Best of Turkey

15 Days | Coastal cruising to city choosing – get to know a Turkish way of life.

4.7 out of 5 based on 91 reviews submitted.
Explorer
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EUR €2,070
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Get your Turkish delights on a 15-day Istanbul round-trip adventure. It’s a mix of ancient ruins and modern cities, Islamic mysticism and Ottoman influence, inland discoveries and coastal cruising, and everything in between. Discover Gallipoli on a guided tour that will teach you about its significance during the First World War, unlock the secrets of the ancient city of Ephesus, admire Oludeniz’s Blue Lagoon from high up on a mountain hike, and swim and snorkel in the Mediterranean on a traditional gulet cruise from Kas. From the winding laneways of Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar to the to the bizarre landscapes of Cappadocia, take the plunge and discover a new way of experiencing Turkey.

Trip overview

Map of Best Of Turkey including Turkey
Start
Istanbul, Turkey
Finish
Istanbul, Turkey
Theme
Explorer
Destinations
Turkey
Physical rating
Indicates how physically exerting a trip is, and how fit you will need to be to enjoy it. More info on physical ratings
Style
Original
Ages
Min 15
Group size
Min 1 - Max 16
Trip code
ERSI
We’re in the process of figuring out how much CO2-e this trip generates. In the meantime, find out more about our climate commitments and carbon reduction target.

Why you'll love this trip
  • Discover the incredible ancient and modern history of Turkey as you explore thousands of years of history hidden within the remarkable ruins of Ephesus and discover Gallipoli on a guided tour that will teach you about the significant events that took place in this area
  • Take in the dizzying diversity of this epic landscape with a visit to the stunning natural hot springs of Pamukkale, a cruise along the picture-perfect Turkish coast over Sunken Cities, and an optional hot-air balloon ride over the fairy-tale land of Cappadocia.
  • Get to know the friendly locals with fruit wine tasting in the serene village of Sirince and a home-cooked dinner at a local cave home in Cappadocia, plus get treated to a Turkish BBQ feast by your local hosts in Kayakoy
  • Pull on your walking shoes and set out on a half-day trek along a section of rugged coastline, following part of the ancient walking trail of the Lycian Way and explore the exotic landscape of Cappadocia on a short hike in the valley.
  • Travel and stay a little differently – and come home with memories to last a lifetime – from taking local buses and trains, to enjoying a traditional gulet (boat) trip, to staying in one of the cave hotels that Cappadocia is famed for.
  • By travelling on this trip, you’ll directly support our Intrepid Foundation partner, CYDD (Çağdaş Yaşamı Destekleme Derneği). Donations help them provide scholarships and educational programs for economically disadvantaged youth in Turkey.

Is this trip right for you?
  • This trip includes a memorable night on a boat cruising the southern coast of Turkey. Cabins and bathroom facilities are shared and not air-conditioned. Our travellers will grab the mattress, blankets and pillows and sleep on the deck under a bed of Mediterranean stars.
  • This trip uses a combination of public and private transport, and all vehicles are modern and have air-conditioning and most are fitted with seat belts. Some journeys can be long in order to maximise the areas visited, but this gives you a chance to interact with the local community and see more of the country. You'll also be pleasantly surprised to find most Turkish buses have wi-fi and serve coffee and cake! Please note that you'll have to carry your own luggage on and off the bus, so make sure it doesn’t exceed our weight and size recommendations. You can find specifics under ‘Packing’ in the ‘Essential Trip Information’ section.

Itinerary

This itinerary is valid for departures from 01 January 2023 to 31 December 2023.

View the itinerary for departures between 01 January 2024 - 31 December 2024

Map of Best Of Turkey including Turkey

Inclusions

Meals

14 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners

Transport

Private Bus, Public Bus, Train, Dolmus, Gulet (boat), Plane

Accommodation

Hotel (10 nights), Guest house (3 nights), Overnight boat (1 night)

Activities
  • Istanbul - Orientation Walk
  • Gallipoli - Fully guided Gallipoli tour & visit to the Commonwealth graveyards
  • Selcuk - Leader-led orientation walk
  • Troy - Archaeological site visit
  • Ephesus - Archaeological site visit
  • Selcuk - Gozleme making demonstration and lunch
  • Sirince - Village visit and fruit wine tasting
  • Pamukkale - Hierapolis and Travertines National Park
  • Kayakoy - Village visit
  • Lycian Way - Hike from Kayakoy to Oludeniz Beach
  • Kayakoy - Home-cooked Turkish BBQ dinner
  • Kas - Leader led orientation walk
  • Kas - Handicraft market
  • Kekova - Turkish Coast Cruising & Sunken Cities
  • Konya - Mevlana Museum
  • Cappadocia - Dinner at Local Family Home
  • Goreme - Valley walk
Add on activities
  • Istanbul - Hagia Sophia - Free
  • Istanbul - Whirling Dervish show - TRY900
  • Istanbul - Topkapi Palace and Hagia Irine (Excluding Harem) - TRY750
  • Istanbul - Archaeology Museum - TRY340
  • Istanbul - Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts - TRY390
  • Istanbul - Turkish Hamam (inc. massage) - EUR100
  • Selcuk - Basilica of St John - TRY130
  • Selcuk - Ephesus Archaeological Museum - TRY220
  • Ephesus - Terrace Houses entry - TRY320
  • Selcuk - Meryemana (Mary's House) entrance fee - TRY250
  • Selcuk - Sultankoy Village Carpet Weaving - Free
  • Pamukkale - Hierapolis Museum - TRY700
  • Pamukkale - Cleopatra Ancient Pool - TRY400
  • Antalya - Antalya Museum - TRY340
  • Konya - Karatay Museum - TRY50
  • Goreme - Hot Air Balloon, Cappadocia Deluxe Flight - EUR320
  • Goreme - Hot Air Balloon, Cappadocia Regular Flight - EUR270
  • Goreme - Open Air Museum - TRY480
  • Goreme - Underground city - TRY300

Dates and availability

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Important notes

1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement exclude days 8 (Overnight Boat) where you will be in shared accommodation and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
2. This trip starts in Istanbul on Day 1 at 1.00 pm. This allows time after the joining meeting to explore Istanbul with your Leader.

Essential Trip Information

Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.

Read Essential Trip Information

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 based on 91 reviews submitted.
Reviews are from travellers who have completed their trip and want to share their experience. We show all reviews, but may remove any that include profanity or inappropriate content, are unrelated to the trip or reveal personal details.

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Carla · Traveled October 2023
I was impressed with Intrepid’s Best of Turkey tour. It was well-priced, full of adventure (hot air ballooning over Cappadocia, sailing the Mediterranean, exploring Ephesus), and I adored my guide Kubra. Kubra always went out of her way to make our trip the best it could be.
Review submitted 07 Nov 2023

Nathan · Traveled October 2023
Had a fantastic time on this trip. I got to see so much history, as well as some fantastic natural scenery. Got to meet a lot of great people and try a bunch of great food also.
Review submitted 07 Nov 2023

Rattana · Traveled October 2023
This trip offered highlights of Turkey. Lots of history I learned although couldn’t remembered them all. I found it’s easier to bring cash to exchange than ATM as they are widely accepted and better rates. Keep some small changes for public toilets, they are 5 liras, some places 10. The boat ride was great and meals on board was amazing. Our guide did a great job on transportation arrangements, things went smoothly. Lots of riding from cities to cities but we have some breaks so it was nice. Lots to see in Istanbul so give it extra days to explore.
Review submitted 26 Oct 2023

Wayne · Traveled October 2023
Highly recommend this trip. Our guide was knowledgeable and shared the history and culture of Turkey with us.
Review submitted 30 Oct 2023

Mark · Traveled October 2023
The Best of Turkey was just the best. We learned so much about Turkey's history, topography, religion, and cuisine and I look forward to follow up with a ton of reading regarding Turkey. We were lucky to travel with such a congenial group and we had the very best guide, Cemal!
Review submitted 17 Oct 2023
Best of Turkey
From
EUR €2,070