Turkey package tours from experienced gay & lesbian owned travel agency of Turkey

TURKEY TOUR #7 - 6 DAYS, 6 NIGHTS

Please briefly read this page to have a better idea about our gay-friendly package tours.
 

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

TOUR ITINERARY 

DAY 1 : ISTANBUL – GALLIPOLI – CANAKKALE (L)

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

Pick up from Istanbul hotel at around 06:30 am
Istanbul-Canakkale morning bus
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)

Hotel accommodation in Canakkale. Possible hotels in Canakkale are: Maydos Hotel  Helen Hotel or similar hotels to be selected by us if they are not available.

Canakkale is the major city near Gallipoli and Troy located along the Dardanelles straight separating European and Asian continents.

Gallipoli 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.
 

Troy Movie Trailer	Memorial for Turkish soldiers	Gallipoli Movie Trailer

DAY 2 : CANAKKALE – KUSADASI (B)

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

Breakfast at hotel included
Half day morning Troy Tour, including transfers, and entrance fees. Free time in the afternoon, until bus departure
Early Evening Bus to Selcuk or Kusadasi. Transfer to hotel.

PS: If it matches with your itinerary Pergamum tour can be included on the way to Kusadasi, with an extra 50 Euro pp cost. Please ask available dates if you are interested.

Hotel accommodation in Kusadasi.
Palm Hotel Grand Onder, Derici Hotel Hotel Atinc or similar quality/location hotels to be selected by us if they are not available at the time of booking.

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 summer 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 vibrant night life.
 

DAY 3 : EPHESUS (B/L/D)

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

Library of Celcus, Ephesus

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 : PAMUKKALE – ANTALYA (B/L)

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.
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: Chrystal Beach Acropol Beach , Perla Mare or similar quality/location hotels to be selected by us if they are not available.

Pamukkale & Hierapolis

Today you will be 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 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 (B/L/D)

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/Kursunlu Waterfall, 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.
 

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 (boat tour) including transfers, entrance fees, guide.
Lunch during the tour is included.
Transfer from hotel to bus station.
Overnight bus to Istanbul arriving next morning with new model non-smoking and air-conditioned long distance coaches with flexible seats. There will be reasonable breaks along the way for food, drinks and personal needs.

End of our service with your arrival to the main bus station in Istanbul, next morning (Day 7)
 

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.
 

PRICE LIST

Tour Price:

July-August:
715 Euro per person in single room (1 pax)
580 Euro per person in double room (2 pax)
520 Euro per person in triple room (3 pax)

April-May-June-September-October
660 Euro per person in single room (1 pax)
540 Euro per person in double room (2 pax)
500 Euro per person in triple room (3 pax)

Winter Price  (Rare availability from November 01 till March 31)
PS: Departure day depends on availability of Antalya tours in winter season. 
605 Euro per person in single room (1 pax)
505 Euro per person in double room (2 pax)
470 Euro per person in triple room (3 pax)

Ask for group discount for big groups.

Above tour prices include:
All taxes. Various surcharges may apply for credit card payments, of which you will be informed in advance.
5 nights accommodation in private rooms at 3 star or equal quality special class/boutique hotels.
6 guided day tours as mentioned.
Entrance fees to museums
All mentioned meals in the itinerary (B= Breakfast, L= Lunch, D= Dinner)
Transportation by non-smoking, air-conditioned long distance buses with flexible seats.
All connecting transfers in between the tour period.

You can customize this tour package:

Flights
Instead of overnight bus on return, transfer to Antalya Airport + Antalya-Istanbul evening flight (70-100 Euro extra cost depending on season and early reservation)

Replace:
Either one or both Ephesus and Pamukkale tours can be replaced by Pergamum, Sardis or Priene + Miletus + Didyma tours: For Pergamum tour, extra 15 Euro pp required.  Click to see details for these tours

Add-ons:
Airport hotel transfers in Istanbul for your international flights.
Hotel accommodation in Istanbul before or after the tour with discounted rates.
Daily Istanbul Tours with discounted rates as a part of this package.
Extra hotel accommodation in Canakkale, Kusadasi or Antalya, if requested.

Hotels:
Hotels can be upgraded to 4 or 5 star or equal quality special class boutique hotels or you can choose specific hotels you want to stay in each destination, if you pay the extra cost.
 

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PAYMENT AND RESERVATION

Depending on tour type, season, number of participants we will request some 15-30% of the total service cost in advance to finalize reservation procedures. We will send you a detailed reservation contract by e-mail after availability, dates and all details are confirmed mutually.

For payments we accept Visa, Master and American Express credit cards. Online payments with PayPal is also accepted, which is a good option for people who want to make secure payment. We normally meet our clients upon their arrival  to Istanbul to handle balance of payment when we also provide further details, necessary vouchers and documents related with the reserved tour.   Final payments can also be made cash in US Dollars, British Pounds or other internationally accepted currencies from cross rates valid on the payment date.