Aegean Explorer
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.
For a detailed itinerary and information about visas, money, weather and more download our Trip Notes
Tour overview
Itinerary
Day 1 Istanbul
Day 1 Istanbul
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
Day 2 Istanbul
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. We head inside to marvel at its famed blue Iznik tiles, and can see the unique 6 minarets on the outside. 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 the exterior of Hagia Sophia - constructed as a Basilica in the 6th century by Emperor Justinian. Visit inside Topkapi Palace and see 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.
Day 3 Gallipoli
Day 3 Gallipoli
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 Troy & Kusadasi
Day 4 Troy & Kusadasi
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 Ancient Ephesus
Day 5 Ancient Ephesus
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
Day 6 Pamukkale
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
Day 7 Istanbul
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.
Please Note: If travelling prior to 27 October 2024, your internal flight is currently arriving at the new Istanbul 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
If travelling between 28 October 2024 - 1 April 2025, your internal flight is scheduled to arrive at the new Istanbul Airport at approx. 12:25pm. Please ensure you book an international flight departing Istanbul after 5pm, 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 6:30pm Alternatively, you could choose to extend your stay by purchasing an additional night's hotel accommodation.
Please Note: If travelling after 01 April 2025 , your internal flight is currently arriving at the new Istanbul 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
Tour Highlights
Included
Not Included
Prices & Dates
Hotels
The charming Kent Hotel is a great example of contemporary design and a friendly atmosphere. Guest rooms are superbly equipped with modern facilities including Wi-Fi connectivity, state of the art technology and bright marbled bathrooms. Enjoying a delicious Turkish meal at the in house Calcedoine Restaurant after a hard days sightseeing is highly recommended. The hotel is also fantastically located within a 10-minute walk of the Grand Bazaar and Old Town in the Bayazit area in the European side of Istanbul.
Remida Hotel serves as your gateway to the rich history and breathtaking landscapes of Çanakkale, seamlessly blending modern luxury with historical charm. Enjoy panoramic views from your room, where you can watch the first ships entering the Dardanelles and gaze across the Gulf of Saros to the distant Greek islands of Samothrace and Lemnos. Designed with minimalist glam, the hotel’s lobby features artifacts from ancient Troy and showcases the exquisite handicrafts of Çanakkale. Each room is equipped with modern comforts, including air conditioning, a mini bar, television, hair dryer, and kettle.
Set within beautifully landscaped gardens and boasting an incredible panoramic view of the Aegean Coast, the Ramada Hotel & Suites is the perfect place to relax and soak up the sun by its large outdoor pool, or pamper yourself at the spa. Comfort is guaranteed in the spacious guest rooms, which are modern and well equipped. The hotel offers a choice of three bars, a buffet restaurant and an à la carte restaurant, serving tasty Italian cuisine. A variety of bars and restaurants can also be found within walking distance of the hotel, near Kusadasi's pretty marina.
Seven For Life Thermal Hotel in Kusadasi is a luxurious retreat with a range of amenities and close proximity to the beach. With an indoor pool, sauna, hammam, and hot spring bath, guests are sure to find relaxation here. The added convenience of a restaurant, bar, and free WiFi enhances the overall experience. Families can take advantage of the kid's club. With Venus Beach just 800 meters away and Icmeler Bay Beach a short distance further, guests have easy access to the coastal beauty of the area.
Set in landscaped gardens, the Colossae Thermal Spa Hotel has an envious location in Pamukkale. Guest rooms are spacious and tastefully decorated and offer a wonderful level of comfort, ensuring a good night's sleep. The on site thermal spa offers guests the chance to relax, revitalise and enjoy what this region is most famous for. Breakfast can be eaten outside on the terrace while dinner is often taken by the shimmering water of the pool.
Tour Reviews
I have always loved onthego, the accommodations were excellent, I was impressed with the hotels! The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable as well.
Yusef is a terrific guide ..very knowledgeable and organized. He was really helpful to me in Istanbul when he lent me his metro pass to go to a shopping mall and made sure I knew how to get there. He was very attentive to everyone and explained everything clearly and is a real expert in his field.
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.
Tour guide Lale was excellent - very knowledgeable and friendly. Would recommend.
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.
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