4-Day Tour of Gallipoli, Troy, Pamukkale and Ephesus (Tour will start from Istanbul and will end in Kusadasi or Izmir)

Day 1: Gallipoli Tour with overnight in Canakkale

You will be picked up from your hotel in the city center on the European side of Istanbul around 6:30 AM for your departure to Eceabat. The drive will take approximately 5 hours. Upon arrival, you’ll enjoy lunch before beginning your tour.

At around 13:00, your fully guided Gallipoli Tour begins, visiting key sites that played significant roles during the Gallipoli campaign. These include Brighton Beach, Beach Cemetery, ANZAC Cove, Ariburnu Cemetery, the ANZAC Commemorative Site, and the Respect to Mehmetcik Statue. You will also visit the Lone Pine Australian Memorial, Johnston’s Jolly, where you can explore Turkish and Allied trenches and tunnels, the Turkish 57th Infantry Regiment Cemetery, The Nek, and the Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial.

After the tour ends around 4:30 pm, you will be transferred to your hotel in Çanakkale for check-in and overnight.

• Overnight in Canakkale
• Included Meal(s): Lunch
• Accommodation: Grand Anzac Hotel OR Helen Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 2: Morning Troy Tour with overnight in Kusadasi

After breakfast, check out of your hotel in Canakkale. Around 8:30 AM, you will be picked up from your hotel to begin the morning tour of Troy, the legendary ancient city famous for the Trojan Horse and the epic stories of Beautiful Helen, Queen of Sparta, and Paris, the Trojan Prince. You will also explore other significant parts of the ancient city, including Troy I through Troy IX, Houses of Troy I, and the Sacrificial Altars of Troy.

After your morning tour of Troy, you will return to Canakkale and board a public bus to Selcuk/Kusadasi at approximately 12:30 PM. The bus ride takes about 6.5 hours, with two breaks along the way for personal needs. You will arrive in Kusadasi around 7:00 PM, where you’ll be picked up from the bus station and transferred to your hotel for check-in.

• Overnight in Kusadasi
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: Efe Boutique Hotel OR Derici Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 3: Pamukkale & Hierapolis Tour

After breakfast at around 7:30 am, you will be picked up from your Kusadasi hotel and taken to the meeting point in Selcuk, where the full group will gather. Your Pamukkale tour will begin with an 8:30 am departure from Selcuk, and the drive to Pamukkale will take approximately 3 hours. Along the way, there will be a 10-minute stop for a restroom break after 1.5 hours.

Upon arriving in Pamukkale at around 11:45 am, you will first enjoy lunch. After lunch, at approximately 1:00 pm, your guided tour of Pamukkale and the Hierapolis area will commence, led by a professional licensed tour guide. In Pamukkale, you will witness the breathtaking Cotton Cliffs, a natural wonder formed by calcareous salt deposits.

You will also explore the ancient ruins of the City of Hierapolis, including its basilica, theatre, and Roman Baths. At the end of the guided tour, you will have some free time to explore on your own. As an optional activity, you may choose to swim in the Pamukkale Antique Pools (at your own expense) during this free time. Your tour guide will provide details about the exact meeting point and time.

At the end of the tour, around 4:00 pm, you will be transferred back to your hotel in Kusadasi, arriving at approximately 7:30 pm.

• Overnight in Kusadasi
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: Efe Boutique Hotel OR Derici Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 4: Ephesus Tour – End of Services

After breakfast, check out of your hotel around 8:30 am. You’ll be picked up for an enriching full-day tour of Ephesus, one of the best-preserved ancient cities and once a major Greek port and cultural center.

Your tour begins with a walk along the Curetes Street, the main avenue of Ephesus, leading you to some of its most remarkable sites. One of the first stops is the Temple of Hadrian, a beautifully preserved structure with intricate reliefs depicting the city’s founding myths. Continuing on, you’ll reach the impressive Great Theater, which could seat up to 25,000 people and is still known for its acoustics. Here, your guide will share stories about the theater’s role in hosting gatherings, dramas, and even gladiatorial contests.

Next, you’ll see the Trajan Fountain, where you can admire its detailed carvings and learn about its significance in the city’s water supply system.

After lunch at a local restaurant, the tour continues to the House of the Virgin Mary, a sacred site nestled on a hillside. This modest stone house is believed to be the place where Mary, mother of Jesus, spent her final years. It remains a pilgrimage site and a place for quiet reflection.

The journey then takes you to the Temple of Artemis. Although only a few columns remain, this once-grand temple was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and a powerful symbol of the city’s importance in ancient times.

Your final stop will be the Isa Bey Mosque, a stunning example of Seljuk architecture from the 14th century, with beautiful courtyards and intricate tile work that reflect the blend of cultures in the region.

At the end of the tour, around 4:00 PM, you will be transferred to Izmir Airport by 5:00 PM, or to your hotel in Izmir or Kusadasi, depending on your itinerary.. END OF OUR SERVICE and TOURS.

• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: No accommodation is included on this day.

INCLUDED in the Tour Price:

• All transfers mentioned in the itinerary
• 1 night in Çanakkale at a 3-star hotel including breakfast
• 2 nights in Kuşadası at a 4-star hotel including breakfast
• English-speaking guide during the tours
• Meals as per itinerary (B=breakfast, L=lunch)
• Entrance fees mentioned by the itinerary
• Local taxes and service charges

NOT INCLUDED:

• End of the Tour in Ephesus on Day 4, bus and/or flight tickets are not included
• Any optional tours
• Services not mentioned in the program.
• Dinner & Drinks
• Travel insurance (recommended).

IMPORTANT INFO:

• The order of the itinerary is indicative and subject to change, but all visits described will take place.
• This is a regular group tour, but if requested at cost can be provided as a private tour
• The regular group tour has shopping stops included in the tour
• You can swim in the Antique pool in Pamukkale. However, please note that there is an extra charge that you will have to pay directly at your own expense before entry to the pools. This entrance fee to the pools is not covered as part of your tour. Please note that you must bring your own towel, swimsuit etc. if you need to use the pools.