Istanbul to Fethiye Tour via Gallipoli & Ephesus – 6 Days

Today is dedicated to Istanbul's historic heart. After breakfast you set off with your guide by tram and on foot to see Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the old Hippodrome, where the obelisks still stand, before exploring the covered lanes of the Grand Bazaar and the scents of the Spice Bazaar. The walking adds up, so comfortable footwear helps. The day closes on the water with a Bosphorus cruise: from the deck you see Ottoman palaces, fortresses and seaside villages on two continents, and your guide fills in the stories behind them. Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight: Istanbul.

A morning drive brings the group to the Gallipoli Peninsula, scene of one of the hardest-fought campaigns of the First World War. It began with the landings of 25 April 1915 and ended eight and a half months later. Your guide covers both sides of the story at ANZAC Cove and the main landing beaches, the ANZAC Commemorative Site, Lone Pine, Chunuk Bair, key to the August Offensive, and The Nek, the charge shown in the film Gallipoli. There is also a stop in Bigalı, the village where Mustafa Kemal had his headquarters, to meet the people who live there today. The night is spent in Çanakkale. Meals: breakfast, lunch. Overnight: Çanakkale.

Start the day at the archaeological site of Troy, where layer upon layer of settlements has been uncovered. You see the wooden horse built for visitors, the sacrificial altars, walls dating back some 3,700 years and the houses of Troy I, the oldest level. In the afternoon you drive to Pergamon and climb its acropolis to the Temple of Athena, the remains of the ancient library and the foundations of the Altar of Zeus. The Hellenistic theatre here is famously steep. Further down are the lower agora, the gymnasium on its terraces and the Temple of Dionysus. You reach the Ephesus area in the evening and have free time after check-in. Meals: breakfast, lunch. Overnight: Kuşadası.

You are collected early from the hotel for a full day that begins in Selçuk and at Ephesus. Founded around the 10th century BC, the city was one of the great ports of the ancient world. Walking down its marble streets you pass the Temple of Hadrian and arrive at the two-storey Library of Celsus; the scattered remains of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, are also on the route. After lunch the bus takes you south to Fethiye. The evening is free: the fish market in the town centre is a good choice for dinner (own expense). Meals: breakfast, lunch. Overnight: Fethiye.

Enjoy a last breakfast with the group at the hotel before saying goodbye. If you want to stay longer, Fethiye is a good base for boat trips, the beach at Ölüdeniz or a gulet cruise along the coast, which we can add on request. Meals: breakfast.