Pamukkale, Ephesus & Cappadocia Tour from Istanbul – 3 Days by Air

Included today: lunch, flight, transfers, entrance fees and accommodation.

An early flight to Denizli, a day at Pamukkale and an evening drive to Kusadasi for your first night.

• 04:00 – Pick-up at your Istanbul hotel and a pre-arranged transfer to the departure airport, so the first day is about sightseeing rather than airport logistics. Pick-up time and airport can change.
• 06:10 – Flight from Istanbul to Denizli. The domestic flight lands in the Pamukkale region early enough to start touring on arrival and is the quickest way to begin the route in western Turkey. Flight time can change.
• 07:25 – Landing in Denizli. Our local team meets you at the airport and drives you straight toward Pamukkale, so the day opens with the sights instead of more time on the road. Arrival airport and time depend on availability.

Pamukkale route, in order:

• Pamukkale – calcium carbonate has been building up here for at least fourteen thousand years, forming one of the most remarkable landscapes in Turkey.
• White Calcium Terraces – restoration teams manage the water flow with care, so the deposits keep growing and the pools stay full all year.
• Hierapolis Ancient City – Saint Philip the Apostle was martyred here, and his martyrium still stands on a hill above the ruins.
• The Necropolis – many sarcophagi still lie where they were first set on the ground, which gives the cemetery an untouched, slightly eerie feel.
• Bath and Basilica – inside the ruins you can clearly see where the walls were altered when the bath became a church.
• Frontinius Gate – restoration has stabilised the gate piers and put some fallen stones back, so the original three-bay design is easy to read from a distance.
• Frontinius Street – the main axis of the city, linking the baths, the temples, the agora and the theatre.
• Latrina – among the best-preserved Roman toilets in western Turkey, it shows how the wider city infrastructure worked.
• Northern Byzantine Gate – Hierapolis stayed a living town well into Byzantine times, and this gate shows how it adapted its infrastructure over the centuries.
• Fountain of the Tritons – classical art showed Tritons as human above the waist and fish below, a detail the local stone carvers made very clear.
• The Temple of Apollon – digs around the temple have found ritual objects, votive offerings and architectural pieces that help rebuild its original plan.
• Cleopatra Antique Thermal Pool – old accounts say Cleopatra bathed in these springs while in the eastern Mediterranean. True or not, the pool carries her name; swimming is paid separately on site.

16:00 – Drive from Pamukkale to your hotel in Kusadasi. Sleeping here puts you close to Ephesus, which makes the next day easier and more efficient.

Included today: breakfast, lunch, flight, transfers, entrance fees and accommodation.

A morning of sightseeing at Ephesus from Kusadasi, an evening flight to Cappadocia and a night in the region.

08:30 – Pick-up at your Kusadasi hotel after breakfast for the Ephesus route, one of the best-known ancient city visits in Turkey. The day balances archaeology with the evening flight east. Pick-up time can vary a little depending on where your hotel is.

Ephesus route, in order:

• Ephesus Ancient City – explorers and historians have called it the crown jewel among the ancient sites of Turkey.
• Marble Streets – columns and covered walkways once gave shade to shoppers along the busy commercial streets.
• The Odeon – far smaller than a normal amphitheatre, it feels personal and is remarkably well preserved.
• The Agora – among the ruins you can follow the stoa foundations where hundreds of small shops once traded.
• The Temple of Hadrian – it stands right on Curetes Street, the main processional route of the city.
• The Monumental Fountains – the statue bases that once lined the Trajan Fountain still show carved feet and drapery from the original figures.
• The Library of Celsus – in the 1970s Austrian archaeologists spent years putting it back together from scattered marble pieces.
• The Great Amphitheatre – facing 25,000 empty seats from the stage is one of the most powerful moments of any trip to Turkey.
• The Roman Baths – doctors in Roman Ephesus prescribed regular bathing as treatment, and the baths stood next to medical buildings.
• House of Virgin Mary – pilgrims believe the springs beside the chapel can heal, and they come all year round.
• Temple of Artemis – Herostatus set the temple on fire in 356 BC to make himself famous, on the night, as legend has it, that Alexander the Great was born.

• 16:00 – Transfer to Izmir Airport after the tour for the evening flight to Cappadocia.
• 19:30 – Flight from Izmir to Cappadocia, so the last day begins inside the region. We use a direct flight if one is available; otherwise you fly via Istanbul. Flight time can change.
• 20:55 – Landing in Cappadocia. Our local representative meets you and arranges the drive to your hotel. Arrival airport and time depend on availability.

Included today: breakfast, lunch, flight, transfers and entrance fees.

A last day of guided touring in Cappadocia, then the airport and an evening flight back to Istanbul.

Optional early-morning extras:

• Hot air balloon flight – the most booked activity and the number one rated experience in Cappadocia, known for its sunrise views.
• Balloon watching tour – sunrise photos from the best viewpoints in Cappadocia, with those viewpoints guaranteed.

Both can be added at the best available price when you book.

09:30 – Pick-up at your Cappadocia hotel after breakfast for the final guided route. As you have already slept in the region, the day starts with sightseeing instead of another long transfer. Pick-up time can vary a little depending on where your hotel is.

Cappadocia route, in order:

• Devrent Valley (Pink Valley) – strange rock shapes and moon-like scenery make it one of the most distinctive valleys in the region and a strong opening stop.
• Pasabag Open Air Museum – one of the best places to get close to the mushroom-shaped fairy chimneys.
• Avanos Pottery Workshop – the town is famous for red clay pottery, and the workshop shows this old craft in action.
• Goreme Panoramic View – one of the clearest panoramas over Goreme and the valleys around it.
• Zelve Open Air Museum – cave homes, tunnels and rock-cut rooms come together in one of the most atmospheric open-air sites in Cappadocia.
• Uchisar Castle (exterior view) – seen from outside, the castle is the final landmark of the day, with wide views across the region.

• 17:00 – Transfer to Kayseri or Nevsehir Airport after the tour for your flight home.
• 20:30 – Flight from Cappadocia to Istanbul the same evening (flight time can change).
• 21:45 – Landing in Istanbul, at either Istanbul Airport or Sabiha Gokcen depending on the airline. Arrival airport and time depend on availability.

Our representative meets you after landing and arranges the final transfer to your hotel in Istanbul.