All Around Turkey Tour with Gulet Cruise – 17 Days

After breakfast your guide leads a full day in the historic peninsula, moving by tram and on foot. You visit Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, walk across the Hippodrome of Constantinople with its obelisks, and spend time in the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar. Expect a lot of walking, so comfortable shoes and clothing make the day much easier. In the late afternoon the group boards a boat for a cruise on the Bosphorus, with your guide explaining the palaces, villages and history along the strait between Europe and Asia. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: Istanbul.

The bus heads west to the Gallipoli Peninsula, where the campaign that began on 25 April 1915 lasted eight and a half months. Your guide tells the story from both the Turkish and the Allied side as you visit ANZAC Cove and the landing beaches, the ANZAC Commemorative Site, the Lone Pine memorial, Chunuk Bair, scene of the August Offensive, and The Nek. There is also time to walk through original trenches and communication tunnels. You also stop at Bigalı village, where Mustafa Kemal had his headquarters in 1915, and meet some of the local villagers. In the evening you cross to Çanakkale for the night. Meals: breakfast, lunch. Overnight: Çanakkale.

The morning is spent at Troy, where you see the wooden Trojan Horse, the sacrificial altars, city walls that are about 3,700 years old and the houses of the first settlement, Troy I. In the afternoon the tour continues south to Pergamon. On the acropolis you walk past the Temple of Athena, the site of the ancient library and the Altar of Zeus, then look down from the Hellenistic theatre, often called the steepest in the world; the lower agora, the terraced gymnasium and the Temple of Dionysus are also on the route. The drive ends near Ephesus, with free time after check-in. Meals: breakfast, lunch. Overnight: Kuşadası.

An early start takes you to Selçuk and ancient Ephesus, a city whose history reaches back to the 10th century BC and one of the best-preserved ancient sites anywhere. The visit covers the Temple of Artemis, once one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Temple of Hadrian and the two-storey façade of the Library of Celsus. After lunch the bus continues to Fethiye on the Mediterranean coast. Once you have checked in, the evening is free; many guests choose dinner at the Fethiye fish market (at your own cost). Meals: breakfast, lunch. Overnight: Fethiye.

After breakfast you can leave your luggage at the hotel and look around Fethiye before boarding the gulet at Fethiye Harbour around noon. The first stop is Butterfly Valley (Kelebekler Vadisi), a gorge closed in by cliffs up to 350 metres high that can only be reached from the sea and is named after the Jersey Tiger butterfly. Lunch is served here, and you can swim or hike up to the waterfall. Next comes Ölüdeniz and its Blue Lagoon, one of the most photographed beaches in Europe. A tandem paragliding flight of 30 to 45 minutes from about 2,000 metres over the lagoon is optional (€189, book in advance). In the evening the gulet anchors at St Nicholas Island, where a short climb through old ruins leads to a hilltop sunset view. Meals: breakfast, lunch, 5 o'clock tea, fruit platters, dinner. Overnight: on the gulet.

The gulet sets off early for Aquarium Bay, where breakfast is followed by a swim. Further south you reach Kaş, a former fishing village with Lycian, Roman and Ottoman layers. Its harbour and marble-paved streets, some 2,400 years old, are lined with jewellery and craft shops, and the ancient theatre just outside town looks out over the sea. Kaş is Turkey's best-known diving area, with more than 40 dive sites; scuba diving for beginners and certified divers is optional (€90, book in advance). The day ends at anchor in Kocakarı Bay near Kekova. Meals: breakfast, lunch, 5 o'clock tea, fruit platters, dinner. Overnight: on the gulet.

After breakfast the gulet slowly passes the Sunken City, where walls and harbour remains about 2,400 years old lie just below the surface. You then go ashore at Kaleköy, ancient Simena, a village of fewer than 50 houses that can only be reached by boat or on foot. Walk between Lycian sarcophagi and bougainvillaea, climb to Simena Castle for the view over the bay (entrance €4, covered by the Museum Pass) and try the village's homemade dried-fig ice cream. The afternoon is for swimming in quiet Gökkaya Bay. At night you can take a boat to the Smugglers Inn, a rustic island bar with music under the stars (optional). Meals: breakfast, lunch, 5 o'clock tea, fruit platters, dinner. Overnight: on the gulet.

A morning swim and breakfast come before the cruise to Çayağzı harbour at Demre. From there the gulet visits Karemlik, known as Turtle Bay, to look for Caretta caretta sea turtles and snorkel; you can also browse the Demre market or drink Turkish tea in a local café. In the afternoon you sail back past the Sunken City to Kaleköy, where you can paddleboard or look at the Lycian tombs that rise straight out of the water. The night is spent again in Gökkaya Bay, a turtle breeding ground, with a second chance to visit the Smugglers Inn. Meals: breakfast, lunch, 5 o'clock tea, fruit platters, dinner. Overnight: on the gulet.

Today starts in Limanağzı Bay, a green inlet with clear water and a few beach restaurants, ideal for a long swim. The gulet then returns to Kaş for shopping or a coffee by the harbour. A short walk takes you to the Antiphellos theatre, and the small Küçük Çakıl beach is close by for a quick dip. Divers get a second chance for an optional scuba dive (€90). Swimming and dinner are at Fırnaz Bay, also called Aquarium Bay. Meals: breakfast, lunch, 5 o'clock tea, fruit platters, dinner. Overnight: on the gulet.

You wake up in Butterfly Valley, between high cliffs, with time to swim or hike to the hidden waterfall. The gulet then moves to the Blue Lagoon at Ölüdeniz, known for its calm turquoise water and white sandbar. If you skipped it earlier, tandem paragliding is offered again (€189, book in advance). In the evening you anchor at St Nicholas Island (Gemiler Island) and explore its early Christian ruins and chapels, then climb to Sunset Point for a wide view over the sea. Meals: breakfast, lunch, 5 o'clock tea, fruit platters, dinner. Overnight: on the gulet.

The last morning on board is slow and relaxed. After breakfast the gulet sails to Samanlık Bay for a final swim. Around noon the gulet docks at Fethiye Harbour and you are transferred to your hotel; the rest of the day is free. Meals: breakfast, lunch. Overnight: Fethiye.

The bus heads inland to Saklıkent Gorge, one of the longest and most impressive canyons in Turkey. Ice-cold water runs between steep rock walls, and you can walk into the gorge, cool off in the water or try river tubing (optional). The journey then continues to Pamukkale for the night. Meals: breakfast, lunch. Overnight: Pamukkale.

In the morning you visit Pamukkale, the 'cotton castle', where warm spring water has built white terraces of carbonate minerals over thousands of years. You can walk the terraces and bathe in the thermal pools. After the visit the bus crosses central Anatolia, through small towns and villages, to Cappadocia. After check-in the evening is free. Meals: breakfast, lunch. Overnight: Cappadocia.

Early risers can take an optional sunrise hot air balloon flight over the fairy chimneys; otherwise the day begins with a relaxed breakfast. The guided tour covers the Göreme Open-Air Museum, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, Pigeon Valley, Uçhisar and Çavuşin. In the afternoon you visit local workshops to see traditional crafts being made. An optional Turkish night with music and dance is offered in the evening. Meals: breakfast, lunch. Overnight: Cappadocia.

The morning visit is to Derinkuyu, an underground city with a church, wells, food stores and stables reaching about 60 metres below the surface. The route north stops at Tuz Gölü, the Salt Lake, whose crust looks white or pink depending on the season and which is an important stop for migrating birds. The bus then continues to Istanbul, arriving late in the evening. Meals: breakfast, lunch. Overnight: Istanbul.

After breakfast you check out of the hotel and say goodbye to the group. The tour ends in Istanbul. Meals: breakfast.