Guests on Peter Sommer Travels’ new land-based Exploring Aegean Turkey Tour will explore the county’s winding coast south on an exploration through the ancient world. Along the way, enjoy the finest local and traditional cuisine, as well as luxury accommodations including a grand merchant’s house dating back to the 1800s, a winery and a rustic guesthouse.

The journey begins with a trip along the peninsula of Gallipoli before crossing the Hellespont. Highlights of the trip include:

Troy

This experience connects the city of Homer’s epic Iliad to archaeological reality. Guests will visit the site, explore the new nearby museum and get a look at the unrivaled depth of remains from the early Bronze Age through Roman metropolis.

Pergamon

Here you can see the area’s Akropolis filled with temples and remains of old palaces, its theater etched into the hillside, the Red Basilica, the Egyptian god Serapis, and complex buildings dedicated to the healing god Asklepios.

Sardis

Explore the place once home to the gold-rich kings of Lydia in the Archaic period. The area is currently being excavated, but guests can still view the remains of its adorned streets, gymnasium complex and late Roman synagogue.

Ephesus

As one of the greatest cities of the ancient world, guests can walk down any street and get a sense of what life was like in the Roman era. Walk down marble-paved roads and see monumental squares, including a 25,000-seat theater, the Library of Celsus, and the Terrace Houses with open courtyards and private rooms decorated with mosaics.