer to your downtown hotel.

  • Istanbul

• Day 2: Istanbul, Discover the City

  Our city discovery will start the Sultanahmet Square (the Hippodrome), the civic center and the chariot races arena during the East Roman period. On it, we will see the Famous Monuments Trio: Egyptian Obelisk, the Serpentine Column, and the Colossus.

  From the square, we will walk to see the Blue Mosque with six minarets, the Hagia Sophia - a mosque that used to be a church, mosque, and museum, the Underground Cistern, and the Topkapi Palace Museum - the main residence of the Ottoman sultans between 1465AD and 1853AD.

  At the end of the day, visit the famous Grand Covered Bazaar before being sent back to your hotel.

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  • Istanbul

• Day 3: Istanbul - Gallipoli - Canakkale, Pay Respect to Anzac

  Take an early morning drive along the Marmara Sea coast to Gallipoli, one of the most bloody battlefields of the First World War. The war that took place here has been linked to the national identities of Australia and New Zealand. Here, you will visit the Anzac Cove, the Australian Memorial, the Lone Pine, the Nek Cemetery, Chunuk Bair, Shrapnel valley, and the Kabatepe Museum.

  The whole journey from Istanbul to Gallipoli will take about six hours with a short break at Tekirdag. From Gallipoli, we will continue to Eceabat and cross the natural channel Dardanelles by ferry to Canakkale for the night.

  The ones who want to attend the Dawn Ceremony on Anzac Day is suggested to arrive in Gallipoli on April 24th and spend a night in Gallipoli.

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  • Canakkale

• Day 4: Canakkale - Kusadasi, Troy & Pergamon

  Move south today to Kusadasi, about 500km on the way. It is a long but not boring journey.

  One of the stops en route is the archeological site of Troy, the legendary city in Homer's Iliada. Though the old city has gone, we can imagine the famous Trojan War from the broken walls remaining there.

  The other one is the ancient city Pergamon which was once an important cultural center in the Greek World. From the impressive remains of its Acropolis and Asclepeion, we may get a glimpse into its past prosperity.

  Arrive in Kusadasi late afternoon, check into the hotel and relax.

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  • Kusadasi

• Day 5: Kusadasi, the ancient city of Ephesus

  Ephesus, formerly the capital of Ionia in Asia Minor, was once one of the five major cities of the ancient Roman Empire and only second to Rome, now the best-preserved archeological site that combines Greek, Roman, and early Christian culture.

  Today we will visit this ancient city with the agoras, library, temples, Odeon, bath, houses, and theatre. Among them, the most famous structures are the Basilica of St. Jean, the Museum of Ephesus, the House of Virgin Mary, and the Temple of Artemis.

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  • Kusadasi

• Day 6: Kusadasi, day tour to Priene, Miletus, and Didyma

  Drive south today to visit the three ancient cities: Priene, Miletus, and Didyma.

  Priene standing at the edge of a fertile plain was once a port city overlooking the Aegean Sea. Here, you will see its political district with an assembly hall, cultural district with a well-preserved theatre, commercial district with an agora, and religious district with the Temple of Athena.

  The walled city Miletus faces the sea on three sides and has a road network like a chessboard. When Priene's two ports were silted up, it replaced the standing of Priene gradually. Here, you can get a glimpse into the "Hippodamian Plan" - the city layout idea that originated from the father of European urban planning and embodied the democratic and equal spirit of the Greek city-state.

  Didyma is another historical Greek city in Kusadasi and is famous for the magnificent Apollo Temple with a history of more than two thousand years.

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  • Kusadasi

• Day 7: Kusadasi - Pamukkale, Nyssa and Aphrodisias

  Today we will move east to Pamukkale. Nyssa, an ancient town named after its earliest bishop of Gregory of Nyssa, is our first stop on the way. It was one of the most prestigious science and education centers in the Roman Empire. Here you can see its gymnasium, library, agora, theatre, water cistern, stadium, necropolis, etc.

  The UNESCO-listed Aphrodisias is our second stop where you will discover the Temple of Aphrodite and a museum that exhibits the sculptures taken out from the excavations in Aphrodisias. In ancient Roman, Aphrodisias was a notable city for marble sculpture and philosophy.

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  • Pamukkale

• Day 8: Pamukkale - Denizili - Istanbul, Pamukkale & Hierapolis

  Many people know Pamukkale for its travertine pools, but few know Hierapolis, an ancient city within walking distance to the pools. Today, you will visit them both in the morning and then drive to Denizili in the afternoon for an evening flight to Istanbul.

  On arrival, be picked up and transferred to your hotel for the night.

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  • Istanbul

• Day 9: Istanbul - Departure

  Breakfast at the hotel. Departure transfer to the international airport.

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