11 Day Tour: May 1-11, 2027
Pricing for Turkey
- Base Pricing is always calculated for double occupancy.
- $1188 supplemental for Solo Travelers.
Tour Highlights
2 UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES
2 Wonders of the Ancient World
The #1 Famous Building You Should See as noted by Architecture & Design: The Hagia Sofia
This is a feature block that you can use to highlight features.
- Istanbul
- Hagia Sofia
- Blue Mosque
- Topkapi Palace
- Grand Bazaar
- Bodrum
- House of the Virgin Mary
- Pamukkale
- Cappadocia–Hot Air Balloon Ride Included!
- Kahta
- & So Much MORE!
- LIMIT 12
Tour Includes
- Round trip airfare from Chicago
- First Class Hotel Accommodations
- All Breakfasts and 9 Dinners
- Deluxe Motorcoach Transportation
- Admissions to all listed Attractions
- Round trip airport transfers in the Chicagoland area
- Guided by Bill Ball
- Baggage Handling
- All Gratuities
Tour Itinerary
Day One We board an overnight flight to Turkey.
Day Two we arrive in Istanbul and transfer to our hotel.
Day Three Today we will visit the Hagia Sofia which was built by the emperor Justinian in the 6th century AD and stands over much older remains of a church. We continue to the Blue Mosque, which was built in the 17th century and is the only imperial mosque with 6 minarets. Next on our agenda is the famous Hippodrome, a stadium and meeting place in Byzantine times, the Serpent Pillar from Delphi and the Egyptian Obelisk. Then it is on to explore the Topkapi Palace. It was the home of the Ottoman sultans from the 15th –19th century AD. The tour ends in the Grand Bazaar, which has over 4000 shops full of treasures.
Day Four We fly to Bodrum for a magical visit in this coastal town. Upon arrival, we visit the 15th century castle constructed by the Knights Hospitaller. Sitting at the entrance to the harbor, it has stunning views of the sea and town. Our next stop is one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World—The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. As we walk through the ruins of Halicarnassus, you cannot help feeling the ancient glory typified by the grand temples and wonderous structures. The word Mausoleum comes from the man buried here—Mausolus.
Day Five Today we will visit the house of the Virgin Mary and Ephesus with the Library of Celsius. Our day also includes the temple of Hadrian, the agora and fantastic Greco-Roman theater and the Basilica of St. John. Here is the second ancient wonder—the temple of Artemis. This was a massive temple dedicated to the Greek goddess of the moon and hunting.
Day Six This morning we visit the ancient site of Hierapolis, highlighted with a theater, Temple to Apollo, necropolis and calcium terraces of Pamukkale. These make Yellowstone’s Mammoth Hot Spring terraces look small. Today we will also visit the Greco-Roman site of Aphrodisias. Our magical journey takes us through the Meander Valley, where the word “meander” comes from.
Day Seven We fly to Cappadocia today. This is a wonderland of both natural beauty and man-made history. Incredible rock formations were turned into hermit’s rests, monasteries and pilgrimage sites. We will visit several of these wonderous former domiciles.
Day Eight We continue to explore Cappadocia and its underground city of Kaymakli and the natural citadel of Uchisar. We visit the Goreme Valley and Open Air Museum, with its churches and frescoes—carved from rock. We continue to Pasabagi Valley to see the volcanic cones, monk dwellings and vineyards. This is one of the most scenic and historic places on earth.
Day Nine Our final destination is Kahta sitting at the base of the incredible Taurus mountains and serving us the gateway to Nemrut Dag—one of the 100 most significant man-made wonders of all time. The city was the center of ancient trade routes connecting Asia to Europe. The historic streets tell a story found nowhere else.
Day Ten We head to an unforgettable trip to Mount Nemrut, one of the world’s iconic sites. This UNESCO site features colossal stone heads and ancient tombs. From here you get stunning views of the surrounding mountains. You can clearly see why this became the center for power and religion. As the sun sets over the monuments, you will be awe-struck but gather your senses so you can take a magical picture of one of the great sunsets of the world.
Day Eleven With two ancient wonders of the world, the incredible mosques and palaces of Istanbul, the geologic wonder of Pamukkale and the mammoth ruins of Nemrut Dagi, you will have a never-ending supply of memories, Facebook posts, pictures and wonder. Turkey is one of the cradles of civilization and you now see why.
