Troy and Nicaea Extension

Turkey

Explore two sites of enormous historical significance in this short extension

2 days Ask us for pricing This is the price per person for a private tour (based on 2 people travelling) excluding international flights. Contact us for pricing for other group sizes including individuals.
Intro, Dates & Prices

Intro

Explore the legendary city of Troy, long thought to be merely a place of myth. Learn the tall tales and ancient legends that surround this iconic city of antiquity.

Return to Istanbul via the beautiful UNESCO listed Ottoman town of Cumalizik and Nicaea (nowadays "Iznik"), a town that holds huge significance for Christians, and where a council in 325 BC determined a set of common beliefs across the Christian world.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

  • Legendary Ancient Troy
  • Nicaea (modern Izmir), birthplace of a unified Christian doctrine
  • UNESCO listed Ottoman village of Cumalizik

Places Visited

Ancient Troy - Çanakkale - Cumalizik - Iznik (a.k.a. Nicaea) - Istanbul

What's Included

Arrival & departure transfers
Ground transport with driver
Domestic flights (if relevant - refer to itinerary)
Accommodation
Meals (refer to itinerary for meal plan)
English-speaking guides
Entrance fees to sites & parks

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Itinerary
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Day 1 : Canakkale - Ancient Troy

Early morning departure from Istanbul by road and arrive to Canakkale via Lapseki ferry. After lunch break directly proceed to Ancient City Of Troy. Return to Iris Hotel by 16:30 in time for a quick swim at Dardanelles Sea. Overnight in Troy/Canakkale.

Overnight in Iris Hotel, Çanakkale

Meal plan: Breakfast & dinner

Ancient Troy is one of the most legendary cities in all of history. Dating back to the fourth millennium BC, Troy is best known from the ancient folk-tales recorded in Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey as the site of the Trojan War. Ancient historians have dated the Trojan War between the 12th and 14th centuries BC, linking it to Troy VII – the 7th archaeological project of Troy. The ancient city also features in Aeschylus’ Oresteia, in which war-hero Agamemnon returns from Troy to be murdered by his wife, Clytemnestra. By the time of Augustus a new settlement known as Ilium was established nearby, which declined until the Byzantine era.

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Day 2 : Cumalizik - Iznik (Nicaea) - Istanbul

Early start. Drive to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Cumalizik for a visit before continuing to Iznik (a.k.a. Nicaea), where the famous Christian council took place and where you will visit the Church of Hagia Sophia, a mosque and the small archaeology museum as well as a short stop to see Iznik's famous ceramics tiles being made. ​Drive to Istanbul for overnight.

Overnight in Novotel Bosphorus Hotel, Istanbul

Meal plan: Breakfast

Cumalizik was inscribed in the UNESCO heritage list since 2014. It has 270 historical houses built in a traditional Ottoman architectural style, most of which are still in residential use.

Iznik, historically known as Nicaea, is a town in the province of Bursa. The town lies to the east of Lake Iznik and is surrounded by hills to the north and the south. Iznik was established as a centre for the production of pottery and has since become famous for the unique blue and white ceramics. It is most famous for the Chritstian council that took place here in 325 AD, where a common set of beliefs was set out for all Christians in what became known as the Nicaean Creed.

Haghia Sophia of Iznik can be found in the centre of Iznik. The building served as a Byzantium church, before later becoming a mosque during the reign of Orhan Gazi (1281 - 1362). It is now a museum where visitors can learn more about Iznik's rich history. 

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Accommodation

Accommodation

All accommodation subject to availability. Final accommodation choices will be confirmed after booking.

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Iris Hotel

Çanakkale (1 night)

Situated on the beach in Guzelyali, this 4-star hotel is only 10 km from the ancient city of Troy. It has a tennis court and a spacious outdoor pool with sun-lounger terrace.

Rooms at the Iris Hotel are decorated in neutral colours and feature balconies with panoramic views. They have modern furnishings and come equipped with air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, and satellite TV.

In the morning guests can enjoy a buffet breakfast with fresh fruit. There is a bar that serves cocktails and a restaurant with outdoor seating in the garden. Room service is available 24-hours a day.
 

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Novotel Bosphorus Hotel

Istanbul (1 night)

Located in the trendy Karakoy harbour-side area of Istanbul, the contemporary Novotel Bosphorus Hotel provides an ideal base from which to explore the city - a stone's throw from the main sites of Sultanahmet but situtated in a more local area. Modern rooms offer flat-screen TVs, air conditioning and complimentary Wi-Fi. Facilities at the hotel include an indoor swimming pool, sauna, steam bath, Turkish bath and massage services, and the on-site restaurant - with superb views over the Bosphorus - is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and serves excellent Turkish and international cuisine.

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Reviews

I went on this trip rather than all the other interesting possibilities in the world because I wanted to go to Gobekli Tepe. Being there was all I could have hoped for. It was a stunning experience and I was moved to tears. Thank you so much for the opportunity. Regarding the food, the olives were the best I`ve ever tasted. And the yoghurt is fabulous. Also the cheese and pistachios and apricots. Oh yes, and the watermelon : ) Thanks to David too for being so patient with my endless questions

Cynthia Bishop , Eastern Turkey Explorer, Turkey

A great way to travel to some of the more remote and interesting places in the world. It was a very interesting area and we saw a lot that we would never have managed on our own. I would recommend the holiday to others.

Marion McCallum , Eastern Turkey Snapshot, Turkey

We were fortunate to book a private trip to Turkey with Travel the Unknown. All aspects exceeded our expectations: booking the trip, the guides and personalized tours, transport, accommodation and the food! Our tour operator on the ground was the best! She went out of her way to ensure a wonderful and special experience of Turkey and the private gulet cruise.

Johanna, Shiree, & Madelein , Tailormade Turkey

Travel the Unknown is an excellent company to chose for a real travel experience. It was a fabulous holiday where we felt we saw a different side to Turkey and saw sights and had experiences that were once in a lifetime events. I would certainly recommend them to anyone wanting to have new experiences and see the true side of a country.

Neil , Ancient Anatolia & Eastern Turkey

This was my third trip with Travel the Unknown and I was just as fully satisfied as on our previous trips. Rahul and his staff are extremely responsive and knowledgeable. Our original itinerary involved areas that were affected by the recent earthquake in Turkey, so the itinerary had to be modified. Rahul accomplished this in a seamless fashion and created a trip that was as interesting, and more varied, than the original one. Kudos for that.

Stephen Kamin , Eastern Turkey Explorer

As a worldwide traveller, explorer & author travelling through COVID times, my trip with Travel The Unknown was a perfect choice for my adventure in Turkey. As a solo booking , I didn’t need the usual tourist bling. I knew what I wanted to see and the company chose the best guide I could have wished for. No fuss. Dealing with my preferences. This company know exactly what they are doing with complete knowledge of their guests, countries and Travel passage. I highly recommend Travel the Unknown.

Tessa Skola , Tailormade Eastern Turkey

Travel the Unknown were very responsive to my personal wishes, and flexible enough to make this a fantastic tour- we covered a lot in a limited time. Guides were pleasant and informative, and the transport was excellent.

John Colligan , Eastern Turkey Snapshot & archaeology extension

This trip was an amazing and very exhilarating experience. We had high hopes of Gobekli Tepe, which were totally fulfilled- it is utterly amazing, but we had not anticipated some of the other gems to be so exceptional as well. We were a small group, which made the trip very personal. Altogether it was a marvellous week, helped by having a caring guide and an excellent driver.

Joy Lawley , Eastern Turkey Snapshot, Turkey

Charming people organising the trip and acting as guides. An inspirational visit taking us to out of the way places we would never have had the chance to visit. The personal touch Travel the Unknown brings sets them apart.

Caroline & Peter , Eastern Turkey Snapshot, Turkey

I had a lovely time in Turkey. Both of the tours that were part of the package were fabulous, both tour guides were very knowledgeable and made the trips very interesting providing plenty of information, and the places where we went for lunches as part of the trip were superb. David McGuinness is a credit to Travel the Unknown, he goes that `extra mile` to keep customer happy. I`d like to say a huge `thank you` for all the help you gave me organising and planning my trip. I certainly will recommend anyone to use you for planning their `unknown` destination holiday. The emails, telephone calls were all spot on, well done :-) :-)

Jane Kimberley , The Magic of Cappadocia, Turkey

This was a very exciting itinerary including fantastic historic and prehistoric site visits, as well as visits to wonderful towns, restaurants and markets. The attentiveness of the guide ensured that everything went smoothly, even in very out-of-the way places. It was possible to fall in love with the drama of the landscape, the character of the architecture, the colour, sights and sounds of the towns, the friendliness and honesty of the people - and I did!

Jane Neild , Eastern Turkey Explorer, Turkey

We greatly enjoyed visiting the ancient sites of Western Turkey with an experienced guide and seeing the remains of so many different periods and cultures. The scenery was spectacular and we felt that the tour gave us a wonderful introduction to the country.

Michael Wilson , Archaeology of Western Turkey, Turkey
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