6 Days - Istanbul, Gallipoli and Troy By Bus
TOUR ITINERARY
DAY 1 - Arrival to Istanbul
Arrival to Istanbul airport and meet for transfer on to your hotel. Rest of the day at leisure (as per your flight arrival time). Overnight in Istanbul
DAY 2 - Istanbul - Sultanahmet (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch)
08:30 You will be picked up from your hotel for Full day tour of Old City. In this day you will be able to see:
HAGIA SOPHIA: Byzantium largest cathedral, converted to mosque 1453 by the Ottoman Empire and today open as a museum to see both religion remains.
BLUE MOSQUE: This mosque complex, containing Istanbul's only mosque with six minarets was built by Sedefkar Mehmet Aga for Sultan Ahmed 1st. early 17th century.
HIPPODROME: Center of sport activities and political events of the Eastern Roman Empire.
GRAND BAZAAR: Famous shopping center worldwide. Shopping possibilities for carpet, jewellery, leather etc
TOPKAPI PALACE: Built between 1475 and 1478 by Mehmet II, Fatih, the conqueror of Istanbul, served as the residence of the sultan and administrative seat of the Ottoman Empire for 400 years.
(excludes: extra entrance to Harem & Treasury rooms). After tour, return to hotel with the evening then at leisure. Overnight in Istanbul.
DAY 3 - Bosphorus cruise & Beylerbeyi Palace Tour (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch)
08:30 You will be picked up from your hotel for Full day tour of Two Continents . In this day you will be able to see:
SPICE BAZAAR: Mystical smells of various spices. Shops selling fruits, vegetables, flowers, caviar and dry fish etc...
BOSPHORUS BY BOAT: On the waterway separating the two continents, Asia and Europe. Opportunity to take photographs of marble palaces and ancient wooden villas of Ottoman architecture, besides modern residences and luxurious apartments.
BOSPHORUS BRIDGE: Unique chance to go from one continent (Asia) to another (Europe) in two minutes.
BEYLERBEYI PALACE: The summer residence of Ottoman Sultans with its original furniture and magnificent gardens with the harem on the Asian side.
CAMLICA HILL: Offers a panoramic view of Istanbul and Bosphorus from the highest point of the city.
17:00 After the tour, you will be transfered back to your hotel.
20:00 You will be picked up from your hotel for Turkish Night & Belly Dancing Show.
23:30 You will be transfered back to your hotel. Overnight in Istanbul.
DAY 4 - Istanbul-Gallipoli-Canakkale (Meals: Breakfast, Lunch)
Very early in morning we will depart from Istanbul, drive along the northern shores of the Marmara Sea, and as soon as we arrive we will have a break for lunch.
*Gallipoli and The Dardanelles --after our lunch we will stop to visit Gallipoli, a place of fierce WWI fighting between Allied forces and the Turks. At ANZAC Cove thousands lost their lives in one fateful dawn morning. We will also see other famous battle sites of World War 1 in this area, such as Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair. From here we go to a ferry and cross the Dardanelles. For World War 1 buffs, you will know the Dardanelle Straits were a strategic crossing point for the allied armies to cross from Europe to Asia Minor. Over a nine month campaign, more than half a million soldiers lost their lives in the fight to control this strait of water and nearby Gallipoli peninsula.
After the tour, you will be transfer to your hotel at around 18:00. Overnight stay in Canakkale.
DAY 5 - Canakkale Troy- Istanbul (Meals: Breakfast)
We continue our scenic drive along the Aegean, stopping for photo opportunities and perhaps to indulge the taste buds at one of the many farmer road side stands that sell olives, figs, seasonal fruit and pistachios. We then will head east towards our first site of the day.
Sites you’ll see today
*Troy --is the ancient site written about by Homer in the Iliad. It dates back as far as 3000 BC and has been the site of nine different cities through the thousands of years it has existed. As you enter the site a large wooden Trojan horse dominates your view. You will definitely want to climb up and get your picture taken! After the tour, return drive to Istanbul. Overnight stay in Istanbul.
DAY 6 - Departure from Istanbul (Meals: Breakfast)
After breakfast check out from hotel (before 12:00), transfer to Istanbul Ataturk Airport regarding your flight details. End of tour and services. (If you would like, you can extend your trip by adding extra nights in Istanbul, please advise.
Please contact us for more information: info@istanbultravelturkey.com
Tour Code : ITT-411
