8-Day Premium Turkey Tour – Istanbul, Kusadasi, Pamukkale & Bodrum

Following breakfast, you are collected from your hotel between 08:00 and 09:30 for a full day in the historic peninsula. The tour starts at Topkapi Palace, seat of the Ottoman sultans from the 15th to the 19th century, whose halls display crystal, silver and Chinese porcelain, imperial robes, the jewels of the Imperial Treasury, fine miniatures and the Holy Mantle, which enshrines relics of the Prophet Mohammed. Next you visit the Sultanahmet Imperial Mosque, built in the 17th century opposite Hagia Sophia and famed as the Blue Mosque for the blue Iznik tiles of its interior. Just outside lies the Hippodrome, once the stage for chariot races and public celebrations, where three monuments still stand: the Obelisk of Theodosius, the bronze Serpentine Column and the Column of Constantine. After a relaxed lunch break, you head to the Spice Bazaar for shopping among its spices, sweets and teas, then return to the hotel. Please note that Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesdays. Overnight in Istanbul.

After breakfast and a hotel pick-up between 08:00 and 09:30, you board a private boat for a traditional cruise along the Bosphorus, the waterway that separates Europe from Asia. Glide past waterfront palaces, mosques, fortresses and elegant wooden mansions while your guide points out the landmarks on both shores. Lunch is served at a Turkish restaurant once you are back on land. In the afternoon you are transferred to Istanbul Airport for your domestic flight to Izmir. On arrival you are met and driven south along the Aegean coast to Kusadasi, where you check in to your hotel. Dinner and overnight in Kusadasi.

After breakfast you set off on a fully guided tour of Ephesus, one of the best-preserved ancient cities in the world. On the way you stop at the Temple of Artemis, once among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, before walking down Curetes Street, past the famous Roman baths, to the Library of Celsus and the Grand Theatre. Lunch is served at around 13:00, after which you visit a carpet weaving centre where one of Turkey's oldest crafts is demonstrated. The afternoon is spent in the village of Sirince, whose whitewashed houses on the hillside preserve the building style of the Anatolian Greeks. Sirince is renowned for its fruit wines: you visit the vineyards and learn from local winemakers how they are produced, then test your new knowledge in the evening. On the way back you call at a leather production centre, where you can shop calmly at factory prices. Dinner and overnight in Kusadasi.

After breakfast and pick-up from your hotel between 08:00 and 09:30, you drive inland through the fertile Meander Valley to Pamukkale. You check in to your hotel around midday and enjoy a lunch break until about 13:30. In the afternoon your guide leads you onto the dazzling white calcium terraces that give Pamukkale its name, Cotton Castle, formed over thousands of years by mineral-rich thermal springs. Above them spread the ruins of Hierapolis, the ancient spa city, including its theatre and monumental streets. You have time to walk barefoot along the travertines and the option of bathing in the natural thermal waters before returning to the hotel. Dinner and overnight in Pamukkale.

Following breakfast, you check out and are transferred south-west towards the Aegean coast and the Bodrum peninsula. The drive takes about five hours and passes through rolling countryside of olive groves and pine-covered hills, with a stop on the way for coffee and a chance to stretch your legs. On arrival in Bodrum you check in to your hotel and have the rest of the afternoon free to enjoy the beach, the pool or a first walk along the marina and the lively streets around the castle. Dinner and overnight in Bodrum.

There is no early start today: the whole day is yours to enjoy Bodrum at leisure. Soak up the sunshine on the beach, swim in the clear Aegean, browse the local markets and shops, or take your pick from the many activities on offer, such as a visit to an aqua park, a scuba diving session or a fishing trip, all of which can be arranged locally. If you would like to see more of the town, our guide and vehicle are at your disposal to take you to any place you wish to visit within Bodrum. In the evening you return to the hotel. Dinner and overnight in Bodrum.

Enjoy a final breakfast at your hotel and, depending on your flight time, a last walk along the Bodrum seafront. You are then transferred to Milas-Bodrum Airport for your domestic flight to Istanbul, where you connect with your international flight home; if you are staying on in Turkey, we are happy to arrange extra nights or onward travel. This brings to an end your eight-day journey through Istanbul, Kusadasi, Ephesus, Sirince, Pamukkale and Bodrum. We hope your time in Turkey has been memorable and look forward to welcoming you back on another tour in the future.