GALLIPOLI, TROY, EPHESUS, PAMUKKALE, ANTALYA TOUR FROM ISTANBUL

ATTENTION:  
This package tour is available starting everyday of the year.
We organize these tours in cooperation with other non-gay tour operators. Remember that  there is no such a big potential for such gay exclusive tours that will be organized everyday in Turkey. Consequently, it is just a coincidence if there will be other gay or lesbian clients at the same time you reserve this tour. The other clients who join these tours are mainly American or European  tourists. Also note that we are a disclosed gay company, and we only cooperate with real gay friendly companies, tour operators, guides and hotels.
 

DAY 1 : ISTANBUL – GALLIPOLI – CANAKKALE 

PS: Mentioned times can change slightly from season to season. Exact times will be informed after reservation process is completed.
 

Trojan horse from the movie "Troy" starring  Brad Pitt is now in Canakkale

Istanbul-Canakkale morning bus
Pick up from Istanbul hotel in the morning at around 06:30 am
Arrival to Canakkale by bus at around 12:00 noon time. (Non-smoking new model long distance coaches with air-condition)

Gallipoli tour including transfers, entrance fees, guide and lunch box. (Visiting - Kabatepe Museum, ANZAC Cove, Lone Pine Australian Memorial, Johnston's Jolly (Turkish and Allied trenches and tunnels), The Nek, Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial)
Transfer to hotel

Dinner at hotel included

Optional: You can also watch below movie shows free for the tour participants at Anzac House hostel today in the evening or the next day in the afternoon.
19.30 Fatal Shore documentary movie of Australian ABC TV
21.30 Gallipoli movie starring Mel Gibson

Hotel accommodation in Canakkale. Private rooms with air condition and bath/WC
Canakkale which is the major city center near Gallipoli and Troy.
Possible hotels are Helen Hotel or Buyuk Truva Hotel. If they are not available similar quality and location hotels will be reserved. Hotel Upgrade is possible upon request.

GALLIPOLI: This area is known for the war cemeteries and memorials for the Turkish and foreign soldiers killed during the Canakkale Sea and shore battles in 1915. There are sunken ships, trenches, castles, towers and hundreds of remains of the war. In total, there are graves and memorials of around 250,000 Turkish soldiers, and 250,000 from Australia, New Zealand, England and France. Thousands of people visit the war cemeteries every year, and it is one of the most famous sites in Turkey.
 

Excavations at Troy ancient city	Memorial for Turkish soldiers	Gallipoli harbor

DAY 2 : CANAKKALE – KUSADASI/SELJUK

Kusadasi is also a major base for visiting many neighborhood ancient sights.

Breakfast at hotel included
Half day morning Troy Tour at 08:45, including transfers, entrance fees, guide and lunch
12.:00 Return to hotel.
Free time in the afternoon
Or
Optional:  Movie shows free for tour participants
13:30 Fatal Shore documentary
15.00 Gallipoli movie

Evening Bus from Canakkale- to Selcuk or Kusadasi, arriving late at night.  (Departure at around 19:00 o'clock)
Hotel accommodation in Kusadasi (or Selcuk). Private rooms with air condition and bath/WC.
Possible hotels are Atinc Hotel or Polat Beach Hotel in Kusadasi, Cenka Hotel in Selcuk. If they are not available similar quality and location hotels will be reserved. Hotel Upgrade is possible upon request.

TROY: Ancient city of Troia (Troy), which was immortalized in Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey epics. According to archaeologists, Troy is only one of nine cities which were built on top of each other, the oldest of which dates back to 3000 BC. Its history covers an area beginning from the north side of the Edremit gulf, and reaches the southern shores of the Marmara Sea. To the south is Kazdagi (Ida Mountain), an attractive area to visit 30 km. away from Canakkale, in Hisarlık. Archeological excavations revealed the different time periods of various settlement areas, city ramparts, house basis, a temple and a theater. A symbolic horse made up of wood reminds the big Trojan war. Historical port, Alexandria - Troas was constructed during 3rd century B. C. St. Paul had visited here two times, and his third missioner voyage to Assos was started from here.

KUSADASI: Kusadasi is a resort town in the province of Aydin on the Aegean coast of Turkey, 90 km (56 mi) south of Izmir, and 71 km (44 mi) from the inland provincial capital of Aydin. Besides being a summer resort with many neighborhood beaches and small islands, the town is also a tourism base for visiting ancient city of Ephesus and to other places of interest including Miletus, Dydima and Pamukkale, and a short distance across from Kusadasi lies the island of Samos connected to Kusadasi with regular ferryboats in Summer. The town is a popular holiday destination for local tourists as well and has a considerable night life.
 

DAY 3 : EPHESUS

Breakfast at hotel included
Full day tour of Ephesus and House of Virgin Mary, including transfers, entrance fees, guide.
Lunch during the tour is included.
Where you visit:
Ephesus - Enter through the Magnesia Gate and begin a slow, downhill walk with your guide into the ruins of this Roman provincial capital. Your route takes you past the Odeum, the Celsus Library, the Temple of Hadrian, the Fountain of Trajan and the Great Theater. The Theater had seating for 25,000, was the site where St. Paul preached to the Ephesians, and is used today for a local spring festival.
House of the Virgin Mary - The Vatican has recognized this small house in the Solmissos Mountains as the final resting place of the Virgin Mary. A small shrine dedicated to St. Mary was found when the ruins of the house were first discovered.
What you see along the way: From Kusadasi, you travel north to St. John’s Basilica, passing the Byzantine fortress at Selcuk and the ruins of the Temple of Artemis. Continue to Ephesus Open Museum then up to the House of Virgin Mary located in Bulbul Mountain. After the visit head for the upper gate of Ephesus. By the end of touring Ephesus, return to Kusadasi.
Special notes: Ephesus requires walking long distances over uneven surfaces

Dinner at hotel included
Hotel accommodation in Kusadasi or Selcuk. Private rooms with air condition and bath/WC
 

Library of Celcus

Ephesus At the south of Izmir, the town of  Seljuk is a major tourist destination mainly as a base to visit the famous ruins of Ephesus a few kilometers away. The ancient classical city is one of the best preserved in the eastern Mediterranean and is a great example of Roman architecture. When the Romans made Ephesus their provincial capital, it became a busy town with great commercial, trading and political importance, A significant Christian community grew, and the city was visited by St John the Evangelist in the 1st century, then by St Paul, who was there between 51-53 AD and wrote some of his epistles. It was also the venue of two Ecumenical Councils.

House of Virgin Mary: This house, where the Virgin Mary is supposed to have lived during her last days, and to have died with Johanna at her side, is situated 7 km south of the antique city of Ephesus in Izmir. The miraculous discovery of the house is as exciting as the place itself. The German Nun Katharine Emmerich (1774-1824) had described the surroundings of the house from her dream, who had never been there. The authenticity of the house as a holly place was also confirm by visits of two previous Popes in 1967 and 1979, and the latest Pope Benedict in 2006.

DAY 4 : EPHESUS – PAMUKKALE – ANTALYA

This package will not be complete without Pamukkale; another amazing point of interest within Turkey

Breakfast at hotel included
Pamukkale & Hierapolis tour including transfers, entrance fees, guide.
Lunch during the tour is included.
(Visiting the amazing white colored travertines, hot spring pools and water terraces have been created by nature in millions of years on the mountain slopes of Pamukkale and the ancient city of Hierapolis which has the biggest ancient Necropolis in present Turkey with 1200 gravestones)
Transfer to bus station.
Evening bus to Antalya, arriving late in the evening. (Approximately 4 hours ride, with non-smoking new model long distance coaches with air-condition
Hotel accommodation in Antalya. Private rooms with air condition and bath/WC.
Possible hotels are Lara Hotel or Benna Hotel. If they are not available similar quality and location hotels will be reserved. Hotel Upgrade is possible upon request.
 

Bathing in pools is no more allowed

Pamukkale (Hierapolis)

Pamukkale is one of the most enchanting and remarkable sights in the whole of Turkey with the great dazzling white plateau, almost 400 feet high, rising in a curtain of stalagmites and shallow pools, giving one into another on hundreds of different levels, and ancient city of Hierapolis located on this plateau. The great baths were constructed in the second century and are so well-preserved that they now serve as a museum. The impressive and recently restored theatre, the Martyrium of St. Philip the Apostle of the 5th century – a colonnaded street erected by Domitian, a monumental gate of the same period, another bath stretching on for over a Mile, the necropolis with a fascinating variety of tombs and sarcophagus are the famous monuments of this antique city.

 

DAY 5 : ANTALYA

Antalya is one of the best of Turkish cities perfectly combining historical, natural beauties also known as Turkish Riviera with many neighborhood sandy beaches and vivid night life. There are many well preserved significant ancient sights around the city which you must definitely see if you happen to visit Turkey.

Breakfast at hotel included
Full day tour of Perge, Aspendos, Side and Manavgat, including transfers, entrance fees, guide.
Lunch during the tour is included.
Dinner at your hotel included.
Hotel accommodation in Antalya. Private rooms with air condition and bath/WC.
Possible hotels are Lara Hotel or Benna Hotel. If they are not available similar quality and location hotels will be reserved. Hotel Upgrade is possible upon request.
 

Antalya Aspendos Theater	Perge Hellenistic Gate	Roman columns in Side

PERGE: Situated 18 km east of Antalya, Perge is in the city limits of Aksu Bucagi. Because of its location on the Cilicia - Pisidia road, it was a vital part of the province of Pamphylia, and was founded around the same time as the other cities in the area (7th century BC). It was an important city for Christians of Perge who had worshipped the mother goddess Artemis. St. Paul and Barnabas visited the city and wealthy benefactors like Magna Plancia had a number of important memorials built here.

ASPENDOS: This antique city established in the Early age is 48km east of Antalya. Its most important feature is its theatre. The theatre and its stage are the best preserved of the Roman theatres in Anatolia still being used for music concerts and opera shows during festivals. The most popular of these festivals are the Aspendos International Opera and Ballet festival. 15000 spectators can sit in the theatre. It was built during the reign of Emperor Antonius Pius (134 - 164) by architect Zenon.

SIDE: In the ancient town of Side, there are inscriptions, weapon embossing from Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine Periods, sculptures which are Roman Period copies of Greek originals, torsos, temples, tomb steles, portraits, ostotecs and column pedestals on exhibition in the museum.

MANAVGAT: The River Manavgat flows 90 km from the eastern slopes of the western Toros (Taurus) mountains, passes over hard conglomerated strata, forms the Manavgat Falls and then enters the coastal plain to empty into the Mediterranean Sea
 

DAY 6 : ANTALYA – ISTANBUL 

There are many other world wide famous places of interest near Antalya which you must not miss after coming all the way. The second day's tour covers the most important ones:

Full day tour of Myra, St. Nicolas Church, Kekova including transfers, entrance fees, guide.
Lunch during the tour is included.

Transfer to bus station.
Overnight bus to Istanbul. (Non-smoking new model long distance coaches with air-condition and Pullman seats suitable for sleeping)
End of our service with your arrival to the main bus station in Istanbul, next day at around 07:30 am
Extra transfer from bus station to your hotel in Istanbul, will cost 30 Euro. (1-3 pax)
 

Rock tombs in Myra	St. Nicholas Church	Simena across Kekova Island

MYRA: It is now called Demre it was one of the most important cities of the Lycian civilization. 25km west of Finike and 48km east of Kas, Demre was a place of settlement from the 5th century BC. The city was deserted in 9 AD after the invasions of the Arabs. Rock tombs, theatres and the Church of St. Nicholas (said to be the original Santa Claus) are the most interesting sites in the town today.
ST. NICHOLAS CHURCH: Saint Nicholas giving its name to the church in Demre (Myra) is said to be the original Santa Claus.
KEKOVA ISLAND: It is by the cost of Antalya province between Kas-Demre towns. It is an ancient city submerged and now partly under sea water, but can be seen from outside make the Island one of the most visited destination of the region.
 

Modern Antalya is built over high cliffs	A street in old city	Harbor of Kaleici (old city) of Antalya

Antalya: Situated on a cliff over the Mediterranean, Antalya is surrounded by mountains. Developments in tourism, starting in the 1970s, have transformed the city into an international resort. With its airport and central location, Antalya is a gateway for the Turkish Riviera and many historical sites. Antalya city corresponds to the lands of ancient Pamphylia to the east and Lycia to the west. Antalya has hotel accommodations, a hot climate and places to visit both in and around the city, including traces of Lycian, Pamphylian, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman architecture and cultures.

There are many antique cities in and around Antalya. Aspendos, Perga and Termessos are some of the closest ones to the city centre. Other than these historic places, Antalya is also famous with its beaches like Konyaalti, Lara and Karpuzkaldiran. Antalya also has a reputation as a city of waterfalls. Duden, Manavgat and Kursunlu waterfalls are major attractions for both local and foreign tourists. For winter sports, Beydağları and Saklikent are both natural beauties of the city.

 

TOUR PRICE

PAYMENT AND RESERVATION

Payment and reservation: We will request 30% of the total tour price for guaranteed reservations. We will send you a detailed reservation contract by e-mail after all details are confirmed mutually.

For payments we accept Maestro, Visa and Master credit cards besides bank transfers. We also accept American express, but in that case we will have to reflect the 7% commission to you, which we have to pay ourselves.

Although not recommended to avoid last minute inconveniences, it is also possible to make an open-end reservation without sending your card information and making an advance payment if you are able to make the payment minimum 2 days before the date of departure in Istanbul