4 September 2027 – 7 days for £3,150 per person
Register for 2028 and we will contact you when confirmed details including finalised dates and prices are available.
Journey through western Turkey to explore the deep archaeological history of Anatolia, where some of the earliest complex societies in the Mediterranean emerged. From the multi-layered remains of Troy to the remarkably preserved streets of Ephesus, trace how settlement, urban life and technology evolved from prehistory through the Bronze Age and into the classical world.
The tour focuses on the long development of human society in Anatolia, where some of the earliest complex settlements and urban centres emerged. Key sites include Troy, where layered occupation reveals millennia of rebuilding and destruction, and Ephesus, one of the best-preserved Roman cities in the world. Additional visits to sites such as Pergamon and Aphrodisias as well as key coastal and inland archaeological landscapes provide insight into Hellenistic, Roman and earlier Anatolian cultures, illustrating how geography, trade and empire shaped civilisation over time.
You will be accompanied by a specialist archaeologist with extensive field experience in Anatolia and the wider eastern Mediterranean. They will provide on-site interpretation of architecture and artefacts, helping to connect visible remains with broader historical and cultural narratives. Their commentary bridges academic research and accessible storytelling, bringing each site into clearer focus.
This trip is designed for curious travellers with a passion for archaeology, ancient history and the origins of early civilisations. It is ideal for those who enjoy exploring sites on foot, standing among real excavations and seeing how everyday objects, ruins and landscapes are used to reconstruct lost worlds. No specialist knowledge is needed – just a sense of curiosity and enthusiasm for discovering how human history is depicted across some of the Mediterranean’s most remarkable archaeological landscapes.
This tour has can be combined with our Human origins, Neolithic and Bronze Age Turkey travelling through eastern Turkey departing on 8th September 2027.
In partnership with Intrepid Travel.
Day 1: Arrive in Istanbul and meet the group
Merhaba! Welcome to Turkey. Check in to the Legacy Ottoman Hotel, located in the heart of Istanbul, the continent-straddling metropolis that the Ancient Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans have previously all called home.
In the evening, meet your fellow guests, tour leader and accompanying expert, who will give an introductory lecture on the tour ahead. The tour expert will give both evening lectures and walking commentary throughout the tour.
Afterwards, you will head out to enjoy dinner together.
Day 2: Istanbul to Gallipoli Peninsula and on to Çanakkale
Travel north to the Gallipoli Peninsula, where the landscape preserves an extraordinary archaeological record spanning thousands of years. While Gallipoli is best known for the First World War campaign of 1915, its archaeology reveals a far richer story. Across the peninsula, surviving trench systems, fortifications, shell craters and recovered military artefacts provide a remarkable case study in battlefield archaeology, allowing researchers to reconstruct both the experience of conflict and the rapid transformation of the landscape during the modern era.
The peninsula also occupies a pivotal position within the Dardanelles, the narrow waterway linking the Aegean and Black Seas. This strategic corridor has shaped patterns of migration, trade and warfare since prehistory, making it one of the most significant crossroads of the ancient world. From Bronze Age communities to the great empires of antiquity and beyond, control of these waters has repeatedly influenced the course of history.
Continue to Çanakkale, your base for exploring the legendary city of Troy. This evening, enjoy an talk from your expert, who will introduce the archaeology of Troy.
Day 3: Troy and Pergamon
Spend the morning exploring the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Troy, where the mound of Hisarlık preserves more than 4,000 years of settlement. Successive cities were built one atop another, creating an extraordinary archaeological sequence that has transformed our understanding of Bronze Age societies, trade networks and conflict. As you explore the site's fortifications, gateways and domestic remains, discover how decades of excavation have disentangled the evidence behind one of history's most enduring legends.
Continue to Pergamon, one of the great cities of the Hellenistic world. Explore its spectacular hilltop Acropolis, where the dramatic setting enhances impressive monuments including the steep theatre, the Temple of Trajan and the remains of the celebrated Library of Pergamon. Together, they illustrate the city's remarkable achievements in architecture, urban planning and scholarship.
Later, travel to Selçuk for your overnight stay.
Day 4: Full day at Ephesus
Continue south through the Aegean landscape to Ephesus, one of the best-preserved classical cities in the Mediterranean. Its marble-paved streets, colonnaded avenues and monumental public buildings reveal the sophistication of Roman urban planning and the wealth generated by its position on major Mediterranean trade routes.
Explore highlights including the iconic Library of Celsus, the vast Great Theatre and the richly decorated Terrace Houses, where mosaics and frescoes offer a rare glimpse into domestic life. Together, these remarkable remains provide an exceptional archaeological record of one of the Roman world's greatest cities.
Day 5: Pamukkale and Hierapolis
After breakfast, travel to Pamukkale, where mineral-rich thermal waters have sculpted the striking white travertine terraces for which the site is renowned. Above them lies the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hierapolis, an ancient spa city whose baths, temples and extensive necropolis illustrate how communities harnessed this remarkable geothermal landscape for both ritual and everyday life. Explore how natural processes and human activity combined to create a unique cultural landscape before enjoying the remainder of the day at leisure.
Day 6: Fly to Istanbul. Afternoon city tour including the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the Hippodrome
This morning, you may choose to join an optional sunrise hot air balloon flight over Pamukkale, offering spectacular aerial views of the dazzling white travertine terraces and the ancient city of Hierapolis.
Later, transfer for your flight to Istanbul. On arrival, explore the heart of the Old City, where layers of Byzantine and Ottoman history converge. Visit the magnificent Blue Mosque, the 1,500-year-old Hagia Sophia, commissioned by Emperor Justinian I, and the Hippodrome, once the centre of Byzantine civic life and chariot racing. There is also time to browse the atmospheric Grand Bazaar, one of the world's oldest covered markets, with thousands of shops lining its historic lanes.
This evening, gather with your fellow travellers for a special farewell dinner to celebrate your archaeological journey through Türkiye.
Please note for those combining this tour with our with the Human origins, Neolithic and Bronze Age Turkey tour both groups will have dinner together.
Day 7: Depart Istanbul
After breakfast, you will be transferred back to the airport for your return flight. You can also combine this tour with our Human origins, Neolithic and Bronze Age Turkey travelling through western Turkey departing in September 2027.
