Best of Turkey Tour Package: 12 Days with Domestic Flights

We meet you at Istanbul airport and drive you to your hotel. Nothing is planned for the rest of the day, so you can settle in at your own pace.

Your guide will see you the following morning at 09:30 AM.

Today is a full day on foot through the heart of Ottoman and Byzantine Istanbul.

• 09:30 AM – Hotel pick-up: your guide collects you from the hotel to start the walk.
• 10:00 AM – Topkapi Palace (optional): the former home of the Ottoman sultans, known for its long history and fine architecture.
• 11:30 AM – Blue Mosque: the city's famous mosque, admired for its delicate blue tiles and its imposing scale.
• 12:30 PM – Lunch break (not included): time to eat at a local restaurant.
• 1:30 PM – Hippodrome: the old chariot-racing ground, where the Egyptian Obelisk, the Serpent Column and the German Fountain still stand.
• 2:30 PM – Hagia Sophia (optional): step inside this UNESCO World Heritage Site and its vast Byzantine interior.
• 3:30 PM – Grand Bazaar: browse the world's oldest covered market for souvenirs, spices and textiles.
• 5:00 PM – Hotel drop-off: you are driven back to your Istanbul hotel for the night, with breakfast included.

• 08:30 AM – Breakfast: start the day with breakfast at the hotel.
• 09:30 AM – Egyptian Spice Bazaar: wander between stalls piled with spices, Turkish delight and local specialities, and take in the scents and bustle of the old market.
• 11:00 AM – Bosphorus Cruise: sail the strait between Europe and Asia and watch Istanbul's mix of architecture pass by from the water.
• 12:30 PM – Lunch break (not included): stop for lunch at a local restaurant.
• 2:00 PM – The cruise continues: more views of the city as you pass grand Ottoman palaces such as Dolmabahce Palace and Beylerbeyi Palace.
• 4:00 PM – Return to the hotel: a transfer takes you back for the night, with breakfast included.

• 05:30 AM – Hotel pick-up: an early transfer from your hotel for the direct morning flight to Antalya.
• 08:00 AM – Arrival in Antalya: your guide meets you and a day of history and nature begins.
• 09:00 AM – Perge: walk through this ancient city, with its large theatre, its colonnaded street and its extensive ruins.
• 11:00 AM – Aspendos Theater: see one of the best-preserved ancient theatres in Turkey, famous for its design and its acoustics.
• 12:30 PM – Lunch break (not included): try regional dishes at a local restaurant.
• 2:00 PM – Side: explore the ancient town, including its amphitheatre, the Temple of Apollo and its old streets.
• 4:00 PM – Manavgat Waterfall: a green, peaceful spot to rest and enjoy the view.
• 6:00 PM – Return to Antalya: a transfer takes you to your hotel in the centre of Antalya.

Overnight in Antalya.

Today you can spend the day on the water with the optional boat trip along Antalya's Mediterranean coast, with lunch included.

• 09:00 AM – Hotel pick-up: transfer from your hotel to the boat dock.
• 09:30 AM – Departure: the boat sets off along the coast, passing cliffs, coves and golden beaches.
• 10:30 AM – Swimming and snorkelling stop: jump into the clear water for a swim, or snorkel to look at the sea life.
• 12:00 PM – Lunch on board (included): a meal of local dishes prepared by the chefs on board, served on the open deck.
• 1:30 PM – Free time on deck: relax in the sun and take photos of the coastline.
• 3:30 PM – Back to the dock: the boat returns and you are transferred to your hotel.

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and we drive you to Antalya Airport. The flight to Cappadocia takes 1 hour 15 minutes.

On arrival, a vehicle takes you to your hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is yours: walk around the surrounding area or rest in your room.

The tour usually starts at around 09:00 and finishes by 16:00 at the latest. Here is the route:

• Goreme Esentepe – panoramic view: we start at the Esentepe viewpoint between Uçhisar and Göreme, looking out over the fairy chimneys, the unusual Cappadocian scenery and the small town of Esentepe.
• Zelve Open-Air Museum: once a centre for monks and Christian learning, Zelve has old monasteries, churches and chapels with well-preserved frescoes that show the region's past.
• Pasabag (Monks Valley): Paşabağ, also called Pasha's Vineyard, is known for its fairy chimneys with three heads and for some of the region's most striking rocks.
• Devrent Valley: a short drive away, this valley looks almost like the surface of the moon, with small pointed fairy chimneys, some shaped like animals and mythical creatures.
• Avanos Pottery Workshop: Avanos has made pottery since 3000 BC, and its craftsmen still shape clay from the Red River. You watch them at work in a traditional workshop.
• Love Valley: the last stop, where millions of years of erosion have carved cones, pinnacles and fairy chimneys up to 40 meters tall, a strange and very photogenic corner of Cappadocia.

You return to your cave hotel for the night, with breakfast included.

• 05:00 AM – Hot air balloon ride (optional): rise at sunrise above Cappadocia's rock formations and fairy chimneys.
• 07:00 AM – Champagne toast and return: after landing, raise a glass of champagne before the transfer back to your hotel.

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

• Meskendir Valley (4.4 km trek): the day opens with a 4.4 km walk through this valley near Ortahisar. On the way you can go inside Meskendir Church, decorated with bold red geometric patterns and a large cross carved into the chapel ceiling.
• Rose Valley: a quiet valley behind Ürgüp with unusual rock formations and rock-cut churches tucked out of sight. Its paths link small villages through vineyards and gardens, and local people sometimes offer walkers fresh grapes, apples or apricots.
• Red Valley: like its neighbour, it has striking rocks and old cave churches, with a web of winding trails between remote villages and fields. It is one of the best places to see both the scenery and the history of Cappadocia.
• Cavusin Valley: Çavuşin is among the oldest villages in Cappadocia, a maze of cave houses cut into the rock. It is also home to the Church of John the Baptist, the region's largest cave church, dating from the 5th century.
• Underground City: early Christians dug 36 underground cities in Cappadocia to hide from persecution. We visit the largest and best known, which has eight levels; you walk through parts of it and see old wineries, kitchens and living areas.
• Pigeon Valley: on the edge of Göreme, named after the pigeon houses carved into its cliffs over the centuries. Farmers once collected the droppings to fertilise their fields. Today it is a fine viewpoint and a good place for 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 the whole region, with Erciyes Mountain on the horizon.

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

Check out of your Cappadocia hotel at around 10:00 AM and take the 12:00 PM flight to Izmir.

From Izmir, a vehicle drives you to Kuşadası in about 1.5 hours. The rest of the day is free: walk the lively streets, see the historic sites, or enjoy the local food and the seaside.

Today's tour of Ephesus covers these sites:

• Library of Celsus: the famous facade with its fine architectural detail.
• Temple of Hadrian: the well-kept remains of a temple built for the Roman emperor Hadrian.
• Hercules Gate: a monumental entrance decorated with reliefs and sculpture.
• Grand Theatre: a huge theatre that once held thousands of spectators.
• The Snake Cult of Asklepios: hear about the ancient snake cult linked to healing and see the ruins of the Asklepion, an ancient medical centre.
• Herm (Marker) of Hermes: a stone marker for Hermes, the Greek god of travellers and boundaries.
• Stone-carving of the goddess Nike: a detailed relief of Nike, symbol of victory.
• Fountain of Trajan: an ancient fountain dedicated to the Roman emperor Trajan, with ornate sculpture.
• Ruins of Artemis Temple: what remains of the Temple of Artemis, counted among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
• St. Mary's House (optional): if you wish, visit the site believed to be the home of the Virgin Mary in her last years.

03:30 PM – Return to the hotel: after the tour, you are driven back to your hotel.

• 07:00 AM – Hotel pick-up: an early start for Pamukkale and the ancient city of Hierapolis.
• 09:00 AM – Hierapolis: visit the Necropolis, the Theatre and the famous Cleopatra Pool (there is an admission charge to swim in the pool).
• 11:30 AM – Pamukkale Travertines: walk on the white terraces of mineral-rich pools, which look like cotton, and enjoy the wide views.
• 01:00 PM – Lunch (not included): eat at a local restaurant.
• 02:30 PM – Pamukkale Naturel Lake and Park: a scenic stop at the lake and the park around it.
• 04:30 PM – Transfer to Bodrum: after the tour, the drive to Bodrum.
• 07:00 PM – Check-in: arrival at your hotel in Bodrum.

The morning in Bodrum is free. Walk along the busy marina, visit the historic Bodrum Castle and the Museum of Underwater Archaeology, or look for souvenirs in the local bazaar. If you would rather rest, spend time on one of Bodrum's beaches or have a coffee at a café by the sea.

In the afternoon, a transfer takes you to the airport for your flight back to Istanbul. Our representative then helps with your departure airport transfer, which completes our services.

You are welcome to add extra nights in Istanbul if you would like to stay longer.

Optional extras

• Cappadocia hot air balloon (Göreme): $310
• One extra night at an Istanbul hotel, before or after the tour: $65
• Upgrade to a private tour: $750