WEST COST WONDERS

Itinerary:
Day 1 :Istanbul – Eceabat
• 06:00Transfer vehicle will begin the circuit around the hotels for pickups. We ask that
customers be ready at reception of hotel for transfer to Eceabat.
• Pickups between 6.30& 7am, depending on number of customers from each hotel..
07:00 Transfer to Eceabat by TJS TOUR bus.
12.00 Arrive in Eceabat where you will be met by the staff of TJs TOURS.
12.30 Depart TJs Hotel for a fully guided Gallipoli tour.
On tour you’ll visit:
• War museum
• Kabatepe( Brighton Beach )
• Beach Cemetery (John Simpson’s Grave)
• ANZAC Cove
• Ari Burnu (First ANZAC landing place)
• Lone Pine Cemetery (Australian memorial)
• Johnston’s Jolly (Walk in the ANZAC trenches) – view Shrapnel Valley
• Turkish Memorial
• The Nek(Light Horse scene depicted in the Gallipoli movie) &Walker’s Ridge
• Chunuk Bair (Main New Zealand memorial)
• Overnight in Eceabat at TJS HOTEL (BB)
• (Lunch)

Day 2 : Troy – Assos – Balabanli Village – Babakale – Apollo Smintheus – Volcanic Mountain – Alexander Troas
07.00 Breakfast at your accommodation
07.30 Depart for full day tour
08.00 Ferry crossing from Eceabat to Çanakkale over the famous Dardanelle waters.
08.30 Arrival in Çanakkale. Drive to the site of Troy, 36km to the south.
TROY : Tour the historic home of the Trojan wars.Here you will see the remains of 9 city levels destroyed over time by both human and natural disasters. You will hear the stories of the myth and the history behind the ongoing excavations.
The commentary is filled with mythical stories of the site and surrounding areas while filling you in on the history of the excavations, the excavators and their findings.
At the site you’ll be shown around:
• A replica of the wooden horse that you can climb into for a photo.
• Excavation information centre which holds exhibits from the work underway.
• The fortification walls of Troy Vl with its tower and gateway entrance.
• Temple of Athena – the focal point of a great annual festival in honour of the goddess Athena.
• Schliemann’s trench – the discoverer of Troy?
• The entrance ramp to Troy ll.
• The sanctuary – an important religious centre of its time.
• The odeon – intended for the presentation of musical performances.
• Current excavations in progress.

Drive to ALEXANDRIA TROAS, once considered by Constantine to be named the capital of the Roman empire, only a few structures exist today, including a ruined bath, gymnasium complex and a recently uncovered stadium. But these attest to its former importance as a significant port for traveling between Anatolia and Europe.
Roadside stop to view TUZLA DAGI, an active volcanic mountain with a surface of salt stretching out from its base which has been collected for years by locals to use in their cooking.

Next stop –TEMPLE of APOLLO SMINTHEUS in the town of Gurpinar.
This temple was built by the people of the Troas as a testament to Apollo, king of Tenedos and patron god of Chryse (known now as Bozcaada and Gulpinar) for siding with the Anatolians in the Trojan war. The figured elements here depicting the Trojan war as decribed by Homer makes this place unique.

Drive to BABAKALE, the most western point of Asian Turkey.Visit the last castle built during the Ottoman empire in 1723.
Depart for BALABANLI VILLAGE :TJ’s home village. Here you will wander the traditional village seeing sights such as the old wheat crushing wheel and the thatched summer houses for the sheep. A visit to TJs parent’s house, a small stone-built house which is full of Turkish hospitality.

Depart for ASSOS : A traditional, stone-house village, set upon a mountainside with a beautiful harbour down the bottom, overlooking the island of Lesvos. Here we will tour the Temple of Athena on the highest point of the mountain and have Turkish tea at a local Çay (tea) House which has an extraordinary set of coffee tables to sit at.• Overnight in ASSOS
• ( Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner )

Day 3 : PERGAMUM – KUSADASI

• After breakfast, drive to Pergamum.
• Lunch and continue to PERGAMUM ACROPOLIS.
• Visit ATHENA and TROJAN TEMPLES, TEMPLE of ZEUS,TEMPLE of DIONYSOS, GYMNASIUM of YOUTH, ODEON, LIBRARY, AGORA, GREAT THEATRE and ROMAN BATH.
• Drive to Kusadasi.
• Overnight Kusadasi
• ( Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner )

Day 4 : EPHESUS – KUSADASI
You will meet your guide at your pick up point and start your tour. Ephesus was an ancient Greek city, and later, a major Roman city near present day Selcuk. It was also one of the Seven Churches of Asia, cited in the Book of Revelation.
Today it is the most visited ruins site in Turkey, and the best preserved site in the Mediterranean. Our Ephesus Day Tour is guaranteed to give you a real feel for what life was like 2000 years ago and is a must for any visitor to the area.
We start the tour with a visit to the House of the Virgin Mary, which is believed to be the place she was taken to by St John to spend her last days.
Next stop is a visit to the former capital of Asia Minor, Ephesus. Excavations began in the 19th Century, and some of the buildings you will see include gymnasiums, agoras, the Domitian Square, the Hadrian Temple, the Roman Bath, the Celsus Library and the biggest theatre in Anatolia with 25,000 seats.
After visiting Ephesus, we move on to the Temple of Artemis which is one of the seven wonders of the Ancient World.
We conclude the day with a visit to the Isa Bey Mosque.
• Overnight Kusadasi
• ( Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner )

Day 5 : KUSADASI – PAMUKKALE
You will meet your guide at your pick up point and start your tour. You will drive for 3 hours for Pamukkale (Hierapolis) On the half way, have a comfort stop.The ancient Greco-Roman city of Hierapolis, now a UNESCo World Heritage site, as well as Pamukkale’s famous white travertines (calcium pools) have been used as a spa since the 2nd century BCE, with people travelling great distances to soothe their ailments or retire here.
We have lunch on arrival in Pamukkale, and then commence our tour of Pamukkale with entry to the site from the South Gate. We will then have a walk to the theatre where we will discuss life in ancient times.
You will be given free time to swim in the Cleopatra Antique Thermal Pool (admission fee 32TL per person extra).
We finish the tour with a visit to the Travertines (white calcium pools) where you will have time to take pictures and wade in the water. After leaving the site, we will have a late lunch, and then you will be dropped back to your hotel.
• Overnight PAMUKKALE
• ( Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner )
Day 6 : PAMUKKALE – ISTANBUL
After breakfast, transfer to Denizli or Izmir Airport for Istanbul flight.
• ( Breakfast )

TOUR INCLUDES:
• All transportation ‘Non Smoking’ bus.
• Professional English speaking guide.
• Flight ticket ( From Denizli or Izmir to Istanbul )
• 5 nights accommodation
• Ferry ride
• Entrance fees.
• 5 breakfast
• 5 Lunches.