Turkey
From Legends to History: Turkey's Legacy of Civilizations and Culture
Program No. 12828RJ
The story of Turkey is a blend of cultures and people as beautifully complex as the mosaics left by the Byzantine. Join us and see for yourself what makes this country so unique.
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DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
Sep 17 - Oct 3, 2025
Starting at
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This date is available to book as a private experience for your group!
17 days
16 nights
43 meals
15B 14L 14D
1
In Transit to Program
In Flight
4
Hattusas, Anatolian Steppes to Cappadocia
Cappadocia
6
Love Valley, Village of Sinasos
Cappadocia
11
Aphrodisias, City of Aphrodite
Kusadasi
12
Ephesus, Archaeological Museum
Kusadasi
13
Troy
Canakkale
At a Glance
From Roman ruins and Byzantine mosaics, Turkey’s history spans three continents and more than 10,000 years. Expert instructors leading select excursions survey Anatolia and Asia Minor — the ancient lands of Turkey — to trace the numerous civilizations that have thrived here since the Bronze Age. Gain an overview of Turkey’s rich legacy of civilizations and culture, comparing and contrasting the old world with the vibrancy of today.
Extend Your Adventure
This program includes an optional program extension.
Extension: Istanbul: Ancient City - Modern City
Extend your adventure in Istanbul to gain deeper insight into the story of the city as you visit museums, palaces, religious sites and grand monuments.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up to two miles a day over varied terrain. Elevations up to 3,100 feet.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Walk the marble streets of Ephesus and learn about the significance of this large metropolis 2,000 years ago.
- Explore the underground city in Cappadocia, complete with ventilation and communication systems.
- Enjoy and marvel at Istanbul, the imperial city of the world's desire, and discover timeless monuments such as Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace.
General Notes
Extend your adventure on "Extension: Istanbul: Ancient City - Modern City" (#16878).
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Zeynep Kuban
Dr. Zeynep Kuban is an assistant professor of architecture at Istanbul Technical University, one of the most prominent educational institutions in Turkey. Her special area of interest is architectural history. Dr. Kuban’s lectures to Road Scholar participants share her wonderful insights on the creation of one of the world’s most architecturally fascinating cities from early Roman times to the 21st century.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Zeynep Kuban
View biography
Dr. Zeynep Kuban is an assistant professor of architecture at Istanbul Technical University, one of the most prominent educational institutions in Turkey. Her special area of interest is architectural history. Dr. Kuban’s lectures to Road Scholar participants share her wonderful insights on the creation of one of the world’s most architecturally fascinating cities from early Roman times to the 21st century.
Gul Isin
View biography
Born in 1967 in Ankara, Mrs. Isin studied classical archaeology in Ankara at both the undergraduate and graduate level. She earned her doctorate from Akdeniz University in Antalya, where she is currently a member of the faculty. She specializes in the ancient sites near Antalya and still digs at various Greek and Roman sites in the region.
Kazim Uzunoglu
View biography
Kazim Uzunoglu started his travel career as a licensed national guide in Turkey in 1987. He studied economics at the University of Virginia but decided to stick to the travel business. After many years of leading educational programs around Turkey, he switched to the organizational side of the operation in 2004 and started running Baltac Tourism and Travel, the program provider for Road Scholar in Turkey. His hobbies include riding motorcycles around the world, vintage cars and motorcycles, photography, and rock and roll music.
Thomas Zimmerman
View biography
Thomas Zimmerman, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in Archaeology at Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey, teaching Anatolian and Eurasian Archaeology since 2003. He holds a doctorate in Prehistoric Archaeology from Regensburg University, Germany. He is currently preparing his master’s degree and doctorate theses for publication, investigating Neolithic elite burials in the west Mediterranean and writing a textbook on time-telling devices in prehistoric and early historic times.
Suggested Reading List
(18 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
From Legends to History: Turkey's Legacy of Civilizations and Culture
Program Number: 12828
Istanbul: The Imperial City
Whether you call it Byzantium, Constantinople, or Istanbul, the “old Turkish hand” John Freely tells the story of each creation and decline up to today’s Istanbul under the Turkish Republic. Spirited and colorful, Freely gives his readers a lively account of the turmoil each incarnation brought. In addition to “page turning history”, Freely gives a complete listing of monuments & museums in the city - he has lived there for decades. This is the one to read on Istanbul if you have a short list of books and limited time to get into its history.
Blue Guide to Turkey
Blue Guides are complete and jam-packed with historical and practical information. This one lives up to the reputation. You want to go to Nemrut Dag and learn what you’re looking at once you’re there? The Blue Guide is for you. Painstakingly researched it is a course book text on the history of civilization and includes detailed town plans, up-to-date classical site information, route maps, hotel recommendations and lots of information about Turkish customs, food and history. From one end of the country to the other! It’s all there. The book to have, whether you’re exploring Turkey with us in a group or out there on your own.
Tales from the Expat Harem: Foreign Women in Modern Turkey
As the Western world struggles to comprehend the paradoxes of modern Turkey, Tales from the Expat Harem reveals its most personal nuances. This illuminating anthology provides a window into the country from the perspective of thirty-two expatriates from seven different nations—artists, entrepreneurs, Peace Corps volunteers, archaeologists, missionaries, and others—who established lives in Turkey for work, love, or adventure. Through narrative essays covering the last four decades, these diverse women unveil the mystique of the “Orient,” describe religious conflict, embrace cultural discovery, and maneuver familial traditions, customs, and responsibilities. Poignant, humorous, and transcendent, the essays take readers to weddings and workplaces, down cobbled Byzantine streets, into boisterous bazaars along the Silk Road, and deep into the feminine stronghold of steamy Ottoman bathhouses. The outcome is a stunning collection of voices from women suspended between two homes as they redefine their identities and reshape their world views.
Ataturk: A biography of Mustafa Kemal - Father of Modern Turkey
Kinross tells the story of Ataturk in such an engaging way that you stay glued to the page. Beginning with his birth in 1881 in Salonika, Greece, during the usual Balkan struggles, the book traces his youth through his early education and military service. Along the way Kinross reveals the experiences that formed Ataturk’s rebel spirit, leads you through the evolution of his hatred for the rich, the corrupt, and the abusive religious and political classes. He takes you onto the battlefield where Ataturk’s leadership and inspiration routs the Greeks who invaded Turkey in the aftermath of W.W.I. Kinross takes you step by step through the formation of a new, secular Republic, free of domination by Sultans, Moslem Caliphs or foreign countries, and describes how Turkey secured a place among nations. You’ll learn of Ataturk’s commitment to equality for all people, men and women alike, and how he lead the new Turkish nation westward by adopting the western alphabet overnight, creating a new Turkish language, and provided free education for all. A “must read” in order to understand present-day Turkey’s struggle to maintain the secular principles Ataturk established.
Istanbul: Memories and the City
Turkish novelist Pamuk (Snow) presents a breathtaking portrait of a city, an elegy for a dead civilization and a meditation on life's complicated intimacies. The author, born in 1952 into a rapidly fading bourgeois family in Istanbul, spins a masterful tale, moving from his fractured extended family, all living in a communal apartment building, out into the city and encompassing the entire Ottoman Empire. Pamuk sees the slow collapse of the once powerful empire hanging like a pall over the city and its citizens. Central to many Istanbul residents' character is the concept of hüzün (melancholy). Istanbul's hüzün, Pamuk writes, "is a way of looking at life that... is ultimately as life affirming as it is negating." His world apparently in permanent decline, Pamuk revels in the darkness and decay manifest around him. He minutely describes horrific accidents on the Bosphorus Strait and his own recurring fantasies of murder and mayhem. Throughout, Pamuk details the breakdown of his family: elders die, his parents fight and grow apart, and he must find his way in the world. This is a powerful, sometimes disturbing literary journey through the soul of a great city told by one of its great writers.
Constantinople; City of the World’s Desire, 1453-1924
Mansel is a noted historian and author of several works about the Sultans and the Ottoman World. This book focuses on the political and architectural history of the capital Constantinople (modern day Istanbul) and covers the span of the Ottoman empire. The book ends on November 17, 1922 when the last Sultan and a small party slipped out of Palace at 8 AM and scrambled aboard a British naval ship that hauled anchor for Malta at 8:43 AM. A fine work, lots of detail, very readable and helpful in sorting out the complexities of 600 years of Ottoman power.
Eyewitness Guide Turkey
Gorgeously illustrated and filled with excellent maps, this compact book is a thorough overview of Turkey, its history, traditions, cultures and sights. With hundreds of color photographs and illustrations.
The Turkish Letters of Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, Imperial Ambassador at Constantinople, 1554-1562
The Flemish nobleman wrote his Letters while on an ambassadorial mission to Istanbul between 1554 and 1562, making him a brilliant eye-witness of the Ottoman state at its height, under Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent. Busbecq was a botanist, linguist, antiquarian, scholar and zoologist; he brought back lilac and the tulip.
My Name Is Red
A dead man, a dog, a murderer, a coin, two lovers, and a tree take turns narrating this tale, which is Pamuk's follow-up to the well-reviewed but little read The New Life (1997). Set in sixteenth-century Istanbul, the novel is equal parts mystery, love story, and a philosophical discussion on the nature of art and artistic vision. Two men have been killed: Elegant, a miniaturist engaged (with others) on a book project glorifying the life of the sultan, and Enishte, the man who hired the artists to do the book. During a trip to Venice, Enishte became particularly entranced with the new Italian painting, particularly its use of perspective and figurative art. He urged his employees to adapt the new art form in their illustrations of the grand book they are producing. Black, Enishte's nephew, wants to win the hand of Enishte's daughter, Shekure, which he can only do by solving the murders. This intellectual mystery will appeal to fans of Eco, Pears, and Perez-Reverte.
A Short History Of Byzantium
No time to wade, albeit enjoyably, through his three volume Byzantium series? This recent edition is based on his Byzantium trilogy and is equally as intelligent and inspired. Norwich is, as always, ever entertaining and engaging about this subject. An efficient read without loss of style or spirit. If you can’t manage three volumes right now, this one is for you.
Crescent and Star: Turkey Between Two Worlds
A passionate love for the Turkish people and an optimism that its ruling class can complete Turkey's transformation into a Western-style democracy mark Kinzer's reflections on a country that sits geographically and culturally at the crossroads between Europe and Asia. Kinzer, the former New York Times Istanbul bureau chief, gives a concise introduction to Turkey: Kemal Ataterk's post-WWI establishment of the modern secular Turkish state; the odd makeup of contemporary society, in which the military enforces Ataterk's reforms. In stylized but substantive prose, he devotes chapters to the problems he sees plaguing Turkish society: Islamic fundamentalism, frictions regarding the large Kurdish minority and the lack of democratic freedoms. Kinzer's commonsense, if naeve, solution: the ruling military elite, which takes power when it feels Turkey is threatened, must follow the modernizing path of Ataterk whom Kinzer obviously admires a step further and increase human rights and press freedoms. Kinzer's journalistic eye serves him well as he goes beyond the political, vividly describing, for instance, the importance and allure of the narghile salon, where Turks smoke water pipes. Here, as elsewhere, Kinzer drops his journalist veneer and gets personal, explaining that he enjoys the salons in part "because the sensation of smoking a water pipe is so seductive and satisfying." Readers who want a one-volume guide to this fascinating country need look no further.
Essential Rumi
A collection of poetry by the 13th-century Sufi mystic. Coleman renders a well-chosen selection of Persian estatic poetry into contemporary English
The Bastard of Istanbul
In her second novel written in English (The Saint of Incipient Insanities was the first), Turkish novelist Shafak tackles Turkish national identity and the Armenian "question" in her signature style. In a novel that overflows with a kitchen sink's worth of zany characters, women are front and center: Asya Kazanci, an angst-ridden 19-year-old Istanbulite is the bastard of the title; her beautiful, rebellious mother, Zeliha (who intended to have an abortion), has raised Asya among three generations of complicated and colorful female relations (including religious clairvoyant Auntie Banu and bar-brawl widow, Auntie Cevriye). The Kazanci men either die young or take a permanent hike like Mustafa, Zeliha's beloved brother who immigrated to America years ago. Mustafa's Armenian-American stepdaughter, Armanoush, who grew up on her family's stories of the 1915 genocide, shows up in Istanbul looking for her roots and for vindication from her new Turkish family. The Kazanci women lament Armanoush's family's suffering, but have no sense of Turkish responsibility for it; Asya's boho cohorts insist there was no genocide at all. As the debate escalates, Mustafa arrives in Istanbul, and a long-hidden secret connecting the histories of the two families is revealed. Shafak was charged with "public denigration of Turkishness" when the novel was published in Turkey earlier this year (the charges were later dropped). She incorporates a political taboo into an entertaining and insightful ensemble novel, one that posits the universality of family, culture and coincidence.
Birds Without Wings
In his first novel since Corelli’s Mandolin, Louis de Bernières creates a world, populates it with characters as real as our best friends, and launches it into the maelstrom of twentieth-century history. The setting is a small village in southwestern Anatolia in the waning years of the Ottoman Empire. Everyone there speaks Turkish, though they write it in Greek letters. It’s a place that has room for a professional blasphemer; where a brokenhearted aga finds solace in the arms of a Circassian courtesan who isn’t Circassian at all; where a beautiful Christian girl named Philothei is engaged to a Muslim boy named Ibrahim. But all of this will change when Turkey enters the modern world. Epic in sweep, intoxicating in its sensual detail, Birds Without Wings is an enchantment.
Classical Turkey
A well written, well illustrated, architectural guide for travelers new to the Graeco-Roman sites of Western Turkey. Detailed with good drawings of most ruins accompanied by historical information about these great sites. Freely is the master.
Istanbul (Poetry of Place)
Istanbul, capital of two great empires, confluence of Asia and Europe, has called forth poetry throughout her long history, from paupers and sultans, natives and visitors alike. When Mehmed the Conqueror first wandered through the ruins of the Byzantine palace, it was with the words of the Persian poet Ferdowsi on his lips: "The spider spins his web in the Palace of the Caesars/An owl hoots in the towers of Afrasiyab". Since then the silhouette of thousand-year-old domes and tapering minarets, the sunsets reflected nightly in a thousand palace windows and the bustle of her markets have inspired Sultan Suleyman, W B Yeats and Nazim Hikmet, amongst others, to salute one of the world's most remarkable cities.
Harem - The World Behind the Veil
The author left Turkey at age 18 for the US, returning 15 years later to visit her birthplace and family. Intrigued upon learning that her grandmother had lived in a harem, she interviewed aunts and other family members about their recollections. About that same time (mid 1970’s) the Harem of Topkapi Palace was opened to visitors. With thoughtful research and richly illustrated, Croutier pieces together a realistic description of daily life in the Sultan’s Harem. Her fascinating insights into customs, food and ceremony of the Palace through 450 hundred years, make this an enjoyable read. The addition of family photographs and an amusing chapter about Western misconceptions of the term “harem” sets this work apart from all other books of its kind.
The Turks Today
Istanbul-born, British-based Mango (Atatürk) offers an insightful, sympathetic portrait of recent Turkish history. The first third of the book discusses the growth of the Turkish state after Atatürk's death in 1938, with a fitful spread of democracy, clashes with Greece and the departure of Istanbul's Greek community. Economic and social conflict from 1960 to 1980 was subsequently "contained" by a military-driven constitution and rapprochement with Europe. A battle over the logo of the mayoralty of Ankara, the capital, illustrates the recent negotiations between Islamists and secularists. Istanbul, whose "infrastructure does not match its size," is growing as a regional base. In impoverished, traditionalist eastern Turkey, "the Third World has not been banished," though Mango argues that integration with the state—if not assimilation—is the best hope for the Kurdish minority. Turkey today, Mango suggests, resembles the late modernizing countries of southern Europe in many ways. He sees potential for a fully democratic and secular state, but warns that it takes time to "implant Western institutions in non-Western soil." Though this volume lacks some of the bite and immediacy of a journalist's book like Stephen Kinzer's Crescent and Star, it emerges as a more thorough introduction to a less-known but increasingly vital country.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
17 days
16 nights
What's Included
43 meals (
15B, 14L, 14D
)
6 expert-led lectures
31 expert-led field trips
2 hands-on experiences
An experienced Group Leader
15 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
Day
1
In Transit to Program
Location:
In Flight
Day
2
Arrival, Registration & Welcome Meeting, Welcome Dinner
Location:
Ankara
Meals:
D
Stay:
Divan Hotel Ankara
Activity Note
Upon arrival in Ankara Airport, clear passport control, claim your bags, go through customs and the sliding doors and look for the Road Scholar sign.
Afternoon:
After checking in to the hotel and getting your room, take some time to freshen up and relax before our Orientation meeting. Orientation at 6 PM. In our meeting room at the hotel, the Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. We will review COVID-19 protocols and will adhere to applicable requirements and guidelines throughout the program. The Group Leaders for our Road Scholar programs in Turkey serve as Study Leaders as well as managers of logistics. They are licensed and certified by the Ministry of Tourism for proficiency in Turkish history, culture, archeology, mythology, current affairs, and more. In addition to lectures and field trips, they will often give presentations on topics such as these during long transfers. Program-related travel and transfers will be via comfortable, air-conditioned Mercedes-Benz buses. Meals will generally offer foods representative of their regions. Depending on the accommodations, some will be multi-course plated meals while others will be buffets with numerous choices. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. The Group Leader will also give information about an optional hot air balloon flight in Cappadocia and will ask for interested participants to sign up for this activity. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/current conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
Dinner:
At the hotel
Evening:
At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Day
3
Anatolian Civilizations Museum, Anitkabir Atatürk Mausoleum
Location:
Ankara
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Divan Hotel Ankara
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; city driving, approximately 1 hour riding time. Walking up to 2 miles throughout the day; urban terrain.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will set out on a walking field trip to the award-winning Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, near the hotel. There, we will have a lecture by an expert from Bilkent University in Ankara who will lead our exploration. We will learn about ancient civilizations that flourished in Anatolia and talk about the unique artifacts on display, providing a general overview about the civilizations of Turkey. The Museum exhibits boast artifacts from the Paleolithic era and continue chronologically through the Neolithic, Early Bronze, Assyrian trading colonies, Hittite, Phrygian, Urartian, Greek, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman periods. It is especially renowned for its artifacts from the Neolithic site of Catalhoyuk. The collection includes Mother Goddess sculptures, wall paintings, clay figurines, stamps, earthenware containers, and agricultural tools made from bones. The most impressive parts of this exhibit are a hunting scene on plaster from the 7th millennium BCE, a reproduction of a Çatalhoyuk room with wall-mounted bull heads, a Mother Goddess Kybele (later Cybele) sculpture, obsidian tools, wall paintings of the (now extinct) volcano Mount Hasan erupting, and wall paintings of a leopard.
Lunch:
At a restaurant in Ankara.
Afternoon:
Next, we will board a bus and ride to Anitkabir, the Mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938), who led the war for Turkish independence, the Turkish revolution, and founded the Turkish republic. An expert will lead our exploration as we get background on modern Turkey and a deeper understanding of this revolutionary character who shaped the nation. We will see in this complex that his legacy lives on and how he is deeply revered all over Turkey. After our field trip, we will ride back to the hotel.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
We will gather with our Group Leader for a lecture and Q&A on modern Turkey and its contemporary issues. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Day
4
Hattusas, Anatolian Steppes to Cappadocia
Location:
Cappadocia
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Alden Hotel Cappadocia
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; driving about 250 miles throughout the day, approximately 6 hours total riding time. Walking up to 2 miles; occasionally uneven terrain at ancient sites.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will check out of the hotel, board our bus, and ride out of Ankara, heading east to Hattusas, a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site. Once capital of the Hittite Kingdom, it flourished between 1800-1200 BCE and controlled most of the territories in Asia Minor and the Middle East. We will make several stops to see the amazing architecture of this capital city and learn about the Hittite religious pantheon, also called the Religion with 1,000 Gods.
Lunch:
At a restaurant in Hattusas.
Afternoon:
Reboarding the motorcoach, we will ride south, passing through the central plains of Turkey and agricultural lands to Cappadocia. Upon arrival we will check in to our newly built and award winning hotel with some time to freshen up and relax before dinner.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
5
Goreme Open Air Museum, Fantastic Formations of Cappadocia
Location:
Cappadocia
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Alden Hotel Cappadocia
Activity Note
Walking up to 3 miles; uneven terrain. Sturdy walking shoes highly recommended. Some caves/churches require crouching to enter.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
This morning there wil be an elective hot air balloon flight over the lunar-like landscape of Cappadocia. Participants choosing to enjoy this optional activity will be picked up from the hotel before sunrise and return to the hotel for breakfast and in time for departure for the daily field trips. After breakfast, for our next field trip, we will ride to the Goreme Open Air Museum, a monastic center comprised of caves carved out of the soft volcanic rock of Cappadocia and decorated with frescoes and paintings. We will learn about the history of Christianity and monasticism in the area as well as the artistic and religious significance of frescos in these churches.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant
Afternoon:
We will visit the workshop of a local artisan who specializes in pottery making, using clay from the nearby Halys River. We’ll learn about this 5,000 year old craft and have an opportunity to try our hand on the potter’s wheel. We’ll then ride to attend a Whirling Dervish ceremony performed by local Sufis at a restored caravansaray — an ancient camel “motel” from the 13th century on the Silk Road.
Dinner:
At the hotel
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
6
Love Valley, Village of Sinasos
Location:
Cappadocia
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Alden Hotel Cappadocia
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus driving about 40 miles throughout the day, approximately 4 hours total riding time. Walking about 2 miles; uneven terrain. Elective hike through the formations of Cappadocia. Wear good walking shoes.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will ride to explore the village of Sinasos. This village had a largely Greek population in Ottoman times. Today, it is a thriving town with a small university training hot air balloon pilots, yet still seldom visited by travelers.
Lunch:
At a family home in the village of Ayvali. Lunch will be cooked by the mother and the grandmother of the family and served by the whole family.
Afternoon:
This afternoon will be dedicated to more exploration in the gorges and valleys of Cappadocia. We will visit the impressive underground city of Ozkonak, carved out of the ground to provide shelter from attacking armies. There will also be an opportunity for an elective hike with our Group Leader for photo stops at some significant vantage points to get an overview of this magical landscape.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
7
Silk Road, Sultanhani Caravanserai, Rumi Museum, Taurus Mts.
Location:
Antalya
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Akra Barut Hotel
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; driving about 300 miles throughout the day, approximately 8 hours total riding time. Walking about 1 mile; generally even terrain.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will board the bus and ride west to Konya on the central plateau of Turkey, following the ancient Silk Road. We will stop to explore Sultanhani, a 13th-century Seljuk caravanserai, another ancient camel “motel” built on the Silk Road to accommodate the caravans of trade. Sultanhani is the largest and best preserved of the existing caravanserais.
Lunch:
At a restaurant in Konya featuring local cuisine.
Afternoon:
Once in Konya, we will visit the Mevlâna Museum and Mausoleum of Mevlana Rumi, founder of the Whirling Dervish sect of Islam. We will learn about the mystic aspect of Sufism and hear some of Rumi’s beautiful poetry. Our group leader will discuss the principles of Sufism and enlighten us about their beliefs and rituals. We will also visit the workshop of a local felt master who specializes in making the special hats worn by the dervishes. This same master also will talk about Sufism and what it means to be a Sufi. We will then get back on our motorcoach and drive across the Taurus Mountains to arrive in Antalya on the Mediterranean Coast of Turkey.
Dinner:
At the hotel
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
8
Ancient City of Perge, Roman Theater of Aspendos, Free Time
Location:
Antalya
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Akra Barut Hotel
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; driving about 190 miles throughout the day, approximately 4 hours total riding time. Walking up to 3 miles; occasional uneven pavement.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will depart in the morning to visit the Roman cities of Perge and Aspendos. Perge is one of the largest and most important cities on the Mediterranean coast with its impressive Hellenistic and Roman buildings. Aspendos boasts the best preserved ancient Roman theater in Turkey and this 2,000 year old theater is still in use for concerts and various performances.
Lunch:
At a restaurant near Aspendos.
Afternoon:
We will return to Antalya in the afternoon to enjoy some free time.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
9
Antalya Archeological Museum, Free Time
Location:
Antalya
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Akra Barut Hotel
Activity Note
Walking about 1 mile and standing during the museum visit; old town streets steep towards harbor.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will set out on the bus for a field trip to the award-winning Antalya Archeological Museum, one of the largest archaeology museums in Turkey, featuring traces of ancient Lycia, Pamphylia, and Pisidia. An archeologist from the local Akdeniz University will give us a lecture and lead our exploration.
Lunch:
Lunch at a local restaurant in Antalya
Afternoon:
Free time. This period of time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Please note that the period scheduled for free time is subject to change depending on local circumstances and opportunities for independent exploration. You might like to take a walk in the old city, take advantage of the hotel facilities, spend time with fellow Road Scholars, or just relax.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Day
10
Hierapolis, Natural Calcium Pools, Travertines of Pamukkale
Location:
Pamukkale
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Doga Thermal Hotel
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; driving about 160 miles throughout the day, approximately 4 hours total riding time. Walking about 2 miles throughout the day; uneven terrain at Hierapolis. Use extreme caution walking on slippery cascades and travertines of Pamukkale. Shoes will need to be taken off before stepping on the cascades.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
After checking out of the hotel, we will ride north through lush countryside towards Pamukkale.
Lunch:
At a restaurant en route featuring “pide” (Turkish-style pizza).
Afternoon:
Arriving in Pamukkale, we will set out on a walking field trip to explore the ancient city of Hierapolis, a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site. We will also see and learn about its hot springs, natural calcium pools, travertines, and terraces of carbonate minerals left by the flowing water. The hot springs were used as a spa from the 2nd century BCE.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
11
Aphrodisias, City of Aphrodite
Location:
Kusadasi
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
La Vista Boutique Hotel
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; driving about 160 miles throughout the day, approximately 6 hours total riding time. Walking up to 2 miles; uneven terrain.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will check out of the hotel, board our motorcoach and ride along the Meander River to Aphrodisias, the splendid Greek Roman city dedicated to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. As we explore, we will be amazed by the marble sculptures and statues once made in this city. The other highlight of this antique city is its ancient stadium.
Lunch:
At a restaurant near the ruins.
Afternoon:
Riding further west, we will stop at the colorful Selcuk Farmers Market held every week on Saturdays. We will proceed to Kusadasi and check in to our hotel, located right on the Aegean Sea.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
12
Ephesus, Archaeological Museum
Location:
Kusadasi
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
La Vista Boutique Hotel
Activity Note
Walking up to 4 miles; occasionally uneven terrain in 2,000-year-old ancient city; climbing several sets of steep stairs at Terrace Houses of Ephesus.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will board the bus with our Group Leader and ride to the ancient city of Ephesus. We’ll then set out on a walking field trip to explore the mesmerizing site. We will gain in-depth knowledge of this unforgettable ancient city that one had a population of 250,000. We will also visit the Terrace Houses, a museum within the ancient site where the rich and famous of Ephesus once lived.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
Next, we will explore the Museum of Ephesus that houses stunning artifacts excavated here. We’ll then stop at the ruins of the Temple of Artemis — one of the Ancient Seven Wonders of the World — and learn about its fascinating story. Those who wish to return to the hotel can reboard the bus. There will be an elective opportunity to visit a local handcrafts center to learn about Turkish carpets. Those who would like to do so can try a hand at rug weaving.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Day
13
Troy
Location:
Canakkale
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
DoubleTree Canakkale
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; driving about 260 miles throughout the day, approximately 7 hours total riding time. Walking up to 2 miles; uneven terrain.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
After checking out of the hotel early, we will ride north along the Aegean Sea and pass through Izmir — ancient Smyrna — the third largest city of Turkey, known as the Pearl of the Aegean.
Lunch:
At a seafood restaurant in a small town on the Aegean Sea.
Afternoon:
We will continue riding through the northern regions of the Aegean Sea and see plenty of olive groves during the ride. In late afternoon, we will stop at Hisarlik, the site of legendary Troy immortalized by Homer, and learn about the myth and the facts behind its 4,000 year history. We will also explore the recently opened Museum of Troy, located near the site. We will check in to our hotel before dinner.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
14
Gallipoli National Park, Anzac Cove, Urban Development
Location:
Istanbul
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Armada Hotel Istanbul
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; driving about 210 miles throughout the day, approximately 6 hours total riding time. Getting on/off a ferry. Walking about 2 miles; generally even terrain.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will check out early, ride from Canakkale, and take the ferry across the Dardanelles from Asia to Europe. We will visit Gallipoli National Park and see the Anzac Cove to recall the tragic campaign launched by the Allied Forces in World War I. The Gallipoli campaign played a very important role in the recent histories of Australia, New Zealand, and Turkey.
Lunch:
At a restaurant en route featuring “kofte” (Turkish meatballs).
Afternoon:
We will continue our journey to Istanbul and arrive mid-afternoon for hotel check-in. We will gather for a lecture by a professor from the Istanbul Technical University History of Architecture Department and learn about urban development of Istanbul through an architectural perspective.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
15
Topkapi Palace, The Harem, Underground Cisterns.
Location:
Istanbul
Meals:
B,L
Stay:
Armada Hotel Istanbul
Activity Note
Walking up to 4 miles throughout the day; some cobblestone streets and steep streets. Good walking shoes recommended.
Breakfast:
At the hotel
Morning:
We will spend the day exploring on foot due to traffic restrictions in the old city. For our first walking field trip, we’ll set out for Topkapi Palace, the seat of the Ottoman Sultans for 400 years and a testimony to the power and wealth of the Ottoman Empire. We will also have a privileged visit to the Harem and catch a glimpse of what daily life was like behind these closed doors 400 years ago.
Lunch:
At a restaurant in Sultanahmet featuring Ottoman cuisine.
Afternoon:
Next, we will walk to the Spice Bazaar — in Turkish, the “Egyptian” bazaar — constructed in 1663 and second in fame only to the Grand Bazaar. The scents and aromas will enliven our senses immediately. We will then explore the Underground Cisterns, built in 532 CE by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian to store water for his city.
Dinner:
On your own to enjoy the cuisine of your choice. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
16
Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Study Cruise, Grand Bazaar
Location:
Istanbul
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Armada Hotel Istanbul
Activity Note
Getting on/off a bus; city driving, approximately 1 hour riding time. Getting on/off a private boat; riding approximately 2 hours. Walking up to 2 miles throughout the day; generally even terrain. Expect crowded conditions in bazaars and other popular sites.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will walk to the extraordinary Hagia Sophia, once the greatest church in Byzantium — built in 537 CE — and a great mosque after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453. We will learn about the unique architecture as we stand in awe at its size and dazzling beauty. We will then board a bus and ride along what were the ancient city walls of Constantinople and learn about their strength and history. Moving on, we’ll explore the small but gem-like mosque of Rustem Pasha that will display the stunning masterpieces of Iznik tiles from 16th century.
Lunch:
At a kebab restaurant near the Spice Bazaar.
Afternoon:
For our next field trip, we will walk to the Blue Mosque, inaugurated in 1617 and world-renowned for its Iznik tile decorations. We’ll then board a privately chartered boat and embark on a study cruise on the wonderful Bosphorus and see its lovely waterfront houses and palace. We’ll hear expert commentary as we go. We will end the day at the Grand Bazaar, a maze of 4,000 shops and alleys. We will also have some time for independent exploration.
Dinner:
At the hotel on a terrace with commanding views of the old city and the Sea of Marmara. Share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.
Day
17
Program Concludes, In Transit From Program
Location:
In Flight
Meals:
B
Activity Note
Hotel check-out 12:00 Noon. See your program’s “Getting There” information regarding transfers.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
There will be group transfers from the hotel to Istanbul Airport, depending on the departure times of flights. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
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MEALS
43 Meals
15 Breakfasts
14 Lunches
14 Dinners
LODGING
Lodgings may differ by date. Select a date to see the lodgings specific to that date.
Showing Lodging For:
- Oct 08, 2025 - Oct 24, 2025
- Mar 12, 2025 - Mar 28, 2025 (Ankara to Istanbul)
- Apr 09, 2025 - Apr 25, 2025 (Ankara to Istanbul)
- Apr 16, 2025 - May 02, 2025 (Ankara to Istanbul)
- Apr 30, 2025 - May 16, 2025 (Ankara to Istanbul)
- Sep 17, 2025 - Oct 03, 2025 (Ankara to Istanbul)
- Sep 24, 2025 - Oct 10, 2025 (Ankara to Istanbul)
- Oct 01, 2025 - Oct 17, 2025 (Ankara to Istanbul)
- Oct 08, 2025 - Oct 24, 2025 (Ankara to Istanbul)
Participant Reviews
Based on 29 Reviews
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We knew we would need a group tour through Türkiye and Road Scholar provided us with just the sort of experience we wanted. It’s a big country steeped in history and we saw about as much of it as is possible in 2 weeks. The group of people we traveled with were lovely and our guide superb. This was a highlight in our travel experiences.
— Review left October 30, 2024
Fantastic tour of Turkey!! An absolute bargain for the price. We exchanged about $1,000 to Turkish Lira to have with us and came home with most of it. The only extra charge we had during the trip was the balloon ride in Cappadocia and that was voluntary (HIGHLY recommended BTW). The fee you will pay really does cover almost everything. Tour was beautifully planned, meals were great. You are NOT going on this trip to "relax", you are on the go most of the time, some early mornings but generally back to the hotel by dinner time. We walked an average of 4 miles a day with the most strenuous day coming in at 7 miles (in Istanbul). All in all, feel comfortable in highly recommending this trip. Our group was older but no one had any problems keeping up, the tour guide was great, and our group was wonderful.
— Review left October 28, 2024
This trip has fulfilled my lifetime dream.
— Review left October 24, 2024
Great trip - I wish we had more time in Ankara though. Ayeshegul was a fabulous guide and our driver Hasan was also excellent. The food was wonderful and all of the participants were physically capable (this has been a problem in the past with other RS trips).
All of the guest lecturers were good and added to the quality of the trip.
There was a lot of bus time, but the bus was comfortable and the scenery was interesting and it was nice not having to deal with airports and luggage, etc.
Looking forward to my next trip to China!
— Review left October 21, 2024
Turkey is an archeologist's dream- prehistoric remains, Hittite, Greek, Roman, Ottoman, and more. Our guide was so knowledgeable; I was astounded by the depth of her knowledge. The food was fantastic. Fresh fruit, like figs, dried fruit, wonderful meals and the buffets had ginormous array of desserts. Everyday was filled with fascinating sites. Do be prepared to climb irregular steps which can be more challenging if you are short because some stair rises are tall. The Turkish people were so friendly.
— Review left October 15, 2024
This is my second experience with Road Scholar and it keeps getting better. Our guide was excellent and experienced. Everybody loved her. The program was excellent and gave us fresh knowledge of the history of part of the world!
I will be looking to travel with them againin the near future!
— Review left October 13, 2024
A wonderful tour that fulfilled all of my hopes to learn more about this vast and fascinating country. Our tour leader Senol was knowledgeable, humorous and helpful throughout. The meals were delicious, accommodations excellent, and the tour bus large and comfortable (with a great driver). We saw a range of historic sites, but also learned much about modern Türkiye and its people and culture. The pace was busy and the days were full — but never exhausting. I loved every minute!
— Review left June 23, 2024
So much to see in Turkey! A history many 1000s of years old, Biblical peoples, Alexander the Great, Roman, Christain, Islamic. Sights you won't see anywhere else, underground cities 20+ levels deep, "fairy chimney's" where early Christains lived, Ephesus, Troy, beautiful Istanbul! Go!
— Review left June 14, 2024
Inspired by our warm, funny, energetic group leader, our group pursued the ambitious itinerary with gusto. I'm so glad we saw as much of the country as we did.
— Review left May 30, 2024
Road scholar Turkey's Legacy of Civilizations and Cultures is truly enriching showing in a nutshell a more than 10,000 year history of human endeavors in overlying cultures. Their eternal struggles of survival and death, but also of cultural creativity continuing into the present modern state of an independent Turkish republic after the richness of the former Ottoman, Byzantine, Roman, Greek, Phrygian, Hittite, and Assyrian empires. It is a deep, thorough, invigorating and beautiful experience.
— Review left May 25, 2024
A fantastic trip with mind-bending historical sites, an informed guide, comfortable hotels and delicious meals.
— Review left May 12, 2024
Very busy schedule! Lots of sites and information. Our group leader Ms Burcu was great. our group of 12 was interesting and compatible which added to our trip.Very little free time as there is so much to see and Learn.i would recommend staying in Istanbul a little longer if you can to enjoy the city.
— Review left May 6, 2024
The program in Turkey was wonderful. Hats off to Baltac, the company in Turkey that runs the tour. I highly recommend it. But, as Road Scholar clearly states, only take this trip if you can walk several miles a day.
I would avoid Turkish airlines at all costs. Our flight out of JFK was delayed 6 hours causing a cascading series of problems, none of which Turkish Air was helpful in solving. For a while it looked like we would miss the first day of the tour. But Kazim, who runs Baltac, went out of his way to fix the problem.
I cannot recommend booking your flight through Road Scholar however. When problems with the airline arose they were not helpful. Turkish airlines lied about what I was told about our problems and Road Scholar was not anxious to push back and help us complete the trip (I'm not going into all the details because they're too specific to us to be helpful to others.).
We booked through RS because we wanted them to be our advocate if the need arose. Instead it took 3 one hour international phone calls to push RS to in turn push Turkish air to fix our problem. Throughout it all I felt RS acted more as an agent of the airline than as an agent of their customer (me).
One other thing: It seems RS has an ironclad policy of communicating ONLY via phone calls and NEVER via email. It's unbelievable that a company in 2024 with clients in different time zones would cause such inconvenience. We were only in a time zone 6 hours away. What if we had been, say, in India? Email is how much of business is done. This policy is another example of RS acting for its own reasons and not for the convenience of their client.
— Review left May 4, 2024
Excellent trip - 5 Stars
Turkey is a must see destination! This trip provides an in depth experience into the history, culture, and present day society of Turkey. Shenol Ogra is an excellent guide. He's very personable and is a wealth of information. The infrastructure of Turkey is amazing. Every person I encountered was very pleasant.
The Road Scholar materials accurately describe the physical requirements of this trip. If you are unable to perform the physical requirements of the trip, as described, do not book this trip as to avoid inconveniencing you, fellow travelers and the guide.
I thoroughly enjoyed this trip to Turkey and I look forward to visiting Turkey again.
— Review left November 20, 2023
This program is one of the best tours we have ever taken.
— Review left November 6, 2023
A wonderful trip with an exceptional guide.
— Review left November 5, 2023
Highly Recommend this tour of Turkey, especially if this your first trip. Covers all the highligts in depth.
— Review left October 31, 2023
This is an excellent program, visiting a most interesting and beautiful country, offering insights into the evolution of civilizations. Highly recommend.
— Review left October 25, 2023
The Anatolian plane and Mediterranean coast of Turkey are physically gorgeous and loaded with fascinating ruins and history.
Hotels and restaurants were wonderful as are travelling amenities in good roads, excellent hotels, and great and varied food.
This was one of, if not the, best trips ever!
— Review left October 21, 2023
Fabulous trip! Expansive itinerary allowed us to see a wide range of sites in Turkey, enhancing our understanding of the rich history and culture of Turkey. Accommodations were very good, food was terrific. This trip lived up to its billing and was thoroughly enjoyable.
— Review left October 9, 2023
Absolutely a great program, but I would advise those with a walking problem to think twice. Activity level was higher than some other "keep the pace"
programs we have enjoyed with RS.
— Review left October 5, 2023
Republic of Türkiye is a beautiful country, enormously rich in history and culture and with hospitable, generous people. It was a great trip.
— Review left May 23, 2023
We throughly enjoyed the food, the tour, the people. Sami was so knowledgeable and kind. My only complaint is after being on the bus all day to get to Istanbul, we had to listen to a 2 hour lecture. It was informative but we were supposed to rest up for the next day of walking.
I would like to travel with Sami again as would my husband. It was our dream trip.
Thank you.
Carolyn and
Bill
— Review left May 21, 2023
All of Turkey is a museum! Fabulously interesting places, both historical and modern.
— Review left October 22, 2022
Turkey was a fascinating country. I have long wanted to visit the prime sites in Turkey- Hagia Sofia, Blue Mosque, and Topkapi Palace, but be aware that large parts of these sites have large parts closed for a long time for renovation. Cappadocia met all my expectations though. I appreciated this trip because we saw so many different areas, which necessitated several long bus rides. Be aware that this is a “keep up the pace” program with many cobblestones, hills, and stairs, so make sure you’re up to it.
— Review left October 15, 2022
Turkey was on our Travel Log and we enjoyed the tours, lodging, and events. We learned so much about the histories of Alexander the Great, Ottoman Empire, Romans, Christians, the Serfis Whirl Dancer culture, WW1 and 11, and Karma Ataturk. We are thinking of returning to tour Istanbul.
— Review left October 10, 2022
This was an amazingly interesting and informative trip! I never realized how much there was to learn about that area of the world. It was well organized and had lots of interaction with locals and each other and a great guide. Highly reccommed this adventure.
— Review left October 3, 2022
This tour of Turkey was one of the best we have done Road Scholar, and we've done many good tours. It was so informative of a subject that we knew so little!
— Review left May 23, 2022
This has to be one of the most outstanding programs ever, led by thoroughgoing professionals - it far exceeded my very high expectations. The accommodation was excellent, indeed some of it absolutely splendid, the food was a delicious surprise, we were treated with goodwill and courtesy throughout. The historic sites, the country itself, were dazzling, augmented by the group leader's very informative commentaries and other expert talks. Highly recommended!
— Review left October 21, 2019
