7-Day Mount Nemrut, Gobeklitepe, Ephesus & Pamukkale Tour

Meal: lunch. Transfers included.

05:00 – Pick-up at your hotel and transfer to the airport (pick-up time and airport may change).

09:30 – Flight from Istanbul to Adiyaman (flight time may change).

11:00 – Arrival in Adiyaman, where your local guide meets you (arrival airport and time depend on availability).

• Karakus Tumulus: This royal burial mound rises from the Commagene plain, ringed by carved columns and eagle statues that show the region's dramatic way of honouring its kings. It makes a fine warm-up for Mount Nemrut before the mountain itself comes into view.
• Arsameia and Cendere Bridge: Arsameia served as the summer capital of the Commagene kingdom. Its rock-cut reliefs and an underground passage lead up to a wide hilltop view. The Roman bridge at Cendere, still whole after 1,800 years, adds a second layer of history to the afternoon.
• Mount Nemrut: King Antiochus I built his sanctuary on this 2,150-metre summit to place himself among the gods. Huge stone heads of Zeus, Apollo, Tyche, Heracles and Antiochus himself, some fallen and some still upright, make it one of the most dramatic archaeological sites anywhere.

After the mountain you transfer to your hotel in Sanliurfa.

Overnight in Sanliurfa.

Meals: breakfast and lunch. Transfers included.

09:00 – After breakfast you check out and set off for Gobeklitepe.

• Gobeklitepe Archaeological Site: Dating to around 10,000 BC, Gobeklitepe is older than Stonehenge by six thousand years and older than the Great Pyramid by seven thousand. It is the oldest known group of ritual buildings on earth. Hunter-gatherers carved and raised its T-shaped limestone pillars, some six metres tall, and their skill has changed the usual story of how civilisation began.
• Sanliurfa Archaeology Museum: The star exhibit is the Urfa Man, a three-metre basalt figure from around 9000 BC and the oldest known life-size statue of a human. The museum puts Gobeklitepe and the wider Neolithic revolution of upper Mesopotamia in context in a way the site cannot do on its own.
• Haleplibahce Mosaic Museum: This museum is known for its Amazon mosaics and Roman-era floor panels found in Sanliurfa. They add a colourful late-antique chapter before you walk through the old town.
• Balikligol and Old Town: Balikligol, the Pool of Abraham, is among the holiest places in Islamic tradition. Here, the story goes, Nimrod threw Abraham into a fire and the flames turned into water. The sacred carp in the pool must not be touched, and the mosque courtyards around it create one of the most atmospheric places in Turkey.

17:00 – Transfer back to your hotel in Sanliurfa.

Overnight in Sanliurfa.

Meal: breakfast. Transfers included. Free time.

After breakfast and check-out, the morning is free in Sanliurfa until your transfer. Ideas for free time: the Kordon seafront, Kemeralti bazaar and the clock tower in Konak.

You are then driven from your hotel to the airport (pick-up time and airport may change) for the flight to Izmir (flight time may change). If no direct flight runs that day, you may connect via Istanbul.

At Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport our transfer team meets you (arrival airport and time depend on availability) and drives you on to Kusadasi/Selcuk for check-in. The rest of the day is free, a calmer Aegean evening after the eastern part of the trip.

Overnight in Kusadasi/Selcuk.

Meals: breakfast and lunch. Transfers included.

08:45 – After breakfast, transfer from your hotel to Ephesus.

• Ephesus Ancient City: Ephesus pays back those who walk slowly: the longer you study the details, the more you find. Water channels set into the marble pavements show how advanced Roman engineering was here. Between the grand facades and the carved street fittings, almost every few metres offers something new to photograph.
• House of Virgin Mary: Pilgrims have climbed Bulbul Mountain to this spot since the 19th century, when a German nun's vision led to the rediscovery of the small stone house where Mary is believed to have lived. Three popes have come in person, John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis, and the site is honoured in both Catholic and Orthodox tradition. At the altar you can feel that long history of devotion.
• Temple of Artemis: In Roman times, coins struck in Ephesus showed the temple on their face, proof of how central it was to the city's identity and economy. Worshippers came from all over the Mediterranean, and the complex held treasuries, altars and lodgings for visitors on a scale that matched today's great religious sites. Near Selcuk, a single column now marks where it all stood.

16:00 – Transfer back to your hotel after the tour.

Overnight in Kusadasi/Selcuk.

Meals: breakfast and lunch. Transfers included.

07:30 – Early start from your hotel and drive to Pamukkale.

• Pamukkale: The Romans were the first to build on a large scale around these thermal springs, turning the hilltop into a busy spa town. Below their city, warm mineral water kept shaping the bright white travertine terraces that define the view today. This UNESCO World Heritage Site in Denizli province gives you natural wonder and history in one visit.
• White Calcium Terraces: Water rich in dissolved calcium carbonate was spilling over this slope even before the Romans built above it. Each time it flows and cools, it leaves another wafer-thin layer of white travertine. Repeat that for two thousand years and you get the stepped terraces that make Pamukkale one of Turkey's best-known natural landmarks.
• Hierapolis Ancient City: Under Roman rule in the 2nd century AD, Hierapolis was a city of marble baths, paved roads and well-planned public spaces. Its theatre was rebuilt and enlarged under Emperor Hadrian, and the stage front still has carved panels of mythological scenes. Visitors who expect small ruins are often surprised by how much Roman building survives on this hilltop.
• Cleopatra Antique Thermal Pool: Water from Pamukkale's ancient springs keeps the pool at a pleasant 36 degrees all year. Under the surface you can see and touch original Roman marble columns that fell in during an earthquake long ago. Swimming is optional and not part of the tour price; if you want to go in, you pay separately at the pool entrance.

16:00 – After the Pamukkale route, transfer back to Kusadasi/Selcuk.

Overnight in Kusadasi/Selcuk.

Meal: breakfast. Transfers included.

No touring today. After several long days of transfers and sightseeing, this free day in Kusadasi/Selcuk slows the pace. Stay by the sea, relax at the hotel or explore the town centre in your own time.

Overnight in Kusadasi/Selcuk.

Meal: breakfast. Transfers included.

Take the morning slowly in Kusadasi/Selcuk before your airport transfer.

11:00 – Transfer from your hotel to the airport (pick-up time and airport may change).

13:00 – Flight from Izmir to Istanbul (flight time may change).

14:30 – Arrival in Istanbul, where our transfer team meets you (arrival airport and time depend on availability) and drives you to your hotel. The 7-day Nemrut, Gobeklitepe, Ephesus and Pamukkale tour ends with this transfer.