15-Day Türkiye Culture & Aegean Coastlines

Day 1: Welcome to Türkiye!

Istanbul, the conquered and renamed Constantinople, was – and still is – the imperial heart of the Ottoman Empire and a wonderful introduction to Turkish culture. It’s no mistake that your trip starts here. Don’t sweat the hard work of getting to your hotel after a long flight. Our team will be ready and awaiting your arrival. This is your first taste of Turkish hospitality – and there’s plenty more where that came from! 

Your hotel is in the busy hive of Karaköy, a hip and swanky neighbourhood. Depending on your arrival time, your guide will take you for a spin around the block, or you can take a breather in your room because the incredible views start right here. Join your fellow adventure-seeking girls for a welcome dinner with your guide. Tomorrow you’ll jump right into Istanbul’s addictive mix of East meets West. 

Accommodation: The Haze Karaköy (or similar)
Included: Dinner

Day 2: Balat Neighborhood

Turkish breakfast is legendary and just plain yummy. Take part in the time-honoured tradition of gobbling up morsels from across the empire, like zingy cheeses, olives, homemade jam and fresh baked bread. This meze ‘feast’ is the perfect fuel for your intro to local culture – but first, you’ll gather up some creative inspiration during your morning rambles around Istanbul. Wind your way through the city’s ‘European’ side, home to highlights like the Topkapi Palace, a two-thousand-year-old Roman Hippodrome and, of course, the iconic Hagia Sophia.

With creative juices no doubt coursing through your veins, it’s time to unleash your inner-artist at a traditional workshop in the Balat neighbourhood. Become a disciple of an expert in either wood carving or ceramics and get to work in your medium. Your apprenticeship starts now! 

Accommodation: The Haze Karaköy (or similar)
Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 3: Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar

First get elbow-deep in ancient, artsy endeavours followed by an afternoon spent getting lost in Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar – can you imagine a more perfect day? Istanbullu artisans have been honing their skills in the Islamic Madrasa since the 16th century and you’ll unlock their secrets today. Did you know that Türkiye has its own form of calligraphy? Although dozens of skills are practised here every day, you’ll focus on calligraphy and marbling printmaking techniques. 

Get your haggle on this afternoon, it’s practically a rite of passage in Türkiye. If you need a tip or two to get you started, your guide will be right by your side! The cherry on top is weaving your way through the Grand Bazaar. You might end up with a souvenir or two to take home but you’ll also emerge with a new-found confidence in yourself. Make searching for dinner an adventure tonight by finding a hole in the wall with an endless stream of meze on offer. Are you beginning to see a culinary trend?

Accommodation: The Haze Karaköy (or similar)
Included: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 4: Galata Neighborhood

Istanbul’s Galata district is just outside your door and, while you’ve walked right past it before, today you’ll get to know it on a more intimate level. Soak up the atmosphere here – this is the core of what makes Istanbul, Istanbul. Old meets new, east meets west, tradition meets modernity… and you’re swirling inside the beating heart of it all. 

Give yourself permission to linger at the rooftop bars and cute cafes while the call to prayer sings in the background. Browse the antique shops, dripping with relics of time gone by, cast away by the neighbourhood’s artists and residents long ago. This is the Türkiye you came so far to see. Take the evening to cosy up and chill out at the hotel. We’re off to a new region in the morning!

Accommodation: The Haze Karaköy (or similar)
Included: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 5: Çanakkale 

Say, Hoşça kal! to Istanbul as you exchange its buzzing energy for a more rural side of Türkiye. It’s a little over three hours by road to your final destination of Çanakkale but you’ll be rewarded with lunch and a view of the harbour in Gelibolu. 

Along your route is the ANZAC Memorial – a particularly poignant monument to Australia, New Zealand and Türkiye’s fallen WWI soldiers – and a WWI battle ground whose name you know well – Gallipoli. Although it marks a devastating moment in history, it’s an important part of understanding Türkiye’s past. Rest up at your waterfront digs this evening – enjoying views of the Dardanelles off in the distance. Tomorrow you’re headed to one of antiquity’s most important cities.

Accommodation: Büyük Truva Hotel (or similar)
Included: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 6: Troy

Today is all about getting some one-on-one time with Türkiye’s ancient past. You’d be forgiven for having a flashback or two to Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom’s blockbuster hit, but modern day Troy has mellowed out a lot since then!. Explore the remains of the city, also known as Ilion. This was once an impressive city and the site of the Trojan Wars – Trojan horse anyone? If you’re finding it hard to picture what Troy looked like, don’t fret. The real star of the show is the Museum of Troy.

A shock of blue Aegean is waiting for you in the city of Assos later in the day, crowned by the crumbling Temple of Athena. Watch the sun dip below the horizon and straight into the sea from here. In this moment, it isn’t hard to imagine what life was like three and a half thousand years ago. 

Accommodation: Kervansaray Hotel (or similar)
Included: Breakfast

Day 7: Set Sail on the Aegean

Instead of staring longingly at the Aegean, today you’ll have the chance to glide across it – and jump right in. Hop aboard your trusty vessel for a new perspective on Türkiye’s coast. You’ll be greeted with peaceful coves, sun-bleached hillsides and bright blue bays. Whether you’re itching to see what lies beneath the surface or just want to soak up the sun, there’s no wrong way to spend the day. Take this chance to truly relax and reflect on your trip so far – today marks the halfway point! 

Accommodation: Kervansaray Hotel (or similar)
Included: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 8: Pergamon

Leave Çannakkale in your dust as you bump along to the ancient city of Pergamon. What’s left of this hilltop metropolis is an impressive theatre that could seat ten thousand guests, a library to rival that of Alexandria and a healing centre that attracted patients from all across the empire. Above all else, Pergamon was known for its medical facilities, but the stellar views had to have helped a bit too.

The Latin word for parchment, purgamentum, is no mistake. Pergamon once produced rolls of parchment – the very scrolls that once lined the walls of the city’s library. The highlight of the day is a truly unique workshop where you’ll discover the art of crafting this ancient paper-like material. Ismail, the 92-year-old parchment expert – and human link between the ancient and modern worlds – is one of the last artisans preserving this painstaking tradition by hand. Can you believe you’re witnessing an artform that could easily go extinct in the next decade?

Accommodation: Ayasoluk Hotel (or similar)
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Day 9: Tire

Hidden up in the dusty hills that line the Aegean Sea is the town of Tire, cradled in a dry valley and sprinkled with minarets. Traditional craftsmen (and women) create everything from handloom weaving to wickerwork – but you’re here for felt-making 101. This form of fibre art is one of the oldest textile mediums in the world and there might be no better place to hone your craft than here. A group of felting experts will take you under their wing, showing you not only how to create felt, but also how to use it for crafts. 

After a long day of flexing your right brain, head back to the delightful-little hill town of Sirince for golden hour wanderings with a pomegranate juice or warm cup of cinnamony salep in hand. Follow your nose for dinner or uncover the bazaar and awe at its more work-a-day atmosphere – a fresh take from the behemoth back in Istanbul.

Accommodation: Ayasoluk Hotel (or similar)
Included: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 10: Ephesus

You know the adage, “Everything’s bigger in Texas”? Maybe it should’ve been “Everything’s bigger in Ephesus”! We’ve been slowly building up to this moment. If you thought Troy and Pergamon were impressive, get ready to have your socks blown clean off. An ancient city of truly unparalleled grandeur and sprawl, Ephesus is an extensive site and you’ll need every minute of today to see it all. 

Wander the stone streets where fresh water once ran to cisterns from aqueducts, stand in the presence of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, gape at the Library of Celsus’ beautiful facade and take a sneaky peak at the mammoth public bathrooms. Just imagine what life would’ve been like! 

Accommodation: Ayasoluk Hotel (or similar)
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Day 11: Uçhisar 

From the Aegean Sea to the plains of Central Anatolia, today kicks off with a quick flight. You’ll wave goodbye to the ocean, touch down in Istanbul for a sec, and take back to the skies before arriving somewhere you’ve probably dreamt of – Cappadocia. The land of hot air balloons and fairy chimneys! This region is all about experiencing different perspectives from both high in the clouds and far below ground.

Grab lunch at the local women’s initiative – the perfect fuel for both mind and body – before exploring Cappadocia’s whacky landscape on foot. From churches decorated in Byzantine frescoes to castles and typical homes, this area’s porous rock made for the perfect consistency to build a subterranean city. The Goreme Open Air Museum, a UNESCO heritage site, is one of the best introductions to this unique architecture. Did we mention you’re sleeping in one of these cave homes tonight? A luxury one, that is!

Accommodation: Les Maisons of Cappadocia (or similar)
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Day 12: Cappadocia

We wouldn’t ask you to pull yourself out of bed at the crack of dawn unless it was really worth it. This add-on adventure is optional – but is it really? No trip to Cappadocia is complete without getting a bird’s eye perspective on its lunar landscape from the skies via hot air balloon! Hang above the rocky pinnacles and gape at the dozens of fellow, colourful balloons rising into the clouds.

But if you’d rather sleep in we won’t blame you! You can catch up with the ladies at a Turkish cooking class later in the morning. Local women will teach you how to prepare traditional dishes like dolma and kunefe alongside the ever-present Turkish coffee. The feast you’ve prepared is lunch and nothing tastes better than a hard-won meal alongside friends. If today isn’t a total cultural immersion – we don’t know what is! End your second day in Cappadocia learning to weave traditional carpets and mould pottery. 

Accommodation: Les Maisons of Cappadocia (or similar)
Included: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 13: Ihlara Valley

From the dusty hills of Uchisar to the leafy Ihlara Valley, today will turn everything you thought you knew about Cappadocia on its head. But there is one familiarity – it’s time to head back underground. Like much of this region, you may notice a head-scratching lack of infrastructure. That’s because the buildings are all underground! You’ll head into this subterranean world with your guide, navigating a maze of tunnels that unveils churches, living quarters, storage spaces, water wells, and even chambers that once produced wine. Can you believe that this village could hold sixty thousand residents?

If you haven’t exhausted yourself learning what life was like for subterranean Cappadocians, get a new perspective above ground on a hike through the Ihlara’s Valley. This contrasting scenery of sheer cliffs, canyons and shrubby trees is beautiful enough but follow the trail to reveal monasteries carved straight into the cliffside.

Accommodation: Les Maisons of Cappadocia (or similar)
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Day 14: Istanbul

It’s time to say goodbye to Cappadocia – and almost to Türkiye – but not before one last hurrah through the haphazard alleys of Istanbul! Hop on a quick flight back to the capital and rest up. You have a big night ahead. 

There’s no better way to sign off on your adventure through Türkiye than straddling the always-meandering divide between Europe and Asia. Cruise into the sunset tonight along the Bosphorus. If this river could talk it would have some stories to tell! Grab the gals, share a toast, and watch the city turn from day to night. The twinkling lights will illuminate the waterfront yali houses and reflect off the water in celebration of all you’ve accomplished. 

Accommodation: The Haze Karaköy (or similar)
Included: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 15: Farewell Friends

Savour one last Turkish breakfast! It’s time to hug, exchange info, and wave your last goodbyes to your fellow Patchies, Türkiye’s unmistakable hospitality, and – maybe even more sadly – Turkish coffee. Both your suitcase and heart will be full to brim with the crafts you made with your own two hands and memories to last a lifetime. This isn’t goodbye, this is “Güle Güle!” – “May you leave smiling!”

Included: Breakfast