Turkish Sampler & Cappadocia

Welcome to Istanbul! At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and travel companions for a welcome dinner. (D)

East Meets West Discover Istanbul with a captivating, guided sightseeing tour. Visit the Roman Hippodrome and hear about the events held there. Marvel at the six minarets of the Blue Mosque, and the intricate decoration and blue hues of its interior. Stand below the breathtaking dome of the Hagia Sophia, visit Topkapi Palace to see how the Sultans lived, and discover a shopper’s paradise with a visit to the Grand Bazaar, the largest covered market in the world, spread over 60 streets and location of over 4,000 shops! Enjoy [LOCAL FAVORITE] a traditional Turkish coffee experience at a historical coffee roaster. (B) TOUR HIGHLIGHT Founded by the Greeks as Byzantium more than 2,500 years ago, later renamed Constantinople, and today called Istanbul, 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 This morning, drive to the Gallipoli peninsula and visit the WWI battlefields, ANZAC memorials and cemeteries, the Lone Pine Memorial, and Chunuk Bair Memorial before crossing the Dardanelles by ferry. (B,D) TOUR HIGHLIGHT 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.

A Gift Horse & A God of Healing Start your day with a guided visit of the archaeological site, dating back over 4000 years. See the symbolic wooden Trojan Horse that commemorates the Trojan War, the legendary tactic said to have secured the Greek victory. Continue to Pergamum for a guided visit of the Asklepion, a healing temple and shrine to the Greek God of medicine. (B,D) TOUR HIGHLIGHT 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 patients experienced, and which also included theatre shows. All of this was done in the belief that healing was a sacred art, and people’s souls needed to be mended as well as their bodies.