Detailed Itinerary:

1st Day... Morning flight to Izmir (ancient Smyrna), where we check into our hotel, then continue on to the extensive ruins of Bergama (Pergamum). The Pergamum Acropolis is perched high above modern Bergama, but reachable by a short and easy climb. We also explore the steep Roman theater carved into the hillside, the Altar of Zeus and, in the lower agora, the largest Roman building in Asia Minor, the Temple of Serapis. Lunch in a local restaurant. In the afternoon, we visit the Asclepion, an ancient Greek and Roman medical center that also has a theater, library and temples. We then drive back to Izmir.
Dinner and overnight in Izmir

2nd Day... After a short one-hour drive, we reach Sardis, once the capital city of King Croesus, where the world's first coins were minted. We explore a Roman gymnasium, a 2nd century synagogue believed to have been given to the local Jewish community by Emperor Lucius Verus, and the Temple of Artemis, built to commemorate Alexander the Great's liberation of the city from the Persians. Next, lunch is served en route to Alasehir (ancient Philadelphia), which we visit before proceeding on to Hierapolis and the unique geological formations of Pamukkale, where we stay at a hotel with a pool heated by natural thermal waters.
Dinner and overnight in Pamukkale

After lunch, we tour Topkapi Palace, the home of Sultans and administrative center of the mighty Ottoman Empire. Precious personal belongings of the Ottoman dynasties are on display in the Treasury and the collection of fine Chinese porcelain is among the most extensive in the world. We end the day with a trip to the Grand Bazaar, an exotic maze of narrow alleys, stunning architectural details and hundreds of shops selling a rich assortment of handmade carpets, gold, silver, leather and other precious goods.
Overnight in Istanbul .

3rd Day… After breakfast, we admire the morning view of pure-white enormous basins and stalactites created by millions of years of mineral-rich hot spring waters spilling down the hillside. Then, after a two-hour drive through the scenic Meander Valley, we arrive at Aphrodisias, one Turkey's more isolated and most spectacular archeological sites. Excavation continues here, but the almost fully intact Temple of Aphrodite, Baths of Hadrian, theaters, great Agora and 30,000-seat stadium have been revealed. We also visit secluded Byzantine churches and the local museum, with its extensive collection of ancient statuary dedicated to Aphrodite. Then, we drive back east to the Aegean coast resort town of Kusadasi.
Dinner and overnight in Kusadasi

4th Day… After breakfast, we head for nearby Efes (Ephesus), where we spend a busy day visiting The Chapel of the Virgin Mary, Basilica of St. John, Ephesus Museum and the spectacular ruins of Ephesus, including the Marble Street, the largest ancient theater in the world, recently excavated monuments, the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and hillside palaces. We then take a one-hour drive to Izmir International Airport for the return flight to Istanbul, where we arrange the transfer to your hotel.