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Suleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul

Things to do in Turkey

Suleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul
Offering colorful bazaars and ornate churches as well as soaring mountains and a beautiful coastline, Turkey provides ample choice for things to see and do. The country's history and scenery are incredibly varied and we can arrange anything from culture-focused activities to coastal exploration and authentic, local experiences.

Try your hand at haggling in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, learn how to make traditional mezze with a local family or witness a whirling dervish ceremony at the grand Saruhan Caravanserai in Cappadocia. This dramatic region is also the place to explore rock-cut churches and float above the fairy chimneys at sun rise in a hot air balloon.
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Ideas for experiencing Turkey

Experiences you have as you travel often hold the longest memories. As part of their research trips, our specialists seek out authentic ways to get to know Turkey, and the best local guides. These activities reflect some of their best-loved experiences.

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  • Private tour of the Basilica Cistern
    Basilica Cistern

    Private tour of the Basilica Cistern

    Istanbul

    Private tour of the Basilica Cistern

    Visit the Basilica Cistern’s underground cavern. Descending beneath the streets, you’ll be met with the sight of hundreds of columns rising from the waters, with towering, arched brick ceilings overhead.

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  • Bosphorus cruise
    Dolmabahce Palace seen from the Bosphorus, Istanbul

    Bosphorus cruise

    Istanbul

    Bosphorus cruise

    Starting from the marina just in front of the Spice Market, your cruise will take you out onto the Bosphorus to view many of Istanbul's different architectural styles.

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  • Guided visit to Çukurcuma and the Museum of Innocence
    Cukurcuma, Istanbul

    Guided visit to Çukurcuma and the Museum of Innocence

    Istanbul

    Guided visit to Çukurcuma and the Museum of Innocence

    Experience Çukurcuma with its tree-lined streets and winding alleys before visiting the Museum of Innocence, a creation of author Orhan Pamuk.

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  • Shared tour of Dolmabahce Palace
    Dolmabahce Palace

    Shared tour of Dolmabahce Palace

    Istanbul

    Shared tour of Dolmabahce Palace

    Take a guided tour of the interior of the Dolmabahce Palace, which is sumptuously decorated from floor to ceiling with gold and crystal.

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  • Chez Galip pottery workshop
    Chez Galip pottery workshop

    Chez Galip pottery workshop

    Cappadocia

    Chez Galip pottery workshop

    Visit the workshop of one of the finest pottery masters in Turkey and watch him at work, or take part in a workshop yourself.

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  • Trip to the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations
    Museum of Anatolian Civilisations

    Trip to the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations

    Ankara

    Trip to the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations

    Located in Ankara Old Town, this private excursion will give you an insight into Anatolian life, dating back as far as the Paleolithic Age.

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  • Kaymakli underground city excursion
    Kaymakli underground city

    Kaymakli underground city excursion

    Cappadocia

    Kaymakli underground city excursion

    Explore Kaymakli, one of the best and most accessible of the 200 underground cities within the Cappadocia region.

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  • Visit to the Mevlana Museum and Karatay Madrasa
    Karatay Madrasa

    Visit to the Mevlana Museum and Karatay Madrasa

    Konya

    Visit to the Mevlana Museum and Karatay Madrasa

    Visit Konya’s Mevlana Museum with its mausoleum of the famous Sufi mystic, Rumi, and a dervish lodge of the Mevlevi. Then head to the Karatay Madrasa to view its archaeological finds from Kubadabad Palace.

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  • Tour of the Grand Bazaar
    The Grand Bazaar, Istanbul

    Tour of the Grand Bazaar

    Istanbul

    Tour of the Grand Bazaar

    This privately guided tour will take you beneath the domed roof of the Grand Bazaar to explore its labyrinthine alleys and stalls.

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  • Spice Market tour
    The Spice Market, Istanbul

    Spice Market tour

    Istanbul

    Spice Market tour

    Experience the smells and sounds of the Spice Market with this guided tour through its narrow streets and stalls selling herbs and spices, Turkish delight, tea and other delicacies.

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  • Full day visit to the Gallipoli battlefields and Troy
    Battlefield memorial, Gallipoli Peninsula

    Full day visit to the Gallipoli battlefields and Troy

    Istanbul

    Full day visit to the Gallipoli battlefields and Troy

    Travel to the Gallipoli Peninsula, where you'll explore the beach cemeteries of fallen Allied soldiers from World War I and the ancient city of Troy.

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  • Explore ancient Ephesus
    Temple of Hadrian, Ephesus, Turkey

    Explore ancient Ephesus

    Alaçati

    Explore ancient Ephesus

    Enjoy a guided tour of ancient Ephesus, which takes in the Library of Celsus, Curetes Street and the Great Theatre.

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  • Visit to Hierapolis and Pamukkale travertines
    Pamukkale travertines

    Visit to Hierapolis and Pamukkale travertines

    Pamukkale

    Visit to Hierapolis and Pamukkale travertines

    This guided trip will take you to the limestone travertines of Pamukkale, which cascade down the hillside and to the ancient thermal spa town of Hierapolis.

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  • Blue Mosque guided tour
    Blue Mosque interior, Istanbul

    Blue Mosque guided tour

    Istanbul

    Blue Mosque guided tour

    Take a guided tour of the Blue Mosque, perhaps the most photographed site in Istanbul with its distinctive shape dominating the Sultanahmet skyline.

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  • Whirling dervish ceremony at Saruhan Caravanserai
    Whirling dervishes

    Whirling dervish ceremony at Saruhan Caravanserai

    Cappadocia

    Whirling dervish ceremony at Saruhan Caravanserai

    With this evening excursion you'll be taken to the large and rather grand Saruhan Caravanserai, to witness a hypnotic whirling dervish ceremony.

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  • Private excursion to Hagia Sophia
    Hagia Sophia

    Private excursion to Hagia Sophia

    Istanbul

    Private excursion to Hagia Sophia

    Take a trip to see perhaps the most famous of all Istanbul’s sites, the Hagia Sophia, which dates back to 537 AD.

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  • Jeep safari
    Cappadocia

    Jeep safari

    Cappadocia

    Jeep safari

    Taking a jeep safari through the Cappadocian landscape is one of the best ways to see some of its most spectacular scenery and formations.

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  • Trip to the Topkapi Palace
    Topkapi Palace

    Trip to the Topkapi Palace

    Istanbul

    Trip to the Topkapi Palace

    Learn about life in the imperial household of the Ottoman sultans with this guided excursion of the Topkapi Palace’s buildings and Treasury.

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  • Private tour of Pergamon Acropolis and Asclepion
    Pergamon Asclepion

    Private tour of Pergamon Acropolis and Asclepion

    Çanakkale

    Private tour of Pergamon Acropolis and Asclepion

    Take in what was once one of the most powerful settlements in the Middle East. Pergamon’s beauty and cultural importance is still evident today in the impressive mountainside Acropolis and the Asclepion.

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  • Guided tour of Kekova sunken city, Myra rock tombs and St Nicholas' Church
    Myra

    Guided tour of Kekova sunken city, Myra rock tombs and St Nicholas' Church

    Kaş

    Guided tour of Kekova sunken city, Myra rock tombs and St Nicholas' Church

    Travel by boat to the Kekova-Simena sunken city before heading overland to the Church of St Nicholas and then on to the Myra rock tombs.

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  • Trip to the Göreme Open Air Museum
    Göreme Open Air Museum, Cappadocia

    Trip to the Göreme Open Air Museum

    Cappadocia

    Trip to the Göreme Open Air Museum

    Visit the Göreme Open Air Museum with its well-preserved selection of cave houses, monasteries and churches, which date back to the 10th century.

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  • Guided tour of Suleymaniye Mosque
    Suleymaniye Mosque

    Guided tour of Suleymaniye Mosque

    Istanbul

    Guided tour of Suleymaniye Mosque

    This excursion will take you to the Suleymaniye Mosque, which dominates Istanbul's skyline, to see its Iznik tiles, mother of pearl inlays and stained-glass windows.

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  • Guided tour of Antalya Museum, Perge and Aspendos
    Aspendos

    Guided tour of Antalya Museum, Perge and Aspendos

    Antalya

    Guided tour of Antalya Museum, Perge and Aspendos

    Learn about Turkey’s long history with this trip that takes in the archaeological displays at the Antalya Museum, the ancient city of Perge and Turkey’s most complete theater at Aspendos.

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  • Cookery course at a local home
    Cookery course in a local home

    Cookery course at a local home

    Cappadocia

    Cookery course at a local home

    Spend time in the home of a local family in Cappadocia learning how to cook traditional meals from the area.

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  • Aphrodisias and its ancient ruins tour
    Aphrodisias

    Aphrodisias and its ancient ruins tour

    Pamukkale

    Aphrodisias and its ancient ruins tour

    Aphrodisias is a remarkable and vast site, which is mostly un-excavated. Its ruins are to be found amid the natural landscape, springing up from the greenery or half-buried in the dust.

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  • Guided excursion to Termessos
    Termessos

    Guided excursion to Termessos

    Antalya

    Guided excursion to Termessos

    Explore the ancient and well-preserved ruins at Termessos, an extensive site, spread across a rocky mountain valley in the Gulluk Dagi National Park.

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