Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale & Ephesus Tour – 12 Days, Free Days
Overview
Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale & Ephesus Tour – 12 Days, Free Days
This 12-day Turkey package leaves more room to breathe around Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale and Ephesus. Rather than packing every day with transfers, it builds in free days in Istanbul and in Kusadasi/Selcuk and still covers all the key guided routes.
In Istanbul, the Old City tour visits Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia, and a second guided day crosses to the Asian shore for Beylerbeyi Palace and Camlica Hill. Cappadocia starts with a day that has nothing planned, followed by the Red and Yellow routes through places such as Pasabag and Pigeon Valley.
The Pamukkale tour also takes in the necropolis of Hierapolis, and the Ephesus day reaches the Library of Celsus and the Great Amphitheatre before your flight back to Istanbul.
You enjoy the journey; we look after everything else.
Tour Info
Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrival in Istanbul
Base: Istanbul · Transfers included
After landing at Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW) or Istanbul Airport (IST), make your way to the area where passengers are met. A member of our local team waits just outside the terminal with your name on a sign, then drives you to the hotel in Istanbul so you can check in and relax.
You sleep in Istanbul.
Day 2 – Free Day in Istanbul
Meals: Breakfast · Base: Istanbul · Free time
A day without a schedule: rest, shop, visit museums or book optional evening activities.
Some ideas: take a ferry on the Bosphorus, browse the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar, or walk the streets of Galata and Karakoy.
Night in Istanbul.
Day 3 – Istanbul Old City: Topkapi Palace & Hagia Sophia
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch · Base: Istanbul · Transfers included
08:30 – Hotel pick-up for a full day of touring.
- Hippodrome: Byzantine Constantinople held its ceremonies and races here. The obelisks and the open square still show how the imperial city was laid out before the Ottomans arrived.
- Blue Mosque: Among the most graceful Ottoman landmarks of the city, known for its six minarets, its well-proportioned courtyards and the blue Iznik tiles of its prayer hall.
- Hagia Sophia: Byzantine engineering, imperial ritual, Ottoman mosque design and the modern history of Istanbul all meet in this one remarkable building.
- Topkapi Palace: For centuries the Ottoman sultans ruled and lived here. Its courtyards, treasury rooms, palace kitchens and ceremonial halls show what life at court was like.
- Grand Bazaar: One of the oldest covered market complexes on earth. Jewellery, textiles, carpets, ceramics and small workshops keep the trading culture of Istanbul going.
17:00 – End of the tour and transfer back to your hotel.
Night in Istanbul.
Day 4 – Bosphorus Cruise, Camlica Hill & Beylerbeyi Palace
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch · Base: Istanbul · Transfers included
08:30 – Hotel pick-up for a full day of touring.
- Spice Bazaar: A bright Ottoman market piled with spices, sweets, teas, dried fruit and local treats. It gets the day off to a lively start before you reach the water.
- Bosphorus Cruise: Istanbul seen from the strait, gliding past palaces, wooden mansions, bridges and districts on both the European and the Asian side.
- Bosphorus Bridge: The link between the two continents and the symbolic crossing point of the day's route from Europe to Asia.
- Camlica Hill: One of the widest views over Istanbul. From the top you see the strait, the old city, the modern districts and the bridges.
- Beylerbeyi Palace: A refined Ottoman palace on the Asian waterfront, built for imperial summer stays and for hosting foreign guests of state.
17:00 – End of the tour and transfer back to your hotel.
Night in Istanbul.
Day 5 – Flight to Cappadocia & Free Afternoon
Meals: Breakfast · Base: Cappadocia · Transfers included · Free time
Have breakfast and check out of your hotel.
12:00 – Transfer to the airport for your chosen flight from Istanbul to Cappadocia (the pick-up time can shift with the flight time, the airport and your hotel's location).
15:10 – Flight from Istanbul to Cappadocia (the flight time can change).
16:30 – Transfer on arrival to your Cappadocia hotel, followed by free time.
Some ideas: watch the sunset from a viewpoint above Goreme, visit Uchisar castle, or book a Turkish night show (optional).
Night in Cappadocia.
Day 6 – Cappadocia Red Route: Devrent, Pasabag & Zelve
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch · Base: Cappadocia · Transfers included
Optional early-morning add-ons: a Hot Air Balloon Flight, rated the #1 Cappadocia experience for its sunrise views and our most booked activity, or a Balloon Watching Tour to the best sunrise photo viewpoints, with the best viewpoints guaranteed. You can add either one at the best available price while booking.
09:30 – Hotel pick-up and start of the Cappadocia Red Route.
- Devrent Valley: The volcanic rocks here take the shape of animals and figures if you use your imagination, an easy and memorable first look at a landscape carved by erosion.
- Pasabag: Home to some of the region's most dramatic fairy chimneys, including multi-capped ones associated with early hermits.
- Avanos: The town lies on the Red River, whose clay has fed local pottery for thousands of years, so the stop ties the landscape to a craft that is still alive.
- Zelve Open Air Museum: Once a cave village and monastic community stretched over several valleys, with deserted homes, churches, passages and tunnels.
- Uchisar panoramic view: A wide panorama across valleys, cave houses and the castle rock that towers over central Cappadocia.
17:00 – End of the tour and transfer back to your hotel.
Night in Cappadocia.
Day 7 – Cappadocia Yellow Route & Overnight Bus to Pamukkale
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch · Transfers included
09:30 – After breakfast and hotel check-out, you drive to the touring area.
- Red Valley: Warm-toned rock walls, cave rooms tucked out of sight and mineral colours that shift as the light changes.
- Gulludere Valley: Soft pink rock formations mixed with cave churches, vineyards and footpaths that wind between old dwellings.
- Cavusin: An old village cut into the rock, where cave houses and churches climb the cliff and show how everyday life once merged with stone.
- Pigeon Valley: Its rock walls are full of carved dovecotes, once used to gather fertiliser for the vineyards, and the views stretch towards Uchisar.
- Underground City: Tunnels, store rooms, air shafts and heavy stone doors, all made to protect people in times of unrest.
17:00 – At the end of the tour you are taken to the bus station for the overnight bus to Pamukkale.
20:00 – Overnight intercity bus to Pamukkale, about 10 hours with rest stops (the bus time can change).
Night on the bus to Pamukkale.
Day 8 – Pamukkale & Hierapolis, Transfer to Kusadasi/Selcuk
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch · Transfers included
06:30 – Early arrival in Denizli and transfer to a freshen-up room ahead of the Pamukkale tour (the arrival time can change).
09:30 – Once you have rested, eaten breakfast and showered, you are collected from the freshen-up room for the Pamukkale day tour.
- Pamukkale Travertines: Brilliant white mineral terraces, shaped by warm, calcium-rich water running down the slope.
- Hierapolis: A Roman spa town built above the hot springs, with a theatre, streets, gates, baths and sacred areas linked to the healing water.
- Necropolis: Among the largest ancient cemeteries in Anatolia, with tombs and sarcophagi lining the old roads.
- Cleopatra Pool area: Warm thermal water with fallen ancient columns inside. A swim is optional and paid on site.
16:30 – Transfer to your hotel in Kusadasi/Selcuk.
Night in Kusadasi/Selcuk.
Day 9 – Free Day in Kusadasi/Selcuk
Meals: Breakfast · Free time
An open day on the Aegean coast.
Some ideas: Ladies Beach, the bazaar in the old town and the marina, or a short trip to Sirince village.
Night in Kusadasi/Selcuk.
Day 10 – Ephesus Tour & Flight to Istanbul
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch · Base: Istanbul · Transfers included
08:30 – Pick-up and transfer to the touring area.
- Ephesus Ancient City: Few classical cities in the eastern Mediterranean survive this well. Marble streets, agoras, fountains and temples make its Roman town plan easy to follow.
- Library of Celsus: The best-known facade in Ephesus. It served as a library and a grand tomb at once, proof of the city's love of public display.
- Great Amphitheatre: Thousands of spectators gathered here for performances, civic meetings and public announcements.
- House of Virgin Mary: A calm sanctuary on the hillside above Ephesus, visited for its spiritual tradition and its peaceful surroundings.
- Temple of Artemis: Once one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Only traces are left, but the stop rounds off the sacred map of Ephesus.
16:00 – End of the tour and transfer to Izmir Airport.
19:30 – Flight to Istanbul (the flight time and the airport can change with the season, the airline schedule and operational availability).
20:50 – Landing and transfer to your hotel in Istanbul.
Night in Istanbul.
Day 11 – Free Day in Istanbul
Meals: Breakfast · Base: Istanbul · Free time
A last open day in Istanbul for your own plans or optional activities.
Some ideas: Istiklal Avenue and Taksim, a Turkish bath (hamam), or sunset from Galata Tower.
Night in Istanbul.
Day 12 – Departure from Istanbul
Meals: Breakfast · Transfers included
We drive you to Istanbul Airport (IST) or Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW) to match your international flight.
Inclusions & Exclusions
- ✓Domestic flights Istanbul to Cappadocia and Izmir to Istanbul with 15 kg checked baggage and 8 kg cabin baggage per person
- ✓Overnight intercity bus from Cappadocia to Pamukkale
- ✓Hotel accommodation: Istanbul, Cappadocia, and Kusadasi/Selcuk as listed, plus Pamukkale freshen-up room
- ✓Breakfasts and lunches during guided tour days
- ✓Airport, bus station, hotel, and tour transfers in the itinerary
- ✓Guided Istanbul, Bosphorus, Cappadocia, Pamukkale, and Ephesus tours
- ✓Entrance fees mentioned in the itinerary
- ✓Professional licensed tour guide during the day tours
- ✓Local taxes and service charges
- ✕Dinners and unmentioned meals
- ✕Drinks at lunch
- ✕Personal expenses
- ✕Cappadocia hot air balloon flight or balloon watching tour
- ✕Optional swimming in Cleopatra Antique Pool
Write a review
Been on a trip with us? Tell other travelers how it went.
Travel guides
- Istanbul in July 2027: Weather, 15 July Holiday, Concerts and Tours
- Istanbul in January 2027: Weather, Snow Odds, Holidays and Tours
- Istanbul Tourist Scams to Avoid: How They Work and What to Do
- Istanbulkart Guide: Card Price, Top-Ups, Sharing Rules and Airports
- 15 First-Time Mistakes in Istanbul, and the Fix for Each
- Bosphorus Villages Tour: Ferries, Walks and a One-Day Route
- Rhinoplasty in Turkey 2027: A Recovery Calendar for Your Travel Dates
- Dental Treatment in Turkey from Germany 2027: Insurance and Travel
- Veneers in Turkey 2027: Trip Length, Best Weeks and What to Ask
- Medical Tourism in Turkey 2027: How a Treatment Trip Is Planned
12-day Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale and Ephesus tour with free days: the key facts
This 12-day, 11-night group tour covers four regions with free days built in. You start with four nights in Istanbul: an arrival day, a free day, a full old city day with Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia, and a Bosphorus day that crosses to Camlica Hill and Beylerbeyi Palace on the Asian side. You then fly to Cappadocia for two nights, take an overnight bus to Pamukkale, spend two nights in Kusadasi/Selcuk with a free day, and fly back from Izmir after the Ephesus tour for two more Istanbul nights.
It suits travellers who want more Istanbul than most packages offer and who do not mind one night bus. There is no Mediterranean beach leg. The price is from $1,642 per person.
| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Length | 12 days / 11 nights (10 hotel nights + 1 night on the bus) |
| Route | Istanbul - Cappadocia - Pamukkale - Kusadasi/Selcuk (Ephesus) - Istanbul |
| Style | Group tour |
| Start / end | Airport pick-up at Istanbul Airport or Sabiha Gokcen on Day 1 / airport transfer on Day 12 |
| Included | 4 + 2 nights Istanbul, 2 Cappadocia, 2 Kusadasi/Selcuk; Pamukkale freshen-up room; flights Istanbul-Cappadocia and Izmir-Istanbul (15 kg + 8 kg); overnight bus; breakfasts and lunches on guided days; transfers; guided tours; listed entrance fees |
| Extra | Dinners and unlisted meals, drinks at lunch, balloon flight or balloon watching, Cleopatra Pool swim, personal expenses |
What do we see in Istanbul?
Day 3 runs 08:30-17:00 with lunch: the Hippodrome, the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar. Day 4 also runs 08:30-17:00 with lunch: the Spice Bazaar, a Bosphorus cruise, the crossing to Asia, Camlica Hill and Beylerbeyi Palace. Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesdays, so ask us how the two city days are ordered if Day 3 falls on a Tuesday. See Topkapi Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace and Camlica Hill.
How do the flights and the night bus work?
On Day 5 you are picked up around 12:00 for a flight at about 15:10, reaching your Cappadocia hotel around 16:30. On Day 7, after the Yellow Route, the overnight bus to Pamukkale leaves at about 20:00 and takes around 10 hours with rest stops. You arrive in Denizli around 06:30 and go to a freshen-up room to shower and have breakfast before the 09:30 tour. On Day 10 you fly from Izmir at about 19:30 and land in Istanbul around 20:50. Times can change with the airline and bus operator.
How hard are the Cappadocia and Pamukkale days?
Day 6 (Red Route) and Day 7 (Yellow Route) both run 09:30-17:00 with lunch. Day 6 covers Devrent Valley, Pasabag, Avanos, Zelve and the Uchisar viewpoint; Day 7 covers Red Valley, Gulludere Valley, Cavusin, Pigeon Valley and an underground city, whose passages are low and narrow. The hardest part is Day 7 into Day 8: a full valley day, a night on the bus and then the Pamukkale and Hierapolis tour with the necropolis. Shoes are not allowed on the travertine terraces, so carry them in a bag. The free day in Kusadasi/Selcuk on Day 9 gives you time to recover.
Is the hot air balloon included?
No. The exclusions list both the balloon flight and the balloon watching tour as extras. Either can be added for the morning of Day 6, before the 09:30 pick-up, at the price available when you book. Day 7 is also a morning in Cappadocia, so ask whether it can serve as a backup if Day 6 is cancelled. Balloon flights depend on wind and weather and are decided on the morning. See Cappadocia balloon flights and the balloon price guide.
What should we wear in the mosques and at Ephesus?
For the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia on Day 3, cover shoulders and knees, women cover their hair, and shoes come off at the door. Mosques close to visitors during prayer times, longest at Friday midday. Ephesus on Day 10 (08:30-16:00) is on uneven marble with little shade, followed by the House of the Virgin Mary, where modest clothing is expected, and the Temple of Artemis. Pack a change of clothes in your day bag for the bus night. More on what to wear in Istanbul and Ephesus.
Which hotels and guide language are used?
The page lists hotels in Istanbul, Cappadocia and Kusadasi/Selcuk but does not name them or give their category, even though the FAQ mentions a Hotels section. Ask us to list the hotels for your dates in the written plan, including whether the Aegean hotel is in Kusadasi or Selcuk. The FAQ says you can choose an English, Spanish or Italian-speaking guide and that the price may differ by language, so confirm the language and price before paying.
When is the best time of year for this route?
April-May and September-October are usually the most comfortable months for the Pamukkale and Ephesus days. In July and August those sites often pass 32°C, so carry water and a hat. The free days in Istanbul are useful in any season. The tour departs daily with no minimum group size. See our best time to visit Turkey guide.
Can we add nights or change the route?
Yes. The page says the route can be adjusted: add days, change cities or switch hotels. If you want to avoid the night bus, ask us what alternatives are possible for your dates, or compare the shorter 10-day Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale and Ephesus tour from $1,410 per person. For a version with Troy and four Aegean nights, see the 12-day Istanbul, Troy, Ephesus, Pamukkale and Cappadocia tour from $1,715 per person. More options are on our multi-city packages page.
How do we book this package?
Use the booking form on this page to choose your start date and number of guests, and send your international flight details. You can also message us on WhatsApp at +90 545 307 67 88. We check the two flights, the bus and the hotels for your dates and send the full plan in writing before you make any payment. Get Turkey Tours is operated by Viracocha Travel Turizm, TÜRSAB licence A-15751.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the tour begin and finish?
How do we get from one city to the next?
Where will we sleep each night?
Does the price cover a hot air balloon flight?
Which guide languages can I choose?
Can I start the tour on any day?
Can the itinerary be changed or extended?
Similar tours
Private Istanbul Tour with a Licensed Guide: 1, 2 or 3 Days
Book your own licensed guide in Istanbul for one, two or three days and explore the Old City, Golden Horn and Bosphorus at a pace that suits your interests.
Bosphorus Dinner Cruise Istanbul: Folk & Belly Dance Show, Transfers
A night on the Bosphorus with dinner served on board, folk and belly dance shows, a choice of drinks packages and hotel transfers both ways.