Rated one of the world’s ‘Top Ten Learning Retreats’, and one of ‘The 100 Best Worldwide Vacations to Enrich Your Life’ by National Geographic
St Peter’s Castle, Bodrum
For more than 2,000 years Alexander the Great has excited the imagination of people around the globe. This archaeological tour in Turkey is a unique opportunity to retrace his footsteps across Asia Minor, the first leg of his extraordinary 22,000 mile journey.
Join this remarkable historical tour escorted by Peter Sommer, who in 1994 walked 2,000 miles across Anatolia, from Troy to the battlefield of Issus, retracing Alexander the Great’s march in Turkey. Who better to lead you on Alexander’s route than someone who has walked the entire distance!
“Peter was the ideal person to help produce our In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great TV series for the BBC/PBS. Our particular style of documentary making leans heavily on understanding history by following in its footprints. Peter had worn out 4 pairs of boots doing just that on Alexander’s trail. Who better to show you how the conqueror’s story unfolded and how the locations helped mould the legend.” David Wallace, Director, In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great
Travelling back through time we’ll delve into Alexander’s personality and the lives of the people that inhabited his tumultuous world.
This is a true archaeological voyage. We’ll discover the history and architecture of the cities on Alexander’s route on this epic escorted tour. Turkey is rich with Alexander’s legacy. Troy, where Alexander ran naked around Achilles’ tomb. Ephesus, one of the best preserved classical cities in the world. Termessus, a rocky eyrie that said ‘no’ to Alexander the Great and got away with it.
We’ll stroll along the sacred way to Apollo’s great oracular temple at Didyma, stand on Alexander’s hill at Sagalassos, from which he launched a bloody siege, and cruise on a gulet along Lycia’s timeless coast.
This inspirational historical Turkey tour is a tale of romance, war and power, an amazing expedition full of unforgettable vistas and historical highlights. Won’t you join us for this once in a lifetime archaeological adventure?
You might also be interested in coming on our new Alexander the Great tour in Greece
Request a brochure or to book your place, please contact our office.
Tour Turkey with Peter Sommer Travels, the specialist in expert led cultural tours.
Day 1: Arrival in Istanbul. Meet at the airport and transfer to hotel. Welcome drink and dinner.
Temple of Hadrian, Ephesus
Day 2: A day in the great metropolis of Istanbul, Turkey’s most dynamic city, gateway between east and west. An introduction to the tour in the archaeological museum beside the Alexander Sarcophagus, followed by some of the greatest sites of the city.
Day 3: Follow the Marmara Sea to the mighty Hellespont. When Alexander the Great crossed he sacrificed to Poseidon and poured libations of wine to the spirits of the sea. We visit Achilles’ tomb on the plain of Troy, where Alexander paid homage to the hero, running naked anointed with oil. At the legendary city itself, we explore the ruins swathed in myth. At the great temple of Athena, the fabled shield of Achilles was presented to Alexander - it would save his life during a siege in India.
Day 4: A visit to Çanakkale’s splendid little archaeological museum then east into the hills. On the banks of the river Granicus Alexander nearly died in his first victory over the Persians. We examine the most likely location of the battle.
Day 5: A morning visit to Sardis where the imposing city of Croesus and the Lydian kings is being excavated. After lunch we see Ephesus’s marvellous archaeology museum, close to the Temple of Artemis, which reportedly burned down the night Alexander was born. We reach monumental Ephesus as the tourist buses depart.
Day 6: A morning to relax in Kuşadasi, then we walk the stepped streets of Priene, virtually unchanged since Alexander the Great was here. To the south lay Miletus, which refused him entry. It became his first major siege and his first chance to try out a new weapon, the torsion catapult. The city was battered into submission.
Day 7: The temple of Apollo at Didyma remains one of the most spectacular of all monuments. It was here that Alexander’s ultimate victory over the Persians was prophesised. Beside the sea, we explore Iasus, one of the very prettiest sites in Turkey, where Alexander made a local boy, who swam with dolphins, priest of Poseidon.
Day 8: In Bodrum, birthplace of Herodotus, we visit the site of the celebrated Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, and the remains of the fortifications against which Alexander laid a desperate siege. We finish with a tour of the Castle of St. Peter.
Day 9: A day to just relax - sit back and read a book, have a drink in a cafe and watch the world go by, or go exploring or shopping.
Day 10: East to Xanthus, Lycia’s pre-eminent city, full of tombs, grand civic buildings and a vast church floored with mosaics. Some say Alexander sacked it as Brutus later did. Nearby we visit Letoön’s moody sanctuary, and at Kalkan transfer to our gulet.
Day 11: A chance to relax and swim aboard a traditional Turkish gulet, as we sail along Lycia’s turquoise coast. A perfect opportunity to reflect on Alexander’s navy, shipping in antiquity, and the ancient Mediterranean in general, while going ashore to see the remains of once grand cities.
Day 12: Beside soaring pine clad mountains we cruise to triple-harboured Phaselis: a city later renowned for possessing Achilles’ original spear, and for being a haunt for pirates. When Alexander arrived, they crowned him with golden wreaths. When he left he gambled on a short cut around the coast. Supposedly the sea parted in supplication, making way for his army.
Day 13: Visit Antalya’s archaeological museum housing one of the finest collections of ancient sculpture. Admire one of the world’s best preserved theatres at Aspendos and explore the acropolis where people shook at the very sight of Alexander the Great.
Day 14: Stroll the colonnaded streets of Perge, Alexander’s key regional base, with its marble baths, stadium and shops. Discover Termessos, perched high on a mountain, one of the few cities to say ‘no’ to Alexander and survive.
Day 15: Heading north we walk along an ancient stone road, once the main route to the central plateau. We visit Sagalassos where archaeological excavations are revealing a vast, impressive ancient city, captured by Alexander in a bloody siege.
The plains of Central Anatolia
Day 16: To Gordion, capital of ancient Phrygia, where we visit the tomb of King Midas. Here, Alexander cut the Gordion knot sparking a myth that foretold his rule over Asia. East to Ankara’s fabulous Museum of Anatolian Civilisations.
Day 17: South to Cappadocia, which Alexander put under the control of an Oriental, not wishing to waste time securing it. The area is a geological wonderland, full of fairy chimneys, rock-hewn churches, and underground cities.
Day 18: We retrace Alexander’s march south through the Taurus Mountains. Alexander hurried to seize Tarsus, rescuing it from burning by the Persians. Here he fell dangerously ill, spending several months in bed. All the while the Persian king mustered his forces nearby.
Alexander the Great close up in the Pompeii mosaic
Day 19: As tension mounts we follow the build-up to the great Battle of Issus. We explore the area and sites, like Kinet Hüyük (ancient Issus) now being excavated, that once reverberated with the Macedonian war-cry, and witnessed Alexander the Great charging at the head of his cavalry.
Day 20: Transfer to the airport at Adana, on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast. Fly to Istanbul.
Arrival and Departure Information
Arrival Airport - Istanbul
Departure Airport - Adana
Check in time at your hotel in Istanbul is after 13:00 so we recommend choosing a flight that arrives mid to late afternoon on April 25th. Check out time on the 14th of May is 12:00pm. We will arrange local transfers from Istanbul airport on the April 25th and to Adana airport on May 14th.
Booking Flights
The cheapest way to book flights is directly with the airline online.
If you prefer to book with a travel agent, we are happy to recommend specialists in a number of countries around the world, please contact our office for more details.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is a requirement of our booking conditions and we recommend you investigate the options thoroughly to make sure that your trip is properly covered.
In the UK we work with specialist travel insurers Milsom Howard Ltd. 22 Highfield Drive, Ickenham, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB10 8AN, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1895 234 919 • Fax: +44 (0) 1895 231 864 • Email: globetrotter@milsomhoward.com.
Our travel insurance specialist in the US is Julie Gorny, Email: juliannegorny@yahoo.com • Tel: +1 773 445 7537 • Mob: +1 773 972 8849.
Alternatively you might like to look at an online travel insurance company like World Nomads to give you a comparison in terms of price and coverage.
If you would prefer not to take out travel insurance you will need to complete a travel insurance waiver form.
Visas
Visas are easily obtained on arrival at Istanbul airport (or other local airports). A visa costs £10 for UK Nationals, $20 for USA Nationals and AUS $20 for Australian Nationals and must be paid for in cash. Once you have arrived in the terminal, do remember to obtain your visa before queuing up for immigration control.
Istanbul
If you are planning to extend your stay in Istanbul before or after your tour we have included below links to more information and things to see and do.
Istanbul Destination Guide
Istanbul Travel Article
Our “flagship” tour, personally led by Peter Sommer, is a unique historical holiday right across Turkey from Istanbul to Antioch. In 1994, Peter walked 2,000 miles across Turkey retracing the route of Alexander, and fell in love with the country, its people, and its ancient civilisation. Following the walk he worked for 18 months on the acclaimed BBC/PBS documentary TV series, In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great, and set up all the filming in Turkey, as well as in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Peter will escort you all the way, bringing to life the history of Alexander, and showing you around some of the most fascinating ancient sites in Turkey.
This truly is a once in a lifetime cultural tour, but you do need to be aware that it is the most intensive and physically demanding of all our trips. In contrast to our gulet cruises which tend to visit one ancient city per day, and are designed with rest and relaxation, as well as history in mind, our Alexander tour visits at least 2 ancient sites per day, sometimes more. It is essentially a major road trip with many hotel changes and 5 nights’ accommodation on a gulet in the middle of the trip. You will have the chance to explore a great many ancient sites, and travel through some stunning countryside, but we do need to cover large distances, so there are long drives involved on some of the days.
Because we sometimes visit locations which are often well off the beaten track, often down narrow tracks and sometimes across open country, we have to use a medium sized minibus which seats 17 people, rather than a large luxurious coach. In terms of comfort we would prefer to use a large coach to give guests more space, but it is not practicable considering our itinerary. Where possible we try to use smaller, family run, boutique hotels with character rather than large chain establishments. Almost all of the hotels are of a very high standard. When we are staying in less well visited areas we will use the best hotel available in the area. During the middle of the trip we spend 5 nights aboard a beautiful gulet.
The sites themselves often have rough and uneven terrain with loose stones underfoot and there are some considerable hills to walk up, so guests must be fit and well to take part in this tour. Suffice it to say that it is a real archaeological adventure. You will have the opportunity to explore some of the most beautiful and best preserved ancient sites in the world, as part of a small group, in the company of an expert guide.
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