• 2 Dinner (D)
• 11 Breakfast (B)
• 1 Lunch (L)

• Istanbul: Get on foot, and explore the vibrant corners of Istanbul. We’ll check out the spice market, the epic blue mosque, Hippodrome, and even the Grand Bazaar.
• Istanbul: No better way to kick off the trip than with a delish rooftop dinner with your new crew. You’ll get a taste of Turkish delight too, because starting sweet will always be the move.
• Gallipoli: Brush up on your history with a visit to WWI battle sites: Lone Pine Cemetery and Chunuk Bair, then check out where the ANZAC troops first landed during the Battle of Gallipoli.
• Canakkale: Roam through Canakkale’s streets and soak up that laidback harbour-town vibe. We’ll also stop at the Trojan Horse monument from the movie ‘Troy’ for a quick photo op.
• Troy: A treat for the history buffs. Spark your imagination as you visit the mythological Horse of Troy with a local guide. 
• Bergama: Tuck into a wholesome spread of Turkish specialities, then head to a carpet weaving demo led by local women. You’ll see the craft up close, learn how patterns and symbols tell stories, and clock the time and skill behind traditional Anatolian carpets on this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience.
• Ephesus: Grab your camera, it’s time for some bucket list ticking. See the Temple of Artemis and finally understand what all the fuss is about. 
• Oludeniz: Head to Oludeniz (AKA the famous Blue Lagoon), for that unreal turquoise water and mountain backdrop combo. Kick back by the shore, then watch paragliders drift overhead like they own the sky. Cue the camera roll.
• Konya: Meet Mustafa, a respected local Sufi figure, at his lodge, Hichane, for a Sufi Talk that’ll unpack the philosophy behind the whirling dervishes. Expect stories, real local insight, and music too. He’ll share his world as a ney (AKA Persian flute) player and community leader. All in an underground space that makes this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience feel seriously special.
• Konya: We’ll be welcomed into a local homestay in Konya to share traditional Turkish food, warm hospitality, and an easy, authentic cultural exchange around the table. It’s a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience you won’t wanna miss.
• Cappadocia: Take a trip to the Middle Ages, checking out a series of churches built into volcanic rock. Trust us when we say, it’s simply sublime.
• Cappadocia: There’s no better place to see live pottery than here on this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. Come join a demo at the Chez Galip’s pottery workshop – a UNESCO recognised artist for popularising Avano’s pottery heritage. You’ll learn the traditional techniques of shaping clay and even the firing process. 
• Cappadocia: Lace up! We’ll head out on an easy-to-moderate morning hike through Cappadocia’s Red Valley, passing by epic volcanic landscapes and honey-coloured rock formations. Don’t forget sun protection, and plenty of water.

Taste your way into Turkiye with a rooftop feast, sharing meze, grilled specialties, and fresh salads as the city’s domes and minarets glow. Join your crew for a hosted welcome dinner and sample Turkish delight (lokum) in classic rosewater and pistachio for a sweet first chapter.

Hear how this confection evolved in Ottoman kitchens and why hospitality anchors local dining culture. Between courses, soak up the skyline’s shifting colors and the hum of ferries crossing the Bosphorus for a flavorful introduction to Istanbul’s rhythm.

Pay tribute on a moving tour of the Gallipoli Peninsula, stopping at ANZAC Cove, Chunuk Bair and Lone Pine Cemetery. Join a guided visit across pine-clad ridges and quiet beaches where history echoes in the sea breeze.

Learn how the 1915 campaign shaped national identities for Turkiye, Australia, and New Zealand, and hear reflections linked to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. This contemplative experience balances context with moments to pause for photos and reflection amid the serene coastal landscape.

Explore the storied city of Troy with a Local Guide, tracing weathered ramparts, gateways, and layers of settlement where legend meets archaeology. Walk past the remains of walls that once guarded Mycenaean heroes and later Roman residents.

Unpack the interplay of myth and fact—from Homer’s epics to 19th-century excavations—and see how each stratum tells a different chapter. Expect insightful commentary, a sighting of the emblematic wooden horse motif, and views over the windswept Troad plain.

Stroll the relaxed harbor of Canakkale on an orientation walk, taking in café-lined promenades and ferries sliding across the Dardanelles. Snap a photo with the cinematic Trojan Horse monument that nods to the region’s enduring legend.

Get your bearings in this breezy university town where Ottoman-era houses share streets with modern galleries. The walk highlights local hangouts, shoreline vistas, and the maritime lifeblood connecting Europe and Asia just across the strait.

Savor a spread of regional dishes in Bergama before visiting a women-led cooperative to watch hand-knotted carpets take shape. See natural-dyed yarns, looms, and the patient rhythm behind each motif.

Learn how patterns and symbols encode family stories and village identities, and how this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience supports livelihoods and preserves heritage. The encounter offers real connection with artisans who keep Anatolia’s centuries-old weaving traditions alive.

Walk the marble avenues of Ephesus, pausing at the elegant facade of the Library of Celsus and the site of the once-mighty Temple of Artemis. Columns, inscriptions, and porticoes frame a city that once rivaled Rome in wealth and influence.

Hear tales of merchants, scholars, and pilgrims in Roman Asia Minor as you trace Curetes Street past baths and public squares. Your guide brings the stones to life, revealing daily rituals beneath the Anatolian sun.

Visit the shimmering white cascades of Pamukkale’s travertine terraces, where mineral-rich waters flow over cottony limestone pools. Wander boardwalks for elevated views and take in the surreal contrast of turquoise basins and chalky ridges.

Explore nearby Hierapolis, the Roman spa town with a grand theatre and vast necropolis that testify to its curative draw. Learn how geothermal springs shaped settlement here, and why UNESCO protects this unique fusion of geology and antiquity.

Pause at the Blue Lagoon of Oludeniz, a pristine curve of turquoise water backed by forested mountains. Capture the classic panorama as paragliders arc silently overhead and gentle waves trace the shore.

Hear how this protected cove came to symbolize the Turquoise Coast, prized for its clarity and calm. The stop offers time to pause for photos and reflection amid one of Turkiye’s most iconic coastal scenes.

Meet a respected Sufi host at Hichane for an intimate introduction to the philosophy behind the whirling dervishes. Listen to the breathy tones of the ney flute and explore how music, poetry, and meditation weave through devotional practice.

In the heartland of Rumi’s Konya, gain rare insight into Mevlevi traditions and community life. The conversation invites quiet contemplation within an atmospheric, cave-like space built for reflection.

Share a home-cooked dinner with local hosts in Konya, passing baskets of warm flatbreads, seasonal salads, and slow-cooked mains around the table. Stories flow as easily as tea, turning a meal into connection.

Experience Turkish sohbet—unhurried conversation—while learning about family life, recipes, and customs in central Anatolia. This heartfelt exchange celebrates hospitality and everyday culture far from tourist menus.

Explore the Goreme Open-Air Museum, wandering monastic complexes carved from soft volcanic tuff. Step inside chapels whose Byzantine frescoes glow with ochres and lapis, depicting saints, angels, and scenes from the Gospels.

Learn how hermits and monks shaped this landscape into sanctuaries and refectories, creating a compact world of faith and artistry. As you move between cave rooms and courtyards, the silence amplifies every brushstroke.

Visit a working atelier in Avanos to watch Chez Galip at the wheel, shaping red clay drawn from the Kizilirmak River. See how vessels take form through steady hands, pedal rhythm, and generations of practice.

Hear how this UNESCO-recognised master helped popularize Cappadocia’s pottery heritage, from throwing techniques to glazing and firing. Shelves of bowls, ewers, and tiles reveal a living craft with four millennia of Anatolian roots.

Hike Cappadocia’s Red Valley along mellow trails flanked by honey-coloured cliffs and tapering fairy chimneys. Breezes carry the scent of wild thyme as viewpoints open over rippling rock waves and vineyard plots.

Guides explain how wind and water sculpted volcanic tuff into caves and fins, while troglodyte dwellings hint at older ways of living. Cameras love the shifting rose-gold hues that bathe the valley through the day.

Walk onto the mirror-like crust of Lake Tuz, one of the world’s largest hypersaline lakes, and watch the sky reflect at your feet. In shallow seasons, the surface blushes with delicate pink tones, perfect for wide-angle compositions.

Learn how evaporation and mineral content shape this otherworldly landscape. It’s a brief, dazzling interlude that delivers big on texture, light, and pause for photos and reflection before the road to Ankara.

Settle into a countryside restaurant near Kayakoy’s ghost village for a relaxed BBQ dinner of grilled meats and seasonal veggies. Expect fresh salads, smoky aromas, and easy conversation with your travel crew.

As twilight settles over stone houses abandoned during the 1923 population exchange, your guide shares the site’s poignant history. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to availability.

Cruise the Turquoise Coast from Fethiye aboard a local boat, gliding to pine-fringed coves and sapphire bays with swim stops en route. A simple lunch served on board keeps the pace blissfully unhurried.

Hear about traditional wooden gulets, sheltered islands, and the currents that keep the water so clear. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, weather permitting.

Lift off at dawn as balloons rise over Cappadocia’s valleys, drifting above ripples of tuff, orchards, and cave dwellings. From the basket rim, watch sunlight spill across fairy chimneys in a slow, golden reveal.

Pilots interpret wind patterns and landmarks while you capture panoramic photos. This signature experience is at additional cost, bookable on tour, and always subject to weather and limited availability.

Join a hands-on cooking class inside a traditional cave kitchen, learning to prepare meze and hearty Anatolian dishes seasoned with pul biber and sumac. Chop, stir, and bake alongside local cooks, then sit down to share your creations.

Discover how clay pots, village ovens, and regional produce shape Cappadocian flavors. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Gather for a farewell dinner in Istanbul to toast new friendships over shared plates and sweets. Expect lively conversation, warm service, and a setting that captures the city’s after-dark glow.

Guides can suggest meyhane-style venues where conversation hums and traditional tunes sometimes set the mood. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Contiki

Discover Istanbul on foot with a Local Guide, taking in the Blue Mosque, the ancient Hippodrome, the aromatic lanes of the Spice Market, and the labyrinthine Grand Bazaar. Feel the city’s pulse as muezzins call across minaret-filled skylines and merchants stack saffron, sumac, and shimmering textiles.

Absorb the layers of empire where Byzantine chariots once raced and Ottoman craftsmen perfected their arts. Expect stories of sultans and traders, a primer in haggling etiquette, and time to admire tiled domes, brass lamps, and handwoven kilims that speak to centuries of commerce.