Private Turkey Tours – 8 Nights 9 Days

Upon reaching Istanbul International Airport, you’ll be greeted by your guide and escorted to your hotel. As the former capital of the Byzantine and Roman Empires, as well as the Ottoman State, Istanbul is a mesmerizing city that spans two continents – Europe and Asia. It’s a melting pot of museums, bazaars, minarets, mosques, churches, palaces, and restaurants that cater to the diverse tastes and customs of its 15 million inhabitants. You’ll spend the night in Istanbul.

(Breakfast and Lunch Included) After fueling up with breakfast, we’ll embark on an Istanbul City Tour. Our first stop will be the ancient Hippodrome, a former site of chariot races and home to three historic monuments: the Obelisk of Theodosius, the bronze Serpentine Column, and the Column of Constantine. Next, we’ll visit the Sultanahmet Imperial Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque, known for its stunning interior decoration of blue Iznik tiles. Then, we’ll head to the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, a former church and the greatest surviving example of Byzantine architecture. After a lunch break, we’ll take a trip to Asil Efendi for some shopping and the chance to purchase exotic spices and herbs, Turkish sweets, coffee, ceramics, and other souvenirs.

Optionally, in the evening, we’ll enjoy an unforgettable Dinner Cruise on the Bosphorus, where Europe and Asia meet. You’ll indulge in dinner and unlimited local drinks, a belly dance show, Turkish folklore, a DJ performance and other forms of entertainment. The night will end around midnight and you will be transferred back to your hotel for the night.

Please Note: Remember to bring a headscarf for visits to religious places such as the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia Mosque.

In the morning, we’ll leave for Gallipoli at 6:00 or 6:30am. After two hours, we’ll take a 20-minute break in a restaurant. We’ll arrive in Gallipoli around noon and have lunch. Then, we’ll visit the battlefields starting with Ariburnu Cemetery and Anzac Cove, where the war started. We’ll also visit Beach Cemetery, Lone Pine, and Chunuk Bair. After the tour, we’ll drive you back to the hotel in Canakkale for the night.

We leave at 8:30am and drive for 30 minutes to reach Troy. We’ll visit the famous historical and mythological site of Troy, where the Trojan Horse and Helen of Troy come from. After exploring Troy, we’ll drive for 3 hours to Pergamon. We’ll take a lunch break at 1:00pm. After lunch, we’ll tour the impressive Pergamon acropolis with its impressive temples and library that made it a famous cultural and political center in the past. Pergamon is also known for its jewelry, stones, and silver, so we’ll stop at a jewelry center for 30 minutes on the way. We’ll arrive in Kusadasi around 6:00pm and stay overnight there.

We will leave the hotel after breakfast at 08:30 am for a full guided tour of Ephesus. Along the way, we will visit the famous Temple of Artemis, Curetes street, Roman baths, Celsus Library, and Grand theater. At 13:00 pm, we will stop for lunch. After lunch, we will go to a place where they still do one of the oldest arts in Turkey – carpet weaving. We will also stop by a famous leather production center on the way, where you can buy goods at a good factory price. This guided tour will let you enjoy the shopping experience without being hassled, unlike in the markets of Turkey. We will stay overnight in Kusadasi.

We leave for Pamukkale at 08:00 am. Once we arrive, we will have a lunch break until 13:30 pm. Then, we’ll see the cotton castle, Pamukkale’s calcium terraces, and the old Hierapolis ruins. We’ll take a walk and even relax in the natural springs. Pamukkale, which means “seaside” in Turkish, is a town growing in industry, known for textiles and shopping. We’ll visit a famous textile factory. OPTIONAL PARAGLIDING: After visiting Pamukkale, we suggest trying the optional paragliding tour. Make your trip unforgettable by flying over the beautiful White Mountain in Pamukkale. This thrilling experience will give you stunning views of the area’s attractions. Tandem paragliding is perfect for those who want to feel excitement. We’ll end the tour around 17:30 and go back to the hotel, where we’ll stay in a thermal hotel with a hot thermal pool. OPTIONAL BALLOON RIDE: The next day, you can also choose to go on a hot air balloon ride over Pamukkale’s white travertines. Book before the trip to experience this unique and perfect adventure. Overnight in Pamukkale.

we’ll head to Antalya. We’ll stop for coffee after 2 hours of driving and continue to Antalya. We’ll have dinner and stay overnight in Antalya.

After eating breakfast, we’ll go to Antalya’s Old City (Kaleici). We’ll visit the Marina, Clock Tower, Hadrian’s Gate, Broken Minaret, and Hıdırlık Tower. Kaleici was once a big Roman town and later became part of the Byzantine Empire, the Seljuks, and the Ottoman Turkish town. Hadrian’s Gate is a big arch named after a Roman emperor. The Broken Minaret used to be a Roman temple. The Hıdırlık Tower is a famous tower made of orange stone in Antalya and was believed to be built in the ancient Greek time and was used for defense or as a lighthouse. We’ll have lunch at the hotel and then go to see the Duden Waterfalls. There are many streams in the area that flow into the Mediterranean and some fall down the slopes of the Taurus to form waterfalls. After the tour, we’ll go back to the hotel and the rest of the day is free. We’ll stay overnight in Antalya.

After a delicious breakfast, you will have some leisure time to explore  at your own pace. Later in the day, you will make your way to Antalya Airport for your flight back to Istanbul. It’s time to bid farewell to this amazing place, but we hope to welcome you back for another tour in the future.