Country(ies): Turkey
Tour type: Shoestring
Group size: Min: 2 | Max: 20
Accommodation: 3-4-star hotels & gulet sailing boat
Meals:
Transport: A/C minibus & gulet sailing boat
Highlights: Gallipoli Battlefields, Ancient city of Troy, Calcium Travertines of Pamukkale, Hieropolis, traditional Gulet Cruise along the Mediterranean coast, Fethiye, Cappadocia, Goreme Valley
This tour spends 13 days exploring some of Turkey's main historic and cultural highlights, combined with drives and a 3 night Gulet cruise along the beautiful Mediterranean coast.
Starting with a tour of the exciting city of Istanbul, where Europe meets Asia, we head next to the Gallipoli peninsular and the important ANzac day battlefields and memorial sites. Turning south we drive down the Mediterranean coastline with stops at the ancient sites of Troy, Pergamum and Ephesus before arriving at the seaside town of Kusadasi. Next we'll take a relaxing 3 night cruise in the Gulf of Fethiye on a traditional Turkish gulet. We'll visit lots of secluded bays and have plenty of stops to swim in the clear waters, visit tiny local villages and relax on board.
Time to head inland next, as we visit the tiered calcium Travertines and Pamukkale, and the Roman spa city of Hieropolis. A drive along the ancient Silk Road to Cappadocia follows, with a stop at Sultanhani Caravansary and the Mevlana Museum in Konya on the way. While in Cappadocia we'll stay in a boutique 'cave hotel' and tour the spectacular natural scenery of Goreme Valley, see the famous 'fairy chimneys', and explore the many levels of one of the regions underground cities. A final day's drive takes us back to Istanbul with a stop on the way at Ankara where we visit Anitkabir, mausoleum of the famed Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
The tour runs during the warmer months, from late April through to October, with accommodation in comfortable mid-range hotels, and on board the Gulet (where may people often choose to sleep under the stars on mattresses on the deck of the boat).
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Note: Gulet itineraries are subject to change at very little notice due to weather conditions and other local logistical reasons. While overnight stops may take place in different bays, the same overall experience is maintained.
If you are looking for a tour and not finding what you are looking for, have a look at our best other related tours to check out for your travel plans. At Encounters Travel, we offer a variety of tours to suit your needs. So sit back, relax, and let us help you plan the perfect getaway.
This tour is also available for booking privately for travel anytime during the summer months (we do not operate gulet trips during the winter), and we can also customise the itinerary to fit your personal requirements. Please contact us for details an
The hotels and accommodations listed below are the ones we most often use on this tour. From time to time we may exchange these for similar properties at the same level. In general, specific hotels cannot be guaranteed on our group tours, but you may select your preferred options if you are booking a tailor-made trip.
Our tours are designed to include all that you need to enjoy a really special time in the destination youre visiting. However, we do also offer some extra options to complement the tour and add some additional sightseeing or activities, or some extra time at either end of the tour.
All accommodation based options (e.g. Single supplements, extra nights, cruise upgrades) should be booked and paid for in advance so that we can make the appropriate arrangements. Other options may either be booked and paid for in advance or while you are on the tour, though we recommend booking in advance to ensure there are no issues with availability.
Many options are priced the same throughout the year, but some may incur single or high season supplements - full details are given on the tour reservation form or on request.
The detailed Tour Notes below have been written to give you some more detailed information about how the tour runs, what to expect, and how to prepare for your holiday. We recommend downloading an up to date copy of these shortly before you travel in case of any changes.
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