Tour Highlights

• Your journey begins with a four-night stay in Istanbul, magnificent “Empress of the World” and Türkiye’s cultural and spiritual heart.
• Tour Istanbul’s famed highlights: the Spice Bazaar, the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, and Topkapi Palace.
• Take a private cruise on the Bosphorus, the waterway that separates Europe from Asia.
• Explore the Grand Bazaar, a vast covered market housing some 5,000 shops along 60 streets.
• Visit Gallipoli, haunting site of 31 Allied cemeteries from World War I.
• Ferry across the Dardanelles to storied Troy, believed to exist only in Homer’s epic poem until the present site was discovered in the 1870s.
• Tour Pergamum, one of Türkiye’s most spectacular ancient sites.  
• Spend the day touring Türkiye’s incomparable classical city, Ephesus, including its acclaimed “houses of the wealthy.”
• Enjoy lunch in the beautiful, rustic village of Sirince.
• Witness the age-old craft of carpet-weaving during a demonstration at a carpet factory.
• Travel to the beautiful port city of Fethiye for a two-night stay in a resort hotel overlooking the marina.  
• Visit the museum-like ghost town of Kayakoy, followed by an idyllic day cruising the tranquil Turquoise Coast on a privately chartered yacht.  
• Journey along the coastal road with stops in Demre, for a visit to the Church of Saint Nicholas, and the ancient Greco-Roman city of Phaselis.  
• Cross the Taurus Mountains to your final destination, seaside Antalya, where you’ll tour the renowned Archaeological Museum and charming Old Town.
• Take an excursion to see the ruins at Perge, an ancient Greek city. 
• Visit ancient Konya then explore the bizarre rock formations and underground cities of Cappadocia and the Goreme Valley on an optional 5-day/4-night post-tour extension.

If you would like to view a digital copy of this trip’s brochure, please click on the words “Digital Brochure” under Additional Resources (follows directly below Itinerary at a Glance) on this webpage.

* Cal lecturer’s participation cannot be guaranteed and is contingent upon a minimum number of paying travelers.