11-Day Turkey Tour Package: Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus & Gallipoli

On arrival in Istanbul, a transfer brings you to your hotel. After check-in your time is free, so explore the city however you wish.

Overnight in Istanbul.

Your guide meets you at the hotel at 09:30 AM for a day devoted to Istanbul's Byzantine and Ottoman past.

• 10:00 AM – Topkapi Palace (optional): the former home of the Ottoman sultans, known for its detailed architecture and collections. This visit depends on the day's schedule and on entrance tickets.
• 11:30 AM – Blue Mosque: go inside to see the calm interior and its famous blue tiles.
• 12:00 PM – Hippodrome: walk the old arena where Byzantine chariot races were held, now lined with monuments and obelisks.
• 1:00 PM – Lunch break (optional): time for a meal at a local restaurant, at your own cost.
• 2:00 PM – Hagia Sophia (optional): a landmark where Byzantine and Islamic art and architecture meet. The visit depends on the schedule and on ticket availability.
• 3:30 PM – Grand Bazaar: wander the busy lanes of the covered market and shop for Turkish crafts and souvenirs.
• 5:00 PM – Bosphorus cruise: close the day on the water, with views of the city's European and Asian shores.
• 6:30 PM – Back at your hotel: a quiet evening, with breakfast included the next morning.

Overnight in Istanbul.

A 04:00 AM pick-up from your hotel takes you to the airport for the 06:55 AM flight to Cappadocia. Our guide meets you on arrival and drives you to Goreme, where the day's touring begins. The tour usually runs from about 09:00 until 16:00 at the latest.

• Goreme Esentepe panoramic view: the day opens at the Esentepe viewpoint between Uçhisar and Göreme, looking out over fairy chimneys and the small town of Esentepe.
• Zelve Open-Air Museum: a former centre of monastic life and Christian teaching, with monasteries, churches and chapels whose frescoes have survived in good condition.
• Pasabag (Monks Valley): Paşabağ, also called “Pasha's Vineyard”, is famous for its three-headed fairy chimneys, among the boldest rock shapes in Cappadocia.
• Devrent Valley: a short drive away, this valley looks almost lunar. Its small, pointed chimneys invite the imagination, and some resemble animals and mythical creatures.
• Avanos pottery workshop: Avanos has made pottery since 3000 BC, and its artisans still shape clay from the Red River. In a traditional workshop you watch the craft up close.
• Love Valley: the last stop, where millions of years of erosion have carved cones, pinnacles and fairy chimneys up to 40 meters tall, one of the most photogenic corners of the region.

The tour finishes around 16:00 and you are dropped at your hotel in Cappadocia for the night.

05:00 AM – Hot air balloon ride (optional): watch the sun rise over Cappadocia from a balloon basket as the sky changes colour above the rock formations and fairy chimneys. A champagne toast follows the landing, and you are then driven back to your hotel.

The day tour usually starts around 09:00 and ends by 16:00 at the latest.

• Meskendir Valley (4.4 km trek): a 4.4 km walk through the valley near Ortahisar leads to the historic 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: a quiet valley behind Ürgüp with unusual rock formations and churches cut into the rock. Footpaths link small villages through vineyards and gardens, and local people sometimes offer walkers fresh grapes, apples or apricots.
• Red Valley: much like its neighbour, with striking rock shapes and old cave churches. Its trails form a web that ties together remote villages and fields.
• Cavusin Valley: Çavuşin is among the oldest villages in Cappadocia, a maze of cave houses carved into the rock. It is also home to the 5th-century Church of John the Baptist, the largest cave church in the region.
• Underground City: Cappadocia has 36 underground cities, dug by early Christians fleeing persecution. You visit the largest and best known of them, spread over eight levels, and see parts of its wineries, kitchens and living quarters.
• Pigeon Valley: on the edge of Göreme, named after the dovecotes carved into its cliffs over the centuries. Farmers once used the pigeon droppings to fertilise their fields. Today it is a fine spot for panoramic photos.
• Uchisar Castle panorama: the final stop is Uçhisar, the highest point in Cappadocia. Its tall rock castle once served as a fortress, and from the top you can see across the whole region to Erciyes Mountain.

After a day of hiking and sightseeing, you are back at your hotel around 16:00 for the night.

• 06:30 AM – Leave Cappadocia: an early start for the drive of about 3.5 hours to Konya, following old Silk Road routes through open countryside.
• 10:00 AM – Arrive in Konya: begin your visit to the city's cultural and historical landmarks.
• 10:30 AM – Meram Vineyards and Garden: a green retreat 6 km from the centre, where local people come to picnic, walk and relax in the fresh air.
• 12:30 PM – Lunch (not included): a break for a local meal before the afternoon visits.
• 01:30 PM – Mevlana Museum: the resting place of Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi, founder of the Mevlevi Sufi Order, with exhibits on his life and teachings and objects linked to him.
• 03:00 PM – Alaeddin Mosque: a historic mosque that holds a central place in Konya's Islamic heritage.
• 04:00 PM – End of tour and hotel check-in: after a day among Konya's spiritual and historical sights, you settle in for the night in Konya.

• 07:00 AM – Leave Konya: drive about 5 hours across the Anatolian countryside to Pamukkale.
• 12:00 PM – Arrival and lunch (not included): stop at a local restaurant before the afternoon visits.
• 01:30 PM – Hierapolis Ruins: walk the streets and monuments of this ancient city, where the remains show how its people lived.
• 02:30 PM – Temple of Apollo: a symbol of the ancient city, whose classical architecture reflects its importance in history.
• 03:30 PM – Calcium Terraces: the white terraces of Pamukkale, built up layer by layer by mineral-rich hot springs. Walk gently across them and enjoy the views.
• 04:30 PM – End of tour and hotel check-in: a restful night in Pamukkale.

The Laodicea tour is optional. If you skip it, you are transferred to Kusadasi at around 17:00.

• 10:00 AM – Leave Pamukkale for Laodicea: a half-hour drive to the archaeological site.
• 10:30 AM – Laodicea Archaeological Sites (about 2 hours): theatres, temples and streets that tell the story of a once-important city.
• 12:30 PM – Lunch break (not included): at a restaurant nearby.
• 02:00 PM – Leather goods exhibition and shopping (about 1 hour): browse or buy quality leather made by skilled local craftsmen, with some extra time for shopping.
• 03:00 PM – Return to Pamukkale: get ready for the transfer to Kusadasi.
• 05:00 PM – Depart for Kusadasi: a drive of about 3.5 hours to this coastal town.
• 07:30 PM – Arrive in Kusadasi and check in: spend a relaxed evening by the sea.

• 10:00 AM – Leave Kusadasi: transfer to the ancient city of Ephesus.
• 10:30 AM – Guided tour of Ephesus (about 2.5 hours): walk its well-preserved streets, admire the architecture and hear the stories behind the ruins. Highlights include the Library of Celsus, the Great Theater and, as an option, the Terrace Houses.
• 01:00 PM – Temple of Artemis (about 30 minutes): the ruins of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, where you can picture how grand it once was.
• 01:30 PM – Lunch break (not included): at a local restaurant.
• 02:30 PM – Sirince (about 2 hours): a pretty village known for its fruit wines. Stroll its lanes, meet the locals and taste the wines.
• 04:30 PM – Shopping in Sirince (about 30 minutes): extra time for local crafts, wine and souvenirs.
• 05:00 PM – Return to Kusadasi: evening at leisure.

Overnight in Kusadasi.

• 08:00 AM – Leave Kusadasi: transfer to Pergamum.
• 11:00 AM – Pergamum (about 1-hour tour): climb the acropolis of a city that was once a major cultural and political centre, and feel the centuries fall away. See its temples, including the Temple of Trajan, and the famous Library of Pergamum, which once held a large collection of scrolls.
• 12:00 PM – Leave Pergamum: set off towards Troy.
• 12:00 PM – 01:00 PM – Lunch break (not included): a stop for lunch on the way.
• 01:00 PM – Drive to Troy (about 4 hours): a scenic road to the legendary city.
• 05:00 PM – Troy (about 1-hour tour): explore the archaeological site, where layer upon layer of ruins recall battles and heroes, the famous Trojan War and the Trojan Horse.
• 06:00 PM – Leave Troy: continue to Canakkale.

Overnight in Canakkale.

• 09:00 AM – Leave Canakkale: transfer to Gallipoli.
• 10:30 AM – Arrive in Gallipoli (about 1.5 hours): a day of deep historical meaning on the WW1 battlefields, where stories of courage and sacrifice still feel close.
• 10:30 AM – 01:30 PM – Memorial sites and battlefields (about 3 hours): first the memorials at Lone Pine, Chunuk Bair and ANZAC Cove, which honour the soldiers who fought here. Then the moving sites of The Nek and Johnston's Jolly, where trenches and tunnels still bear witness to the fierce fighting on this ground.
• 01:30 PM – Leave Gallipoli: head back towards Istanbul.
• 01:30 PM – 05:00 PM – Drive to Istanbul: a scenic journey of about 3.5 hours.
• 05:00 PM – Arrive in Istanbul: the end of a day of quiet remembrance.

Overnight in Istanbul.

The tour ends after breakfast, and it is time to say goodbye.

Optional extras

• Hot air balloon flight in Cappadocia (Goreme): $310
• Extra hotel night in Istanbul, before or after the tour: $65
• Upgrade to a private tour: $550