History of Byzantium Tour with Robin Pierson & Serif Yenen (May 17- 26, 2025)

History of Byzantium Tour with Robin Pierson & Serif Yenen (May 17- 26, 2025)

Istanbul – Ephesus – Aphrodisias – Pamukkale – Hierapolis (10 Days)

Tour Date: May 17- 26, 2025

Robin Pierson is the author of ‘The History of Byzantium Podcast.’ He tells the story of the Roman Empire from 476 to 1453 AD. He says that “Byzantine history is fascinating, world changing and largely forgotten. Listen and discover who they were.” Robin is from London in the UK. His web site is the History of Byzantium ↗.

It has been Robin and Serif’s great idea to put this tour together, and they have made this tour a few times with great success. Now new ones are coming up.

History of Byzantium Tour

While the Roman capital Rome was shrinking to a cow town, Constantinople was on the rise with a population of half a million. After seeing resplendent metropolis with its harbor full of vessels, with its markets filled with silks, spices, furs, precious stones, perfumed woods, carved ivory, gold and silver and enameled jewelry, the Crusader Villehardouin was in shock and said: “One could not believe there was so rich a city in all the world.”

History of Byzantium Tour with Robin Pierson & Serif Yenen

Byzantium was a buffer shielding medieval Europe from the empire-building Persians, Arabs, and Turks. It was a bridge between East and West. Byzantines were law makers, developed religious, political, and social practices vibrant to this day. They were masters of mosaics. They pictured Christ enthroned as the Pantocrator, Creator of Universe in the domes of many of their churches.

While Charlemagne, King of the Franks, could barely write his name, many Byzantine emperors were scholars. While men in the West for centuries tested guilt or innocence by subjecting the accused to severe pain, Justinian set scholars to compiling his famous Corpus Juris Civilis (Body of Civil Law), the foundation of Roman Law in continental Europe today. Via the Code Napoléon, Byzantine precepts were transmitted to Latin America, Québec Province, and Louisiana, where they still hold sway.

Today, as we go back and investigate more, and in the course of recent construction projects, new discoveries are being made constantly, and long-lost traces of previous occupants of the city are being uncovered. History is being re-written.

In the company of Robin Pierson and Serif Yenen, you can discover many Byzantine monuments and artefacts, which have been standing in Istanbul for thousands of years.

History of Byzantium Tour

Come join us to discover the Roman and Byzantine monuments in the Old City of Istanbul (Constantinople), which is now called as the Historic Peninsula. Then we continue with the Ottoman Culture. We extend the tour to Ephesus, Aphrodisias, Pamukkale and Hierapolis.

Ephesus, one of the most important ancient cities in the world, is located on the Aegean coast. Excavations in Ephesus have been continuing for more than 100 years. The hightlights in the Ephesus area are the Celsus Library, Great Theater of Ephesus, Hadrian’s Temple, Virgin Mary’s House, Basilica of St. John, Artemis Temple and Ephesus Museum.

Rather than driving long-distances, we fly between Istanbul-Izmir and Denizli-Istanbul.

May 17, Saturday

• Arrivals in Istanbul & Airport pick-ups
• Private hotel transfers
• Recital Hotel

.

May 18, Sunday (Walking Tour)

• Breakfast at the hotel
• 10.00 a.m. An orientation briefing by Serif Yenen
• Column of Constantine & Forum of Constantine
• Mese, Processional Road & Milion Monument
• Basilica Cistern
• Included lunch at a local restaurant
• Hagia Sophia
• Free time to rest or discover more on own (i.e. Blue Mosque or Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum)
• Welcome Dinner at Kumkapı (walking distance)
• Recital Hotel

.

May 19, Monday (Walking Tour)

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Hagia Eirene Church
• Topkapi Palace with the Harem
• Lunch on own
• Free time to rest or discover more on own (i.e. Archaeological Museums of İstanbul
  or Binbirdirek Cistern)
• Recital Hotel

.

May 20, Tuesday

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Hippodrome
• Nakkas Cistern with the exhibition on Hippodrome
• Meet the bus and drive to the Süleymaniye Mosque
• Included lunch
• Chora Church
• Blachernae and walk down to the Golden Horn
• Free time to rest or discover more on own (i.e. Balat neighbourhood, Spice Bazaar or Grand Bazaar)
• Recital Hotel

.

May 21, Wednesday (Tour with Transportation)

• Breakfast at the hotel
• 09.00 a.m. Walk to the Küçük Ayasofya Mosque (Church of St Sergius and Bacchus)
• Meet the bus
• Boukoleon Palace (From outside)
• Visit the Golden Gate, Yedikule Fortress and drive along the Land Walls from Porte Aurea to Silivrikapı
• Included lunch at a local restaurant
• Bosphorus Cruise (14.30 -16.30)
• Free time to rest or discover more on own (We can drop you at Taksim Square, if you like or drive you back to the hotel)
• Recital Hotel

.

May 22, Thursday (Flight to Izmir)

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Drive to the airport
• 10.00 flight to Izmir
• Drive about one hour to the Ephesus area
• Lunch on own
• Basilica of St John (maybe the next day)
• Craft demonstration (carpet weaving)
• Check in the hotel and free time in the late afternoon
• Overnight in Kusadasi

.

May 23, Friday

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Sightseeing in the ancient city of Ephesus with the Terrace Houses
• Ephesus Museum in Selçuk
• Lunch on own
• Free time to relax at the hotel
• Overnight in Kusadasi

.

May 24, Saturday

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Drive to Aphrodisias
• Visit the ancient city of Aphrodisias
• Free time to wander around on our own as well
• Lunch on own
• Drive to Pamukkale
• Overnight at a thermal hotel in Pamukkale

.

May 25, Sunday

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Visit Thermal Pools and Terraces in Pamukkale
• Visit the ancient city of Hierapolis
• Free time to wander around on our own as well
• Lunch on own
• Free time to relax at the hotel and enjoy the thermal pools

.

May 26, Monday (Departures)

• 08.30 flight from Denizli to Istanbul

.

Price

• $3400.00 USD per person (accommodation in a double room)
• $3850.00 USD per person (accommodation in a single room)

.

What is included in History of Byzantium Tour price:

• Airport transfers from and to the airports in Istanbul, Izmir and Denizli.
• Accommodation at the Recital Hotel ↗ in Istanbul for 5 nights
• Accommodation at the Charisma Deluxe Hotel or a similar hotel in Kusadasi for 2 nights
• Accommodation at the  Hierapark Thermal & Spa Hotel Deluxe or a similar hotel in Pamukkale for 2 nights
• All breakfasts at the hotels
• Three lunches in Istanbul (at local casual restaurants with good traditional food)
• Guiding services by Serif Yenen as an official guide
• All public transportation costs in Istanbul
• Private transportation in a private bus for two days in Istanbul, and all other days outside Istanbul
• All museum entrance fees and costs as mentioned in the itinerary
• Complimentary copies of Serif Yenen’s maps and pamphlets
• Headsets (Whispers) will be provided to hear your guide at each site
• Welcome dinner in Istanbul with a glass of wine included
• Bosphorus Cruise with a private yacht
• Dinners at the hotels in Kusadasi and Pamukkale
• Farewell dinner at the hotel in Pamukkale with a glass of wine included
• Two domestic flights (Istanbul–Izmir and Denizli-Istanbul flights) Note: You are allowed to check in one suitcase or bag with a maximum weight of 20 kg (44 lb), and bring a cabin-size bag onto the plane.

What is NOT included in this price:

• International flights
• International flights
• Four dinners in Istanbul
• One lunch in Istanbul and other lunches in other cities
• Drinks in the included meals will be extra
• Travel insurance
• Personal expenses
• Gratuities

History of Byzantium Tour Capacity

• Minimum 12, maximum 25 guests.

Physical requirements for History of Byzantium Tour

• Not appropriate for travelers using wheelchairs, walkers, or other mobility aids.
• This tour involves a lot of walking! We will be on foot throughout the ancient cities as well as several days in Istanbul. We will be climbing up walls and restaurant staircases and down into cisterns and other substructures. Please bring sensible footwear that is supportive and comfortable.

Travel Insurance
You must take out comprehensive travel insurance before you travel. Your insurance protection must include cover for cancellation, medical and repatriation expenses, personal injury and accident, death, and loss of personal baggage and money and personal liability insurance. Evidence of such insurances must be produced to us on request.

Our Liability
You acknowledge that you are choosing to travel at a time where you may be exposed to COVID-19 other infectious diseases. It is your own responsibility to acquaint yourself with all relevant travel information, including applicable health risks.
You acknowledge that your decision to travel is made based on your own consideration of this information, and you acknowledge and agree that you are aware of, and assume responsibility for, the risks associated with travelling at this time.

We will have no liability for any refunds, compensation, costs, expenses or other losses of any kind incurred by you (including, where applicable, the cost of medical treatment), in the following circumstances: you fail any tests, checks or other measures imposed by a travel service providers or government body or fail to submit for testing or assessment when requested to do so, and as such you are denied entry to board the flight, entry to the destination, access to the services or you are otherwise unable to proceed with the trip, or that portion of the trip; or if you, or anyone in your group, test positive for COVID-19 or other infectious diseases, and have to quarantine for a period of time, or are notified or otherwise become aware that you have, or suspect you may have, come into close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 (or where they otherwise suspect they may have COVID-19) and have to quarantine for a period of time. If this happens within 14 days of your departure date, you must contact us as you may no longer be able to travel. If any of the above occur whilst you are on your trip, please notify us without delay and we will provide such reasonable assistance as we can in the circumstances. However, we will not be responsible for covering the cost of any curtailment of your tour, missed transport arrangements, additional accommodation required, or other associated costs incurred by you. You must ensure you have adequate travel insurance with specific COVID-19 coverage which covers these costs for you.

Terms & Conditions and Cancellation Policy

This tour is operated by A-group Travel Agency “Serif Yenen Travel” licensed by the Turkish Ministry of Tourism (Licence number: 8860)