Istanbul Short Stay

Istanbul / Gallipoli / Troy & Pergamon

Duration: 06 Days / 05 Nights
Highlights: Istanbul, Bosphorus, Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Thrace, the Dardenelles, ANZAC Cove, Lone Pine, Chunuk Bair, Canakkale, Troy, Pergamon
Departure Dates: Everyday
Note: All Istanbul tour packages are modular & you can use these itineraries as a starting point & we can help modify this itineraries to accommodate your personal requirements & desires to find your perfect holiday.



Day 01 : Istanbul Arrival
Upon arrival to Istanbul Ataturk Airport & clearing customs, you will be met & accompanied during your transfer to the hotel. If time allows, you will have an orientation walk with one of our guides around Sultanahmet to get acquainted with the neighbourhood.

Day 02 : Istanbul
We will leave hotel in the morning to visit the spectacular Blue Mosque decorated with beautiful 17th century Iznik tiles. Then stroll around the historical Hippodrome where chariot races were once held. Continue with the Hagia Sophia, an early Christian church, later converted to a mosque under Ottoman rule. This magnificent temple now serving as a museum with all the artefacts from the Byzantine era intact & is especially famous for its mosaics. After lunch break, we continue driving across the first Bosphorus Bridge & head for the summit of Camlica Hill, which offers 360° panoramic views of Istanbul overlooking the Sea of Marmara. Driving back to Europe over the Bosphorus Bridge, we visit Dolmabahce Palace, with more than 340 rooms & eight Turkish Baths the imperial residence of the last six Sultans, is sure to fascinate its visitors.

Day 03 : Istanbul
Breakfast at hotel, then meet your guide at hotel lobby for a short drive to Spice Market, Egyptian Bazaar heaped with various sweets & spices is one of the world’s largest spice bazaars since 1665. Soon after, we embark on the Bosphorus ferry for an unforgettable cruise along the Bosphorus, the beautiful strait that divides Europe from Asia. Winding between green hills, it is lined with mosques, castles, 19th century mansions, picturesque villages & the extravagant baroque palaces of the late Ottoman Sultans. After lunch break, we will Topkapi Palace Museum, the residence of the legendary Ottoman Sultans. It consists of several exhibition halls, such as the treasury, the porcelain section, armoury, holy relics. We will complete this historical day with a visit to the Grand Bazaar.

Day 04 : Istanbul / Gallipoli
After breakfast, check out & meet for early morning drive to Eceabat (4hrs). On arrival, we have lunch in the village before starting the Gallipoli ANZAC Memorials Tour. We will visit Kabatepe War Museum, ANZAC Cove, Lone Pine Australian Memorial, Johnston's Jolly (Turkish & Allied trenches & tunnels), The Nek & Chunuk Bair New Zealand memorial, Simpson’s Cemetery. After sightseeing we cross the Dardenelles by car ferry to Canakkale & check-in to hotel. The evening is at leisure or for those that wish there is a screening of the 4 Corners documentary 'Fatal Shore' & the 'Gallipoli' movie starring Mel Gibson.

Day 05 : Troy & Pergamum / Istanbul
After breakfast at hotel, check-out & drive to Troy. The Greek poet Homer wrote about the ancient city Troy in The Iliad. Troy is one of the world's most important archaeological sites because of its place in literature & what it tells us about a critical early period in the development of European civilization. The large replica of the Trojan horse at the front of the ruins, is part of the myth of the Trojan War. After Troy we will proceed to Pergamum. The site of ancient Pergamum is set on a steep hilltop, the capital of Pergamum kingdom after the death of Alexander the Great was a cultural center having a large library rivaling that of Alexandria in Egypt. After the tour, we will drive for 2.5 hrs to reach Izmir Airport for flight back to Istanbul. Transfer to hotel upon arrival & overnights Istanbul.

Day 06 : Istanbul Departure
Depending on your flight time, check-out (12:00) from hotel & remainder of day will be at leisure till your transfer to Istanbul Ataturk Airport for your homebound flight.