Izmir Private Tour: Option 4

Best of Pergamum

Starting from Izmir

Tour Summary-
Type: Antiquities, Scenic Drive
Length: 8 Hours
Walking: Difficult - uneven surfaces
Mobility: NO wheelchairs
Guide: Licensed Guide
Languages: English
Prices: Scroll Down or Click here for Prices

Your driver and licensed guide will meet you in front of Izmir's port Passenger Terminal. As your air-conditioned motor coach travels north from Izmir you pass fertile fields and olive groves on your way to Bergama, once known as Pergamum, a great center of ancient culture.

The ancient city was a capital of the Pergamum Kingdom, and it was here that parchment paper was invented.  oday, Pergamum is one of Turkey's finest archeological sites. 

Drive up to the Acropolis to see the remains of the citadel and the city walls, the foundations of the Zeus Altar (the carving of which are now in Berlin at the Pergamum Museum), and the Royal Palace. The famous Pergamum Library once contained 200.000 scrolls that were given as a gift to Cleopatra by Mark Anthony after the burning of the Library at Alexandria. 

Walk through the Agora and see the restored Trajan Temple and the remains of the Demeter, Athena and Dionysus Temples. On the steep slopes of the Acropolis you will overlook the Theatre which once held as many as 15.000 spectators, and see the modern town and surrounding hills stretch out into the distance.

Next you enjoy lunch in a local restaurant in the modern city of Bergama. We can arrange a typical Turkish lunch, or you can choose to have lunch on your own. 

Visit the Archaeological Museum in town which houses relics discovered during the excavations of Pergamum. En route, see the Basilica which was one of the earliest of the Seven Churches of Asia Minor as referred to in the Bible. 

This afternoon visit the Asclepion, a healing center from the 4th century BC and one of the most important sites of Pergamum. Here fortunate patients received herbal, aquatic, physical and psychological treatment for their ailments. 

Visit the Temple of Asclepios, the amphitheater, and walk through the sacred corridor and down the ancient, arcaded, marble-paved boulevard while the Acropolis towers above you in the distance. Later this afternoon you return to the cruise terminal in Izmir.

Tour Breakdown:
1- Depart pier and Drive to Pergamum- 2 Hours
2- Visit Pergamum- 1 Hour and 15 Minutes
3- Lunch in Modern Bergama - 1 Hour
4- Pergamum Museum - 45 Minutes
5- Drive to Asclepion - 15 Minutes
6- Visit Asclepion - 1 Hour
7- Return to pier - 2 Hours

Note- If additional time is available during your tour, many guides will ask if you are interested in seeing how Turkish carpets are made or if you wish to shop. These free demonstrations are very interesting and quite informative, but they are also a selling opportunity.  Decide on your interest and tell your tour guide clearly whether shopping interests you or not.  You should never feel obligated to make a purchase on any tour.

Turkish VISA note: The Turkish government requires overnight visitors to obtain an entry VISA.  However visitors who are visiting the country by cruise ship are exempt from this entry requirement.  No entry Visa is required for a shore excursion however an entry Visa is required if your cruise starts in Istanbul.  Entry Visas for Americans can be obtained at the airport in Istanbul upon your arrival.  The cost is about $25 USD.

See More Options in this Port

Private Sightseeing Tours and Shore Excursions from Izmir to Ephesus and Pergamum