Christmas Turkey - 12 days

12 days
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4.7/5 Excellent
100+ reviews  
98%
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Small Group Tour
CHRISTMAS TOUR: There’s no stuffing birds or entertaining aunts! Enjoy snowflakes on fairy chimneys, legendary sites at Ephesus, Troy and Aspendos, thermal springs at Pamukkale and Christmas Eve at St Nic’s on this 12 day tour of Turkey.
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$2,454
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Overview

Trip type
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Highlights

    • Istanbul - Tour historic Istanbul, taking in the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, Topkapi Palace, and more
    • Gallipoli Peninsula - Pay your respects at the WWI battlefields and cemeteries including ANZAC Cove
    • Troy - See the replica Trojan Horse in the ancient city, the setting of one of Ancient Greece's most famous tales
    • Ephesus - Marvel at the Library of Celsus in Roman Ephesus and explore the Ancient Greek city of Pergamum
    • Pamukkale - Take a dip in the thermal pools and walk along the beautiful white cotton castles, known as travertines
    • Demre - Spend Christmas Eve visiting the Church and Tomb of Saint Nicholas and enjoy dinner in Antalya
    • Konya - Delve into the fabulous and well-preserved Roman ruins of Perge and Aspendos on a wonderfully Turkish Christmas Day
    • Cappadocia - Enjoy two days spent exploring the incredible cave cities and subterranean churches of this fascinating region

What's this trip about?

    CHRISTMAS TOUR: There’s no stuffing birds or entertaining aunts! Enjoy snowflakes on fairy chimneys, legendary sites at Ephesus, Troy and Aspendos, thermal springs at Pamukkale and Christmas Eve at St Nic’s on this 12 day tour of Turkey.

Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeSmall Group - max of 24 people
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transportAll internal ground transport included
Start CityIstanbul
End CityIstanbul

Travel Themes

  • 50 plus
  • Cultural
  • Local Immersion & Homestays

Destinations

  • Europe
  • Turkey

Attractions

  • Ankara
  • Cappadocia
  • Istanbul
  • Pamukkale

Trip includes

    • Breakfast daily and 6 dinners inclusive of a special Christmas Eve Dinner in Antalya overlooking the Mediterranean Sea
    • 10 nights 4 star and special class hotels, 1 night 5 star hotel
    • Guided sightseeing - Istanbul including the Blue Mosque, Underground Cistern, Topkapi Palace, Hippodrome and Hagia Sofia
    • Guided sightseeing - Gallipoli, Troy, Ruins of Ephesus and Pergamum, Pamukkale and Roman Hierapolis, Perge, Aspendos, Konya and Cappadocia
    • Escorted by an English speaking, degree qualified Turkish tour guide
    • Airport arrival transfer on day 1 and departure transfer (to Istanbul International Airport) on day 12
    • Relevant transfers and transportation in private modern air-conditioned vehicles

Popular Trips

Itinerary

Travel Map

Day : 1 Istanbul

18 December. Welcome to Turkey! Arrive Istanbul and transfer to hotel. Remainder of the day and evening at leisure.

Day : 2 Istanbul

Enjoy a tour of old Istanbul. The only city to span two continents sits on the Bosphorus - the strait of water that divides the continents of Europe and Asia. Its illustrious past leaves a rich legacy of churches, mosques, palaces and museums, complemented by the behe...

Day : 3 Canakkale

Istanbul – Canakkale. Today, we enjoy a visit to battle-scarred Gallipoli. On the 25th April 1915, under the guidance of the British Command, the combined forces of Australia and New Zealand, otherwise known as the ‘ANZACs’, mounted an assault at a beach in North-West...

Day : 4-5 Troy & legendary Ephesus

Canakkale - Kusadasi. Step back in time as we visit the legendary Roman ruins of Pergamum and Troy - inspiration for Homer's Illiad and much more recently the movie Troy. On day 5, we explore ancient Ephesus. Exemplifying the finesse of Roman urban life, Ephesus boast...

Day : 6 Pamukkale

Kusadasi – Pammukale. Today we visit the famous gleaming white calcium terraced pools of Pamukkale. Known locally as the Cotton Castles, they are a natural phenomena and gift of Mother Nature. We can also opt to enjoy a unique and very pleasant dip in the warm waters ...

Day : 7 Xmas Eve at St Nic's

Pammukale - Demre - Antalya. The legend of Saint Nicholas (aka Santa Claus) began in Turkey! St Nicholas - a 4th century bishop gave anonymous gifts to dowryless village girls. He would drop bags of coins down the chimneys of their houses and this ‘gift from heaven’ w...

Day : 8 Christmas Day & Roman Ruins

Kemer - Konya. Merry Christmas! En route to Konya we tour the incredible Roman ruins of Perge and Aspendos. Settled first by the Hittites around 1500 BC, Perge was an important city in Pamphylia (today’s Mediterranean region). The ruins of the ancient theatre (capacit...

Day : 9-10 Cappadocia

Konya – Cappadocia. Day 9 we tour Konya and the Mevlana monastery before heading north east to Cappadocia. We stop en route at an ancient caravanserai and later take a short walk through the beautiful Ihlara Valley. In the evening, opt for a traditional Turkish dinne...

Day : 11 Ankara

Cappadocia - Istanbul. Today we head back to Istanbul, stopping en route for lunch (payable locally). If you'd prefer to avoid the long journey over land today, we also offer the opportunity to fly from Cappadocia to Istanbul.

Day : 12 Istanbul

29 December. After breakfast our tour concludes with an onward departure transfer to the airport. We hope you had a wonderful Christmas in Turkey!

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Dates & Availability

Price From $2,105
Price per day$175
Last Updated: 11/8/2023

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with On The Go Tours.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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On The Go Tours Reviews & Ratings

4.7/5  Excellent
Excellent
1,480
Great
395
Average
25
Disappointing
8
Terrible
25
C

Caroline and David Worth

Jan 2017

Provided byOn The Go Tours

We picked this tour because of the name Christmas Turkey

Neither of us had been to Turkey before and were interested to find out about the country that is often in the news for the wrong reasons. We were very pleasantly su...

K

Kitty Ko

Jan 2017

Provided byOn The Go Tours

This tour was fantastic, exactly what I wanted to get in terms of learning some history and culture of Turkey

Recep was very knowledgeable, he provided enough information and background for us to understand what we were looking and needed to look. The driver worked hard and ...

D

Dennis Hall

Jan 2016

Provided byOn The Go Tours

We found this tour to be one of the most interesting and enjoyable tours that we have ever taken

Our guide Recep was wonderful in balancing information and levity so that we were always enjoying ourselves whether in the van or on the ground. Also, the driver Yus...

R

Rob Gillis

Dec 2015

Provided byOn The Go Tours

Dear On The Go Tours, We have just completed the 2015 Christmas Turkey Tour, and we wish to commend the Tour, and the Tour Guide as being exceptional

As a destination, Turkey far exceeded our expectations, and we relished the richness of the culture, and the history. The organisation of the tour was flawless. Tra...

P

Prue Conaghan

Jan 2015

Provided byOn The Go Tours

The Tour was fantastic

There was some discrepancy in the standard of hotels (Marina Hotel in Kusadasi was tired and generally substandard). We also had issues with no assistance with lugg...

Write a Review

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Tour Operator

On The Go Tours

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Escaping a cold London winter back in 1998, we followed the sun for a colourful adventure around the world. Discovering amazing history, interesting cultures and the jaw-dropping beauty of our planet, the friends we made along the way made our journey all the more special. Inspired to share our experiences, the seeds were sown and On The Go Tours was born.

Over the years we’ve grown into a small yet global company, with a purposeful local ethos. True to our own travels, authenticity is core to our holidays. We’d love you to experience a country the way it really is, with people who live there and know it inside out. We know this makes the difference between a great holiday and a truly memorable one. Our carefully sought out English-speaking local guides are passionate about sharing their country with you and we believe that they are amongst the best in the business.

We know too that adventure feels better with a chilled beer poolside or a soft pillow at the end of each day and we search out comfortable hotels and boutique properties for your stay. As we love to say - travel with us and adventure in style!

Unbeatable value: Combining authentic local experiences with an excellent range of 3-5 star hotels & boutique properties, our tours represent unbeatable value. Add in airport transfers, passionate tour guides and all transportation and you do get the best of adventure travel and creature comforts too.

Great group size: With an average of 15 and a maximum of 24, our group size really works well on tour, so you’re bound to meet like-minded travellers and make lasting friendships. Our festival tours do have larger group sizes due to their ‘one-off’ nature.

100% Guaranteed: Not only are all our group tour departures 100% guaranteed, we are also fully financially bonded, so you can book our tours with absolute confidence. We’re proud to say that we recently won 2 prestigious British Travel Awards and were runner up for another 3, testament to the quality of our holidays.

What they’re known for
Affordable group tours and tailor-made itineraries designed for travelers seeking authentic cultural encounters.

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Logistics

What's excluded

    • International flights and visa
    • Tip for your tour guide and driver. We recommend you allow USD$5 - 7 per day, per traveller as a tip for your guide and USD$2 per day for your driver. Tipping your guide and driver is an entirely personal gesture
    • Entrance Fees: USD$200-220pp, paid in local currency

Accommodation

4 - 5 star,
Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Age Requirements
No age restrictions
16 years with an accompanying adult
Additional Information
CTU
Trip ID
onthegotours-CTU

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