Highlights of Turkey

This week-long guided tour by Explore Worldwide begins in Istanbul, where Byzantine and Ottoman legacies meet along the Bosphorus. After a morning spent among the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, a public ferry ride offers a glimpse of life on the Asian side — far less trodden than the European districts.

From Istanbul, the route moves westwards with stops at Gallipoli’s wartime cemeteries and the ancient city of Troy, with its multi-layered ruins and legendary wooden horse. The itinerary then takes in Pergamon’s hilltop acropolis before reaching Ephesus, where the library’s stone façade still draws the occasional wistful visitor.

The tour covers extensive ground, finishing with the mineral-rich terraces of Pamukkale and two nights beside Dalyan’s reed beds. Here, a relaxed riverboat trip visits Caunos ruins and mud baths, with optional visits to turtle sanctuaries. It is a holiday that balances long drives with moments of calm and the chance to look more closely at Turkey’s varied past and present.

New to Turkey? Our Turkey guide has the practical essentials: money, plugs, visas and when to go.

These are the places the trip visits, in order. Explore Worldwide publishes the day-by-day itinerary on its own site.