10-Day Turkey Tour Package: Gallipoli, Ephesus, Antalya & Cappadocia

Meals: lunch. Overnight: Canakkale. Transfers included.

06:30 – Your driver collects you from your Istanbul hotel. Pick-up times can vary, and collection is only offered from centrally located hotels.

The road heads west to the Gallipoli peninsula, where the first touring day of the package begins. Lunch is served once you arrive, and then the guided battlefield route gets under way.

Gallipoli Battlefield Areas: Steep cliffs, small coves and bare ridges turned Gallipoli into one of the harshest fronts of the First World War. Your guide leads you to the key sites: ANZAC Cove, the front-line trenches at Johnston's Jolly, the Lone Pine cemetery and the high lookout of Chunuk Bair. On the ground, the tactics of the 1915 campaign suddenly make physical sense.

17:00 – When the tour finishes, you are driven to your hotel in Eceabat or Canakkale.

Night in Canakkale.

Meals: breakfast. Overnight: Kusadasi. Transfers included.

08:30 – Breakfast, check-out, and a short drive to the site of Troy.

Troy Ancient City: A giant wooden horse stands at the gate. It was made for Wolfgang Petersen's 2004 film and has stayed on as a permanent landmark. Past it, Homer's story turns into archaeology: Bronze Age walls, the foundations of early houses, sacrificial altars and a Roman agora all share one small hill. Your guide matches scenes from the Iliad to the layers where the events most likely happened.

After the visit you are taken to the bus station for the intercity coach to Kusadasi, which travels via Izmir. In the evening our local team meets you at the bus station on arrival and drives you to your Kusadasi hotel.

Night in Kusadasi.

Meals: breakfast. Overnight: Kusadasi. Free time.

No touring today. After breakfast the day in Kusadasi is yours.

Ideas for your free hours: swim at Ladies Beach, wander the old town bazaar and the marina, or take a short trip up to Sirince village.

Night in Kusadasi.

Meals: breakfast and lunch. Overnight: Kusadasi. Transfers included.

08:30 – After breakfast, you leave the hotel for the Ephesus area.

Ephesus Ancient City: The city lies in a natural valley in western Turkey, and the setting does a lot of the work in your photos. Marble columns line up against the far hills, and the Great Amphitheatre curves neatly into the slope above the streets. Add the fine carving of the Temple of Hadrian and the site pleases photographers and history fans in equal measure.

House of Virgin Mary: High on a pine-covered mountain above Ephesus, this small stone chapel feels a world away from the crowded ruins below. Candles burn in rows beside the altar, and the modest space invites quiet thought more than sightseeing. Many travellers find it the most moving stop of the whole Ephesus day.

Temple of Artemis: Only one column still stands at the site, but the Selcuk Museum in the nearby town keeps large column fragments and pieces of sculpture recovered from the ruins. Seen up close, they show the quality of the carving, the size of each drum and the skill that led ancient writers to call this the greatest building in the world. Together, the museum and the site give a far more complete picture.

16:00 – The tour wraps up and you return to your hotel in Kusadasi.

Night in Kusadasi.

Meals: breakfast and lunch. Overnight: Antalya. Transfers included.

08:00 – Breakfast, then the drive inland to Pamukkale.

Pamukkale: The name translates as Cotton Castle, and the white hillside lives up to it. For thousands of years mineral springs have been leaving calcium carbonate on the slope, building broad terraces that change colour with the light through the day. Take the climb slowly and let the view sink in.

White Calcium Terraces: The terraces look different from season to season. Winter rain keeps the pools full and the travertine bright white, while in summer some parts can run drier because the water is diverted. Spring and autumn usually offer the best balance of full pools, lighter crowds and soft light on the mineral crust.

Hierapolis Ancient City: The quake damage you see across Hierapolis is history, not neglect. Strong earthquakes in 17 AD and again in 60 AD brought down parts of the city, and the ruins show both the collapse and the Roman rebuilding that came after. Fallen colonnades and tilted foundations tell the story of a region that has always lived on active fault lines.

Cleopatra Antique Thermal Pool: Nowhere else in Turkey can you swim straight over Roman ruins lying where they fell on the pool floor. The water stays at 36 degrees and comes from the same thermal springs that formed the terraces. Entry is paid separately at the pool and is not part of the tour price, so bring extra cash if you would like to swim.

16:00 – The Pamukkale tour ends and you are taken to the bus station.

17:30 – Intercity bus from Pamukkale to Antalya.

20:30 – Our team meets you at Antalya Bus Station and drives you to your hotel.

Night in Antalya.

Meals: breakfast. Overnight: Antalya. Free time.

After breakfast you have the whole day in Antalya to spend as you like.

Ideas for your free hours: the old town of Kaleici and its harbour, the beaches at Konyaalti or Lara, or the Duden waterfalls.

Night in Antalya.

Meals: breakfast and lunch. Overnight: on the bus. Transfers included.

Breakfast and check-out come first, then a transfer to the Antalya route you picked. Two guided programmes are offered today, and you choose one when you book.

Option 1 – Antalya City Tour (starts around 10:00)

Panoramic Boat Tour: A 30 to 45 minute trip on the Mediterranean, with wide views of the coastline and a cool breeze off the water.

Duden Waterfall and Karpuzkaldiran Waterfall: At Duden the river tumbles off the cliffs straight into the sea, so river, rock and salt water meet in one scene. Both falls give you shade and running water, a pleasant change after days at sunny ancient sites.

Old Town Kaleici: The old harbour district of Antalya, with Roman walls, Hadrian's Gate, Hidirlik Tower, a Byzantine tower, an Ottoman mosque and narrow lanes that people have walked since the second century BC. It brings a slower, city-life feel to a programme otherwise full of archaeology.

Option 2 – Perge, Aspendos, Side and Waterfall Tour (starts around 08:00)

Perge Ancient City: Few places near Antalya show a Roman town so completely. Colonnaded streets, a nymphaeum, a large bath complex and a theatre still stand in clear order, which suits travellers who want to see how a whole Roman city worked rather than a single monument.

Aspendos Ancient Theatre: The best-preserved Roman theatre in the world that still hosts live shows. Its stage building and seats rise almost to their full original height, making it one of the most striking single buildings on the whole 10-day tour.

Side Ancient City: Here a lively seaside town shares a small peninsula with temple ruins, a Roman theatre and harbour views, all easy to cover on foot. That relaxed mix of daily life and old stones gives Side a feel the bigger, museum-like sites lack.

Kursunlu Waterfall: A shady, natural end to the day. A path runs through a wooded gorge to a broad pool beneath the falls, a refreshing pause before the evening drive to the bus station.

17:30 / 18:00 – After your chosen tour ends, you are transferred to Antalya Bus Station.

22:00 – Overnight intercity bus from Antalya to Cappadocia. The departure time can change with the date and availability.

Night on the bus to Cappadocia.

Meals: none. Overnight: Cappadocia. Transfers included. Free time.

07:00 – The bus pulls into Cappadocia Bus Station, where our team is waiting for you.

From there you are driven to your Cappadocia hotel. If your hotel is a short walk from the station, this transfer may not be needed.

The rest of the day is free. Ideas: watch the sunset from a viewpoint above Goreme, visit Uchisar castle, or book a Turkish night show (optional).

Night in Cappadocia.

Meals: breakfast and lunch. Overnight: Cappadocia. Transfers included.

Today's stops: Devrent Valley (Pink Valley), Pasabag Open Air Museum, Avanos Pottery Workshop, Goreme Panoramic View, Zelve Open Air Museum and Uchisar Castle (exterior view).

Optional early-morning add-ons: a Hot Air Balloon Flight, the top-rated Cappadocia experience and our most booked activity, with sunrise views over the valleys; or a Balloon Watching Tour that takes you to the best sunrise photo viewpoints. Either can be added at the best available price while booking.

09:30 – After breakfast, you set off for the touring area.

Devrent Valley (Pink Valley): Also called Imagination Valley, it sits on the northern part of the Red Tour route and makes a natural first look at the volcanic scenery. No other valley in Cappadocia pairs such open space with so many rock shapes packed together.

Pasabag Open Air Museum: Look at the carved windows from outside and the logic of cave life is clear. The thick rock walls insulate in summer and winter alike, so these cells stayed cooler than a tent and warmer than any wooden building of their time.

Avanos Pottery Workshop: Buying a piece here and taking it home directly supports local culture and helps keep the craft paying its way, in a region where tourism could easily swap real pottery for cheap souvenirs. The workshops worth your time are the ones that also sell everyday pieces to Turkish households.

Goreme Panoramic View: Balloons rise from Goreme valley before dawn, and on flying days this lookout lets you watch dozens of them floating at different heights over the fairy chimneys. Balloons over that landscape make one of the most photographed views in Turkey.

Zelve Open Air Museum: Zelve suits both wide and close-up photography. Tiers of cave openings fill a broad frame well, while single carved doorways and weathered stone tell their own story in detail shots.

Uchisar Castle (exterior view): Stand at the foot of the rock and the carved windows near the top look tiny, which shows its true height far better than shots from the viewing terrace. Walk in close first, then step back for the wide views.

When the tour is over you are taken back to your Cappadocia hotel.

Night in Cappadocia.

Meals: breakfast and lunch. Transfers included.

Today's stops: Ihlara Valley, Derinkuyu or Kaymakli Underground City, Belisirma Village, Esentepe and Yaprakhisar.

09:30 – Breakfast and check-out, then the drive to the touring area.

Ihlara Valley: A deep river canyon cut into the volcanic plateau, its walls dotted with Byzantine churches carved into the rock and painted with frescoes. The walk along the river is the most physically different experience in Cappadocia: green and shady, nothing like the open volcanic views of the Red Tour the day before.

Derinkuyu or Kaymakli Underground City: Which of the two you visit depends on conditions on the day. Both lead you down through carved rooms, stables, wineries and chapels linked by tight passages that could be closed off with rolling stone doors. Their ventilation shafts remain one of the most impressive feats of engineering you can see in the region.

Belisirma Village: Set inside the Ihlara gorge, the village offers lunch beside the river and a natural pause halfway through the day. It sits between the underground city and the viewpoints that follow, keeping the day balanced instead of hurried.

Esentepe: One of the best high points for taking in the shape of central Cappadocia, with volcanic cones, valleys and, on clear days, the far-off peak of Erciyes. It rounds off the last touring day with a wide view of the land before the airport.

Yaprakhisar: A final lookout before the airport, framing the volcanic spires and canyon walls of the Ihlara area in a single wide panorama. It is a fitting last picture of Cappadocia to take home.

17:00 – Transfer to the airport after the tour. The pick-up time and the airport may change.

20:40 – Flight from Cappadocia to Istanbul. The flight time may change.

22:20 – Landing at one of Istanbul's airports, where our team meets you. The arrival airport and time may change depending on availability.

From the airport exit you are driven to your Istanbul hotel, and the 10 Days Turkey Tour Package ends with this last transfer.