Premium Turkey

Hos geldin! Welcome to Turkey! Your adventure starts in Istanbul – the largest city in Europe. When you arrive, you’ll be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. If you arrive early, maybe walk through the bustling bazaars or visit the 1500-year-old UNESCO World Heritage monument, Hagia Sophia. Tonight, join your local leader and small group for a welcome meeting at 6 pm. Then, take a short stroll to a local restaurant for a group dinner of Ottoman and Turkish cuisine and get to know your fellow travellers.

After breakfast, make your way to Sultanahmet (the Old City, formerly Constantinople) and join your leader for an orientation walk. Begin with the Hippodrome, once the social and sporting heart of the Byzantine Empire, and see the decorative statues and obelisks. Then, visit Sultan Ahmet I’s Blue Mosque – with its six minarets, 260 windows, and iconic blue walls made from more than 20,000 Iznik ceramic tiles, it is considered one of the most magnificent mosques in all of Istanbul. Then, practice some good-natured haggling with local artisans in the Grand Bazaar, packed with over 3000 stalls of handcrafted jewellery, textiles and books. Later, hop aboard a private yacht and take in the Istanbul skyline from the Bosphorus Strait – a waterway that separates Europe and Asia.

Travel to Kusadasi this morning, stopping at Pergamon along the way. When you arrive, take a cable car to the top of the hill and take in the views across the Bakircay Plain in Turkey’s Aegean region. Up here, explore crumbling ruins, including the colossal Temple of Trajan, the Hellenistic Theatre and the Altar of Zeus. After some time walking in the footsteps of ancient emperors, continue to Kusadasi. Tonight, settle into your hotel on the edge of the Aegean Sea – this will be your home away from home for the next three nights.

This morning, explore the ancient city ruins of Ephesus – a preserved Greco-Roman site. As you walk in the footsteps of Cleopatra and Mark Antony, discover how the ancient Romans lived. Stroll through the marble streets surrounding the ancient theatre and explore the gymnasium, baths and beautifully restored Library of Celsus. Then, join a carpet-weaving demonstration and learn about this traditional art from local social enterprise Sultankoy – an organisation that provides local women with employment while protecting and developing the ancient tradition. After a picnic lunch here, you’ll learn all about Turkish recipes and flavours with a hands-on cooking class. Get to know the local chef as you prepare a traditional meal and feast on your creations together.

This morning is free for you to explore Kusadasi at your own pace. Maybe book an optional tour to the Hierapolis Ancient City or unwind at Pamukkale’s mineral springs – a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its turquoise waters famed by a snow-white mineral build-up cascading over the cliffs. If you’d rather skip the optional tour and stay closer to town, why not stroll the seafront promenade and grab a bite to eat by the harbour or talk with the locals at the main bazaar.

Today, catch a flight to Kayseri. When you arrive, settle into your Feature Stay accommodation at the specially restored cave suites in the Old City centre. After checking in, you’ll be welcomed into a local home for homecooked Turkish lunch. Then, explore a UNESCO World Heritage site, Goreme Open Air Museum, where you’ll find richly decorated rock-carved churches, monasteries and chapels. Later, join a tour of Cappadocia and discover the region’s highlights like Imagination Valley, where rock formations, known as fairy chimneys, stand amid the orange-coloured landscape.

You have the option this morning to take to the skies in a hot air balloon either before or after sunrise! After, have breakfast, then explore the underground cities beneath Cappadocia. It’s believed that these intricate subterranean homes were created in the 8th and 7th centuries – you might spot remnants of subterranean wine cellars, stables and chapels. Then, visit the studio of a local ceramic master. Learn the history and techniques of traditional Turkish ceramics and discover how the rich clay from the red river is moulded into exquisite pieces. This afternoon, hike through Red Valley – named for the incredible red hues that appear at sunset. After, head to a hidden valley nearby for a private wine tasting – a Premium Experience. If you’re travelling between June and September, you’ll be treated to an explosion of blooming lavender, while other parts of the year are lush with native plants. Later, head back to town for dinner with your group.