Suitable for groups of all ages ranging from college, university to high school, this 6 day program will take you through the historical and picturesque sites of Istanbul, the battlefields of Gallipoli, the Trojan Horse of Troy, Pergamon, site of one of the Seven Churches of St John from the Bible before reaching the ancient city of Ephesus and back to Istanbul by domestic flight.
Day 1 - Istanbul - Arrival Day (Dinner included)
Meet at the airport and transfer to your hotel. You will be given your room key and the rest of the day is yours to explore Istanbul. Overnight in Istanbul. (There are two airports in Istanbul. Istanbul Ataturk airport is 20 km away from city centre and Sabiha Gokcen airport is 55 km away. Transfer from Ataturk airport to your hotel is included; if you arrive to Sabiha Gokcen there is an extra charge).
Day 2 - Istanbul City Tour (Open buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner included)
Pick up at 08:30am from your hotel for a day tour of the Sultanahmet historical district of Istanbul. Visit St. Sophia Museum, an ancient basilica built by Constantine the Great in the 4th century BC and reconstructed by Justinian in the 6th century – it is one of the architectural marvels of all time. Topkapi Palace comes next; the palace of the Ottoman Sultans from the 15th to the 19th centuries, it houses an exquisite collection of cyrstal, silver, and Chinese porcelain, robes worn by the sultans and their families, the famous jewels of the Imperial Treasury, miniatures, the Holy Mantle, enshrining relics of the Prophet Mohammed. Across from St. Sophia is the Sultanahmet Imperial Mosque built in the 16th century by the architect Mehmet and known as the Blue Mosque because of its magnificent interior decoration of blue Iznik tiles. Afterwards we visit the ancient Hippodrome, scene of chariot races, with three monuments, the Obelisk of Theodosius, the bronze Serpentine Column and the Column of Constantine. Free time is given for a lunch break at 1pm followed by a visit to the Grand Bazaar. This labyrinth of streets and passageways contains more than 4,000 shops with each trade having its’ own area. Return to hotel approximately 5pm and overnight.
Day 3 - Gallipoli Tour (Open buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner included)
At 06:30am we depart for Gallipoli to visit the battle fields. Two hours later we will give you 20 minutes for relax in a restaurant area. We arrive at Gallipoli around 12pm and have lunch and relax a little before departing for the battle fields and Gabatepe Museum. We begin with the Ariburnu Cemetery and Anzac Cove where the Gallipoli battle during WW1 began and then we visit Beach Cemetery, Shrapnel Valley and Plugges Plateau. We return to the hotel at approximately 17:00pm. Dinner in the hotel. Overnight in Canakkale.
Day 4 - Troy Tour - Pergamon – Kusadasi (Open buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner included)
We depart at 08:30am and drive 30 minutes to Troy, the famous archeological and mythological site, home of the Trojan horse and Helen of Troy. After Troy we have a 3 hour drive to Pergamon and stop for lunch around 13:00pm before visiting the magnificent acropolis of Pergamon. This ancient city’s impressive temples and library made it a renowned cultural and political centre while it was also famous for its jewellery, precious stones and silver. Arrival to Kusadasi around 6pm and overnight. Dinner in hotel.
Meeting/pick-up point: Pick-up from the airports in Istanbul.
Duration: 6 days/5 nights.
Start/opening time: Pick-up time on first and last day depends on client's flight times.
Languages: English. Other languages available for the private tour: German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Arabic and Chinese.
Others: Included : Arrival airport transfer from Istanbul Ataturk airport, domestic flight ticket from Izmir to Istanbul, 2 nights in 4*hotel in Istanbul, 1 night in 4* hotel in Canakkale, 2 nights in 4* hotel in Kusadasi, 5 open buffet breakfasts, 5 local dinners, 4 lunches, all entrance fees mentioned in the itinerary, return airport transfer.
Please Note: Hagia Sofia is closed on Mondey, Topkapi Palace closed on Tuesdays, and Grand Bazaar closed on Sundays. If your tour is on one of these days we would offer you to visit Underground Cistern instead of Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace museum and the Spice Bazaar instead of Grand Bazaar.
Not included: International flights; all other types of insurance; Turkey entry visa; items of a personal nature such as alcoholic drinks, cold drinks, laundry; any others expenses which are not mentioned at the included section.