3-Day Pamukkale, Ephesus, Troy, and Gallipoli Tour from Istanbul

Day 1: Fly from Istanbul to Denizli – Pamukkale and Hierapolis Tour

You will be picked up from your hotel in Istanbul around 4:00 am and transferred to the domestic airport for your flight to Denizli, departing between 6:00 and 8:00 am. Upon arrival at Denizli Airport, you will be picked up and transferred to Pamukkale. In Pamukkale, you will meet your professional tour guide to begin your full-day tour of Pamukkale and Hierapolis.

Around 10:30 am, your first stop will be Karahayit to see the famous Red Spring Waters, known for their healing properties. Afterward, you’ll head to Pamukkale and begin exploring the ancient city of Hierapolis around 11:30 am. Highlights of Hierapolis include the Necropolis, Roman Baths, Domitian Gate, Latrina, Frontinus Street, Agora, Byzantium Gate, Triton Fountain, Cathedral, Temple of Apollo, Plutonium, and the Theater.

At 12:30 pm, you will be taken for lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, around 1:30 pm, you will have approximately 60 minutes of free time to explore the natural beauty of Pamukkale on your own. You may also choose to swim in the Pamukkale Antique Pools (at your own expense), enjoying a relaxing dip in the same thermal waters that Cleopatra is believed to have bathed in. At 2:30 pm, you will regroup with your guide and have the unique opportunity to walk barefoot down the famous Pamukkale Travertines (White Cliffs), feeling the soft limestone underfoot.

After the tour, around 4:00 pm, you will be transferred to your hotel in Kuşadası, arriving at approximately 7:30 pm for check-in. Once settled, you can relax and enjoy the evening at your leisure.

• Overnight in Kusadasi
• Included Meal(s): Lunch
• Accommodation: Efe Boutique Hotel OR Neopol Hotel Deluxe OR Derici Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 2: Ephesus Tour – Bus to Canakkale (443.6 km)

After breakfast at the hotel, you will check out and be picked up around 8:30 am to begin your full-day tour of Ephesus, the ancient Greek city that became one of the most important cultural and commercial centers of its time. You’ll explore key landmarks, including the Temple of Hadrian, the Great Theater, and the Trajan Fountain.

After lunch, you will visit the House of the Virgin Mary, where it is believed she spent her final years. You will also stop by the remains of the Temple of Artemis, once one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, though only a few fragments remain today.

Next, you’ll visit the İsa Bey Mosque, a striking example of Seljuk architecture that dates back to the 14th century.

After your Ephesus tour, you will return to Kuşadası and board a public bus to Çanakkale at approximately 6:30 pm. The journey takes around six hours, with two scheduled breaks along the way. Upon arrival at the Çanakkale bus station around 12:30 am, you will be met and transferred to your hotel for check-in.

• Overnight in Çanakkale
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: Grand Anzac Hotel OR Helen Hotel OR Akol Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 3: Troy and Gallipoli Combination Tour – Depart by Bus to Istanbul (307.2 km)

After breakfast, you will check out of your hotel in Canakkale and be picked up around 8:30 am. The day begins with the Troy Tour, where you’ll visit key historical sites including the iconic Trojan Horse, the Sacrificial Altars, 3700-year-old city walls, Houses of Troy I, the Bouleuterion (Senate Building), and the Odeon (Concert Hall). You will also explore the ruins from Troy I through Troy IX.

After concluding the Troy Tour around 11:30 am, you will be transferred to Eceabat, where you’ll have some free time before lunch at a local restaurant.

Following lunch, the Gallipoli Tour will begin. This portion of the day includes visits to important World War I sites such as Brighton Beach, Beach Cemetery at ANZAC Cove, the Respect to Mehmetcik Statue, Lone Pine Australian Memorial, Johnston’s Jolly (featuring original Allied and Turkish trenches), The Nek, Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial, and the Turkish 57th Infantry Regiment Cemetery.

At the end of the tour around 4:30 pm, we’ll drive back to Eceabat, with departure for Istanbul around 6:00 pm. Expect to arrive at your hotel in Istanbul around 11:00 pm. END OF OUR SERVICE AND TOURS.

• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: No accommodation is included on this day.

INCLUDED in the Tour Price:

• All transfers mentioned in the itinerary.
• Domestic flight ticket (Istanbul to Denizli) as per the itinerary.
• Intercity coach ticket (Kuşadası to Çanakkale).
• 1 night in Kuşadası at a 4-star hotel, including breakfast.
• 1 night in Çanakkale at a 3-star hotel, including breakfast.
• English-speaking guide during the tours.
• Meals as per the itinerary (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch).
• Visits and entrance fees as indicated in the itinerary.
• Local taxes and service charges.

NOT INCLUDED:

• Optional tours mentioned in the program, they will be provided at an additional cost.
• Services not mentioned in the program.
• Beverages and dinner
• Travel insurance (recommended).

IMPORTANT INFO:

• The order of the itinerary is indicative and subject to change, but all visits described will take place.
• This is a regular group tour, but if requested at cost can be provided as a private tour.
• The regular group tour has shopping stops included in the tour.
• Vegetarian lunch option available upon request.
• You can swim in the Antique pool in Pamukkale. However, please note that there is an extra charge that you will have to pay directly at your own expense before entry to the pools. This entrance fee to the pools is not covered as part of your tour. Please note that you must bring your own towel, swimsuit etc. if you need to use the pools.
• On flights luggage allowance is 15 kg per person for checked in luggage. For carry-on, you can take up to 8 kg per person. One carry-on is allowed per person