28-Day Turkey Ground Holiday Package of Most Visited Destinations

Your extraordinary journey through Türkiye begins in Istanbul, the only city on earth that spans two continents. On arrival at Istanbul Airport, our welcome team meets you and arranges a comfortable private transfer to your hotel, with full meeting instructions sent before you travel.

If your arrival time allows, ease into the trip with an optional Bosphorus dinner cruise: Turkish meze, a seasonal salad and a main course while a whirling dervish performance, folk dances and belly dancing unfold on deck as the illuminated skylines of Europe and Asia slide past on either side. Vegetarian menus are available on request.

A full day in the historic heart of Sultanahmet. Start at the Roman Hippodrome, once the beating heart of Constantinople's chariot-racing culture, where the Egyptian Obelisk, the Serpentine Column and the Column of Constantine still stand in the open air.

Step inside the Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque), built between 1609 and 1617 and still an active place of worship, then cross to Hagia Sophia, raised under Emperor Justinian I in the 6th century and unmatched anywhere for the sweep of history held inside one dome. Continue to Topkapı Palace, the imperial residence and administrative heart of the Ottoman court, before losing an hour — happily — in the 61 covered streets and 4,000-plus shops of the Grand Bazaar.

Discover Dolmabahçe Palace, a 45,000 m² complex of halls, baths and salons that captures the Ottoman Empire's turn toward European architectural taste in its final imperial century.

From there, board a Bosphorus cruise along the strait that divides Europe from Asia, watching palaces, waterfront mansions and centuries-old neighbourhoods drift by. Continue toward the Golden Horn and ride the cable car up Pierre Loti Hill for one of Istanbul's most atmospheric viewpoints, then wander the Spice Bazaar in Eminönü, its air thick with cinnamon, saffron, Turkish delight and dried fruit.

Trade the city's energy for a car-free island escape in the Princes’ Islands. Sail past Kınalıada, Heybeliada and Burgazada before landing on Büyükada, the largest of the group, for an electric-vehicle tour past elegant 19th-century summer houses, pine forest and quiet lanes.

Free time is built in for a seaside lunch on your own account, and in the warmer months a swim in the Marmara is a genuinely lovely way to spend the afternoon.

A different angle on the city today, tracing the Golden Horn from another vantage point at Pierre Loti Hill before visiting Eyüp Sultan Mosque and Tomb, one of Istanbul's most revered Islamic sites, associated with Abu Ayyub al-Ansari and the conquest era.

Step inside the immersive Panorama 1453 History Museum to relive the fall of Constantinople, admire the Süleymaniye Mosque — architect Sinan's masterwork for Süleiman the Magnificent — and see the historic ramparts of Yedikule Fortress. Free time for shopping at Olivium Outlet or a family stop at Istanbul Aquarium can be arranged.

Depart Istanbul early for Eceabat and the Gallipoli Peninsula, a day built around remembrance rather than sightseeing. The Allied landings of 25–26 April 1915 unfolded across these quiet beaches and ridgelines, and today's visit moves slowly through Brighton Beach, Beach Cemetery, ANZAC Cove, Ari Burnu Cemetery and the ANZAC Commemorative Site.

Continue to the Lone Pine Australian Memorial and Johnston's Jolly, the Turkish 57th Infantry Regiment Cemetery, The Nek, and finally Chunuk Bair, a site of profound significance in New Zealand memory. Few places in Türkiye leave quite this impression.

Step into legend at Troy, where city walls roughly 3,700 years old and the layered remains of nine successive settlements sit beside a full-scale replica of the famous Trojan Horse.

Continue to Pergamon, once capital of the Attalid dynasty and one of the ancient Aegean's great centres of learning. Climb to the dramatic hillside Acropolis, see the site of the Great Altar of Zeus and take in one of antiquity's steepest ancient theatres before continuing to Ephesus for the night.

Few ancient sites in the world rival Ephesus for sheer scale and preservation. Walk the same marble streets once trodden by merchants, philosophers and pilgrims, and stand before the Library of Celsus, one of the most photographed façades in Roman architecture.

Step inside the enormous Great Theatre, then travel up Mount Koressos to the House of the Virgin Mary, an important Christian pilgrimage site, before viewing the scattered remains of the Temple of Artemis, once counted among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Travel to Pamukkale — the “Cotton Castle” — where mineral-rich thermal water has deposited dazzling white calcium terraces down the mountainside over thousands of years. Explore Hierapolis, the ancient spa city built beside the springs, wander its monumental Roman Necropolis and admire the restored Roman Theatre.

An optional soak in the Cleopatra Antique Pool (entrance payable locally, not included) lets you swim among submerged marble columns, and a stop at the reddish mineral terraces of Karahayıt rounds out the day before the drive toward Fethiye.

The scenery shifts entirely today, from ancient ruins to turquoise Mediterranean water. A boat excursion from the Ölüdeniz area calls at Butterfly Valley, a cliff-ringed cove reachable only by sea, the brilliantly coloured Blue Cave, and the pine-shaded, crystal-clear Cold Spring Bay.

The day finishes at St. Nicholas Island, scattered with early Christian church ruins linked in local tradition to the historical figure behind Saint Nicholas — a perfect blend of swimming stops and quiet history.

Head into the mountains behind Fethiye to Tlos, a Lycian city dramatically perched on a rocky spur, its rock-cut tombs carved directly into the cliff face. Continue to Yakapark, prized for its ice-cold mountain springs and shaded greenery.

The day's centrepiece is Saklıkent Canyon, one of the deepest gorges in the Mediterranean, part of a protected national park — towering rock walls, rushing meltwater and a genuinely adventurous atmosphere make it a highlight of the whole tour.

Wander the empty stone streets of Kayaköy, an abandoned hillside village whose churches and houses preserve a haunting, beautiful chapter of Anatolia's modern history. See the monumental Amintas Rock Tombs cut into the mountainside above Fethiye, then dive into the colour and noise of the Fethiye Tuesday Market for produce, textiles and souvenirs.

In the evening, transfer onward to Antalya, gateway to Türkiye's Turquoise Coast.

Feel the spray of the Düden Waterfalls and the coastal drama of Karpuzkaldıran, where a lower cascade tumbles straight into the Mediterranean, then ride the cable car up Tünektepe for panoramic views over the city and coastline.

Back at sea level, explore the historic Kaleïçi marina, pass beneath the monumental Roman-era Hadrian's Gate, and lose yourself in the old town's Ottoman houses, narrow lanes and waterfront cafés — the beating heart of historic Antalya.

A day of pure tranquillity on the Green Canyon of Manavgat, a turquoise reservoir framed by pine-covered slopes and the Taurus Mountains. The excursion includes hotel pickup and drop-off, a relaxed boat cruise, a guide and a lakeside lunch, running roughly nine hours including transfers — with vegetarian and vegan options available.

A trio of Mediterranean archaeological highlights today: broad colonnaded streets and monumental ruins at Perge; the extraordinary Aspendos Theatre, a 2nd-century AD Roman theatre seating some 15,000 spectators and celebrated as one of the best-preserved anywhere in the world; and the atmospheric port city of Side, its ruins scattered across a narrow peninsula.

Cool off at the Kurşunlu Waterfalls before boarding an overnight coach bound for Cappadocia — a change of scenery that could not be more complete.

Arrive in Cappadocia in the early morning — ideally in time for the region's signature experience, an optional sunrise hot-air balloon flight over hundreds of fairy chimneys and folded volcanic valleys (highly recommended, weather permitting).

By day, explore Devrent (Imagination) Valley and its whimsically shaped rock formations, the rock-hewn churches of the Göreme Open-Air Museum, panoramic views from Esentepe, the monumental rock citadel of Uçhisar Castle, and the riverside pottery town of Avanos, where ceramic traditions run back millennia.

Descend nearly 85 metres into Derinkuyu Underground City, a vast multi-level settlement carved to shelter thousands of people along with their livestock and food stores in times of danger.

Above ground, walk a stretch of the spectacular Ihlara Valley, a green canyon lined with rock-cut churches, pause in the riverside village of Belısırma, and marvel at the churches and chambers carved into the cliffs of Selime Monastery.

A quieter, less-visited side of Cappadocia today: the historic Greek Orthodox stone architecture of Mustafapaşa (formerly Sinasos), the striking rock formations of Gomeda Valley, and the rock-cut churches of Soğanlı Valley.

Continue to Sobesos, an ancient settlement with well-preserved mosaics only uncovered in the early 21st century, and finish at Keşlik Monastery, where churches, a refectory and even a rock-cut winery survive intact within the cliffs.

Continue into volcanic landscapes shaped by Mount Erciyes, beginning at the dramatic Erdemli Valley (ancient Kyzistra) before revisiting the historic churches of the Soğanlı Valley from a Kayseri vantage point.

The day closes at Sultan Sazlığı National Park, one of Türkiye's most important wetlands, home to hundreds of bird species with hiking trails, an observation tower and a dedicated bird museum for nature lovers.

Explore Talas, where the Panaya Church-turned-Yaman Dede Mosque tells a layered story of the region's changing religious history, and visit the birthplace of legendary Ottoman architect Sinan in the village of Ağırnas.

Enjoy a lighter, family-friendly stop at Mazakaland before standing beneath Mount Erciyes, an extinct volcano rising to roughly 3,916 metres and one of Central Anatolia's premier winter-sports destinations. In the evening, fly or transfer onward to Trabzon and the Black Sea coast.

Get to know Trabzon, gateway to Türkiye's lush Eastern Black Sea. Visit the elegant, European-influenced Atatürk Mansion, relax in the Trabzon Botanical Park, and step inside the region's own Trabzon Hagia Sophia, converted to a mosque following the Ottoman conquest of the city.

A stop at the modern Trabzon Aquarium (opened 2022) and sweeping views from Boztepe hill round out an easy, scenic introduction to Black Sea culture.

Learn how tea shapes daily life in the Eastern Black Sea with a visit to a working tea factory, then see traditional blade craftsmanship at the Sürmene knife workshops.

The undisputed highlight is Uzungöl, a long glacial lake ringed by forested slopes and timber chalets — among the most photographed landscapes on the entire Black Sea coast. Cross the traditional Hapşiyaş Bridge and stop at scenic waterfalls and viewpoints along the way.

Trade the coast for the highlands with a visit to the cool, wide-open Hıdırnebi Plateau, one of Trabzon's best-loved summer escapes, and the traditional highland culture of Düzköy / Haçka Obası.

Continue past the seasonal green landscape of Fish Lake to explore Çal Cave, an impressive underground system of stalactites and stalagmites, before winding down beside the peaceful waters of Sera Lake near Akçaabat.

Enter Fırtına Valley, one of the most cinematic landscapes on the entire Black Sea coast, where a rushing river cuts between forested, near-vertical mountainsides. Visit the historic Zil Castle perched high above the valley, with optional rafting or zipline for adventure-minded travellers, conditions permitting.

Climb toward the Seven Lakes (Yedigöller) region, a cluster of crater lakes at roughly 2,740 metres in the Haldizen Mountains, whose colours shift dramatically with the seasons.

Sumela Monastery is one of the most spectacular religious monuments in northern Türkiye, clinging to a sheer cliff face above Altinderé National Park's forested valley — a combination of architecture and setting that few sites anywhere can match.

Cross the dramatic Zigana mountain pass linking Trabzon and Gümüşhane, descend into Karaca Cave's slowly formed underground chambers, and pause among the waterfalls and highland scenery of Hamsıköy before the long transfer toward Safranbolu.

Step into one of Türkiye's best-preserved historic towns. Safranbolu was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994 for its remarkable ensemble of Ottoman-era mansions, cobbled streets and caravan-route heritage tied to the historic Gerede–Sinop trade route and the celebrated Cinci Han.

Tour the old town by guided mini-vehicle, descend into Bulak Cave, cross the historic İncekaya Aqueduct spanning Tokatlı Canyon, stand on the glass-floored Crystal Terrace above the gorge, and wander the traditional houses of Yörük Village and the stalls of Arasta Bazaar before continuing toward Sapanca in the evening.

Discover Bursa, the first great Ottoman capital. Ride the cable car toward Uluğağ, Türkiye's best-known mountain resort at roughly 2,543 metres, pausing en route beneath the enormous historic plane tree of İnkaya Village.

Back in the city, admire the tilework of the Green Mosque and the elegant Green Tomb, two of early Ottoman architecture's finest achievements, and discover Bursa's centuries-deep relationship with silk and the Silk Road before returning to Istanbul in the evening.

Your extraordinary 28-day journey through Türkiye comes to a close. Depending on your flight schedule, our transfer team collects you from your hotel and takes you to Istanbul Airport, timed at approximately 4–5 hours before departure to allow a comfortable, unhurried journey through check-in and security.

You leave with more than photographs — imperial palaces and ancient marble streets, the turquoise Mediterranean and the mist-covered Black Sea, fairy chimneys and Ottoman mansions, and the warm, generous hospitality of Türkiye. End of the 28-Day Türkiye Grand Journey.