The Best of Greece & Turkey

Introduction

Step into the ancient wonders of Greece and Turkey on this 15-day adventure that’s anything but ordinary. Picture yourself exploring Greece's iconic Acropolis and Parthenon, strolling through Napflio's enchanting cobblestone streets, and standing in awe before the statues of Apollo. Then, cross into Turkey to discover where East meets West — exploring the WWI battlefields of Gallipoli and soaking in Pamukkale’s stunning white cliff pools. This journey is a feast for your senses, with rich history, vibrant culture, and mouth-watering cuisine around every corner.

• Experience traditional cuisine with a cooking class in Athens
• Admire the Acropolis and the Parthenon
• Visit the ancient cities of Delphi and Ephesus
• See the historic battlefield of Gallipoli and the ruins of Troy
• Walk through the astonishing white pools of Pamukkale

Duration: 15 days

Start/Finish City: Athens to Istanbul

Service Level: Standard

Comfortable tourist-class accommodations with character; mix of public and private transport.

Physical Grading: 3 - Average

Some tours may include light hiking, biking, rafting, or kayaking in addition to walking.

Travel Style: Classic

All of the highlights, culture, access, and I-can’t-believe-we-did-that moments, all at a great price.

Trip Type: Small Group

Small group experience; Max 16, avg 12

What's Included

Your G for Good Moment: Tour of Shedia Home and a Beverage, Athens
Your G for Good Moment: Çöp(m)adam Visit, Ayvalık
Your Welcome Moment: Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group
Your Foodie Moment: Cooking Class Athens, Athens. Athens orientation walk. Guided tour of the Acropolis and Parthenon. Acropolis and Parthenon entrance fees. Visit the site of Thermopylae Information Center. Guided tour of Ancient Delphi. Visit the Corinth Canal. International flight from Athens to Istanbul. Gallipoli battlefields entrance and guided visit. Troy entrance and guided visit. Ephesus entrance and visit. Ancient Hierapolis and Pamukkale entrance and guided walk. Istanbul city walking tour. Internal flight from Pamukkale to Istanbul. All transport between destinations and to/from included activities.

What are the main highlights of this trip?

Experience traditional cuisine with a cooking class in Athens, Admire the Acropolis and the Parthenon, Visit the ancient cities of Delphi and Ephesus, See the historic battlefield of Gallipoli and the ruins of Troy, Walk through the astonishing white pools of Pamukkale.

How large will the group be?

Max 16, avg 12

Meals Included

14 breakfasts, 1 dinner

Transport

Taxi, private bus, train, private air-conditioned van, plane, walking.

Accommodation

Hotels (14 nts).

Joining Instructions

For details of your joining hotel please refer to your tour voucher, G Account, the G Adventures App or contact your travel agent.

From Athens airport (ATH), you can reach the city centre in a few ways. You can take the metro (M3 line) directly to the centre. Alternatively, you can take a local bus (X95).

To arrange an arrival or departure transfer, we recommend you book through our preferred transfer provider - HolidayTaxis

We advise that you book both your arrival and departure transfers in advance. Please make sure you have the following details before booking:

- Flight number
- Flight Arrival Time and Date
- Flight Departure Time and Date
- Passenger's Name
- Number of Passengers
- Email
- Valid Mobile Telephone Number
- Drop off and/or Pick Up Address

Please note that day 1 is an arrival day and no activities have been planned on this day.

Upon arrival to your Joining Hotel (note that check-in time will be in the afternoon), look for a note or bulletin board in the reception with a note from your CEO. This note will give the details of your Welcome Meeting on day 1 (usually between 5pm and 7pm), where you will get a chance to meet your CEO and other travellers, as well as learn more about how the tour will run. If you don’t see a note, please ask reception for details!

If you are arriving later and will miss the Welcome Meeting, your CEO will leave a note at reception for you with any information you may need, and with morning instructions for the next day.

Emergency Contact

Should you need to contact us during a situation of dire need, it is best to first call our G Adventures Local Office. If for any reason you do not receive an immediate answer, please leave a detailed message and contact information, so they may return your call and assist you as soon as possible.

EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS

G Adventures Office - London, United Kingdom
During office hours (Weekdays, 9am-5:30pm Local Time)
+44 20 7243 9870

If you are unable for any reason to contact our local office, please call the numbers listed below which will connect you directly with our Sales team who will happily assist you. Hours of operation by region can be found here.

Toll-free, from calls within North America only: 1 888 800 4100
Calls from within UK: 0344 272 0000
Calls from within Germany: 0800 365 1000
Calls from within Australia: 1 300 796 618
Calls from within New Zealand: 0800 333 307
Outside North America, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and the UK: +1 416 260 0999

For absolute emergencies after office hours please contact: +44 1858378000

If for any reason you do not receive an immediate answer, please leave a detailed message and contact information, and your call will be returned as soon as possible.

Finishing Point Instructions

If you would like to book an airport Departure transfer for your tour, please contact our Sales Team or your Travel Agent in advance of travel.

What to Take

You will be on the move a lot, so our advice is to pack as lightly as possible. We highly recommend using a backpack or light sports bag, whichever you find easiest to carry, plus a small daypack. Luggage space on public transport is limited. You must be prepared to carry your own bags and be comfortable carrying them between transport and hotels (max. 15-20mins walking), hopping on and off trains and public buses and up and down stairs.

Please note there is a 15 kg (33 lbs) weight limit for checked baggage and 8kg (17 lbs) for carry-on baggage on internal flights.

Packing List

Conservative Dress:
• Modest clothing that covers knees and shoulders (Long pants, long skirts, shirts that cover shoulders)
• Shawl or scarf (for temple visits)

Documents:
• Flight info (required) (Printouts of e-tickets may be required at the border)
• Insurance info (required) (With photocopies)
• Passport (required) (With photocopies)
• Vouchers and pre-departure information (required)
• Visas or vaccination certificates (With photocopies)

Essentials:
• Toiletries (required) (Shampoo, bodywash, soap, etc.)
• Binoculars (optional)
• Camera (With extra memory cards and batteries)
• Cash, credit and debit cards
• Day pack (Used for daily excursions or short overnights)
• Ear plugs
• First-aid kit (should contain lip balm with sunscreen, sunscreen, whistle, Aspirin, Ibuprofen, bandaids/plasters, tape, anti-histamines, antibacterial gel/wipes, antiseptic cream, Imodium or similar tablets for mild cases of diarrhea, rehydration powder, water purification tablets or drops, insect repellent, sewing kit, extra prescription drugs you may be taking)
• Flashlight/torch (Headlamps are ideal)
• Fleece top/sweater
• Footwear
• Hat
• Locks for bags
• Long pants/jeans
• Moneybelt
• Outlet adapter
• Personal entertainment (Reading and writing materials, cards, music player, etc.)
• Reusable water bottle
• Shirts/t-shirts
• Sleepwear
• Small travel towel
• Sunglasses
• Swimwear
• Watch and alarm clock
• Waterproof backpack cover
• Windproof rain jacket

Health & Safety:
• Face masks (Clients will be only be required to wear a face mask where it is mandated by local regulations.)
• Hand sanitizer
• Pen (Please bring your own pen for filling out documents.)

Warm Weather:
• Sandals/flip-flops
• Shorts/skirts (Longer shorts/skirts are recommended)
• Sturdy water shoes/sandals
• Sun hat/bandana
• Swimwear

Visas and Entry Requirements

All countries require a valid passport (with a minimum 6 months validity). Contact your local embassy or consulate for the most up-to-date visa requirements, or see your travel agent. It is your own responsibility to have the correct travel documentation. Visa requirements for your trip will vary depending on where you are from and where you are going. We keep the following information up to date as far as possible, but rules do change and sometimes without warning. While we provide the following information in good faith, it is vital that you check the information yourself and understand that you are fully responsible for your own visa requirements.

Visa information specific to your destination and nationality can be found in our Important Pre-Departure Information page here

For other nationalities, travelling in Europe has been simplified with the introduction of the Schengen visa. As a visitor to the Schengen area (Austria, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Portugal, Finland, Italy, Spain, France, Luxembourg, Sweden, Czech Republic, Hungary, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland) you will enjoy the many advantages of this unified visa system. Generally speaking with a Schengen visa, you may enter one Schengen country and travel freely throughout the Schengen region during the validity of your visa. There are limited border controls at Schengen borders, if any at all.

Please note that the UK and Ireland are NOT part of the Schengen agreement.

A Schengen visa is applied for at the Embassy or Consulate of the Schengen country in which you will be spending the most nights on your trip to the Schengen space. If you are only visiting one country on your trip then you apply for your visa at the Consulate of this Schengen country.

As of 2025, various European countries are introducing ETIAS travel authorisation as an entry requirement for visa-exempt nationals.
We highly recommend you checking in advance how your nationality and country/s you are visiting may be affected. Further details can be found here

Last updated: January 27th 2025

Optional Activities

Athens
- Syntagma (Constitution) Square Visit (Free)
- National Archaeological Museum Visit (12EUR per person)
- Ancient Agora Visit (8EUR per person)
- Acropolis Museum Visit

Meteora
- Meteora Sunset Tour (30EUR per person)
- Guided Meteora Monasteries Hiking Tour
- Natural History Museum of Meteora (7EUR per person)

Náfplio
- Bourtzi Castle (7EUR per person)
- Archaeology Museum (10EUR per person)
- War Museum (3EUR per person)
- Acronafplia Fortress Visit (Free)
- Palamidi Fortress Visit (20EUR per person)
- Tiryns Site Visit (10EUR per person)

Epídavros
- Epidavros Visit (20EUR per person)

Mycenae
- Mycenae Site Visit (12EUR per person)

Ayvalık
- Ayvalik Boat Tour (60-600TRY per person)

Sirince
- Şirince Village Visit

Şirince
- Sample Local Wine in Sirince (Free)

Selçuk
- Saint John's Basilica Visit (6EUR per person)
- Mosque of Isa Bey Visit (Free)
- Pide Lunch & Demonstration, Selcuk

Pamukkale
- Swim in an Ancient Pool (340TRY per person)

Istanbul
- Hagia Sophia (or Aya Sofya) Visit (25EUR per person)
- Spice Bazaar Visit (Free)
- Blue Mosque Visit (Free)
- Galata Tower (30EUR per person)
- Topkapi Palace Visit (1500TRY per person)
- Istanbul Walking Tour and Bosphorus Cruise

Istanbul
- Dolamabahçe Palace (1200TRY per person)
- Archaeological Museum (15EUR per person)
- Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts (10EUR per person)
- Great Palace Mosaic Museum (10EUR per person)
- Basilica Cistern (900TRY per person)

Minimum Age

Minimum age of 18 years for this trip.

International Flights

Check-in times and baggage allowances/restrictions vary by airline and can change at any time. For the most up-to-date information for your flight, please contact your airline. We recommend checking in online in advance to avoid potential delays at the airport.

LGBTQ+ Safety

The safety and well-being of all of our travelers is a priority at G Adventures and that includes our travelers who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community. We recognize that there are specific concerns and questions you may have about your adventure in terms of safety and security. We encourage you to visit our LGBTQ+ page for useful resources to ensure you feel safe and comfortable throughout the duration of your trip. The Equaldex tool linked on this page can be of particular help when deciding where you may want to visit next.