Grand Tour of Turkey

Explore the rich history of Turkey, starting with a guided tour of Istanbul, Turkey’s cultural heart and one of the oldest cities in the world. Pay a visit to the home of the Whirling Dervishes and the otherworldly stone homes of Cappadocia, wander among Greco-Roman ruins, take in the scenery of the Turquoise Coast and discover the unique blend of cultures in the country where east meets west.

Day 1 – Overnight Flight

Your trip begins with a regularly scheduled overnight flight to Istanbul aboard an internationally recognized airline

Day 2 – Istanbul

Welcome to Istanbul, crossroads of East and West and the world’s only city spanning two continents. A Go Ahead representative greets you and escorts you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax or begin exploring Istanbul. At an included dinner this evening, meet your fellow travelers.
Included meals: breakfast (in flight), dinner

Day 3 – Istanbul

Your Tour Director acquaints your with Istanbul on this morning’s sightseeing tour. You’ll visit the city’s Hippodrome, the breathtaking Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia. About 1,000 years older than St. Peter’s in Rome, this awe-inspiring building was the pride of Christendom until the city fell to the Turks in 1453. This evening is free to enjoy at leisure.
Included meals: breakfastIncluded entrances: Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia

Day 4 – Canakkale

Today begins with a guided sightseeing tour of Troy, the legendary city at the heart of Homer’s Iliad. Later, make your way along the Aegean coast to Canakkale, a town coveted in centuries past for its strategic location at the entrance to the Dardanelles. Dinner is included tonight.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner

Day 5 – Kusadasi

Travel south along the Aegean coast to Pergamon. Here, you’ll visit the Acropolis before continuing on to Kusadasi, a resort town on Turkey’s west coast for an included dinner this evening.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner

Day 6 – Kusadasi

Today’s excursion introduces you to one of the Mediterranean region’s best-preserved classical cities, Ephesus, once a sacred center for the cult of Artemis. Your guided tour highlights the city’s major landmarks: the elaborate Library of Celsus, the Temple of Hadrian and the Great Theatre, which is still in use today. Leaving Ephesus, you’ll then travel to the house where the Virgin Mary is said to have spent her final days. Afterwards, join a special optional excursion to the town of Sirince for a firsthand look at rural village life in Turkey. Dinner is included tonight.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Included entrances: Ephesus ruins, House of the Virgin Mary

Day 7 – Pamukkale

Travel to the ruins of Priene, which was once an important harbor. Priene is also home to a ruined Temple of Athena. Continue on to the ruins of the Temple of Apollo at Didyma, one of the Hellenic world’s most important oracles. Arrive later in Pamukkale, where dinner is included tonight.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner

Day 8 – Pamukkale

On this morning’s guided tour, discover why Pamukkale was a popular spa town during Roman times on a visit to the city’s famous travertines—petrified waterfalls of white stone pocked by natural basins filled with warm mineral water. Afterwards, journey to the well-preserved ruins of Hierapolis nearby. Hierapolis was established as a thermal spa at the end of the 2nd century B.C., and the ruins of baths, temples and other Greek monuments can be seen at the site. Enjoy a free afternoon to soak in the Pamukkale hot springs or join an optional excursion to Aphrodisias. Dinner is included tonight.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner

Day 9 – Antalya

Travel to Antalya this morning. After arriving, a local guide leads you on a tour of the city. You’ll explore the Antalya Museum, an enormous complex housing nearly 30,000 antiquities. You’ll continue on to the ruins of Hadrian’s Gate, a remarkably well-preserved triumphal arch built to honor the Roman emperor’s visit in 130. According to legend, the Queen of Sheba passed through this arch during her journey to visit with King Solomon.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Included entrances: Antalya Museum, Hadrian’s Gate

Day 10 – Antalya

Enjoy a day at leisure in Antalya. While Antalya is notable for its ruins, it’s also Turkey’s premier seaside resort town. Spend a day discovering the city’s modern and ancient charms, or join an optional excursion to the ancient sites of Aspendos and Perge this afternoon. Dinner is included tonight.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner

Day 11 – Cappadocia

Cross the Taurus Mountains to visit the mystical center of Konya, where you’ll find the spiritual home of Sufism and the Whirling Dervishes. Learn more about the Dervishes on your tour of the Mevlana Museum, which was once their monastery. Later, traverse the windswept Anatolian steppe before reaching Cappadocia and its strange, unearthly rock formations. This evening, after an included dinner, join an optional excursion to see a Whirling
Dervishes performance (seasonal).
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Included entrances: Mevlana Museum

Day 12 – Cappadocia

Tour the famous Göreme Open Air Museum, comprising beautifully frescoed rock churches dating back to the fourth century. Continue on to the charming towns of Pasabag, a bustling trading center, and Avanos, where the local economy thrives on the production of pottery created from the distinctive red clay of the Kizilirmak River. This evening, you may opt to attend a folklore show. Dinner is included tonight.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner
Included entrances: Göreme Open Air Museum

Day 13 – Istanbul

This morning is free for your own explorations of Cappadocia. Alternatively, join an optional excursion to the Özkonak Underground City, where you’ll learn about the mysterious story behind this ancient subterranean complex. Later today, catch your afternoon flight back to Istanbul.
Included meals: breakfast

Day 14 – Istanbul

Enjoy a free day to explore Istanbul. You might try your hand at haggling in the Grand Bazaar. Or, join an optional excursion to Bosphorus, also known as the Istanbul Strait. This boundary between European Turkey and Asian Turkey connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara. This evening, reflect on your journey at an included Farewell Dinner.
Included meals: breakfast, dinner

Day 15 – Istanbul

If you are not staying for our tour extension in Istanbul, a Go Ahead representative escorts you to the airport early this morning for your return flight home.
Included meals: breakfast
(In the case of early morning departures, breakfast may not be provided.)

Extend Your Stay

Add 2 nights in Istanbul for only $249 USD (Single room: add $80 USD)
The undisputed cultural, economic, and historical capital of Turkey, Istanbul has enough monuments and attractions (as well as enticing restaurants and shops) to keep you busy for days. Straddling Europe and Asia, the city once known as Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine and then the Ottoman Empire, has for centuries been a bustling and cosmopolitan crossroads. The Byzantine-built Aya Sofya and the Ottoman-era Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace are within walking distance of each other, while other historic mosques and churches are sprinkled throughout the city.

Please note: A visa is required for U.S. and Canadian passport holders to enter Turkey.