12-Day Grand Turkey Guided Group Tour: Istanbul, Gallipoli, Troy, Pergamon, Ephesus, Pamukkale, Antalya & Cappadocia

Welcome to إسطنبول! Upon your arrival at Istanbul Airport, a One Nation Travel representative will greet you in the arrivals hall and assist with your transfer to the hotel. After check-in, the rest of the day is yours at leisure to relax after your journey. Overnight in Istanbul.

After breakfast at your hotel, around 8:30 AM your guide will lead the group on a full-day exploration of Istanbul’s most iconic landmarks. Begin at the Hippodrome, the ancient chariot-racing arena that once served as the social and sporting heart of Constantinople. Admire the Egyptian Obelisk, the Serpentine Column, and the German Fountain as your guide explains their fascinating origins.

Next, walk to the magnificent Blue Mosque, famous for its six slender minarets and cascade of domes adorned with over 20,000 blue İznik tiles. From there, cross the square to visit Hagia Sophia, a masterpiece of Byzantine architecture that has served as a cathedral, mosque, and museum across its 1,500-year history.

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before continuing to Topkapi Palace, the opulent residence of Ottoman sultans for nearly four centuries. Explore its courtyards, treasury, and stunning views over the Bosphorus. End the afternoon with free time to browse the legendary Grand Bazaar, home to over 4,000 shops spread across a labyrinth of covered lanes. Join fellow travelers back at the meeting point by 4:30 PM for the return to your hotel. Overnight in Istanbul.

After an early breakfast at your hotel, depart Istanbul around 7:30 AM for the drive to the Gallipoli Peninsula, approximately four and a half hours southwest of the city. Your guide will share historical context along the way, preparing the group for an emotionally powerful day ahead.

Arriving around noon, enjoy lunch at a local restaurant in the Eceabat area before beginning your tour of the battlefields. Start at Brighton Beach and Beach Cemetery, then continue to Anzac Cove, the legendary landing site of the ANZAC forces on April 25, 1915. Visit the Ari Burnu Cemetery and the ANZAC Commemoration Site, where Atatürk’s moving words of reconciliation are inscribed in stone.

Continue uphill to Lone Pine Australian Memorial, site of some of the fiercest fighting during the campaign. Proceed to Johnston’s Jolly to see preserved trenches, then visit The Nek and the Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial, which marks the highest point reached by Allied forces. Around 5:30 PM, join your fellow travelers for the short ferry crossing from Eceabat to Çanakkale. Overnight in Çanakkale.

After breakfast at your hotel in Çanakkale, around 8:15 AM your guide will lead the group to the legendary Ancient City of Troy, one of the most celebrated archaeological sites in the world. Begin with the iconic Trojan Horse replica before walking through the Sacrificial Altars and the remarkably preserved 3,700-year-old city walls. Explore the Houses of Troy I, dating from 3000–2500 B.C., along with the Bouleuterium (Senate Building), the Odeon (Concert Hall), and ongoing excavation areas revealing layers of civilization from Troy I through Troy IX.

Around 10:30 AM, depart Troy and drive south toward Bergama (approximately 3 hours). Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant in Bergama around 1:30 PM. Afterward, join fellow travelers for a fully guided tour of the Pergamon Acropolis, once a major center of learning and the arts in the ancient world. Visit the Library of Pergamon, which once housed 200,000 volumes, followed by the Temple of Athena, the Temple of Trajan, and the site of the Altar of Zeus (now housed in Berlin’s Pergamon Museum). Descend past the terraced Gymnasium and Lower Agora to the stunning Hellenistic Theater with seating for 10,000 spectators and the Temple of Dionysus.

By 5:30 PM, the tour concludes and the group departs for Kuşadası (approximately 2.5 hours). Arrive at your hotel around 8:00 PM. Overnight in Kuşadası.

After breakfast at your hotel, around 8:30 AM your guide will lead the group to one of the ancient world’s most celebrated cities. The drive from Kuşadası to أفسس takes approximately 20 minutes, giving you a brief overview of the day ahead.

Begin your exploration at the upper gate and walk downhill through the remarkably preserved Ephesus Ancient City. Marvel at the Temple of Hadrian with its ornate Corinthian arch, then pause at the Trajan Fountain before reaching the iconic Library of Celsus, once home to 12,000 scrolls. Continue to the Great Theatre of Ephesus, a 25,000-seat amphitheater where Saint Paul once preached. Around 12:30 PM, enjoy lunch at a local restaurant with fellow travelers.

In the afternoon, visit the House of the Virgin Mary, a peaceful pilgrimage site on the slopes of Mount Koressos. Continue to the Isabey Mosque in Selçuk, followed by a stop at the ruins of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. By 5:00 PM, return to your hotel for a relaxing evening. Overnight in Kuşadası.

After breakfast around 7:30 AM, you will be picked up from your Kusadasi hotel and taken to the meeting point in Selçuk, where the full group will gather. By 8:30 AM, you will set off on the approximately 3-hour drive to Pamukkale. After about 1.5 hours on the road, the group will make a brief 10-minute restroom stop before continuing the journey.

Upon arrival around 11:45 AM, you will be taken to a local restaurant for lunch. At approximately 1:00 PM, your licensed guide will lead the group on a tour of the Hierapolis-Pamukkale area. Begin with the iconic Cotton Cliffs, where mineral-rich thermal waters have sculpted brilliant white travertine terraces over thousands of years. Continue into the ancient city of Hierapolis, where your guide will walk the group through remarkable structures including the Roman Baths and the grand Hierapolis Theatre. After the guided portion, enjoy free time to explore at your own pace. If you wish, you can take a swim in the Pamukkale Antique Pools (at your own expense), where warm thermal waters flow among submerged ancient columns. Your guide will confirm the meeting point and time to regroup.

At approximately 4:00 PM, you will be transferred to the main bus station in Denizli, where you will board an intercity coach to Antalya. The journey takes around 5 hours. Upon arrival, a representative will meet you at the bus terminal and transfer you to your hotel. Overnight in Antalya.

After breakfast at your hotel, around 8:00 AM your guide will lead the group east along the stunning Mediterranean coastline for a full day exploring the ancient cities of Pamphylia. Your first stop is Perge Ancient City, one of the most impressive ruins in southern Turkey. Walk through the monumental Roman gate, the colonnaded street, and the well-preserved stadium that once seated 12,000 spectators.

Continue to the magnificent Aspendos Ancient Theater, widely considered the best-preserved Roman theater in the world. Built in the 2nd century AD, it still hosts performances today and seats approximately 15,000 — your guide will explain the remarkable acoustics that make this structure so extraordinary.

Around 12:30 PM, enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before heading to Manavgat Waterfall, where the wide cascade of the Manavgat River creates a refreshing spot to stretch your legs and take photographs. In the afternoon, join fellow travelers at Side, a charming ancient port town. Stroll past the Temple of Apollo overlooking the sea and explore the Side Ancient Theater, a striking 2nd-century amphitheater carved into the hillside. By 5:00 PM, the group departs for the drive back to Antalya. Overnight in Antalya.

After breakfast, check out from your hotel in Antalya. You will be transferred to Antalya Airport for your connecting flight to Kayseri or Nevşehir via Istanbul, depending on flight availability. The total travel time, including the layover in Istanbul, is approximately four to five hours. Upon arrival in Cappadocia, a local representative will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel, which is about a one‑hour drive. After check‑in, the rest of the day is free for you to relax or explore at your own pace. Overnight in Cappadocia.

After breakfast at your hotel, around 9:30 AM your guide will lead the group on a full-day exploration of northern Cappadocia, commonly known as the Red Tour.

The first stop is وادي ديفيرنت, often called “Imagination Valley.” The unusual rock formations here resemble animal shapes — camels, seals, and dolphins among them — offering a striking introduction to Cappadocia’s geological wonders.

Next, join fellow travelers at Pasabag Valley (Monks Valley), renowned for its dramatic fairy chimneys topped with twin and even triple rock caps. Your guide will explain how hermit monks once carved their retreats into these towering pillars.

تابع إلى أفانوس, a charming pottery town along the Kızılırmak River. Traditional workshops here have been producing ceramics since Hittite times, and you may try your hand at shaping clay on a potter’s wheel.

After lunch at a local restaurant, the group proceeds to the Zelve Open Air Museum. One of the earliest settled and last-abandoned monastic valleys in the region, Zelve reveals cave dwellings, rock-cut churches, and winding tunnels that illustrate centuries of communal life carved directly into the stone.

The final stop is قلعة أوتشيسار, the highest natural rock formation in Cappadocia. From its summit, sweeping panoramic views stretch across the valleys and fairy chimneys that define this extraordinary landscape.

After the tour concludes around 4:00 PM, you will be transferred back to your hotel with the rest of the evening at leisure. Overnight in Cappadocia.

For an additional option, you may book an early morning Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Ride to witness the magical landscape from above — a truly extraordinary experience offering sweeping views of the valleys and fairy chimneys. Please note that this activity is optional and available at an extra cost.

After breakfast, check out from your hotel. Around 9:30 AM, your guide will lead the group to begin a full-day exploration of South Cappadocia. Start with the stunning Red Valley, renowned for its vibrant rock formations and hidden cave churches. From here, enjoy a scenic 5 km hike through the peaceful Rose Valley, where dramatic pink-hued cliffs frame the trail at every turn.

تابع إلى Çavuşin Village, famous for its ancient cave houses and churches once inhabited by early Christian clergy. Around noon, join fellow travelers for lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, visit وادي الحمام to admire panoramic landscapes and countless pigeon dwellings carved into the soft volcanic rock. Then explore مدينة كايماكلي تحت الأرض أو Özkonak Underground City — both remarkable subterranean complexes used as refuges by early Christians, descending several levels below ground.

The tour concludes around 4:00 PM. You will then be transferred to Kayseri or Nevşehir Airport for your evening flight to Istanbul (approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes). Upon arrival at Istanbul Airport, our representative will meet the group and transfer you to your hotel. Overnight in Istanbul.

After breakfast at your hotel, around 8:30 AM your guide will lead the group to the bustling Spice Bazaar (Egyptian Bazaar), one of Istanbul’s oldest covered markets. Wander through aromatic stalls brimming with Turkish teas, dried fruits, spices, and handcrafted souvenirs alongside fellow travelers. Take your time browsing before the group makes its way to the nearby pier.

Around 10:00 AM, board a boat for a scenic cruise along the Bosphorus Strait, the legendary waterway separating Europe and Asia while connecting the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara. As the boat glides along the channel, admire the ornate façade of Dolmabahçe Palace, the elegant Beylerbeyi Palace on the Asian shore, and the sweeping span of the Bosphorus Bridge. Your guide will point out Ottoman-era waterfront mansions, ancient fortresses, and hilltop neighborhoods lining both continents.

By approximately 12:15 PM, the cruise concludes and the group returns to the hotel. The remainder of the day is yours to enjoy at leisure — perfect for revisiting a favorite neighborhood, picking up last-minute gifts, or savoring a leisurely Turkish meal at a waterside restaurant. Overnight in Istanbul.

After breakfast at your hotel, complete your check-out before 12:00 noon. Your driver will then transfer you to إسطنبول International Airport in time for your departure flight. This marks the end of your 13-day Grand Turkey guided group tour and all related services.