Late last year, my wife and I shared an exciting adventure through the heart of Turkey. We booked an organized tour that included options with or without airfare. I booked the airfare myself on Delta, flying KLM over through Amsterdam and Delta on the return trip through Paris. We arrived late in the evening, but didn’t have any problem finding a taxi to take us to our hotel.
Arrival In Turkey
Our journey began with two nights at the Millennium Istanbul Golden Horn Hotel. I realized going through my photos that I did not take any photos of the hotel. However, the location was a bit far from most of the attractions in Istanbul, but the hotel itself was excellent. My wife and I had dinner at the hotel on our second night. I recall that it was both affordable and delicious, as well as a nice presentation (I did take a photo of our meal). My only complaint was that smoking was allowed, and I recall that the smell annoyed me while we dined.
Our First Full Day – Exploring Istanbul
We met for a briefing on our first night, which is good, because we got an early start the next day. I like fast-paced tours, and this one did not disappoint. We spent our first full day in Istanbul exploring several of the prominent attractions. We started at the Hippodrome, exploring a large obelisk on the plaza. There wasn’t a lot to see, but the history was interesting. This was followed by a visit to the neighboring Blue Mosque. We rounded out the morning with a visit to the Hagia Sophia. There line for the Hagia Sophia was long, but well worth the wait for this historic early Christian church turned mosque.
We paused for lunch before reconvening for an afternoon visit to Topkapi Palace. There was a light rain starting to fall on an otherwise cool day. I think the highlight of Topkapi Palace were some of the religious icons they claim to house. The provenance of many of the items seemed questionable, at best. But it was amazing to see such a diverse collection of religious items from the three Abrahamic traditions. After exploring the palace, we returned to our hotel for dinner. We also packed out for an early start the next morning.
From Istanbul to Canakkale
The following morning, we left our suitcases out for the bus while enjoying breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast, we stopped at the iconic “Istanbul” sign for a photograph before spending an hour in the ancient Spice Bazaar. We purchased some amazing roasted hazelnuts to enjoy on our bus ride toward Canakkale.
On our way to Canakkale, we stopped for lunch at a fish restaurant at Gelibolu Barik in Gallipoli. It was a chilly morning, making it a good day to travel. After lunch, we braved the chill and rain to visit the Troy Ruins in Canakkale. After walking through the many layers of civilization, we headed to Kolin Hotel, where we spent a single night. We had dinner and breakfast at the hotel, packing out after dinner for another early morning start.
Canakkale to Kusadasi
After an early morning breakfast at Kolin Hotel, we headed to Pergamum, where we stopped to visit the Asclepieion of Pergamon. We continued on to Kusadasi, which is believed to be the birthplace of Homer. We arrived at Korumar Hotel mid-afternoon, allowing us time to get settled and enjoy the amazing view of the Aegean from our hotel room balcony. We watched an amazing sunset over the Aegean before enjoying a great dinner and settling in for the night.
We spent the following day exploring nearby Ephesus and Selcuk. We started the morning off early, with a visit to Virgin Mary’s House. It was cold and rainy, but the weather didn’t dampen an awesome experience. While the provenance of Mary’s House is weak, at best, the visit was still amazing. The structure was definitely an ancient Christian Church with remnants dating to the first century. This was followed by an even more amazing visit to nearby Ancient Ephesus. Walking where the Apostle Paul and early church leader Timothy once walked was unforgettable. The experience was head and shoulders above the rest of the trip…which is saying a lot. We saw many amazing sights on this trip.
The weather was nice while we visited Ephesus. It was still chilly, but the rain relented. But we did work up an appetite for a good, hot, home-cooked meal. This was accomplished by visiting Bizim Ev Hanimeli Restaurant in Selcuk. The family cooks an amazing spread of Turkish traditional dishes, and we gorged ourselves on the food. It energized us for an afternoon spent visiting Ephesus Museum before returning to the hotel. At the hotel, it was back to packing out for another move further into the heart of Turkey.
From Kusadasi to Pumakkale
An early morning breakfast preceded our bus trip toward Pumakkale. We spent most of the day exploring the Hierapolis Ruins. There is a lot to see here from the iconic hot springs, ancient arena, necropolis, and variety of historic religious sites. Among the ruins was one that particularly stood out. We accidentally stumbled upon the Martyrium of Saint Philip, which wasn’t included as part of our itinerary. We ventured into the wilderness to find this amazing tomb and church, which we had to ourselves. In reading the provenance of this location, there are quite a few indicators that suggest it is accurate. While there may be embellished accounts regarding the events that occurred at this location, the provenance dates to the first century.
We finished the afternoon driving through the necropolis in a rain that was steadily falling. We stopped near the exit from the ruins to snap a few quick photos in the rain. From there, we headed to the nearby Colossae Thermal Spa Hotel. Because of the rain and chilly weather, we spent the evening indoors. We enjoyed a hot coffee at the hotel bar before an excellent dinner. This was an overnight stop, so we once again packed out for another early morning start.
Pumakkale to Konya
Konya is known as the “land of the Whirling Dervishes.” It is here that the Islamic poet and scholar Rumi settled. One of the iconic elements of Rumi’s religious expression was through dance. These dancers, called Whirling Dervishes” still perform. We stopped at the Mevlana Museum, where Rumi’s tomb and many religious artifacts reside. From the museum, we headed to the Dedeman Konya Hotel, where we spent one night. The drill was routine…dinner and pack out for another early morning departure.
Konya to Cappadocia
We departed early the next morning, stopping en route to Konya at Sultanhan Caravanserai. The Caravanserai served as an ancient roadside inn along the silk road. We continued on to Guzelyurt, where we enjoyed an amazing home-hosted meal. After lunch, we stopped at a local school to visit with the school children. We also brought them gifts (school supplies). It was another great opportunity for cultural enrichment before heading on to Dinler Hotel. While some members of our tour group attended a Whirling Dervish performance, my wife and I opted to explore Urgup. We retired early, in preparation for a very early wake-up call for an incredible fun-filled day.
We arose at the crack of dawn and met in the hotel lobby for our pre-sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride. We traveled by van to a nearby staging area where balloons and gondolas were strewn around like confetti. We arrived our balloon, operated by Kapadokya Balloons. We spent an amazing hour soaring over the fairy chimney’s and cave dwellings before landing in a distant field. We watched the sunrise from the balloon, creating an amazing morning experience with a full day yet ahead!
From our balloon ride, we reconvened for a visit to Ozkonak Underground City. This amazing city, which could house 60,000 people in ten levels of underground rooms and tunnels was built more than a thousand years ago. It was occupied mostly by Christians experiencing persecution. It was fascinating to see the three levels we were permitted to visit. From the underground city, we proceeded to Goreme Open Air Museum. There were actually two phases to this visit, stopping first to see the famous fairy chimney’s created from eons of erosion. From there, we visited ancient Christian churches and dwellings cut into the volcanic rock. It was an amazing day, to say the least.
Cappadocia to Ankara
The next morning, our routine continued. Breakfast and more driving. Our journey today would take us from the heart of Turkey to the capital, Ankara. We stopped at the Tomb of Attaturk, where we saw the precision changing of the guard. We then stopped at the Anatolian Civilizations Museum before heading to our hotel, Divan Ankara Hotel. My wife and I went to a nearby restaurant for dinner before settling in for the night. Ankara was really just an overnight on our journey back to Istanbul to complete our tour.
Ankara to Istanbul
Our final full day in Istanbul was spent traveling from Ankara to Istanbul. We drove in a steady rain. We arrived in Istanbul at the boat docks on the Asian side of the Bosphorus. From here, we boarded a boat to enjoy a Bosphorus River Cruise before heading to the Legacy Ottoman Hotel to check in. After checking in to the hotel, we spent the evening exploring the Grand Bazaar before returning to the hotel to prepare for our early morning departure.
Heading Home
After an amazing, thorough, two-week adventure through the heart of Turkey, we were ready to return home. The Legacy Ottoman Hotel helped us arrange for an early morning transfer to the airport. Our trip home was mostly uneventful, other than an unanticipated extended delay in Paris. This trip was booked through Gate 1 Travel. The price point was just over $1000 (without airfare). Gate 1 runs deals throughout the year, but the current listed price for this trip is $1499 without airfare, $2299 with airfare (depending on travel dates). I do not receive any compensation for mentioning Gate 1, but have been happy with them as an affordable tour operator that delivers great value for the money.
