Treasures of Turkey Tour
A tour aimed at providing comfortable travel with private transfers, and quality hotels. The itinerary include visits to Turkey’s main attractions including Gallipoli, the old part of Istanbul, and stunning Pamukkale, nicknamed white Cotton Castle and much more!
Small Group Tours (Usually 8 to 12)
Boutique Hotels
Flights Only (No Long Bus Trips)
Highlights
A tour aimed at providing comfortable travel with private transfers, and quality hotels. The itinerary include visits to Turkey’s main attractions including Gallipoli, the old part of Istanbul, and stunning Pamukkale, nicknamed white Cotton Castle and much more!
Tour Itinerary
Pick up from the airport and transfer to your hotel by private car. Overnight stay in Istanbul.
Pick up from your hotel & visit Haghia Sophia Museum, Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome, Grand Bazaar and Topkapi Palace (Harem & Aya Irini included). We will provide you with tickets to the Whirling Dervish ceremony tonight (the art centre is 5 minutes walking distance to your hotel). Overnight stay in Istanbul.
Pick up from your hotel & enjoy the Bosphorus by Boat. Visit the Spice Bazaar, Beylerbeyi Palace, Bosphorus Bridge and Camlica Hill. Overnight stay in Istanbul.
Pick up from your hotel & drive (4.5 hours) south to the Gallipoli Peninsula. Hear expert information from a local guide. Visit the Kabatepe War Museum, the intended landing place at Brighton Beach and Anzac Cove where the Dawn Service is held each year. Also visit the NZ Memorial at Chunuk Bair, the Australian Memorial at Lone Pine, and the Turkish Memorial as well. Overnight in Canakkale. Note: Enough time is spent in Gallipoli to visit all the sites mentioned above.
Pick up from your hotel & morning drive (1 hour) to the ruins of the ancient cities of Troy. Lunch break. In the afternoon, drive to Kusadasi, stopping at the beautiful ruins of Pergamon (2 hours drive) on the way. These stunning ruins, beautifully located on a hill top, demonstrate that the architects and sculptors of Pergamon were among the most talented in the Hellenistic world. Final drive to Kusadasi will be 2.5 hours. Overnight in Kusadasi.
Pick up from your hotel & visit the ruins of the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven ancient wonders of the world. Then visit Ephesus Ancient City, the best-preserved Greco-Roman city in the world. Here you will explore the Agora, Odeon, Celsius Library, Hadrian Temple, Roman Baths, Grand Theatre & Marble Street. After a lunch break, visit the House of Virgin Mary, where she is thought to have spent her final years. Overnight stay in Kusadasi.
Pick up from your hotel & morning drive (2.5 hours) to Pamukkale, then lunch. In the afternoon, tour the 'Cotton Castle.' Bring swimwear as you may have time to swim in the Antique Pool (extra fee applies.) Also visit the ancient ruins of the City of Hierapolis with its theatre and Necropolis. After the tour, transfer to Kusadasi. Overnight in Kusadasi.
Pick up from your hotel & transfer to the airport for your flight to Cappadocia (maybe via Istanbul.) On arrival, transfer to your hotel. Overnight stay in Cappadocia.
05:00 Hot air balloon flight over Cappadocia Hotel pickup, then a quick snack and safety briefing. Watching the balloon inflate, then you're off! Soaring over fairy chimneys, and dipping low to skim cave dwellings. This may be your favourite part of your Turkey trip - it will certainly be unforgettable. Celebrate a soft landing with a quick drink, and return to your hotel for breakfast around 8.30am. Full Day Cappadocia Tour - (North) Pick up from your hotel & tour Start from Devrent Valley (Imagination Valley), spectacular fairy chimneys and beautiful and scapes. After Devrent valley, we will visit Pasabag (known as Monk valley) where we will see double and triple headed rock formations. Lunch at Avanos, famous for pottery and Redriver (Kızılırmak). After lunch, you will visit Goreme open air museum which is in the heart of Cappadocia. Open air museum famous for wall painting, dates back to 10th century describing the life of Jesus Christ and monks. The last stop will be the Uchisar castle, natural and one of the biggest mass fairy chimney of the region. Overnight stay in Cappadocia.
Full Day Cappadocia Tour - (South) Pick up from your hotel & tour starts with Red valley. Explore the famous rock-cut churches and hike through the colourful and breath taking fairy chimneys. After 4 kms hiking, you will visit Cavusin (Greek village), famous for rock cut churches. After lunch, you will visit the one of the magical places of the region, the largest underground city of Cappadocia. After the underground city, you will visit the pigeon valley famous for dovecotes. The last stop is Ortahisar castle, one of the biggest mass fairy chimney of Cappadocia. Overnight stay in Cappadocia.
Pick up from your hotel & morning flight back to Istanbul. Transfer to your hotel. Overnight stay in Istanbul.
Free day for wandering the streets of the Old City, getting lost in the Grand Bazaar or taking a leisurely Turkish bath in an historic hamam. Play backgammon and drink tea, or travel into the New City around Istiklal Street to experience Istanbul the way the locals do. Overnight in Istanbul.
Pick up from the hotel according to your flight schedule and transfer to the airport.
You can customize this trip with additional days! Slow the pace with rest days in locations of your choice, or add additional sightseeing days along the route.
Tour Map
Tour Details
Hotels
Departure Date
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Start DateFinish DateDay / Days / Every Day
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Start Date: 01.01.2024Finish Date: 31.12.2024Day / Days / Every Day: Every Day
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Start Date: 01.01.2025Finish Date: 31.12.2025Day / Days / Every Day: Every Day
Price List
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StartFinishSingleDouble/Twin PPTriple PP
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Start: 01.01.2024Finish: 31.12.2024Single: 5,970 AUDDouble/Twin PP: 4,776 AUDTriple PP: 4,605 AUD
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Start: 01.01.2025Finish: 31.12.2025Single: 6,567 AUDDouble/Twin PP: 5,364 AUDTriple PP: 5,117 AUD
Book Now / Enquiry
If you are traveling with children, please send us an enquiry through the below form for costing and further information.
Reviews
Greg & Ann
Sydney
First of thanks to Michael Altan at TTC for his assistance with both the initial booking ( we had a few questions ) and organising our extended stay. The tour was well run & organised & run like clock work , each guide or hotel advised us of the following days time table ect. Each guide from our Old City Tour walk in Istanbul to 9 days & 7 guides later in Cappadocia , all guides had extensive knowledge and were VERY passionate on there tour, to a point in the Ephesus Tour where we were to have lunch, was packed with other bus tours hot, noisy & not welcoming , our guide contacted her company to find an alternative restaurant ( which was at a greater cost), we went a small area offthe track ... It was great the food was amazing as was the ambience. Highlights umm to many to mention from the Istanbul walk , Bosphorus boat ride, Gallipoli Tour, Troy & Pergamon, Ephesus Tour, Pamukkale Tour ( must mention the hotel La Vista great water views infinity pool spacious rooms attentive staff ), & Cappadocia 2 day Tour where we stayed at the MDC hotel with the rooms dug into the side of the hill ! With a lovely restaurant . All in all the Turkish people are lovely and we were regularly thanked for Touring there country, where Tourism is a large source of there income. On the transfer to the airport to leave a truck was broken down on the departure ramp, causing us to be dropped of at the arrivals area , which meant we had a walk, our driver apologised a couple of times we reminded him it was not his fault yet again he apologised.....Such humble people. If using TTC you won’t be disappointed.
Read MoreZina M.
Australia
Hi Michael, Zina and I have returned from our wonderful trip to Turkey. Many thanks for the excellent tours and guides on our trip. Our guides were all great and we were particularly impressed with TJ around Canakkale, the local guide around Troy, and with the guide around Ephesus.
Read MoreAlan
Sydney
Dear Michael, Our “Treasures of Turkey” tour was a wonderful experience. Every aspect of TTC’s arrangements was excellent: the itinerary, transfers, the standard of hotels and transport, special events, and meals. It’s impossible to select any single highlight because everywhere we went was so interesting, often exceptionally so. Cities, countryside, historic sites – they were all outstanding. I should, however, make special mention of our guides, Mehmet and Murat, whose generous sharing of personal insights added greatly to the context of what we were seeing, and to our understanding of Turkey. I’ve attached two pictures, one of Istanbul at dusk, centred on the Suleymaniye Mosque; the other of a café near the Hagia Sophia Museum. You’re welcome to share any of this. Thank you again for a memorable holiday. Kind regards, Alan
Read MoreMarianne Mahony
Melbourne, Australia
Well we have been back a few weeks now after what a wonderful trip I wanted to thank you for the trip. Mehmet was a terrific guide and we all enjoyed both his driving and his ability to understand and explain both Turkish and Australian culture. We will be recommending your service to our frinds Best Regards,
Read MoreJulie Ann
Perth, Australia
I’m sorry I haven’t contacted you earlier, but I just want to say how much I enjoyed the Treasures of Turkey tour which you offered. I was completely satisfied with all the arrangements which were put in place and not one of those arrangements were not to my satisfaction. I’m so pleased that i went with your group - it was unlike any other tour I’ve done and I have to say before I left for Turkey I was a little apprehensive about going on a tour on my own but I shouldn’t have worried. It was all marvellous. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend your company to anyone wishing to visit Turkey. I would love to go to Eastern Turkey also, but first have to save up again!
Read MoreLaurie B.
Australia
Hi Michael,
Just a quick thank you for a wonderful tour. We really had a great time and everything was well organised and went to plan. Thank you for all your efforts.
Read MoreBlogs
How to Spend 5 days in Istanbul
5 days in Istanbul is ample time to see the best tourist attractions that make the metropolis, one of the top city break destinations in the world. Despite its enormous size and bustling population, Istanbul has welcoming vibes that leave visitors with lasting memories of their time there. Anyone visiting for 5 days should prepare for an intensely diverse city that wows and amazes at the same time.
Both the Byzantine and Ottoman empires ruled from the city, then known as Constantinople. So, as well as seeing the modern face of Istanbul, tourists will enjoy an exciting journey into the city’s history that also had a dramatic effect on the rest of the world.
A wonderful way to start is by delving into the heart of the old city, known as the Sultan Ahmet district. Major landmarks are all situated close together, so one day is enough or two if you go at a slower pace. Starting at Topkapi Palace, the first home of the Ottoman sultans, follow it up by seeing, the Istanbul Archaeology Museum close by, which has an esteemed reputation for its extensive collection of ancient artefacts.
Just a ten-minute walk away, the Hagia Sophia, a former church, mosque and now busy museum was once the largest domed building in the world. Across the square, the 17th-century Blue Mosque is open to tourists outside of prayer time and is a marvellous introduction to Islam. Having seen the main sights, other delights to visit close by include the Hippodrome, social centre of the Byzantine empire and the Basilica Cistern, the former underground water source to the Imperial Ottoman Palace.
The next day, a good place to start is the Grand Bazaar, one of the largest markets in the world and perfect for souvenir and Turkish carpet shopping. Head towards the Eminonu district, and passing through the Egyptian Spice Market, tourists will arrive at Galata Bridge.
Stop for one of the famous street food fish sandwiches before heading across and walking up to Galata Tower, that has a fantastic panoramic view of the city’s landscape. Tickets are also on sale here for Turkish night shows that include dinner and entertainment, and it is a fun, light-hearted introduction to Turkish culture.
Wake up the next morning to head further afield, with a boat trip of the Bosphorus, a significant stretch of water both in history and modern day because of its strategic location. In history, the banks were home to rich Ottomans who built their Yali houses there. These days, they are multi-million-pound mansions that can be seen from the boat decks.
After lunch, spend the afternoon at Dolmabahce, the last home of the Ottoman sultans before their empire was disbanded in the early 20th century. The extravagant chandeliers and gold leaf ceilings, combined with architecture trends of that time easily outshine royal palaces in other countries.
If three days of sightseeing has left you less energetic, a traditional Turkish bath and scrub down is the perfect way to recharge your batteries on day four. Alternatively, sitting in the tea shops of Camlica Hill with its fantastic view over the Bosphorus and Golden Horn is perfect to be at one with Mother Nature in Turkey’s largest city.
Otherwise, touring Istiklal Avenue and the back streets is an introduction to the new part of the city. Landmarks include the Anthony of Saint Padua church, the Galata Whirling Dervish Museum, Flower Passage and French Street.
If you spent two days wandering the Sultan Ahmet district, by now, your five-day tour of Istanbul has finished, however, if you still have time to squeeze in more delights, the Prince’s Islands are a must visit.
In history, shamed royals were exiled there but these days, Buyukada, the largest of them all is home to magnificent Ottoman mansions lining spacious avenues. Transport is not allowed on the island, so the only way to get about is on foot or via a horse and carriage, but also take the time to sit in the seaside restaurants and take in your last views of Istanbul.
Read More