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An in-depth assessment of the Jet2 Treasures of Turkey tour. Delve into the wonderful historical past of the Anatolia area with this seven-day guided tour bundle.
Solely a handful of occasions have I arrived at an airport with tears in my eyes. It might simply be all of the wine I had with lunch (within the sunshine overlooking Antalya’s turquoise harbour), however as I sat at the back of a cab reflecting on the week I simply spent discovering Turkey with Jet2, I used to be feeling genuinely emotional.
This journey was an ideal storm of nice firm, wonderful landscapes, new cultures, good meals, and a superb information with an infectious ardour for his topic.
Treasures of Turkey is a model new bundle tour from Jet2, a part of their new Uncover Extra assortment. It’s a seven-day tour of Turkey’s Anatolia area, beginning and ending in Antalya.
The primary theme is historical past – with stops at round fourteen main sights, together with three UNESCO websites.
However that doesn’t imply this journey is only for historical past and archaeology buffs! For me, the enjoyment of the tour was discovering Turkey’s fascinating tradition and exploring a surprisingly various array of landscapes. Landscapes just like the dazzling Aegean shoreline, the snowy peaks of the Taurus mountains, and the arid valleys of Cappadocia.
Learn on for my assessment of the Treasures of Turkey tour from Jet2. Seven days of journey, tradition, and discovery in Turkey’s southwestern Anatolia area…
My Treasures of Turkey journey was hosted by Jet2 in alternate for this assessment. However all phrases and opinions are my very own – as at all times!
About Jet2’s New Excursions
Jet2holidays are well-known for price range flights and bundle holidays. Now, they’re additionally shifting into the realm of escorted excursions, with the launch of the brand new Uncover Extra assortment.
This can be a assortment of tour packages designed to attraction to these visitors searching for a little bit extra journey, historical past, or tradition than the typical “fly and flop” vacation. As somebody who advocates deeper journey, these new excursions sounded proper up my avenue!
What’s the Jet2 Treasures of Turkey Tour?
Treasures of Turkey is a seven-night guided tour of Turkey’s southwestern Anatolia area.
The excursions run Friday to Friday, beginning and ending in Antalya and travelling by coach by Turkey’s extremely various landscapes to go to fourteen historic websites throughout Antalya, Konya, Cappadocia, and Kusadasi. See under for the total itinerary.
These ATOL-protected packages embrace flights with 22kg maintain baggage, transfers to and from Antalya airport, 4-star half-board lodging for seven nights, coach journey, and English-speaking guides.
The Treasures of Turkey Itinerary
DAY ONE: Arrival day – spend the primary night time in Antalya.
DAY TWO: Antalya to Konya, by way of Perge Historic Metropolis. Go to Mevlana Mosque and Museum in Konya.
DAY THREE: Konya to Cappadocia. Go to Kaymakli underground metropolis and the village of Çavuşin in Capadoccia.
DAY FOUR: Keep in Cappadocia. Go to Goreme Open Air Museum, Zelve Valley, and a carpet-making workshop.
DAY FIVE: Cappadocia to Pamukkale. This can be a lengthy driving day with numerous consolation stops. Go to the travertines at Pamukkale and the Cleopatra Pool for a swim within the thermal baths.
DAY SIX: Pamukkale to Kusadasi, stopping on the historical metropolis of Ephesus en route.
DAY SEVEN: Kusadasi to Antalya. Visits to the traditional metropolis of Miletus and the oracle website at Apollo’s Temple in Didyma en route.
DAY EIGHT: Free day to discover Antalya earlier than the return flight.
What to Count on from the Jet2’s Treasures of Turkey Tour (Evaluation)
The Tour and Information
Our tour information, Mustafa, was FAB. Such an important, educated information whose real ardour for Turkey and its historical past was actually infectious! With a tour like this, the information can actually make or break the journey – and Mustafa was good.
The tour itinerary is unimaginable. Even the drives from one vacation spot to a different had been epic – an opportunity to marvel on the unimaginable variety and scope of Turkey’s many landscapes.
From the glittering shoreline of Antalya, we crossed the monochrome snowscapes of the Taurus mountains, then the gaping flatness of the Konya Plains, the arid sand-coloured valleys of Cappadocia’s rock-strewn landscapes, and out throughout rolling farmland to the west coast.
I’ve outlined the itinerary briefly above, and I’ve gone right into a bit extra element on every of the stops on the finish of this put up.
We stopped at a few of Turkey’s most unimaginable historic websites: historical cities like Perge and Ephesus, centuries-old church buildings hewn into rock stacks in Capadoccia, a modern-day spa constructed across the identical thermal springs as soon as utilized by Cleopatra, a temple as soon as residence to oracles stated to listen to whispers from the god Apollo… the sights on this itinerary abound with historical past, legend, and tradition.
The professionals of a bundle tour…
The tour itself was fairly intense! Packing 5 locations and fourteen sights into simply seven days is at all times going to really feel a bit manic. However with our information preserving us on schedule – and factoring in loads of stops for wees/snacks/recent air – issues went tremendous easily.
I believe you’d actually wrestle to construct a visit like this your self, so I felt very fortunate to have the bundle all sorted by Jet2, and all the things on the bottom sorted out by Mustafa.
Once I noticed the itinerary, I used to be fearful that the journey would possibly really feel a bit rushed. And at occasions, it did – however by no means too a lot. We had a few hours of free time most afternoons, which we might use to discover at our personal tempo, benefit from the resort pool if there was one, or simply chill out in our rooms after a full-on day of exploring. And regardless of that jam-packed itinerary, we even discovered time to squeeze in some additional visits at Mustafa’s advice.
The Meals
Meals and journey, for me, go hand in hand. I at all times say one of the best ways to expertise a vacation spot’s tradition is to eat it!
On the Jet2 Treasures of Turkey tour, most of our meals had been buffet-style. Breakfast and dinner had been at all times within the resort, whereas lunch was typically at a roadside restaurant midway by an extended drive. Fortunately, nearly each buffet had loads of native meals. There was at all times no less than yet another “Western” possibility (steadily spaghetti bolognese) – however I strongly encourage you to strive as a lot native delicacies as potential in your journey.
All of the resort buffets had been nice (nicely cooked, good service, a lot of choices), as had been a lot of the lunchtime roadside stops. There was just one I didn’t love, on the primary day. However we had been driving by the Taurus mountains, so choices had been restricted – and all the things was fantastic, simply not scrumptious (or notably thrilling).
My favorite meals had been on the barely extra “native” eating places – particularly the doner kebabs at our cease in Capadoccia, and the good family-run restaurant we stopped at through the lengthy drive from Kusadasi again to Antalya.
The Transport
We travelled in the identical coach all through the journey – and after 1700km of driving it had began to really feel a little bit like residence! Fortunately, it was a comfortable bus which our AMAZING driver stored meticulously clear (doing a sweep for garbage at each single relaxation cease!). A lot of the roads we travelled on had been in nice situation – even the winding mountain ones – so we had been by no means uncomfortable.
It was a full-size coach (reasonably than a minibus) for our group of a few dozen travellers – so all of us had a row of two seats to ourselves. I’m undecided what the utmost group measurement per tour might be, however even with a full coach, it is best to nonetheless be good and cozy on board.
The Lodging
We stayed in 5 totally different resorts throughout the seven days of this journey. Most had been unbelievable – particularly the Charisma Deluxe Lodge in Kusadasi. The ocean views had been completely beautiful!
In Konya, which doesn’t get as many vacationers as a number of the different locations, the resort felt fairly old school and the rooms had been a little bit darkish. The identical with the resort in Pamukkale – it was a beautiful, large resort, however felt a little bit drained and old school. However each properties had been nonetheless clear, and the service was nice – and what else do you really want?
The resorts gained’t essentially be the identical on each tour, relying on availability. However they’re at all times 4-star resorts, and may all be of an identical commonplace.
Issues to be Conscious of
Lengthy Drives
It’s price being conscious that the Treasures of Turkey tour entails some pretty lengthy drives. This can be a large nation, and there’s a LOT to see on this seven-day tour!
Drives are at all times damaged up with “consolation stops” (or lunch) each one or two hours. However you’ll want to pack cozy garments for the bus, and possibly obtain some podcasts for the longer journeys!
The Packages aren’t Versatile (but)
At the moment, the tour packages are mounted, so you’ll be able to solely choose flights on the beginning/finish days of the tour. This can be a disgrace, as I believe it could be a lot better to e book earlier or later flights with a view to spend a couple of days on the seaside or stress-free in Antalya earlier than or after the tour.
Jet2 have advised me that a number of clients have been requesting this selection, so hopefully, they’ll take the suggestions on board and make the packages a little bit extra versatile in future.
The Stops
Antalya
Though the tour departs from Antalya, we didn’t actually have time to discover the town till the ultimate day of the journey.
On the primary day of the tour, we headed instantly to the historical metropolis of Perge, about 15km away on the outskirts of Antalya. First based within the early Bronze Age, there’s lots of historical past right here – it was even dominated over by Alexander the Nice in 334 BC. One of the vital memorable sights is the Perge Mosaic. Found in 2017, this 1800-year-old mosaic depicts the sacrifice of İphigenia through the Trojan Conflict.
Subsequent, we headed briefly to the Aspendos Theatre – a staggeringly well-preserved Roman theatre in-built 155AD with seating for as much as 7,000.
Lastly, it was time for an extended drive up into the monochrome snowscapes of the Taurus mountains to succeed in Konya.
Konya
Konya is a sprawling metropolis excessive within the mountain plains of the Central Anatolian Plateau. Our solely port of name right here was the Mevlana Museum – housed in a former Dervish lodge residence to the mausoleum of Rumi.
Jalāl al-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī – also referred to as Mevlânâ (“Grasp”) or just Rumi – was a Thirteenth-century poet, Islamic scholar, and Sufi mystic. His followers based the Mevlevi order, higher often known as the whirling dervishes.
Exploring the Dervish Lodge, glitteringly embellished mausoleum, and the museum was an interesting perception right into a aspect of Turkey’s spiritual tradition I do know nothing about.
Day two noticed us crossing the huge, flat Konya Plateau en path to Cappadocia. On the lengthy drive throughout the countless plains, we caught glimpses of rural life and shepherds tending flocks of sheep – with the conical form of the towering, snowcapped Hassan Mountain, a dormant volcano, at all times within the distance*.
About midway by the drive to Capadoccia, we stopped for a consolation break in Sultanhani. Right here, we had the prospect for a fast go to to the Sultanhani Caravanserai.
Caravanserais had been fortified relaxation stops constructed alongside the well-known Silk Highway – and the Sultanhani Caravanserai is the biggest and finest preserved in Turkey. The structure is beautiful – so it’s nicely price exploring if you happen to get the prospect.
*Prime tip: Attempt to sit on the right-hand aspect of the bus for one of the best views of the volcano.
Cappadocia
On the Jet2 Treasures of Turkey Tour, we spent two nights in Cappadocia, so there was time to see a LOT on this unimaginable space. This semi-arid area in central Turkey is identified for its rolling beige valleys, crammed with cone-shaped, erosion-carved rock formations often known as “fairy chimneys”.
First up was the Kaymakli Underground Metropolis: a maze-like city constructed fully underground. This warren of tunnels and rooms has been carved straight into the smooth volcanic rock. It’s thought to have been first constructed by the Phrygians within the eighth–seventh centuries BC. Later, the town was utilized by Christians to cover from Muslim-Arab raids through the Arab–Byzantine wars.
Subsequent, we headed to the village of Çavuşin: an historical village carved straight into the rock face of a valley. We whiled away the afternoon exploring conventional cave homes and absorbing the otherworldly views of the weird landscapes.
Day 4 was additionally spent exploring Cappadocia’s Göreme Nationwide Park. First up was Göreme Open Air Museum, a yellow-beige valley with cave church buildings carved straight into the rock stacks and cliff faces.
These rock-cut church buildings are embellished inside with unimaginable frescos and motifs. Regardless of your religion, there’s one thing very shifting about witnessing these centuries-old spiritual work.
Subsequent, we headed to Pasabag Monks Valley, one other dramatic, desert-like panorama dotted with slim rock stacks often known as fairy chimneys. A number of of those include hermitages carved straight contained in the “chimneys”.
Supposedly, the primary of those was carved for St Simon, who got here to dwell as a hermit. Different monks adopted his instance, dwelling merely within the small, rock-hewn cave dwellings.
We additionally visited a carpet manufacturing facility to see how conventional silk carpets are made. It felt notably becoming after following the famed Silk Highway to succeed in Cappadocia!
Pamukkale
Day 5 of the tour was primarily spent on the bus! The drive from Cappadocia to Pamukkale took a lot of the day (fortunately with loads of relaxation stops). So once we arrived, a little bit stiff from sitting all day, the thermal baths at Pamukkale had been a welcome sight.
The title Pamukkale means “cotton fortress” in Turkish, as a result of the mineral-rich thermal waters right here have created layers of pure-white travertine terraces alongside the hillside, crammed with swimming pools of blue water. It’s a powerful sight – particularly in vibrant daylight when the swimming pools look nearly unnaturally blue.
At present, the new springs additionally feed a sequence of bathing swimming pools. Supposedly these are the identical waters Cleopatra herself as soon as bathed in, though the baths themselves are trendy.
These thermal springs are identified for his or her therapeutic and rejuvenating properties. I’m undecided I felt the promised ten years youthful after bathing right here – however I felt MUCH higher after our lengthy bus trip!
These scorching springs have been used as a spa for hundreds of years – presumably proper again to the Iron Age. At present’s touristy bathing swimming pools and glowing white travertine terraces are surrounded by the stays of an historical metropolis. Hierpolis was based as a spa within the early 2nd century BC. We spent an attractive morning exploring the ruins, ignored by distant, hazy mountains.
Essentially the most spectacular construction at Hieropolis is the Theatre. It’s thought to have been constructed underneath the reign of Emporer Hadrian after an earthquake in 60 AD. The theatre is big: 50 rows of seats with capability for 15,000!
Ephesus and Kusadasi
The primary cease on day six is the traditional metropolis of Ephesus – about 18km from Kusadasi. By this level of the tour, we had been feeling like we’d most likely seen sufficient historical cities to final a lifetime. Then Ephesus got here alongside and knocked all of the others out of the park. This was one of the best of the bunch!
Based within the tenth century BC, Ephesus was as soon as an necessary centre for commerce and commerce. Alexander the Nice as soon as walked these streets, Cleopatra spent a winter right here with Mark Anthony, and St John preached within the theatre.
Ephesus can be residence to the stays of one of many Seven Wonders of the Historic World: the Temple of Artemis. However essentially the most spectacular construction within the metropolis is the Library of Celsus, which was constructed round 110AD. As soon as the third-largest library within the Greco-Roman world, it’s believed to have held round 12,000 scrolls.
Leaving Kusadasi on day seven, we had two remaining historical stops en path to Antalya. First, the traditional metropolis of Miletus, a hidden gem with a surprising theatre nestled into the serene, Mediterranean countryside. We had the place fully to ourselves!
Subsequent, Apollo’s Temple in Didyma – the place staggeringly tall, carved pillars stood in stark distinction to the blue sky.
This was as soon as a well-known prophecy centre, the place the oracles had been stated to listen to the whispers of the god Apollo. These oracles held lots of sway. In 302AD, the recommendation of the oracle led to Emporer Diocletian starting the “Nice Persecution” of Christians.
Antalya (once more)
The final day of the tour is a free day in Antalya. Relying on what time your flight leaves, it is best to be capable to head downtown to discover the Kaleici (Previous Metropolis) and harbour space.
We took a strolling tour of the outdated city space within the morning, adopted by a wonderful remaining lunch as a tour group. I can’t suggest Arma Restaurant sufficient; nice meals, good wines, and unimaginable views of the harbour from the terrace. I hear it may be fairly standard, so e book upfront if potential.
We additionally discovered time for probably the most standard actions in Antalya: a one-hour boat tour of the shoreline. It’s a brief, enjoyable jaunt up the coast to view the Decrease Düden Waterfall thundering down the cliffs into the ocean. Once more, I extremely suggest this when you have time!
RECOMMENDED TOUR: Antalya Previous City Guided Strolling Tour, 2 hours – from £21.96pp
Jet2’s Treasures of Turkey Tour: Ultimate Ideas
With a visit like this, you actually get a way of the enormous selection that Turkey has to supply. In only one week, we noticed so many landscapes, cultures, cities, and meals that it felt like I’d been away for a month!
We went from the Aegean Coast, with its cypress timber and olive groves, to the huge, grassy plateau past the Taurus mountains. Right here the strict metropolis of Konya and the snowcapped mountains had a extra Central Asian really feel. Then there have been the dry, rust-coloured valleys of Cappadocia and the icing-sugar tiers of Pamukkale’s travertines.
I ended the tour feeling a little bit overwhelmed and exhausted – however in a great way! The Treasures of Turkey tour had been a correct journey, and I cherished it.
I hope you discovered my assessment of the Jet2 Treasures of Turkey tour useful. Obtained a query? Scroll down to go away a remark!
