Rajah Travel Corporation

Gold Seal Protection

• Gold Seal Protection

Transfer Airport

• ARR Chargeable Transfer Istanbul SAW Apt to Hotel

• ARR Chargeable Transfer Istanbul IST Apt to Hotel

• Arrival Transfer Istanbul IST Airport to Hotel

• DEP Chargeable Transfer Hotel to Istanbul SAW Apt

• DEP Chargeable Transfer Hotel to Istanbul IST Apt

• Departure Transfer Hotel to Istanbul IST Airport

Dining Summary

• 6 Dinner (D)
• 10 Breakfast (B)

Choice Highlights

• Choose between two carefully selected activities
• Istanbul: An immersive digital experience through the iconic structure's rich past, showcasing its transformation from a Byzantine cathedral to an Ottoman mosque and now a museum, with captivating exhibits and architectural wonders.
• Istanbul: Journey through time with a visit to Hagia Sophia, take a unique glimpse into the complex layers of Istanbul's rich cultural and religious heritage.

Additional Included Highlights

• Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.
• Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
• We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.
• From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.
• Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).
• If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport.

Authentic Dining

• Istanbul: Begin your travels savouring traditional flavours over dinner at a local restaurant.
• Cappadocia: Watch a spectacular Sema performance of Whirling Dervishes and discover the flavours of Cappadocia as you indulge in a regional dinner of colourful dishes. 
• Istanbul: Toast the culmination of your travels during dinner at a local restaurant.

Insight Choice

• Istanbul: An immersive digital experience through the iconic structure's rich past, showcasing its transformation from a Byzantine cathedral to an Ottoman mosque and now a museum, with captivating exhibits and architectural wonders.
• Istanbul: Journey through time with a visit to Hagia Sophia, take a unique glimpse into the complex layers of Istanbul's rich cultural and religious heritage.

Insight Experiences

Cappadocia: Join a Cappadocian local, who has lived in the city for decades and take a tour of their cave house to learn more about their unique way of life.

Top Rated Highlights

• Troy: Visit this ancient sight fabled to have been destroyed over love and view the huge reconstructed Trojan Horse.
• Gallipoli: Visit the Gallipoli Peninsula and attend the moving Dawn Service remembering, honouring and paying respect to the fallen fighting in World War I.
• Pamukkale: See the cascading Cotton Castle of milky white travertine pools and the ancient ruin of Hierapolis.
• Konya: Visit a well preserved Seljuk Caravanserai.
• Saratli: Descend into a layered underground city—explore carved rooms, ventilation chimneys and millstone doors that sheltered early Christians beneath Cappadocia.
• Göreme: With your Local Expert, explore the underground cities, rock-cut churches, fairy-tale chimneys and the Pasabag Valley.
• : Learn about the ancient art of pottery making in Avanos.
• Ankara: Discover the mysterious Hittite civilisation and visit the Mausoleum of Atatürk.
• Istanbul: Visit the Blue Mosque and the Hippodrome. With your Local Expert, gain insight into the lives of the Ottoman Sultans during a visit to the fabulous Topkapi Palace. Then stroll through the Grand Bazaar. 
• Istanbul: Enjoy a relaxing cruise on the Bosphorus in Istanbul, where you'll pass Ottoman palaces, old mansions and fortresses.

Well-being

• Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxurious, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom. Our customized luxury coaches are sanitized before the start of your tour and are maintained to very high standards. Physical distancing measures have been implemented on our customized luxury coaches.
• Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.

• Radisson Blu Sisli, Istanbul
• Kolin, Çanakkale
• Swissotel Büyük Efes, Izmir
• Doğa Thermal Health & Spa, Pamukkale
• DoubleTree by Hilton Avanos, Cappadocia
• Ankara HiltonSA

Welcome to Turkey. Your journey begins in vibrant Istanbul, the only city in the world that spans two continents: Europe and Asia, where a representative will pick you up from the airport and transfer you to the hotel. Relax and settle in before joining your Travel Director and fellow travellers for dinner.

Duration: 1 Day

Accommodation: Radisson Blu Sisli, Istanbul

Depart Istanbul and head south towards the storied plains of Troy.  Visit the archaeological site with your Travel Director to uncover the layers of myth and history behind the ancient city that inspired Homer’s Iliad. Learn how this UNESCO World Heritage Site has shaped understanding of the region's past. Continue to Çanakkale, a significant location during the Gallipoli campaign, where you’ll check into your hotel and enjoy an early evening at leisure. As you look ahead to tomorrow’s ANZAC Day dawn service, this evening is yours to rest before a meaningful morning of remembrance.

Duration: 1 Day

Accommodation: Kolin, Çanakkale

Dawn and first light signals the commencement of the annual Dawn Service. Attend alongside Australian, New Zealand and other foreign dignitaries and military personnel to honour the fallen soldiers. After the service pay your respects at the Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair Cemeteries, whilst learning more about the events which lead to the Anzac troops fighting in an attempt to gain control of the Dardanelles Strait.  This afternoon return to your hotel for the rest of your day at leisure. Perhaps relax poolside and admire the beautiful surroundings or book in for one of the many treatments on offer at the hotel spa.

Duration: 1 Day

Accommodation: Kolin, Çanakkale

This morning, return to the Gallipoli Peninsula to explore the key sites of the 1915 campaign with your Travel Director. Visit Anzac Cove, where the troops first came ashore, and reflect at the Lone Pine Cemetery, the final resting place of many Australian soldiers. Continue to Chunuk Bair, a site of significance for New Zealand forces, and gain further insights into the events that shaped the ANZAC legacy. Later, journey south to Ephesus, where you’ll step back into the ancient world amid remarkably preserved Roman ruins. Walk through the city’s grand arcades and imagine daily life in one of antiquity’s greatest trading centres. Arrive in coastal İzmir this evening and enjoy dinner with your Travel Director and fellow travellers.

Duration: 1 Day

Accommodation: Swissotel Büyük Efes, Izmir

Head to Pamukkale, famous for its mineral-rich thermal waters and chalk-white limestone terraces, explore the area with your Travel Director. See the ruins of the ancient Roman spa city of Hierapolis, founded in 190 B.C. You’ll see the city’s well-preserved theatre and its turquoise travertine pools. Later, head to your hotel, the esteemed Doğa Thermal Health & Spa. Take full advantage of its indoor and outdoor thermal pools, steam room and its Turkish bath complex.

Duration: 1 Day

Accommodation: Doğa Thermal Health & Spa, Pamukkale

Today your journey takes you to Urgup, a historic town in the heart of Cappadocia. Visit the 13th-century Sultanhani Caravanserai before exploring the underground city of Saratli. You will recognise this famous area from the striking golden, volcanic landscapes that surround it.

Duration: 1 Day

Accommodation: DoubleTree by Hilton Avanos, Cappadocia

Move on to Göreme, a striking town in the Cappadocia region of Turkey. Explore its rock-hewn churches decorated with ancient wall paintings before moving on to the Pasabag Valley. Located on the road to Zelve, you’ll find otherworldly earth pillars here, ‘fairy chimneys’ and troglodyte dwellings. Later, join a Cappadocian local who has lived in the city for decades and take a tour of their cave house. You’ll learn more about their unique way of living, local traditions and family life. Complementing the day’s events, this evening you'll witness a performance of the Whirling Dervishes before dining at a local restaurant.

Duration: 1 Day

Accommodation: DoubleTree by Hilton Avanos, Cappadocia

One for art lovers, this morning, you’ll learn about the art of pottery making in Avanos. A town based in Cappadocia, it is famous for its earthenware pottery.  Continue your journey to Ankara, where you’ll visit the Hittite Museum and the Mausoleum of Atatürk, Turkey's greatest modern leader and the first President of the Republic of Turkey. Perhaps relax in the spa and wellness centre at your hotel this evening.

Duration: 1 Day

Accommodation: Ankara HiltonSA

It’s time to head to Istanbul. A glorious fusion of East and West, this popular city offers something for everyone, with history, culture, modernity, delicious cuisine and of course, the friendliest of faces. Enjoy the excitement of bargaining in the bustling Grand Bazaar. Your evening is at leisure.

Duration: 1 Day

Accommodation: Radisson Blu Sisli, Istanbul

Take in the sites of Istanbul, visit the historic Blue Mosque and the Hippodrome, where Roman chariot races were held. Explore Hagia Sophia with Insight Choice. Choose between visiting Hagia Sophia History Digital Experience, offering an immersive journey through the landmarks marvels, or alternatively, visit Hagia Sophia, built in A.D. 537 and famous for its domed roof. Visit the Topkapi Palace, perched above the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn, the primary inlet of the waterway. Enjoy a relaxing cruise on the Bosphorus, where you will pass Ottoman palaces, old mansions and fortresses. In the evening, join your fellow travellers for dinner at a local restaurant.

Duration: 1 Day

Accommodation: Radisson Blu Sisli, Istanbul

It’s time to say goodbye to your new friends, as your trip comes to an end. A transfer will take you to the airport for your onward flights, or for those extending their stay in Istanbul, speak to your Travel Director for tips and tricks on where to head.

Duration: 1 Day