15-Day Luxury Tour of Turkey with Airfare

This tour of Turkey is for travelers who insist on seeing the country in style; you’ll stay at 4- and 5-star hotels, including properties from premiere brands such as Radisson, Swissotel, and Hilton. Stops on the itinerary cover Turkey’s most beloved attractions, including Cappadocia’s moon-like landscape, the ancient city of Troy, and Istanbul—voted one of the world’s best cities by Travel + Leisure. Each option includes:

• Round-trip airfare from New York (JFK)
• 3 nights of standard accommodations at the 5-star Radisson Blu Sisli Istanbul
• 1 night of standard accommodations at the 5-star Kolin Hotel in Canakkale
• 2 nights of standard accommodations at the 5-star Swissotel in Izmir
• 1 night of standard accommodations at the 5-star Thermal Colossae Hotel in Pamukkale
• 2 nights of standard accommodations at the 5-star Crowne Plaza in Antalya
• 1 night of standard accommodations at the 4-star Hilton Garden Inn in Konya
• 2 nights of standard accommodations at the 4-star Cappadocia Lodge
• 1 night of standard accommodations at the 5-star Hilton Hotel in Ankara
• Daily breakfast
• 10 dinners
• Lunch with the locals at a traditional village near Pergamum
• Numerous stops at tourist attractions, per the itinerary

Itinerary at a Glance

• Days 1–2: Flight from USA to Istanbul
• Day 3: Full-day tour of Istanbul. In the evening, you can enjoy an optional dinner with bellydancing entertainment (extra fee).
• Day 4: Drive through the Gallipoli Peninsula, visiting Anzac Cove, the Lone Pine Cemetery, Chunuk Bair battlefield, and the Kabatepe War Museum.
• Day 5: You’ll wake up in the seaport city of Canakkale, then head south to visit Troy, its wooden-horse replica, and the ancient healing temple of Asclepion at Pergamum. Lunch with locals at a traditional village.
• Day 6: After overnighting in Izmir, head south to the ruins at Ephesus, where you’ll tour the Library of Celsius and Hadrian’s Temple. Afterward, you’ll visit a cottage where the Virgin Mary is said to have lived.
• Day 7: Drive through Pamukkale’s mineral thermal pools and stop at the ruins of Hierapolis.
• Day 8: Head along the Turkish Riviera (also known as the Turquoise Coast) and visit the ancient city of Perge.
• Day 9: Enjoy a day of leisure in the coastal town of Antalya. Consider an optional tour to the ruins of Phaselis, or a Mediterranean cruise (extra fee).
• Day 10: Visit the ancient theater in Aspendos en route to Konya, home to the tomb of poet Rumi (founder of the Whirling Dervishes) and a Karatay Koran School.
• Day 11: En route to Cappadocia, stop at the 13th-century Seljuk Caravan Inn and the underground city of Sarhatli
• Day 12: Explore the otherworldly landscape of Cappadocia. Then visit the towns of Goreme and Avanos, the Pasabag monastic complex, and Red Valley.
• Day 13 Arrive in Ankara, Turkey’s capital, to visit the tomb of Ataturk, the father of Turkey, and the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations.
• Day 14: Arrive back in Istanbul, where you’ll visit the city’s famous spice market.
• Day 15: Fly back to the USA.

Tour Highlights

• Full-day Istanbul tour includes stops at the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia—the city’s most iconic buildings.
• Ancient ruins galore: From the former Greek city of Ephesus to the Roman theater at Aspendos (which once held 15,000 spectators), you’ll behold several millennium-old sites.
• Relax in a thermal pool: Pamukkale’s thermal pools are legendary. You can take a dip in one while staying at Thermal Colossae Hotel.
• Cappadocia: You’ll visit the town of Goreme, known for its “fair chimney” rock formations. You can also take an optional balloon ride over the region (extra fee).
• Accommodations: You’ll stay at several 5-star hotels on this trip, including the Swissotel in Izmir, named one of Turkey’s top 25 luxury hotels in the TripAdvisor 2015 Traveler’s Choice Awards.

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