Best of Turkey 12-Day Tour: Istanbul, Antalya, Cappadocia & Ephesus

On arrival at Istanbul airport a driver is waiting to bring you to your hotel. The day has no other plans. At 09:30 AM the next morning your guide comes to meet you.

Today your guide leads a full-day walking tour through the core of Ottoman and Byzantine Istanbul.

• 09:30 AM – Hotel pick-up: Your guide collects you from the hotel to start the day.
• 10:00 AM – Topkapi Palace (optional): Walk through the palace where the Ottoman sultans once lived, known for its long history and fine architecture.
• 11:30 AM – Blue Mosque: See the famous mosque named after its delicate blue tiles, and admire its grand structure.
• 12:30 PM – Lunch break (not included): Stop for lunch at a local restaurant.
• 1:30 PM – Hippodrome: Stand on the site of the old chariot-racing track and see the Egyptian Obelisk, the Serpent Column and the German Fountain.
• 2:30 PM – Hagia Sophia (optional): Step inside Hagia Sophia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to see its Byzantine architecture and vast, majestic interior.
• 3:30 PM – Grand Bazaar: Wander the busy lanes of the Grand Bazaar, the oldest covered market in the world, and shop for souvenirs, spices and textiles.
• 5:00 PM – Hotel drop-off: You are driven back to your Istanbul hotel for the night. Breakfast is included.

Tours usually begin at about 09:00–09:30 and finish by 17:00 at the latest. Today's stops:

• Dolmabahce Palace: This grand Ottoman-era palace stands on the Bosphorus shore and is known for its rich architecture and lavish rooms. (*Admission fee required)
• Cicek Passage: A lively, historic shopping arcade full of varied shops, where you get a taste of Turkish culture, food and crafts.
• Galata Tower (Panoramic): Built in the 14th century, this medieval tower rises above the skyline and gives wide views over the city and the Bosphorus. (*Admission fee required)
• Spice Market: A busy, fragrant bazaar packed with spices, herbs and exotic goods.
• Transfer to the hotel: At the end of the tour you return to your hotel for the night, with breakfast included.

• 05:30 AM – Hotel pick-up: An early pick-up takes you to the airport for a direct morning flight to Antalya.
• 08:00 AM – Arrival in Antalya: Your guide meets you and the tour of Antalya's historic and natural sights begins.
• 09:00 AM – Perge: Walk among the ruins of ancient Perge, including its large theater and colonnaded street.
• 11:00 AM – Aspendos Theater: Visit one of the best-preserved ancient theaters in Turkey, famous for its architecture and acoustics.
• 12:30 PM – Lunch break (not included): Try regional dishes at a local restaurant.
• 2:00 PM – Side: Explore ancient Side, with its amphitheater, the well-known Temple of Apollo and its old streets.
• 4:00 PM – Manavgat Waterfall: Relax beside the waterfall and enjoy the green, scenic surroundings.
• 6:00 PM – Return to hotel in Antalya: Transfer to your hotel in central Antalya and spend the evening at your own pace.

Overnight in Antalya.

Today is free. If you would like to see Antalya's Mediterranean coast from the water, you can join the optional boat trip with lunch.

• 09:00 AM – Hotel pick-up: Transfer from your hotel to the boat dock.
• 09:30 AM – Departure: Sail along the coast on a comfortable boat, passing cliffs, coves and golden beaches.
• 10:30 AM – Swimming and snorkeling stop: Swim in the clear water or snorkel to see the colourful sea life.
• 12:00 PM – Lunch on board (included): Skilled chefs serve a lunch of local dishes, which you enjoy on the wide deck.
• 1:30 PM – Leisure time on deck: Sunbathe, relax and take photos against the Antalya coastline.
• 3:30 PM – Return: The boat heads back to the dock, and you transfer to your hotel.

Once you have had breakfast, you check out and are driven to Antalya Airport. Your flight to Cappadocia lasts 1 hour 15 minutes. When you land, a vehicle brings you to the hotel, where you check in.

You have the remainder of the day free. Look around the neighbourhood of the hotel or just relax in your room.

• 05:00 AM – Hot air balloon ride (optional): Rise at sunrise for an optional balloon flight over Cappadocia's rock formations and fairy chimneys.
• 07:00 AM – Champagne toast and return to hotel: Celebrate the landing with a glass of champagne, then transfer back to your hotel.

The guided tour usually starts at about 09:00 and ends 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 Meskendir Valley near Ortahisar. On the way you step inside Meskendir Church, decorated with bold red geometric patterns and a large cross carved into the chapel ceiling, and enjoy the valley scenery around it.
• Rose Valley: Behind Ürgüp lies Rose Valley, one of the finest spots in Cappadocia, with unusual rock shapes and churches cut into the stone out of sight. Paths run through vineyards and gardens between small villages and towns, and locals sometimes offer walkers fresh grapes, apples or apricots.
• Red Valley: Red Valley shares the dramatic rock forms and old cave churches of its neighbour. Its trails branch out like a spider's web, tying together remote villages and fields, so you see the region's landscape and history side by side.
• Cavusin Valley: Çavuşin is one of the oldest villages in Cappadocia, its cave homes cut into the cliff in a maze of old dwellings. The village's Church of John the Baptist, dating from the 5th century, 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 to see old wineries, kitchens and living rooms.
• Pigeon Valley: On the edge of Göreme, Pigeon Valley takes its name from the dovecotes cut into its cliffs over many centuries. Farmers once collected the droppings to fertilise their fields. Today the valley is a wide viewpoint and a favourite photo stop.
• Uchisar Castle Panorama: The final stop is Uçhisar, the highest point in Cappadocia. Its landmark is Uçhisar Castle, a tall rock outcrop once used as a fortress. From the top you can see across the whole region to Erciyes Mountain on the horizon.

After a day of walking and sightseeing, we bring you back to your hotel for the night at around 16:00.

The day starts with a transfer, departing from Konya.

The guided tour usually starts at about 09:00 and ends by 16:00 at the latest. Today's highlights:

• Goreme Esentepe – Panoramic View: The day opens at the Esentepe lookout between Uçhisar and Göreme, with a wide view 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 old monasteries, churches and chapels still hold well-kept frescoes that tell the story of the region's past.
• Pasabag (Monks Valley): Paşabağ, the Monks Valley, is known for its three-headed fairy chimneys. Also called “Pasha's Vineyard”, it has some of the most dramatic rock pillars in Cappadocia.
• Devrent Valley: A short drive away, Devrent Valley looks almost like the surface of the moon. Its small, pointed chimneys invite you to spot shapes of animals and mythical creatures in the rock.
• Avanos Pottery Workshop: Avanos has been a pottery town since 3000 BC, and local craftsmen still work with clay from the Red River. At a traditional workshop you watch them shape their ceramics by hand.
• Love Valley: The last stop is Love Valley, where millions of years of erosion have carved cones, pinnacles and fairy chimneys, some as tall as 40 meters. It is one of the strangest and most photogenic places in Cappadocia.

You then return to your cave hotel for the night. Breakfast is included.

After breakfast and check-out, you transfer to Kayseri Airport for your flight to Izmir.

At Izmir Airport your driver meets you and drives you to Kusadasi. Check in at your hotel and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

The tour usually runs from about 08:00 until 15:00 at the latest. After breakfast you are picked up at your hotel at 08:00 AM, and a drive of about 30 minutes brings you to the Magnesia Gate of Ephesus Ancient City.

From there a full guided walk takes in the main sites:

• Library of Celsus: Stand before the richly carved facade of the library, one of the best-known buildings in Ephesus.
• Temple of Hadrian: See the temple built for Emperor Hadrian, with its well-kept columns and finely worked reliefs.
• Terrace Houses (optional): Go inside the hillside homes where the wealthy families of Ephesus once lived.
• Hercules Gate: Walk through the great gateway decorated with carvings of the mythical hero.
• Grand Theatre: Take in the vast theatre that held as many as 25,000 people and is still used for performances today.
• Herm (Marker) of Hermes: Find the old stone markers that once guided travellers and marked boundaries in the city.
• Artemission: Visit the spot where the Temple of Artemis, one of the ancient world's Seven Wonders, used to stand.
• Stone-carving of the goddess Nike: Look closely at the relief of Nike, the winged goddess of victory.
• Fountain of Trajan: View the remains of the large fountain raised in honour of Emperor Trajan.
• House of Virgin Mary (optional): End with a visit to the House of the Virgin Mary, believed to be where she spent her last days.

Afterwards you return to your hotel in Kusadasi for the night, with breakfast included.

Today you check out of your hotel, visit Pamukkale and then fly back to Istanbul. The tour usually starts at about 07:30.

After an early pick-up from your hotel, you explore the ancient city of Hierapolis, known for its well-preserved ruins and its place in history. You see the Necropolis, the Theatre and the Cleopatra Pool, where you can swim for an extra fee.

The main event is Pamukkale's travertines, a natural wonder of bright white terraces filled with mineral-rich pools. You can walk on the soft, cotton-like surface and take in the views. There is also time to visit Pamukkale Naturel Lake and Park.

After the tour you transfer to Denizli Airport for the flight to Istanbul. On arrival you are taken to your Istanbul hotel for the final night, with breakfast included.

After breakfast you check out, and our representative helps you with your transfer to the airport. This is where our services end.

Would you like more time in Istanbul? Extra nights can be added to your stay.

Optional extras

• Cappadocia hot air balloon (Goreme): $310
• One extra night in an Istanbul hotel, before or after the tour: $65
• Upgrade to a private tour: $600