Welcome to Istanbul! At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and travelling companions for a welcome
dinner at the hotel.

A Gateway between Orient and Occident ISTANBUL Guided sightseeing includes the Topapki Palace, Hagia Sophia, the Roman Hippodrome and the Blue Mosque followed by a Turkish Delight tasting. (B) TOUR HIGHLIGHT CULTURE & TRADITIONS Founded by the Greeks as Byzantium more than 2,500 years ago, and finally called Istanbul after the Ottoman conquest in the 15th century, the city on the Bosporus remains one of the most exciting places in the world. Its strategic location as a gateway between Orient and Occident, the Islamic and the Christian worlds, and the Black Sea and the Mediterranean predestined it for a turbulent yet exciting history.

Bravery on the Beach ISTANBUL Visit the grand bazaar. GALLIPOLI Visit the WWI battlefields on the Gallipoli peninsula, the Anzac Cemetery and the Lone Pine Memorial before crossing the Dardanelless by ferry. (B,D) 236 mi/ 380 km TOUR HIGHLIGHT HISTORY & HERITAGE Visit the moving and inspirational sites, where Allied troops, mainly Australians and New Zealanders, suffered heavy casualties in a disastrous campaign. Pay tribute to the heroes of those tragic months of 1915 at the Anzac Cemetery and the Lone Pine Memorial

Trojan War TROY Enjoy a guided visit. PERGAMUM Guided visit of the Asklepion, a shrine to the Greek God of medicine. (B,D) 267 mi / 430 km TOUR HIGHLIGHT HEALING THE BODY & THE SOUL Nestled between hills, the Asklepion retains a sense of serenity and history. The sick approached the temple via the Sacred Way, a path that started their journey to health determined according to what dreams the patient experienced and which also included theatre shows. All of this was done in the belief that healing was a sacred art and that people’s souls needed to be mended as well as their bodies.

Ancient Civilisation Preserved EPHESUS Follow your Guide for a walk through the ancient ruins and the archaeological museum. (B,D) 137 mi / 220 km TOUR HIGHLIGHT HISTORIC SPOTS Ephesus was one of the most famous cities of the ancient Mediterranean. It was the second biggest city of the Roman Empire and today it is one of the largest Roman archaeological sites in the eastern Mediterranean.

In the Shadow of Mount Olympus HIERAPOLIS Visit the thermal resort founded by a Pergamene king in 190 BCE. BURSA Visit the Great Mosque the covered bazaar and the silk market followed by a Kestane Sekeri tasting. (B) 280mi / 450 km TOUR HIGHLIGHT ANCIENT TASTES ON THE SILK ROAD Wander through the long winding bazaar in Bursa, Turkey’s centuries-old city centre, taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of the buzzing marketplace. Treat your taste buds to one of the city’s famous sweets, the Kestane Sekery, and find the perfect gift for yourself or a friend, a piece of authentic Bursa-made silk.

Ancient Walls & Ecumenical Council IZNIK Guided visit includes St. Sophia’s Church and the Archaeological museum ISTANBUL Farewell dinner at a local restaurant (B,D) 137 mi / 220 km TOUR HIGHLIGHT CERAMIC BEYOND TIMES Iznik is a completely “open-air museum” with its rare ancient history and uniqueness. It is also the birthplace of the world famous Iznik tiles – a treasured artform dating back to the Ottoman Empire.

Safe travels until we meet again!  Your holiday ends with breakfast this morning.