Your Accommodation
ISTANBUL - MAYWOOD HOTEL (4-STAR)
4 nights (2 nights half board, 2 nights bed and breakfast).
Situated at the heart of Istanbul. Facilities include a restaurant, bar, air-conditioning, TV, telephone, hairdrier and minibar.
CANAKKALE - TUSAN HOTEL (4-STAR)
1 night half board.
Situated in the centre of town rooms are well-equipped and air-conditioned. Facilities include a bar, restaurant and outdoor swimming pool.
AYVALIK - GRAND HOTEL TEMIZEL (4-STAR)
1 night half board.
Hotel facilities include a Turkish bath, sauna and an outdoor swimming pool. Rooms have TV, air-conditioning, minibar and hairdrier.
EPHESUS - RICHMOND EPHESUS HOTEL (4-STAR)
2 nights half board.
The hotel has airconditioned bedrooms, a choice of restaurants and bars and excellent leisure facilities, including an outdoor swimming pool.
Your Itinerary
DAY 1 UK/Istanbul
We fly to Istanbul and on arrival transfer to our city hotel where we spend four nights on a bed and breakfast basis.
Whilst in Turkey we include visits to some wonderful historic monuments, such as the Suleymaniye Mosque, Rustem Pasha Mosque, Ephesus Museum and the Temple of Artemis and Sirince village. Throughout this carefully designed itinerary you will be accompanied by a Page & Moy Tour Manager with specialist local knowledge.
DAYS 2 – 4 Istanbul
Half in Asia and half in Europe, Istanbul is a fascinating blend of east and west. We have included one full day excursion as well as a couple of optional excursions so that you can experience all the sights. Our included full day city tour of Istanbul begins with a drive to the heart of the Old City and Sultanahmet Square. We see the Hippodrome, built for horse and chariot racing, with its obelisks and continue to the stunning Blue Mosque with its precious Iznik tiles. The Topkapi Palace was the vast former palace of the Ottoman sultans and we will pay it a visit, as well as its Treasury and Harem before enjoying lunch in the palace’s restaurant. In the afternoon, we’ll see the Roman underground cistern and visit the Grand Bazaar – the largest covered market in the world.
The two optional excursions are:
Hagia Sophia, Golden Horn & Bosphorus cruise (full day)
We start our tour with a visit to the Hagia Sophia, an architectural masterpiece built in the 6th century that was a church for 1,000 years and a mosque for over 500 years. We then follow the Golden Horn estuary and the city walls to the Monastery of Chora, famed for its spectacular Byzantine mosaics and frescoes. We see the Eyup Sultan Mosque before driving to a viewpoint to admire the Golden Horn and enjoy lunch in a typical Turkish restaurant. We make an afternoon visit to the Egyptian spice bazaar and then board a ferry to zigzag our way along the Bosphorous. Take in the shore-side scene of old wooden houses, marble palaces and fishing villages and disembark on the Asian side.
Bursa (full day)
South of Istanbul the ancient city of Bursa retains many interesting monuments from the 14th century when it was the Ottoman capital. We see the 20-domed Great Mosque, the delicate marble Yesil Cami Mosque (Green Mosque) and the sliver-domed tomb of Osman Gazi before returning to our hotel to spend a relaxing evening.
DAY 5 Gallipoli & Canakkale
Today we leave Istanbul and travel along the Gallipoli Peninsula, the northern boundary of the Dardanelles Strait that controls access to Istanbul and the Black Sea. In 1915, Gallipoli was the site of an abortive allied assault on Turkish forces, when thousands of men including countless Australian and New Zealand troops lost their lives in the fierce battles. We visit the memorials to this military disaster before crossing the Dardanelles to ancient Canakkale for an overnight stop. Dinner is at the hotel this evening.
Day 6 Troy, Yesilyurt & Ayvalik
We continue south along the Aegean Coast to visit the celebrated archaeological site of Troy. The ruined ramparts give a taste of its former glory and historical importance. We then head to the typically Turkish village of Yesilyurt, sat on Mount Ida. We enjoy a cup of traditional Turkish coffee, with a demonstration of how it is made, along with a selection of Turkish pastries. Afterwards we travel to Ayvalik on Cunda Island where we stay overnight. Enjoy dinner at the hotel this evening.
DAY 7 Pergamon & Kusadasi
Our drive to the resort of Kusadasi takes us via Bergama, site of the ancient city of Pergamon. Here we see the Acropolis, built atop a rock bluff, setting for a spectacular theatre, the famous library and huge Altar of Zeus. We also visit the impressive remains of the Asclepion, one of the most renowned healing centres of the ancient world. We continue to our hotel near Ephesus for dinner and a two-night stay.
DAY 8 Ephesus, the Temple of Artemis & Sirince
Today we take a trip to Ephesus, founded by the Greeks before the 10th century BC and colonised by the Romans. Among the astonishingly well-preserved remains are the Great Theatre, the Marble Street and the exquisite facade of the Library of Celsus. We visit the Ephesus Museum and the Temple of Artemis.
This afternoon we visit Sirince village. From its location on top of a mountain it is impossible not to enjoy the views of the impressive vineyards and peach trees below. The narrow streets of the village are full of life, with local women selling handicrafts of all kinds and you can try the delicious local wine in one of the cafes. Dinner is at the hotel this evening.
DAY 9 Izmir/UK
We transfer to Izmir airport for the homeward flight.
Travel Extras
We know that picking your dream destination is the biggest part of making your perfect holiday come true. But there are a number of other decisions that have to be made such as where to park at the airport and who to change your money with, to name but a few. So to really get every aspect of your holiday sorted we have set up a one stop travel shop and useful links section for you to organise all your travel needs, leaving you to concentrate on having a memorable and relaxing holiday with Page & Moy.
Holiday Extras - save up to 60%
You can benefit from access to Holiday Extras, a separate company that can organize a whole range of services from airport hotels and secure airport parking to VIP liunges in airports, and more, at 23 airports across the UK.
To book go to http://www.holidayextras.co.uk/pageandmoy.html.
If you find the same parking facility or hotel for less within seven days of booking, tell Holiday Extras and they will match the price or refund the difference. Conditions apply.
top
Airport Lounges from Lounge Pass
Start your holiday off refreshed and relaxed by taking advantage of our VIP airport lounge offer, available at a number of airports, both here and abroad. From as little as £15 each, you’ll enjoy a peaceful and tranquil environment, where you can enjoy complimentary drinks and snacks, read the papers, check your email or simply relax and watch TV until your flight is called.
For details, please click here.
top
Casual Clothing from Lands’ End
Lands' End offer an extensive range of high quality casual and tailored clothes for men and women. Choose from their selection of jackets, knitted tops, trousers, dresses, skirts and more.
For details, please visit www.landsend.co.uk
top
Photography from Jessops
Jessops is the UK's leading specialist photographic retailer. With great on-line savings on hundreds of products, including digital cameras, camcorders, lenses, batteries and much more, plus free delivery on mainland UK orders over £75, Jessops has all your photographic needs covered.
For details, please visit www.jessops.com
top
Travel Accessories from Travel with Care
Travel With Care offers a comprehensive range of travel accessories, with everything you need for your holiday. From First Aid, DVT Prevention and Healthcare to money belts, wallets, waterproofs, toiletries, alarm clocks, and much, much more.
For details, please visit www.travelwithcare.com
top
Getting you there - European Holidays
Fly direct from your local airport Giving you choice is one of our main priorities, so when it comes to flights, instead of offering just Heathrow or Gatwick as departure airports, whenever possible we offer to fly you direct from your nearest airport to your holiday destination either free or for a supplement of just £29 per person.
top
Choice of 20 airports
You have the choice to fly direct to your holiday destination from up to 20 regional airports throughout the UK for a supplement of no more than £29 per person return.
top
Regional connecting flights to London from only £69
If you can’t fly direct to your destination from your local airport (see individual holiday details), usually you will have the choice of taking a regional connecting flight to Heathrow or Gatwick from as little as £69 per person return. If your connecting flight and your flight from Gatwick or Heathrow is with British Airways or British Midland, your luggage will automatically be checked through to your final destination, so there’s no need to collect or check your luggage in twice.
Fly from:
Aberdeen, Belfast, Durham Tees Valley, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Jersey, Leeds/Bradford, Manchester, Newcastle, Newquay
top
Make your own way and save up to £150 per person
You may want more flexibility to make your own travel arrangements to combine your trip with visits to friends and relatives or travel from an airport which we do not offer. If so, why not take advantage of our make your own way option. We offer a reduction of £150 off many of our holidays to allow you to make your own arrangements, if that is what you want. Details of where this option is available are shown on each holiday.
Please remember that these arrangements do not include flights or transfers and you will need to make your own travel arrangements at the beginning and end of your holiday.
top
Getting you there - Worldwide Holidays
To get your holiday off to a great start, we offer a range of transfer options with our compliments.
You can choose from the following options:
1. Experience door-to-door travel with Page & Moy (2009 departures only)
If you live within a 250-mile drive of your departure airport, we will arrange for a taxi to pick you up from your door and take you to the airport, and drop you home on your return, with our compliments.
2. FREE Connecting flights
If you live further than 250 miles from the airport, or if you prefer, you can opt to transfer to the main departure airport by a connecting flight from an airport closer to home (subject to availability).
3. FREE National Express coach travel
Alternatively, why not choose coach travel on the extensive national express network, with over 1,200 collection points nationwide. What’s more, we’ll pay for your ticket!
4. FREE airport car parking (2009 departures only)
If you would prefer the flexibility of travelling independently to the airport, we are pleased to offer
the option of free parking at your departure airport.
top