Women-Only: Treasures of Türkiye (Turkey)

Note: Flights may not be available on all departures.

You can find more details on the Before You Depart page.

Welcome to Istanbul! Continue to our centrally located hotel. This evening your tour director hosts a welcome dinner and orientation.

Situated at the meeting point of Europe and Asia, Istanbul offers a fascinating blend of east and west. Your guided morning tour includes visits to St. Sophia, the great Byzantine Basilica built in the 6th century. You may delight in a visit to the Spice Market, the exotic food market selling dried fruits and spices, the underground cistern, the water source of the Byzantine and Ottoman periods. Your tour ends with a visit to the vast and bustling Grand Bazaar, world famous labyrinth and passages housing numerous stores where you'll have shopping opportunities galore. This afternoon, enjoy a special visit to a center called the "Small Projects Istanbul" (SPI) which is dedicated to supporting displaced Syrian families, particularly women and children. With a global community of volunteers and supporters, SPI is working to provide supplemental education for children through weekly Turkish language classes, a homework support club, as well as other activities that develop community and a new sense of belonging. Enjoy a special lunch prepared by the refugee women at the center while they talk about who, what, when and where!

Depart for the Turkish capital, Ankara, the country's second largest city. Upon arrival, visit the Mausoleum of Kemal Ataturk, founder and first president of the Turkish Republic. Leading up to the Mausoleum is a vast brick courtyard and monumental avenue lined with Neo Hittite stone statues and cenotaphs beneath its colonnades. You will also visit the fascinating Anatolian Civilization Museum. The balance of the day is at leisure to explore on your own.  

Today, travel by road through the Turkish countryside to the world-renowned region of Cappadocia, a breathtaking landscape with striking and bizarre rock formations and underground cities. Along the way, enjoy a short stop on the shore of the biggest sale lake in Türkiye where you might spot some flamingos. Upon arrival in Cappadocia, enjoy a cooking class at a social development project founded by the government and local municipality to empower support the women to have greater independence in their own life. With this visit, we'll not only learn how to cook a traditional dish, but we'll be providing great support on their journey. Afterward, we'll check-in at our hotel.

On today’s guided excursion, visit the Open Air Museum in the Goreme Valley to view early Christian churches decorated with beautiful frescoes depicting various scenes from the Bible. You’ll also visit the Kaymakli Underground City, which was hollowed out of volcanic rock and extends seven to nine floors deep into the earth. It is made up of a maze of corridors, chambers, storehouses, kitchens and churches. Finally, visit the village of Avanos, famous for its beautiful old houses as well as pottery and onyx workshops.

This morning visit the 13th century Sultan Han located at a secluded point on the ancient Silk Road between Aksaray and Konya. It was used as a caravanserai during the Seljuk period when trade flourished, requiring roads for caravan transport and inns for the traveling traders and their camels. Continue your journey by road via Konya, passing through lush forests, orchards and olive groves on the sloping hills downward to the splendid Mediterranean Sea.

Full day at leisure to enjoy at your own pace. Your seaside resort hotel enjoys a choice location overlooking Türkiye's fabled Turquoise Coast. You may join an optional tour to ancient Perge, the most attractive and well-preserved Pamphylian city that reached its apex during the reign of Alexander the Great. Continue to Aspendos, founded by the colonists from Argos and best known for its huge theater. On this optional tour, you'll also visit Antalya's Archaeological Museum that houses artifacts and antiques from 2500 years of Anatolian culture.

Journey to Pamukkale and visit the Necropolis and the ancient city of Hieropolis ("Holy City"), situated atop the Pamukkale hot springs. These hot springs have served as a thermal bath since the 2nd century B.C. Later, arrive in Izmir, believed to be the birthplace of Homer.

Today, venture to explore Ephesus - considered to be the world’s best-preserved classical city and famous throughout history for its Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Ephesus was undoubtedly one of the most important cultural centers of the ancient world and among its impressive structures, you will marvel at the Library of Celcus, Temple of Hadrian, the Great Theater, and the Odeon. Later, visit the House of Virgin Mary, a shrine said to be the final home of the Virgin Mary near Ephesus. Later, visit a weaving center supported by the Ministry of Culture and education. Carpet weaving is a part of Türkiye's national heritage and Smyrna and Usak carpets decorate museums across the world. With modernization, this part of Türkiye's heritage has been disappearing over time so this is one of the few centers that has been founded as a Cultural Art Protection Center and Foundation. During our visit, we'll have time to chat and drink a cup of Turkish coffee with the weavers and may enjoy some fortune-telling as they read our coffee grounds! After the day's sightseeing, we'll enjoy a lecture from a female speaker about women in Türkiye and Asia Minor from a historical and cultural perspective from ancient to modern times.

Drive to Pergamum, a powerful kingdom during the ancient Hellenistic period, and visit the Acropolis, an impressive structure that houses the Temple of Trajan, the Heroon Shrine, the Sanctuary of Athena and the Altar of Zeus. You'll also view the Theater and the Library of Pergamum, whose collection came second only to that of Egypt's Alexandria. After our independent lunch, we'll depart to Cannakale and stop at an olive oil museum en route. We'll marvel at the classical city of Troy as you tour this 4,000-year-old city and legendary center of the Trojan War, made immortal by Homer's epic poem the Iliad. Arrive in Canakkale.

This morning, we'll depart for Istanbul. Cross by ferry the Dardanelles, a narrow strait connecting the Aegean and the Black Sea. Upon arrival, a local expert will introduce us to some of the highlights of the city, previously known as Constantinople and the seat of the Eastern Roman Empire. Visit the splendid Topkapi Palace, the residence of the Ottoman Sultans for almost 600 years and now a fascinating museum. Here, visit the Treasury section with the crown jewels and the unique collection of Chinese porcelains. Continue to the ancient Hippodrome, where the place chariot races and competitive athletic events took place during the Roman period and finally, explore the elegant Blue Mosque, a 17th century Ottoman Mosque famous for its six minarets and magnificent interior with blue tiles. This evening, savor a festive farewell dinner.

Our tour comes to an end after breakfast today. Travelers who purchased our air-inclusive program will transfer to the airport for our return flight to the U.S.