Turkey

Turkey packs an astonishing range into one trip. Istanbul straddles two continents, with Byzantine churches, Ottoman palaces and covered bazaars on one side of the Bosphorus and leafy waterfront neighbourhoods on the other. A short flight away, Cappadocia’s valleys of soft volcanic rock are dotted with cave homes and, at sunrise, filled with drifting hot-air balloons.

Further west, the Aegean coast adds the marble streets of Ephesus and the white travertine pools of Pamukkale. Most of our travellers spend three or four nights in Istanbul, two in a Cappadocia cave hotel and two on the Ephesus–Pamukkale side, linked by short domestic flights so that nobody spends a day on the road.

Turkey suits families, couples and senior travellers alike, and the food is friendlier to vegetarians than many expect: mezze, cheese pide, lentil soup and fresh bread are everywhere. We plan the pace around you, pre-arrange vegetarian and Jain meals where needed, and keep a spare morning in Cappadocia in case the balloons are grounded by wind.