IstanbulCanakkale (Gallipoli) Kusadasi Pamukkale Bodrum

Main Sites visited: Istanbul, Gallipoli, Dardanelles, Troy, Pergamum, Kusadasi, Ephesus, Aphrodisias, Pamukkale, Hierapolis, Priene, Miletus, Didyma, Bodrum.

Day 1 - Istanbul - Gallipoli - Dardanelles - Canakkale
Meeting at your hotel after breakfast.Morning departure for Gallipoli and visit Anzac Cove ,Chunuk Bair Lone pine cemetery and Gabate War Museum then across the Dardanelles to Canakkale for overnight

Day 2 - Troy - Pergamum - Kusadasi (B)
Visit Troy with its famous wooden horse, visit Pergamon or Pergamum that became an important kingdom during the Hellenistic period, Pergamon had the second best library in the ancient Greek civilisation (the ancient Library of Pergamum), after Alexandria. When the Ptolemies stopped exporting papyrus, partly because of competitors and partly because of shortages, the Pergamenes invented a new substance to use in codices, called pergaminus or parchment after the city. This was made of fine calf skin, a predecessor of vellum. Asclepion, located to the southwest of the lower city, was a sanctuary dedicated to the god of health, Asclepics which was one of the largest hospitals in history, is located to the west of the city, which was a great center of culture, art and medicine and continue on to Kusadasi for overnight.

Day 3 - Ephesus - Kusadasi (B)
Visit to magnificent ruins of Ephesus. We will spend several hours walking in the footsteps of Alexander the Great, Caesar, Cicero, Apostles Paul and John and many other familiar historical names. The recently opened Slope Houses where the wealthiest Romans lived are an excellent example of sensitive excavation and presentation. The mosaics and frescos are spectacular. Tradition has it that Virgin Mary was brought here by St John after the Crucifixion and lived her final years near the city of Ephesus on an isolated mountaintop. A lovely chapel is constructed on the site tended by Franciscans and open to visitors. It has been designated a pilgrimage site by the Pope. Overnight Kusadasi.
 
Day 4 - Pamukkale (B)
Drive to Pamukkale, on the way, visit to Aphrodisias. Aphrodisias was primarily known as a center for the arts, specifically sculpture. The Aphrodisias School of Sculpture had a distinctive style and was very well circulated throughout the Greek and Roman world. Discovery of Travertine terraces and Hierapolis. The travertine terraces at Pamukkale are one of the most spectacular natural wonders we ever have seen from various mineral springs in a vast white cliff side, about 200 m overlooking the plain, calcite-laden waters have dripped down over a series of terraced levels and created a fairyland of bizarre solidified cascades and shell-shaped basins. It looks like creations from snow or like balls from cotton, which gave the scenery the Turkish name Pamukkale (cotton castle): “pamuk” for cotton and “kale” for castle. Moreover the water in the basins is changing its color according to how the light enters. Overnight Kusadasi.

Day 5 - Priene - Miletus - Didyma - Bodrum (B)
Today we will visit Priene, Miletus, Didyma . Ephesus may be the creme-de-la-creme of the Aegean ruins but Priene, Miletus and Didyma though less frequently visited are still important ancient settlements. Priene occupies a dramatic position overlooking the Meander Valley and plain. Miletus preserves a spectacular theater. And Didyma has a Temple of Apollo vaguely reminiscent of the great temples at Karnak in Egypt. Overnight Bodrum.
 
Day 6 - Bodrum (B)
Today we will discover Bodrum, located on a peninsula of the same name, was a fishing village until the 1970s. It is now a lively tourist resort with a long history. The coastline is attractive and the centerpiece is the 15th century crusader Castle of St.Peter Greeks, Persians and Ottomans settled here from the 11th century BC onward. It’s greatest glory was under Mausolus, who ruled under the Persians in the 4th century BC. When he died his wife Artemisia employed architects and sculptors to construct a monument and tomb for him. It was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient world and gave us the word mausoleum. Alas most of the monument is long gone. A few stones remain. Overnight Bodrum.

Day 7
Leisure morning and transfer to airport for your flight. End of service. (B)

PS: Optional tours to Rhodes island and tours to Cappadocia & Antalya can be added.

B = Breakfast

• Please ask for discounted rates for family and for large groups.
• If you wish to extend your stay at one part of the tour or shorten your visits, we can customize this tour for you.