Arrive in Istanbul on suggested flights and make your way to the hotel. Renaissance Tours or your travel agent can assist you with your flights and other travel arrangements, including travel insurance (a condition of travel), a private hotel transfer, accommodation before or after the tour and a room category upgrade.

At 18:00, join your tour leader Christopher Allen and fellow travellers for a welcome briefing at the hotel, followed by dinner.

(D)

Following a talk by Christopher, enjoy a full-day private, guided walking tour of Istanbul’s historic quarter, featuring iconic monuments spanning the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman eras, collectively inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. Stroll through Sultanahmet Square, the site of the ancient Hippodrome, originally developed by Roman Emperor Septimius Severus around 200 CE and later expanded under Constantine The Great. The square became the heart of the city during the Byzantine period.

Visit Hagia Sophia, a historical landmark originally built as a Christian cathedral before becoming an imperial mosque after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453. Continue to the Blue Mosque, a 17th-century architectural masterpiece famous for its cascading domes and vibrant blue interior, before concluding with the Basilica Cistern, the largest of several hundred ancient water cisterns that once served Constantinople.

(BL)

This morning, explore the opulent Topkapi Palace, which served as the administrative centre of the Ottoman Empire and was once the main residence of the sultans. After the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire in 1923, the palace was converted into a museum and displays an impressive collection of bejewelled turban crests, silken caftans, devotional Islamic objects and Chinese porcelain.

Then, visit the Istanbul Archaeological Museums complex, a world-class institution encompassing three distinct museums: the Archaeology Museum, the Museum of the Ancient Orient and the Tiled Kiosk Museum. Founded in the late 19th century, the museum houses over one million artefacts that chronicle the rise and fall of global civilisations.

(B)

Enjoy the morning and afternoon at leisure to relax or to further explore the city at your own pace.

In the early evening, enjoy a sunset cruise along the Bosphorus, the strategic waterway linking the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara and separating Europe from Asia. For centuries, control of this narrow channel was central to the defence and prosperity of Byzantium and Constantinople, while its shores later became a favoured setting for Ottoman palaces, mosques and elegant timber yalı.

(BD)

After breakfast, check out of the hotel and drive to Gallipoli, one of the most significant battlefields of World War I and a lasting symbol of remembrance, reconciliation and friendship. Visit sites including Anzac Cove, where Australian and New Zealand troops landed on 25 April, 1915, the Lone Pine Cemetery and Memorial and Chunuk Bair, a key peak in the Sari Bair range captured and briefly held by New Zealand troops, featuring the New Zealand Memorial.

Continue to Canakkale, a vibrant seaport city in northwestern Turkey, located on the Asian shore of the narrow Dardanelles strait that connects the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara.

Arrive in the late afternoon and check in to the hotel before dinner.

(BD)

This morning, join Christopher for a talk before visiting the Ancient Site of Troy to discover this legendary city and the centre of the Trojan War. A real-life Bronze Age settlement located on Hisarlik Hill, Troy once controlled vital trade routes connecting the Aegean Sea and the Black Sea and the site features at least nine major archaeological layers spanning over 4,000 years, showing that the city was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt from around 3000 BCE through the Roman period.

After some free time, visit the award-winning Troy Museum, opened in 2018 and whose seven galleries display artefacts from Troy and other ancient settlements across the surrounding region.

Return to the hotel for the remainder of the day at leisure.

(B)

In the morning, depart Canakkale for Izmir, stopping en route at Bergama to see the Acropolis and Asclepion of Pergamon.

The Acropolis of Pergamon was one of the most influential cultural and political centres of the Hellenistic world and home to remarkable monuments, including the Temple of Trajan, the grand theatre and the remains of the famous library that once rivalled that of Alexandria.

Then, visit the Asclepion of Pergamon, a healing temple built in honour of the gods of medicine and health, Asclepius and Hygieia. Built in the mid-4th century BCE, the temple functioned as a religious and therapeutic centre through the Hellenistic and Roman periods.

In the late afternoon, arrive in Izmir, known as Smyrna in the ancient world and now Turkey’s third-largest city. Check in to the hotel and enjoy some time at leisure before dinner.

(BD)

Begin the day with an excursion to the ancient city of Sardis, one of the Seven Churches of Asia referenced in the Book of Revelation. As the capital of the ancient Lydian empire, Sardis was also traditionally associated with the introduction of the world’s first coinage, issued in the 7th century BCE, and the Temple of Artemis, one of the largest Greek temples.

After lunch, return to Izmir to visit the Agora Open Air Museum, a multi-storey structure built on arches and pillars around a large quad with marble tiling in the Roman Era. The Agora served as Smyrna’s commercial, political and judicial centre and was extensively rebuilt following an earthquake in 178 CE.

(BL)

This morning, travel to Ephesus, one of the best-preserved ancient Greek and Roman port cities in the world and renowned for housing one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Temple of Artemis. Founded around the 10th century BCE, Ephesus later became one of the Mediterranean’s commercial centres. The extensive remains include the Library of Celsus and the Temple of Hadrian, dedicated to the Roman emperor.

Afterwards, visit the House of the Virgin Mary, a Catholic shrine and pilgrimage site where Christian and Muslim pilgrims honour the belief that Mary spent her final years here after being brought to the house by St John.

Arrive in the lively coastal town of Kusadasi in the mid-afternoon. Check in to the hotel and later enjoy a talk by Christopher before dinner.

(BD)

Embark on a full-day tour to Miletus, widely regarded as the birthplace of Western philosophy and home to the pioneering Milesian thinkers such as Thales who sought rational explanations for the natural world. Miletus also played a significant role in science, trade and urban planning, and established over 60 colonies around the Black Sea and the Mediterranean before 500 BCE.

Return to the hotel for the remainder of the afternoon at leisure to relax or to explore Kusadasi further at your own pace.

(BL)

After breakfast, check out of the hotel and drive to Aphrodisias, a city named after Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Aphrodisias was a major source of marble in the ancient world: its proximity to rich marble quarries supported a renowned school of sculpture, whose works were exported throughout the Roman world.

In the afternoon, visit Hierapolis, an ancient Greco-Roman spa city located directly above the white travertine terraces of Pamukkale. Established in the second century BCE, the current remains include the Antique Pool with submerged Roman columns, the Plutonium, the Grand Theatre and a necropolis with sarcophagi that stretch for two kilometres.

Afterwards, transfer to the hotel in Pamukkale and check in, followed by dinner.

(BD)

Depart Pamukkale for Antalya in the morning, visiting the ancient city of Laodicea en route.

Founded in 261–263 BCE by King Antiochus II and named after his wife, Laodicea also holds biblical significance as the last of the Seven Churches of Asia mentioned in the Book of Revelation. The city thrived under Roman rule as a vital centre for banking, finance, textiles (particularly glossy black wool) and medicine.

Upon arrival in Antalya in the mid-afternoon, join a private, guided walking tour of the Old Town, nestled within the ancient city walls and renowned for its charming Ottoman-era houses, narrow cobblestoned streets, boutique shops and picturesque harbour.

This evening, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.

(BD)

In the morning, explore the Roman Theatre of Aspendos, built during the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (161-180 CE) and one of the best-preserved ancient theatres of the Greco-Roman world. With a capacity for 13,000 people, the surrounding ancient city also preserves the remains of a stadium, acropolis and monumental fountain, while the theatre is still used for concerts to this day.

After some free time, continue to Perge, an ancient settlement in Pamphylia with roots dating to the Early Bronze Age. Later flourishing as a Greek city, Perge is also renowned as the birthplace of Apollonius of Perga, one of antiquity’s foremost mathematicians, known for his pioneering work on conic sections.

Return to the hotel for the remainder of the afternoon at leisure, before celebrating the conclusion of the tour with a special farewell dinner with Christopher and fellow travellers at a local restaurant.

(BD)

Tour arrangements conclude after breakfast.

For those returning home today, make your way to Antalya Airport for suggested flights to Australia or New Zealand. Renaissance Tours or your travel agent can assist you with your flights and other travel arrangements, including a private airport transfer, additional nights’ accommodation either before or after the tour and travel insurance (a condition of travel).

(B)