Complete Turkey

This small-group tour from G Adventures offers a thorough route through Turkey, starting in Istanbul, where the Orient and Occident meet along the Bosphorus. The itinerary then digs into Cappadocia’s unusual terrain, famed for fairy chimneys and hot air balloons that drift at dawn. From there, the journey moves eastward across historical landmarks: the WWI battlefields at Gallipoli, then towards the ancient ruins of Troy and Ephesus, each reflecting layers of past civilizations.

Later, less-travelled locales feature prominently: the open-air museum town of Mardin with its limestone buildings stands between plains, while the deserted medieval city of Ani holds the remains of churches that frame the skyline. The routes even reach Van Castle, an fortress with history stretching back to the 9th century BC. Along the way, the group travels by private vehicles, trains, and domestic flights, experiencing local dinners and a boat ride across Lake Van. The tour eschews the well-trodden for changing perspectives on Turkey’s history and landscapes, with a Chief Experience Officer accompanying the group throughout.