Hello fellow travelers,
Wondering if anyone has suggestions for 4-5 days following our RS Turkey tour which ends in Kusadasi? Our tour will be done April 10 so not sure about weather for beaches and availability of ferries to Greek islands….?? RS provides a bus to airport in Izmir on the last tour day but should we stay on the coast for a few more days? If so, where? We would like to possibly spend a couple more nights back in Cappadoccia but logistics don’t really make sense. We’re really game for most anything although we won’t really need to see more ruins….would rather see small, cool towns. (FYI: We’re already spending a week pre tour in Istanbul.) And, if we were to fly out of Izmir, where would you recommend? Any guidance would be appreciated.
Posted by
Chicago
845 posts
In 2024, I took the RS Turkey tour with the last stop in Kusadasi.
I asked our guide about the ancient site of Troy, where Homer's Iliad and Odyssey take place, and she told me it's a fascinating place to visit. The site is near Cannakale, Turkey, which is southwest of Istanbul: https://www.passportandpixels.com/visit-ruins-of-troy-turkey/. Maybe you could arrange a tour from Istanbul?
I'm a history nut, and my grandfathers served in World War I, one on each site. I would have loved to see the Gallipoli battle site in Turkey, when it was still the Ottoman Empire. I noticed this guy offers a Gallipoli tour from Instanbul: https://turkeytravelplanner.com/go/ThraceMarmara/gallipoli/index.html. Maybe you could fit a tour of Troy and Gallipoli together.
Posted by
Republic of Texas / U.S.A. / Magyarország / Budapest
27144 posts
I suspect that to get home you will have to connect in istanbul. That means thanks to Turkish Air you can choose most anyplace in the world to stop for a few days.
From Izmir, nonstop flights include Atgens, Berlin, Rome, Paris Vienna .... all very day of the week dependent.
Posted by
Lynnwood, Washington
10566 posts
In response to the posts about Canakkale.
The site of Troy is probably one of the more underwhelming archeological sites in Turkey. It is interesting in that you can walk on a boardwalk trail and see evidence of the many versions of Troy that were built on that site. It is disappointing in that the early archeologists were really more like treasure hunters vs. preserving the site. Digging was done in such a manner at places that it destroyed parts of the site. Most of the actual artifacts are elsewhere, many in Europe. I found that visiting the site in conjunction with visiting the Troy exhibit at the Istanbul Archeological Museum was a much better combination for getting a good picture of this location. If you can only do one, I would aim for the Troy exhibit in the museum.
I did a day tour to Gallipoli from Cannakkale which was excellent. I felt like it was a great use of my day. There are special places and beaches that are as precious to those with family members who served in ANZAC. Those with this background on our tour were particularly moved. There were recreated as well as actual trenches left over from the time. The guide's explanation of the battle as well as the impact it had on Turkiye's political landscape were extremely interesting and informative. When I later visited the ANZAC monument and museum in Sydney, it provided the necessary background to truly appreciate what these soldiers had been through.
I stayed at the Kolin Hotel in Canakkale. It is in a lovely location waterfront along the Dardanelles. It is a large business class hotel. I could walk out the back doors and have a lovely stroll along the waterfront walkway that stretches for a long ways.
A few days here on Canakkale on the way back to Istanbul could be time well spent.
Posted by
Virginia, USA
6766 posts
I wouldn’t necessarily discount the Greek islands if that interests you.
I took the RS tour back in 1991 (I know, things have changed). About half of the people on my tour took the ferry to Samos where we spent a couple nights. It wasn’t beach weather but we spent time exploring the various small towns on the island. Most people flew to Athens from Samos. I made my way back to Athens staying in Naxos and Santorini along the way.
Ferries do run in April but they are less frequent. Here is the current year schedule.
https://meandertravel.com/ferrytosamos/samos.php?details=ferrytosamos&m=4&md=sc4
Posted by
Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico
2396 posts
You have lots of great suggestions. Here's another one: Tbilisi.
The flight from Istanbul is about 2 hours 15 minutes. And it's an amazing city. Plus you can easily take a day trip to any number of small, cool towns:
- Mtskheta and Jvari monastery are just about 30 minutes away
- Kazbegi (Stepantsminda) is a longer drive, about 3 hours, but there are a lot of local private guides who can drive you with a stop at Ananuri Fortress. The view of Gergeti Trinity Church beneath Mount Kazbek is stunning.
- Sighnaghi, in the winemaking region of Kakheti, is about 1 1/2 hours drive. Again, easy to hire a local guide to get there.