Turkey Tour Package with Fethiye Gulet Cruise: 10 Days & Flights

On arrival at Istanbul Airport, your driver is waiting to take you to the hotel. The rest of today is free. At 09:30 tomorrow morning you meet your guide.

Today you check out of your hotel, see the highlights of Istanbul and then fly to Cappadocia.

At 09:30 your guide starts a full-day tour through the centre of Ottoman and Byzantine history, ending with a Bosphorus Cruise.

Today's highlights:

• Topkapi Palace (Optional): tour the home of the Ottoman sultans, with its detailed architecture, precious artefacts and fine views over the Istanbul skyline.
• Blue Mosque: step into the calm interior of this architectural masterpiece, famous for its blue tiles.
• Hippodrome: this was the centre of Byzantine entertainment and chariot racing. Its ancient obelisks and monuments still tell the story of the city's great past.
• Hagia Sophia (Optional): a UNESCO World Heritage Site where huge domes and rich mosaics show how Byzantine and Islamic influences came together.
• Grand Bazaar: one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world. Its maze of lanes is packed with colourful stalls selling all kinds of Turkish goods.

To finish the day, you board a Bosphorus Cruise and watch the Istanbul skyline slide past on both the European and the Asian shore. It is a fitting close to your time in this historic city.

After the cruise you are taken to Istanbul Airport for your flight to Cappadocia. On arrival, a transfer brings you to your Cave Hotel, with breakfast included.

Optional early start: if you are happy to rise early, you can take a hot air balloon flight over Cappadocia at sunrise. This costs extra.

The guided tour normally gets going at about 09:00 and wraps up by 16:00 at the latest.

Today's highlights:

• Goreme Esentepe – Panoramic View: the first stop is this lookout between Uçhisar and Göreme. From the top you look out over the Cappadocian valleys, the fairy chimneys and the small town of Esentepe.
• Zelve Open-Air Museum: Zelve was once a centre of monastic life and Christian learning. Its monasteries, churches and chapels still hold well-preserved frescoes that show how people lived and worshipped here.
• Pasabag (Monks Valley): Paşabağ, sometimes called "Pasha's Vineyard", is known for its three-headed fairy chimneys. The rock shapes here rank among the most striking in the region and give the valley an otherworldly look.
• Devrent Valley: a short drive brings you to a valley that looks like the surface of the moon. Its small, pointed chimneys invite you to spot shapes, and some rocks resemble animals and mythical creatures.
• Avanos Pottery Workshop: Avanos has been a pottery town since 3000 BC, and its craftsmen still shape clay taken from the Red River. In a traditional workshop you see how the ceramics are made, up close.
• Love Valley: the final stop. Millions of years of erosion have carved this valley into cone-shaped pillars, pinnacles and fairy chimneys, some of them up to 40 meters high. Few places in Cappadocia look stranger or make better photos.

Afterwards you return to your Cave Hotel for the night, with breakfast included.

Today you check out of your hotel, see more of Cappadocia and then fly to Izmir.

The guided tour normally gets going at about 09:00 and wraps up by 16:00 at the latest.

Today's highlights:

• Meskendir Valley (4.4 km Trek): the day starts on foot with a 4.4 km walk through this valley near Ortahisar. On the way you reach Meskendir Church, decorated with bold red geometric patterns and a large cross carved into the chapel ceiling. You can step inside the church and enjoy the scenery around it.
• Rose Valley: tucked away behind Ürgüp, this quiet valley is famous for its rock formations and for churches cut into the rock, out of sight. Footpaths run through vineyards and gardens between small villages and towns, and local people along the way sometimes offer fresh grapes, apples or apricots.
• Red Valley: like its neighbour Rose Valley, it has striking rock formations and old cave churches. Its winding paths link remote villages and fields like the threads of a spider's web, a good place to see both the nature and the history of Cappadocia.
• Cavusin Valley: Çavuşin Village ranks among the oldest settlements of Cappadocia. Its houses are carved straight into the rock, forming a maze of ancient dwellings, and the village is home to the Church of John the Baptist. Dating from the 5th century, it is the biggest cave church in the region.
• Underground City: early Christians dug 36 underground cities in Cappadocia to hide from persecution. You visit the largest and best known of them. It goes down eight levels, and you walk through parts of it, including old wineries, kitchens and living quarters.
• Pigeon Valley: on the edge of Göreme, this valley takes its name from the pigeon houses cut into its cliffs over the centuries. Farmers once collected the droppings to fertilise their fields. Today the valley is known for its wide views and is a favourite spot for photos.
• Uchisar Castle Panorama: the day ends in Uçhisar, which sits on the highest ground in Cappadocia. Its landmark is Uçhisar Castle, a tall rock that once served as a fortress. From the top the whole region opens up, with Erciyes Mountain on the horizon.

After the tour you are transferred to the airport for your flight to Izmir. On arrival, a transfer takes you to Kusadasi for the night, with breakfast included.

After breakfast you are collected from your hotel at 10:00. A drive of about 20 minutes brings you to the Magnesia Gate of Ephesus Ancient City.

From there a full guided walk takes you through the ancient city and its key sites:

• Library of Celsus: its grand facade makes this ancient library one of the best-known buildings in Ephesus.
• Temple of Hadrian: built in honour of the Roman emperor Hadrian, the temple still shows well-preserved columns and finely carved reliefs.
• Terrace Houses (optional): enter the richly decorated residential complex where the wealthy citizens of Ephesus once had their homes.
• Hercules Gate: walk through this monumental gateway, decorated with carvings of the legendary hero.
• Grand Theatre: this vast theatre once seated up to 25,000 people, and performances are still staged here today.
• The Snake Cult of Asklepios: hear the story of the ancient cult of Asklepios, god of healing, and see what is left of the temple built for him.
• Herm (Marker) of Hermes: these old stone markers once guided travellers and marked boundaries within the city.
• Artemission: stand at the spot where the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of antiquity, used to rise.
• Stone-carving of the goddess Nike: a finely detailed relief of Nike, the winged goddess of victory.
• Fountain of Trajan: the well-kept remains of a monumental fountain built in honour of Emperor Trajan.
• House of Virgin Mary (optional): the tour can end at the House of Virgin Mary, which many believe is where the Virgin Mary was finally laid to rest.

16:00 – At the end of the tour you are taken back to your hotel in Kusadasi for the night, with breakfast included.

Today you check out of your hotel, visit Pamukkale and then travel on to Fethiye.

The tour usually starts at around 07:30.

Highlights of the tour:

• Hierapolis: see the Necropolis, the Theatre and the Cleopatra Pool (swimming in the pool is charged separately).
• Pamukkale: the main event of the day is the famous travertines, white terraces filled with mineral-rich pools. Enjoy the views and walk on the soft, cotton-like surface.
• Pamukkale Naturel Lake: you can also visit Pamukkale Naturel Lake and Park, which adds to the beauty of the area.

Please be at Fethiye Harbor by 10:00.

Once you have checked in, you board the gulet for a short welcome briefing. The boat then leaves Fethiye Harbor for its first stop, Butterfly Valley. There is time for a swim, lunch and an optional walk up to the waterfall. More than 136 species of moths and butterflies live in the valley, though they are harder to see on hot days.

Optional activity – paragliding over the Blue Lagoon: the next stop is Oludeniz (Blue Lagoon), one of the most photographed beaches in the world. Here you can choose to go paragliding. You take off from Babadag Mountain at 2000 meters and glide over the Blue Lagoon with wide views below. Booking ahead is recommended to get special rates. If you decide during the cruise, just let the captain know.

In the evening the gulet drops anchor at St. Nicholas Island. You can explore the ancient ruins on the island and watch the sunset from the top. Meals: lunch and dinner.

The day starts with a swim in the clear water of Aquarium Bay near Kalkan, followed by breakfast on board.

The gulet then sails to Kas, a small fishing village full of lively cafes, beer gardens and unusual shops. It is a good place to wander, to look for handmade jewellery and to see a well-preserved ancient theater.

Optional activity – diving: Kas is one of the best diving spots in southern Turkey. Beginners and certified divers alike can explore the underwater world, including caves and wrecks. Booking ahead is recommended for discounted rates.

You spend the night anchored in a quiet bay between Kas and Kekova. Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

After breakfast the gulet sails to the Sunken City, an ancient Lycian town that sank beneath the sea after an earthquake in the second century. The boat moves slowly over the ruins of this protected World Heritage site. Swimming, diving and snorkelling are not allowed here.

The next anchorage is near Kekova, where you visit Simena Castle. A walk to the top rewards you with lovely views over the bay.

In the afternoon the gulet reaches Demre Harbor, where the cruise ends. You are picked up and taken to the airport for your flight back to Istanbul.

You are transferred to the airport for your departure, and our services end here.

If you would like to stay longer, extra nights in Istanbul can be added.

Optional extras

• Hot air balloon flight in Cappadocia (GOREME): $310
• One extra hotel night in Istanbul, before or after the tour: $65
• Upgrade to a private tour: $500