Aegean Explorer - 7 Days

Aegean Explorer - 7 Days

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7 Days From

$1985

$1489

Aegean Explorer - 7 Days

7 Days Starting and ending in Istanbul

Visiting: İstanbul, Gelibolu, Troy, Kuşadası, Ephesus, Pamukkale

Tour operator:

On The Go Tours

Tour code:

2/AEXP

Specialist Group:

Family/Kids

Guide Type:

Fully Guided

Group size:

2 - 24

Age range:

16 years with an accompanying adult

Special diets catered:

Vegetarians, Please contact On The Go Tours with specific dietary requests

Tour operated in:
English
From:
$1985
$1489 Operator discount: -$496 -25%

NB: Prices correct on 31-May-2024 but subject to change.

Tour Overview

Kicking off in the powerhouse of the Ottoman empire - Istanbul, pay your respects at Gallipoli, get lost in the impressive Roman ruins of Ephesus and Pergamum, witness the beautiful Aegean Coast and dip your toes in Pamukkale's beautiful cascading mineral pools.

Highlights

  • Gallipoli Peninsular - ANZAC Cove, Lone Pine and Chunuk Bair memorials, trenches and battlefields

  • Istanbul - Old city, Istanbul, Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, Basilica Underground Cistern and Topkapi Palace

  • Troy - Ancient ruins, 9 cities, one on top of the other, dating back to 3000 BC and replica Trojan horse

  • Stunning Aegean Coast

  • Roman ruins of Pergamum and Ephesus

  • Pamukkale - Thermal pools and Roman Hierapolis

  • Turkish carpet weaving and leather manufacturing houses

Itinerary

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Day 1 : Istanbul

Location: İstanbul

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Ramada Old City

Meals Included: No Meals

Saturday. Welcome to Turkey! Arrive Istanbul and included transfer to our hotel. Spend the afternoon at leisure or head out to explore the city. This evening our tip filled welcome meeting takes place.

Day 2 : Istanbul

Location: İstanbul

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Ramada Old City

Meals Included: Breakfast

Istanbul. We'll start the day with an exciting tour of Istanbul's old city. We'll make a number of stops on our trip, starting with a visit to the stunning Blue Mosque famed for it’s blue Iznik tiles and unique 6 minarets, we'll continue to the ruinous Hippodrome – now a small park of sorts and once scene of chariot races and political activities in Byzantine times, we'll also discover Hagia Sofia Museum - constructed as a Basilica in the 6th century by Emperor Justinian, Topkapi Palace and the Underground Cistern – an ancient underground water tank - replete with carved and fluted Corinthian columns and a puzzling head of Medusa. Visitors walk on walkways suspended above the shallow water. It’s very cool and peaceful.

Day 3 : Canakkale

Location: Gelibolu

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Iris Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast

Istanbul – Gallipoli. Early this morning, we travel to the WW1 battlefields of Gallipoli. Here, we’ll embark upon a guided tour of the region, once the site of fierce fighting and today almost hauntingly beautiful, with its wooded landscape dotted with understated memorials to the war dead. Our guided tour of the region will take in sights such as ANZAC Cove, Lone Pine Australian War Memorial and cemetery, Chunuk Blair New Zealand War Memorial and cemetery, the Nek, Johnston’s Jolly and the many fortified trenches still clearly visible amongst the scrub after all these years.

Crossing the Dardenelles by ferry (offering panoramic views of the entire Gallipoli Peninsular) we proceed to our hotel for a little rest and relaxation.

Day 4 : Kusadasi

Location: Troy, Kuşadası

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Carina Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast

Gallipoli – Kusadasi. Heading south, we enjoy a guided tour of Homer’s Troy, famed for the Trojan wooden horse and fabled Helen. Continuing to ancient Pergamum - the cultural and political capital of its time, before continuing onto coastal Kusadasi. Make the most of the hotel facilities this evening.

Day 5 : Ephesus

Location: Ephesus

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Richmond Ephesus Resort Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast

Today, we enjoy a guided tour at the legendary Roman ruins of Ephesus. Positively the best-preserved classical city in the eastern Mediterranean, and among the best places in the world to get a feel for what Roman life must have been like. Ephesus, under the Romans was a vast city with a population nearing 250,000. It became the Roman capital of Asia Minor. We’ll have plenty of time to tour the marble ruins of Ephesus. Be sure to see the famous Library of Celcus, the gymnasium of Vedius and Stadium, the great theatre and stroll the streets in the ruins of this large Roman ruined city. It’s completely fascinating. We’ll see public toilets, a brothel, fountains and various temples. Carpet weaving has long traditions in Turkey and afterward we stop to watch a demonstration of how they are made.

Day 6 : Pamukkale

Location: Pamukkale

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Colossae Thermal Spa Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast

Kusadasi - Pamukkale. Today, after breakfast, we drive to Pamukkale visiting the region’s famed calcium rich terraced pools. Known locally as the Cotton Castles, they are a natural phenomena and gift of Mother Nature.



Pamukkale was formed when warm, calcium rich mineral water cascaded over the cliff edge, cooling and depositing in the process. The calcium built natural shelves and pools on the cliffs, known as travertines. Today, some of the pools are closed. However, areas of the travertines can be walked upon, albeit in bare feet. We can however opt to enjoy a unique and very pleasant dip in the warm waters at the Pamukkale Thermal, with its submerged fragments of fluted marble columns in the centre of the ruined spa town of Hierapolis, which was a was a cure centre founded around 190 BC by the Romans. This evening we have some free time to relax and unwind.


Day 7 : Istanbul

Location: İstanbul

Meals Included: No Meals

Friday. This morning we make our way to Denizli airport for our flight to Istanbul. On arrival to Istanbul Airport we bid farewell to our group and representative and catch our onward flights.



Note: Please note your internal flight is currently arriving into the new Istanbul Airport airport at approx. 08:50am. Please ensure you book an international flight departing Istanbul after 1pm, allowing for flight delays. If you are departing via Sabiha airport you will need to make arrangements between airports and we recommend booking flights after 2:30pm Alternatively, you could choose to extend your stay by purchasing an additional night's hotel accommodation.

What's Included

  • Accommodation

    4 star

  • 5 breakfasts

  • 6 nights 4 star hotels

  • Economy class flight from Denizli (Pamukkale) to Istanbul

  • Escorted by an English speaking, degree qualified Turkish tour guide

  • Guided sightseeing - Istanbul, Gallipoli, Troy, Ruins of Ephesus and Pergamum, Pamukkale Terraces and Hierapolis

  • Airport arrival transfer on day 1

  • All relevant transfers and transportation in private modern air-conditioned vehicles

What's Not Included

  • International flights and visa

  • Tip for your tour guide and driver. We recommend you allow USD$5 - 7 per day, per traveller as a tip for your guide and USD$2 per day for your driver. Tipping your guide and driver is an entirely personal gesture

  • Entrance Fees: USD$85-95pp, paid in local currency

Age Policy

16 years with an accompanying adult

Check out our Q&As

  • Are airport transfers included in this tour?

    Airport arrival transfer on day 1

  • What is the maximum group size?

    Maximum 24 age people can go on this tour.

  • Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?

    Yes

  • What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?

    Ensuring our footprint is light and that the benefits of travelling reach the local communities you visit is paramount to us. We’re proud to say that when travelling with us, the large majority of your holiday funds remain within the countries you visit, supporting local economies at a grass roots level.

  • How long has the tour company been trading?

    Since 1998

  • Who will be my travelling companions on the tour?

    With English-speaking tours, it's not a huge surprise that most on our travellers are from English-speaking countries or have English as their second language. Our group tours cater for everyone from 18 years old to 70+

  • Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?

    Yes

Reviews from travellers on this tour

Rosemary Morison  

Aegean Explorer - 7 Days

25-Sep-2019

Recap was very knowledgeable about the places we visited. Everything was well organized and worked like clockwork. He was friendly and always willing to assist all the travellers. I greatly enjoyed the tour. He is the best tour guide I have ever encountered.

julian van den berg  

Aegean Explorer - 7 Days

13-Oct-2022

We had a wonderful tour, bit of a hiccup at the airport, as there was no one to collect us, but it was quickly resolved. Both the tour guide and driver of the tour bus were more then competent. The tour guide had an amazing array of knowledge of the area in which we travelled, and the sites and places of interested we visited, he was also able to answer any general information related to Turkey. He managed the group well as it related to time keeping without making us feel rushed, or having time to ourselves. The coach was spacious and comfortable. The hotels in which we stayed were comfortable and well appointed, the dinners and breakfasts had a wide array of options. Although we had initially booked to go to Croatia in 2020, COVID made that impossible, however our tour to Turkey was a great alternative and we were not disappointed. Would we use On the Go Tours again, certainly and we will encourage our friends to do the same.

Gregory Kemp  

Aegean Explorer - 7 Days

02-Jul-2016

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour of Turkey. Our guide Reggie was most personable, approachable and knowledgeable. Small tour group of about 12 made for a good group who travelled well together through some spectacular historic sights. Hotels were of an excellent standard and we were most appreciative of a temporary room in Pammukkale, to have a quick shower and ready ourselves for a pick up to the Denizli International Airport . Hotels were generally within easy walking distance to the town and restaurants. We were given enough time to walk around the sights but would have liked have more time at Ephesus. We found the travel times between sights a little long, but understand this was beyond OTG's control. This would be a factor in choosing land tours in the future. All in all a great tour and we would certainly consider booking with OTG in the future. Thank you Reggie for a memorable tour of Turkey

Sharna Burgess  

Aegean Explorer - 7 Days

29-Sep-2015

Recep is so helpful, passionate and educational. The best tour leader I have ever had!

Palesa Dikgale  

Aegean Explorer - 7 Days

19-Dec-2015

I must say I was not looking forward to this trip because I was travelling alone but our Tour Guide and the group I met made it a pleasant one. I really enjoyed my stay in Turkey and the tour itself from beginning to end. I will definitely be doing another tour with on the go in the near future. By the way Burchan is THE best tour guide..

Maree Van Dyk  

Aegean Explorer - 7 Days

19-Nov-2014

I spoke to my client and they have traveled quit a lot over the years. This was the best trip by far for them. Everything was exciting the tour guide was amazing and very informative. They enjoyed every second of the trip. They will recommend ON THE GO to all their friends and family.

Dennis Fearnley  

Aegean Explorer - 7 Days

13-Oct-2014

We enjoyed the tour very much, found all the places visited of interest and well explained by our guide. The visit to Galipoli was a worthwhile experience, and had extra significance due to the centinary in 2015. We found the Turkish memorial worth a visit, and well frequented by many Turkish people. The guide had a wealth of information about all places visited, provided appropriate level of information, but could always add more when asked specific questions.

Michael Clements  

Aegean Explorer - 7 Days

16-Jan-2015

Did everything it said it would, good pace, nice accommodation and coach with wifi etc. Group was more mature than expected. Saw enough of sights of Turkey but missed out on Capaodcia (I realise this is available on the 10 day Turkey tour!) Overnight bus back was a strange way to end tour, would have preferred coach/private transfer as previously.

Susan Peatey  

Aegean Explorer - 7 Days

26-Jun-2016

Both the tour and especially our guide, Burhan, were fabulous. Burhan could not have been more organized, more supportive, more generous with his time nor more knowledgeable about every aspect of our tour. This was our first with On The Go and it won't be our last .

Mark and Andrea Folkard  

Aegean Explorer - 7 Days

26-Sep-2015

Tour was excellent absolutely fantastic we will definitely visit Turkey again. We particularly want to vote for our amazing tour guide Recep Aydin. His knowledge was brilliant, his attention to detail and care for his group was appreciated and respected. He is a really nice person and he deserves to win tour guide of the year for Turkey. We wish him the best of luck for the future.

Read all 20 reviews

1 Dates & Availability

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$2105 $1579

Operator discount: -$526

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May 31, 2025 - Jun 06, 2025
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Jun 14, 2025 - Jun 20, 2025
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Operator discount: -$526

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Jun 28, 2025 - Jul 04, 2025
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Operator discount: -$526

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Jul 19, 2025 - Jul 25, 2025
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Jul 26, 2025 - Aug 01, 2025
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Operator discount: -$526

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Aug 16, 2025 - Aug 22, 2025
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Saturday - Friday

Aug 23, 2025 - Aug 29, 2025
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Operator discount: -$526

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Saturday - Friday

Sep 06, 2025 - Sep 12, 2025
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Operator discount: -$526

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Sep 20, 2025 - Sep 26, 2025
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Operator discount: -$526

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Oct 04, 2025 - Oct 10, 2025
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Oct 18, 2025 - Oct 24, 2025
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Operator discount: -$526

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Nov 01, 2025 - Nov 07, 2025
$1985 $1489

Operator discount: -$496

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Saturday - Friday

Nov 15, 2025 - Nov 21, 2025
$1985 $1489

Operator discount: -$496

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Nov 29, 2025 - Dec 05, 2025
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Operator discount: -$496

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Prices last published on 29-May-2024

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