Flying Discovery Tour

Welcome to Istanbul! You will be transferred to your hotel and the remainder of the day is yours free to explore at your own pace.

After breakfast, you enjoy a fully guided tour of the only city to span two continents, visiting the Blue Mosque, St Sophia Museum, Topkapi Palace (including Hagia Irene and the Harem), the Hippodrome and Dolmabahce Palace.

Today we visit the WW1 battlefields of Gallipoli including Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair Memorials, ANZAC Cove, The Nek, Johnston's Jolly, original trenches and tunnels.

Step back in time today as we visit Troy where we will explore the ancient city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the new, award winning, Troy Museum. We continue on to Bergama and up to the magnificent acropolis of Pergamon. Its impressive temples and library made it a renowned cultural and political centre in its time. From here we continue on to Kusadasi.

Absorb yourself in history today with a guided tour of Ephesus, once a bustling trade hub and religious center. Ephesus today whispers of ancient marvels, from the site of the Temple of Artemis to the grand facade of the Library of Celsus and the impressive amphitheater. We will also visit the Ephesus Archaeology Museum, where artifacts from the ancient city bring its history to life. Carpet weaving has long traditions in Turkey, and at the carpet village, we will learn how carpets are made by hand and what determines their value. Afterward, we head to Selçuk for a wine tasting experience.

After a leather shop visit, we will head to Aphrodisias the ancient city dedicated to Aphrodite, the goddess of Beauty, Love and Fertility, also famous for its school of sculpture, we visit the stadium, which is the best preserved in Anatolia, the Temple of Aphrodite, the Tetrapylon, theatre and the Museum. Then, we continue to Pamukkale.

This morning we will explore the magnificent white calcium terraces, known as Travertines, in Pamukkale where we also tour the ancient city of Hierapolis. Take a dip, amongst ancient columns, in the hot springs that were used in Roman times for their therapeutic powers. Then we will head to Salda Lake, is known as Turkish Maldives. It is a mountain lake and located in the mountains before we travel down to South.

Today, you are free to explore the town at your own pace and there is also optional tours and activities. Optional tours and activities; 12 island boat trip and Saklikent Gorge tour

This morning we head to Kayakoy. The morning light provides excellent photos of this deserted Greek village. Afterwards we drive to the resort town of Antalya. We will visit the Antalya Museum with its wealthy collection from the ancient cities around the Antalya Province.

We will visit Perge a famous antique site, early in the morning. After Perge we drive to Aspendos which has the best preserved 2nd Century Amphitheatre in Turkey. We return back to Antalya city in the afternoon and the remainder of your day is free.

We will visit the mausoleum of Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi, the great 13th-century Sufi mystic and poet, whose teachings continue to inspire people worldwide. Inside the Mevlana Museum, we will explore his beautifully adorned tomb, ancient manuscripts, and exhibits on the Whirling Dervishes and their spiritual traditions.Continuing our journey along the legendary Silk Road, we will visit the Çatalhöyük Museum, which brings to life the fascinating history of one of the world’s oldest and most advanced Neolithic settlements.

Today we head to Cappadocia, visiting Sultanhani Caravansary, an ancient Silk Road stop off for merchants and traders. Later we explore the many levels of an underground city. After checking into our hotel we visit a traditional Turkish home for dinner. Here you can do a course and help cook if you wish.

Marvel at the lunar landscape of Cappadocia today as we visit the Goreme Valley Open Air Museum and the fairy chimneys. We then visit Pigeon and Red Valley, followed by Cavusin village and lastly Avanos town where we will learn about hand-made pottery.

Departure in the morning from Cappadocia, we head to Ankara for our direct flight to Van. On arrival to Van Airport, you will meet with your tour guide. Before we go to our hotel, we will explore the Citadel with its three thousand Urartian fortress of Van and witness the extraordinary sunset.

After breakfast, we will travel by ferry stopping at Akdamar Island to see a spectacular 10th century church built by an Armenian king, if there is time swim in Lake Van. Then, we will drive back to city centre to visit the largest Urartu Museum in the World. Artifacts from the Paleolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Urartian, Persian, Roman, Byzantine, Islamic, Seljuk, Turkish-Islamic, and Ottoman Periods are exhibited in chronological order taking our visitors on a unique historical journey. After the museum visit Van Cat House. Van cats are relatively large, have a chalky white coat, sometimes with ruddy coloration on the head and hindquarters, and have blue, amber eyes or one eye of each colour. This variety has been referred to as "the swimming cat", and has been observed to swim in Lake Van.

Today we leave for Dogubayazit via Muradiye and the Bendimaahi Falls. In Dogubayazit, we visit the spectacular Ishak Pasha Palace, 1685 - 1784, which has a unique fusion of architecture from Seljuk, Ottoman, Georgian, and Armenian - Persian styles. We continue our journey north, skirting around the western edge of Mt Ararat. Mt. Ararat is one of the great natural spectacles of the world,. The name Ararat derives from the Bible (Jeremiah 51:27) and is a transliteration of 'Urartu' the name foreigners gave to this region and its inhabitants in Biblical times.

This morning we journey to the site of Ani, the former capital of the Armenian kingdom. In the mid 10th century, nothing in Europe could rival this capital of the Armenian kingdom in terms of either size or magnificence. The remains of the ruined city include several churches as well as the shell of the Cathedral of Ani, the citadel and a mosque. There are also some exciting remains of frescoes in the Church of St Gregory (Tigran Honentz) despite having been exposed to the elements for centuries. Afternoon, we will visit 12 Aposotles Church and Kars Castle.

Transfer to Kars Airport for your onward flight back to Istanbul. On arrival to Istanbul Airport, you will be transferred to your hotel.

After breakfast our tour concludes and we say goodbye to our new friends and are transferred to the airport for your onward flight.