Grand Turkey Tour
Cruise the Turkish Riviera and explore highlighted attractions on the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts as well as the central Anatolian region, known as the cradle between East and West. Explore ancient ruins, and see the most amazing scenery, rarely featured in guidebooks about Turkey.
Small Group Tours (Usually 8 to 12)
Boutique Hotels
Flights Only (No Long Bus Trips)
Highlights
Cruise the Turkish Riviera and explore highlighted attractions on the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts as well as the central Anatolian region, known as the cradle between East and West. Explore ancient ruins, and see the most amazing scenery, rarely featured in guidebooks about Turkey.
Tour Itinerary
Pick up from the airport (or port) and transfer to your hotel by private car. Overnight stay in Istanbul.
Pick up from your hotel & visit Haghia Sophia, Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome, Grand Bazaar and Topkapi Palace (Harem not included). We will provide you with tickets to the Whirling Dervish ceremony tonight (the art centre is 5 minutes walking distance to your hotel). Overnight stay in Istanbul.
Pick up from your hotel & enjoy the Bosphorus by Boat. Visit the Spice Bazaar, Beylerbeyi Palace, Bosphorus Bridge and Camlica Hill. Overnight stay in Istanbul.
Pick up from your hotel & drive (4.5 hours) south to the Gallipoli Peninsula. Hear expert information from a local guide. Visit the Kabatepe War Museum, the intended landing place at Brighton Beach and Anzac Cove where the Dawn Service is held each year. Also visit the NZ Memorial at Chunuk Bair, the Australian Memorial at Lone Pine, and the Turkish Memorial as well. Overnight in Canakkale. Note: Enough time is spent in Gallipoli to visit all the sites mentioned above.
Pick up from your hotel & morning drive (1 hour) to the ruins of the ancient cities of Troy and visit. Lunch break. In the afternoon, drive to Kusadasi, stopping at the beautiful ruins of Pergamon (2 hours drive) on the way. These stunning ruins, beautifully located on a hill top, demonstrate that the architects and sculptors of Pergamon were among the most talented in the Hellenistic world. Final drive to Kusadasi will be 2.5 hours. Overnight in Kusadasi.
Pick up from your hotel & visit the ruins of the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven ancient wonders of the world. Then visit Ephesus Ancient City, the best-preserved Greco-Roman city in the world. Here you will explore the Agora, Odeon, Celsius Library, Hadrian Temple, Roman Baths, Grand Theatre & Marble Street. After a lunch break, visit the House of Virgin Mary, where she is thought to have spent her final years. Overnight stay in Kusadasi.
Pick up from your hotel & morning drive (2.5 hours) to Pamukkale, then lunch. In the afternoon, tour the 'Cotton Castle.' Bring swimwear as you may have time to swim in the Antique Pool (extra fee applies.) Also visit the ancient ruins of the City of Hierapolis with its theatre and Necropolis. Overnight in Pamukkale.
Pick up from your hotel & private car transfer for 3 hours to join your Blue Voyage mini cruise on a wooden gulet. Traditionally used for trawling and sponge fishing, the cruise boat has been refurbished for cruising. It has simple plumbing and small cabins, but ample deck space for sunbathing. Food is freshly prepared on board, and all you need to do is marvel at the blue of the Meditarranean, swim, snooze and snorkel. This is the BEST way to experience the Mediterranean. The boarding starts at 15:30 from Marmaris Harbour. Guests who arrive early may leave their luggage at our office. On the first day, the service starts on the boat and overnight stay in Marmaris Port. Marmaris which was built upon one of the antique Karian cities called Phyckos, has been under the rule of many different civilizations. The most valuable work of art that you can see today is Marmaris Castle dating from 1577. There is also a mosque and an 8-room caravansary covered with arches from the Ottoman Period. Overnight in Marmaris.
After your breakfast, you will be informed about the cruise itinerary and the boat. The cruise will move towards Ekincik Gulf. You may join our optional Dalyan Tour from here. You will be taken from your yacht by a small boat called piyade. You will arrive at Caretta-Caretta (turtle) Beach and take a swimming break here. You will enjoy the natural beauty of the delta as you cruise along the river. You will see the ancient Rock Tombs and finally arrive at mud baths to relax and be rejuvenated. A fishing village called Dalyan will be our final destination after we return to our yacht by piyade boat. Dinner and overnight stay will be in the Gulf of Ekincik.
Because of the wavy seas of Disibilmez and Kurtoglu that we have to cross, we will cruise earlier than the other days and reach the world-famous Fethiye Gulf. We will anchor at Adali Bay for breakfast. For lunch and a swimming break, we will go to Manastir Bay. This place is known as Cleopatra Bay or Sunken Bath Bay due to the beautiful underwater ruins of an old bath. We will anchor at Tersane Island for dinner and overnight stay. This naturally protected harbour was used as the shipyard in Byzantine and Ottoman times.
After breakfast, we will cruise to Kizil Island for lunch and a swimming break. Disembark from your cruise late afternoon and take a private car transfer for 2 hours to the gorgeous little harbour town of Kas. Overnight in Kas.
Explore the local Roman amphitheatre and Lycian tombs. Perhaps even hike a short section of the Lycian Way? Overnight in Kas.
Free morning in Kas. Explore the local Roman amphitheatre and Lycian tombs. Perhaps even hike another short section of the Lycian Way. Pick up from your hotel & afternoon transfer to Antalya by private car. Overnight in Antalya.
Pick up from your hotel & tour the ancient cities around Antalya. In Perge, See the Stadium (seating 12,000), Bath and Colonnaded Street. In Aspendos, you can see the 2nd century AD Roman theatre, seating capacity 15,000. At the pretty site of Side, see the Apollo Temple, ancient ruins and two sandy beaches. Later, visit Kursunlu waterfall. Overnight in Antalya.
Pick up from your hotel & transfer to the airport for your flight to Cappadocia (according to your travel date, this maybe via Istanbul as there are direct flights only 5 times a week) and onward transfer to your cave hotel. Overnight in Cappadocia.
05:00 Hot air balloon flight over Cappadocia Hotel pickup, then a quick snack and safety briefing. Watching the balloon inflate, then you're off! Soaring over fairy chimneys, and dipping low to skim cave dwellings. This may be your favourite part of your Turkey trip - it will certainly be unforgettable. Celebrate a soft landing with a quick drink, and return to your hotel for breakfast around 8.30am. Full Day Cappadocia Tour - (North). Pick up from your hotel & tour Start from Devrent Valley (Imagination Valley), spectacular fairy chimneys and beautiful and scapes. After Devrent valley, we will visit Pasabag (known as Monk valley) where we will see double and triple headed rock formations. Lunch at Avanos, famous for pottery and Redriver (Kızılırmak). After lunch, you will visit Goreme open air museum which is in the heart of Cappadocia. Open air museum famous for wall painting, dates back to 10th century describing the life of Jesus Christ and monks. The last stop will be the Uchisar castle, natural and one of the biggest mass fairy chimney of the region. Overnight stay in Cappadocia.
Full Day Cappadocia Tour - (South) Pick up from your hotel & tour starts with Red valley. Explore the famous rock-cut churches and hike through the colourful and breath taking fairy chimneys. After 4 kms hiking, you will visit Cavusin (Greek village), famous for rock cut churches. After lunch, you will visit the one of the magical places of the region, the largest underground city of Cappadocia. After the underground city, you will visit the pigeon valley famous for dovecotes. The last stop is Ortahisar castle, one of the biggest mass fairy chimney of Cappadocia. After the tour, transfer to airport for your flight back to Istanbul. Overnight stay in Istanbul.
Free day for wandering the streets of the Old City, getting lost in the Grand Bazaar or taking a leisurely Turkish bath in an historic hamam. Play backgammon and drink tea, or travel into the New City around Istiklal Street to experience Istanbul the way the locals do. Overnight in Istanbul.
Pick up from the hotel according to your flight schedule and transfer to the airport.
You can customize this trip with additional days! Slow the pace with rest days in locations of your choice, or add additional sightseeing days along the route.
Tour Map
Tour Details
Hotels
Departure Date
No departures on Mondays. We hold the right the swap the days in your itinerary to suit the Gulet cruise mentioned in the itinerary.
-
Start DateFinish DateDay / Days / Every Day
-
Start Date: 17.05.2025Finish Date: 08.10.2025Day / Days / Every Day: Every Day
Price List
-
StartFinishSingleDouble/Twin PPTriple PP
-
Start: 17.05.2025Finish: 08.10.2025Single: 10,285 AUDDouble/Twin PP: 7,722 AUDTriple PP: 7,418 AUD
Book Now / Enquiry
If you are traveling with children, please send us an enquiry through the below form for costing and further information.
Reviews
Nya
Australia
I had a lovely holiday that included all that I had requested
I was extremely impressed by the professionalism and responsiveness of the team
Regards
C. Morgan
USA
Michael. The Istanbul city tour today by Kenan Ucar was really outstanding! He is a superb guide with a terrific knowledge of history.
Read More
Helene Cerveny
Australia
Just wanted to thank you for our fabulous holiday we had in Turkey.It went like clockwork sadly we had to cut our holiday short In Egypt & return home to Australia due to the virus.Will highly recommend your tour company to everyone Thanks again
Read MoreHannah Taha
Australia
I chose TTC based on past reviews and I was not left disappointed. From my initial contact with Michael who organised the Essential Tour for us, adjusting it to suit our extended stay to Makbule from the reservations team who organised the transfers, tours etc. Both of them were very professional and the customer service excellent-emails responded to immediately at any time and any problems we had were resolved. The tour was well coordinated, all transfers and pick-ups on time. Felt very safe the whole time. Groups were a good size, max 8 and all the guides used were very knowledgeable and friendly. In particular Kenan in Istanbul and Faisullah who took us on the Ephesus tour was very funny and shared many stories with us. Accomodation was very good overall. Close to all the major attractions. MDC cave hotel was fantastic. Highlights were the Old city walking tour, Pamukkale and Ephesus Tours and Cappadocia was just beautiful. We had an excellent time. I would highly recommend TCC for your next holiday to Turkey. Thank you again, Hannah, Sarah & Mustapha
Read MoreHelen
Australia
Initially I was hesitant to travel to Turkey due to unfavourable coverage about Turkey in the media and the issues with Syria. My husband was very keen and suggested that we look at an organised tour for safety and hence we made our booking with TTC. From our first dealings with Michael at TTC, the entire process was highly professional and the customer service exceptional, including immediate responses to email queries and bookings. Once on the tour, the accommodation used was of a very high standard. All daily pickups were reconfirmed the night previously so we never had any issues with transportation. However it was the daily guides who really made the trip such a success. We had a range of small groups and private guides and all were friendly, professional and extremely passionate about their jobs. In particular, our guide Apo for the Anzac tour in Gallipoli was exceptional. We would have no hesitation in recommending TTC to anyone considering a trip to Turkey and indeed plan to travel back to Turkey with them in the future. Attached is a favourite photo from the Anzac tour in Gallipoli Kind regards, Helen
Read MoreL and Mick Sucevic
Australia
Just a quick message to let you know our thoughts on recent holiday to Turkey We had a fabulous time and saw many memorable places. All tours transfers accommodations and especiallly tour guides were all great. All connections worked out without any delays, made our holiday very relaxing no stress for us. Accomodations all great locality and top class. We did meet people who had done last minute out of Capodoccia ballooning all had been ripped off and disappointed. We did meet your guide TJ. Great person and interesting Lifestyle. We do holiday in Corowa Victoria. Where he comes from. Small world Anyway thanks for great organisation and will recommend your agency to our family and friends.
Read MoreBlogs
Gulet Cruises in Turkey
The Best Sailing Holiday You’ll Ever Have
Historical ruins, beautiful beaches, sleepy fishing villages and world class marinas make gulet cruising in Turkey an experience no other country in the world can replicate. Cruising the Turkish Riviera is not a new phenomenon, but it never appealed to mainstream holiday markets until the last decade when the Internet shifted people’s perception of travel.
Nostalgic Beginnings of Gulet Cruising in Turkey
Gulet cruises also called Blue Voyage routes began 70 years ago. The exiled “fisherman of Halicarnassus” Cevat Sakir Kabaagacli, arrived in Bodrum in 1925 to explore the Aegean Sea and surrounding coastline destinations.
He invited friends to join him, and they spent their time sponge diving, fishing, and wandering the Turkish Riviera. As a talented group of authors, word soon spread about their lazy days and explorations.
We wonder if he knew his lazy days would later become a popular aspect of holidaying in Turkey. From a three-day mini Blue Cruise to a two-week itinerary, experts with years of experience and passion for showing off the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts plan the adventure.
Holidays in Turkey: Sail the Turquoise Coast
A gulet boat is a Turkish wooden sailing vessel. As masters in building gulet boats, Turks used them as fishing vessels, but when tourists requested accommodation overnight so they could stay on board, they adapted the design and these days, they feature all modern cons of a luxury vessel.
Resorts like Bozburun on the Marmaris peninsula and many Bodrum peninsula villages have established strong reputations for boat building expertise and experience. A gulet boat varies in size and carries from eight to twenty passengers, each with private sleeping cabins. Everyone gathers on deck in the communal area for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if they choose not to dock into seaside resorts to visit restaurants.
Most equipped boats have scuba diving, fishing equipment and designated sunbathing areas if the holiday plan is to soak up Mediterranean sun rays. Traditional boats are the perfect sailing vessels, but in recent years, modifications turned vessels into motorised yachts. Either way, it is a thrilling experience.
Cruising Hubs in Turkey
The Turquoise coast stretches from the northern Aegean to the eastern Mediterranean. Winding its way from West to South, it comprises over fifty small bays and villages and many ancient ruins that add a twist to cruising the Aegean and the Mediterranean Sea. Passengers put together itineraries depending on historical sites or Turkish coastal resorts they want to see. They also follow established Blue Voyage routes. Out of all the coastal hubs, four emerged as major destinations.
Marmaris: As a pioneer of Turkey’s tourism industry, international sailors have always favoured Marmaris. During summer, cruises depart from the harbour area to cruise around the coastline to visit hidden coves, off the track islands, and beautiful beaches.
Whether you sleep in your cabin or on deck, under the stars, wake up to a delicious breakfast. The Captain then starts sailing to the next destination, to dock anchor and serve lunch on board, or if the yacht docks into a coastal resort town, passengers enjoy free time to explore and eat in many restaurants. Depending on where you are, they run excursions to archaeological sites or you can take advantage of water sports like jet skis, swimming and snorkelling and para-gliding.
Read More