Morning: Drive to the Gallipoli Peninsula for 4.5 hours, leaving Istanbul early (about 6:30 AM).
In the afternoon, take a tour of the WWI battlefields, which include the actual trenches, ANZAC Cove, Lone Pine (Australian Memorial), and Chunuk Bair (New Zealand Memorial).
Evening: Take a ferry over the Dardanelles and spend the night in the coastal community of Çanakkale.
Morning: Take a tour of Troy’s ancient city. Discover the levels of 4,000-year-old city walls made famous by Homer’s Iliad, as well as the Trojan Horse facsimile.
Afternoon: Take a three-hour drive south to the Acropolis of Pergamon, which is home to the oldest theater in the world.
Evening: Proceed to Kuşadası or Selçuk to spend the night there.
Morning: Visit Ephesus in the morning. Stroll down Marble Street and stand in front of the Library of Celsus. See the astonishingly preserved Roman frescoes at the Terrace Houses if you have the time.
Visit the location of the Temple of Artemis and the House of the Virgin Mary in the afternoon.
Evening: Unwind on the harbor in Kuşadası or in the quaint town of Şirince.
Morning: Travel to Pamukkale by car for three hours inland.
Afternoon: Explore the Hierapolis ruins and stroll along the white calcium terraces. The enormous Roman Theater is not to be missed. Swim at Cleopatra’s Antique Pool, which is surrounded by sunken marble columns.
Evening: Travel to Denizli (DNZ) Airport in preparation for an evening trip to Cappadocia (direct flights are available during certain seasons, but Istanbul is usually the route).
Sunrise: This is the ideal time of day to take a hot air balloon ride.
During the day, visit the “Red Tour” highlights, which include Devrent (Imagination) Valley, Pasabag (Monks Valley) with its mushroom-shaped rocks, and Göreme Open Air Museum.
In the afternoon, go to a traditional ceramic workshop by the Red River in Avanos.
Morning: Travel south to Derinkuyu or Kaymakli Underground City. See the tunnels where thousands of people used to hide from intruders.
In the afternoon, trek through the Rose or Pigeon Valleys before taking in the expansive vista from Uchisar Castle.
Evening: Return to Istanbul by evening flight from Kayseri (ASR) or Nevşehir (NAV).
