Ancient Turkey: Gallipoli, Troy, Ephesus & Pamukkale

Today you travel from Istanbul to the Gallipoli peninsula, where the Dardanelles meet the Aegean. You journey southwest through the countryside to this beautiful, poignant landscape, scene of one of the most moving campaigns of the First World War in 1915. Guided by an expert who brings the history vividly and sensitively to life, you visit ANZAC Cove, Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair, walk the trenches and battlefields, and reflect at the moving cemeteries and memorials where the fallen of all sides are honoured with grace and reconciliation. The history and poignancy are deeply moving. As the day ends, you cross the Dardanelles and settle into your hotel in the seaside town of Canakkale, gateway to Troy. This evening, savour fresh seafood by the water, reflecting on the day. Rest well, for tomorrow you explore the legendary ruins of Troy.

Today you explore legendary Troy before travelling south along the Aegean. Near Canakkale you visit the ruins of Troy, the city of Homer's Iliad, where legend places the ten-year siege and the wooden horse. Guided through the site, you explore the massive ramparts, the ramp and gate, and the layers of nine cities built one upon another across four thousand years, with a giant wooden horse recalling the famous ruse, walking where myth and history meet. You then journey south down the beautiful Aegean coast, past olive groves and the sea, towards the resort town of Kusadasi. The legend, history and scenery are captivating. As the day ends, you settle into your hotel near Kusadasi, close to Ephesus. This evening, savour fresh Aegean seafood and meze by the sea. Rest well, for tomorrow you walk the marble streets of magnificent Ephesus.

Today you explore magnificent Ephesus, the best-preserved classical city in the Mediterranean. Guided by your expert, you walk the grand Curetes Street past temples, fountains and statues, stand before the magnificent two-storey facade of the Library of Celsus, sit in the vast Great Theatre where Saint Paul once preached to the Ephesians, and take in the terraced houses of the Roman elite with their frescoes and mosaics. You visit the peaceful House of the Virgin Mary in the hills above, a shrine where tradition holds Mary spent her final years, and the scattered remains of the Temple of Artemis, once one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The scale and preservation are astonishing. As the day ends, you return to Kusadasi. This evening, you might explore the hill village of Sirince and its fruit wines. Rest well amid the beauty of the Aegean.

Today you journey inland to the extraordinary white terraces of Pamukkale. You travel east through the countryside to Pamukkale, meaning cotton castle, one of the most extraordinary sights in Turkey, a hillside of dazzling white travertine terraces formed by mineral-rich thermal springs cascading down the slope like frozen waterfalls, filling with pools of warm turquoise water where you can bathe your feet. Above the terraces you explore the extensive ruins of Roman Hierapolis, a spa city of the ancient world, with its great theatre, colonnaded streets, temples and vast necropolis, and you can swim among fallen marble columns in the antique pool. The beauty and wonder are breathtaking. As the day ends, you settle into your hotel near Pamukkale. This evening, savour a relaxed dinner beneath the glowing white terraces. Rest well amid the wonder of Pamukkale.

Today you travel back towards the coast, exploring more ancient wonders on the way. You might visit the beautiful, less-crowded ruins of Aphrodisias, a superbly preserved Roman city dedicated to the goddess Aphrodite, with its magnificent stadium, temple, marble streets and outstanding museum of sculpture, a highlight for lovers of the ancient world. You then journey west to Izmir, Turkey's lively third city on the Aegean, the ancient Smyrna, with its long seafront promenade, bustling Kemeralti bazaar and relaxed, cosmopolitan atmosphere. The history and city life are captivating. As the day ends, you settle into your hotel in Izmir. This evening, savour the vibrant waterfront, fresh seafood and meze, reflecting on the ancient sites you have explored across the Aegean. Rest well ahead of your departure tomorrow, carrying warm memories of ancient Turkey.

After a final morning in Izmir, perhaps a last stroll along the seafront or through the Kemeralti bazaar, you are transferred to Izmir Airport for your onward departure, connecting via Istanbul as needed. You leave having followed three thousand years of history through the ancient heart of the Aegean, the poignant battlefields and memorials of Gallipoli, the legendary walls of Troy, the astonishing marble streets of Ephesus, the peaceful shrine of the House of the Virgin Mary, and the dazzling white terraces of Pamukkale beneath Roman Hierapolis, all warmed by Turkish hospitality. The images stay vivid long after you land, the memorials of Gallipoli, the Library of Celsus glowing in the Aegean sun, and the white terraces cascading down the hillside. Turkey offers history, legend and natural wonder in extraordinary abundance, and you depart already dreaming of a return to this ancient and welcoming land.