7-Day Turkey Tour with Gulet Cruise: Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale

On arrival at Istanbul Airport, you are met and driven to your hotel. There are no activities planned today. Your guide will meet you at 09:30 AM the next morning.

Today you check out of the hotel, see the main sights of Istanbul and fly to Cappadocia in the evening.

• 08:00 AM – Hotel check-out: after breakfast, leave the hotel ready for a full day in the city.
• 09:30 AM – 10:30 AM – Topkapi Palace (optional): the lavish home of the Ottoman sultans, with detailed architecture, fine artifacts and views over the Istanbul skyline.
• 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM – Blue Mosque: step inside to see the famous blue tiles and feel the calm of this architectural masterpiece.
• 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM – Hippodrome: once the centre of Byzantine entertainment and chariot racing, where ancient obelisks and monuments recall the great past of the city.
• 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM – Hagia Sophia (optional): a UNESCO World Heritage Site with vast domes, striking mosaics and a rare mix of Byzantine and Islamic influences.
• 12:30 PM – 01:30 PM – Lunch break (not included): try the rich flavours of Turkish cooking at a local restaurant.
• 01:30 PM – 03:00 PM – Grand Bazaar: among the oldest and largest covered markets on earth, a maze of lanes lined with colourful stalls full of Turkish goods.
• 03:00 PM – 05:00 PM – Bosphorus Cruise: as the day winds down, cruise the strait with wide views of the skyline on both the European and the Asian side.
• 05:00 PM – 05:30 PM – Transfer to Istanbul Airport for your flight to Cappadocia.
• 07:00 PM – Flight from Istanbul to Cappadocia, which closes your time in Istanbul.
• 08:30 PM – Arrival in Cappadocia: we drive you to your cave hotel, where breakfast is included.

Check out of the hotel, explore more of Cappadocia, then fly to Izmir.

Note: on some days there is no direct flight between Cappadocia and Izmir, so the flight may connect with one stopover.

If you are interested, an optional early-morning hot air balloon flight over the Cappadocian landscape is available.

The tour usually runs from around 09:00 until 16:00 at the latest.

Highlights of the day:

• Göreme Esentepe panorama: the day opens at the Esentepe viewpoint between Uçhisar and Göreme, with wide views of fairy chimneys, the Cappadocian valleys and the small town of Esentepe.
• Zelve Open-Air Museum: once home to a monastic community and a centre of Christian learning, Zelve is full of old monasteries, churches and chapels with frescoes that have survived in good condition.
• Paşabağ (Monks Valley): famous for fairy chimneys topped with three heads, this valley, also called “Pasha's Vineyard”, has some of the strangest rock shapes in Cappadocia.
• Devrent Valley: a short drive away, small pointed chimneys create a scene that looks like the surface of the moon, and many rocks resemble animals or mythical creatures.
• Avanos pottery workshop: potters have worked in Avanos since 3000 BC, using clay from the Red River. In a traditional workshop you watch local artisans at work.
• Love Valley: the last stop, where millions of years of erosion have carved cones, pinnacles and fairy chimneys as tall as 40 meters. It is one of the most unusual places for photos in the region.

• Airport transfer: after the tour, you are driven to the airport.
• Flight from Cappadocia to Izmir: this may include one stopover on days without a direct flight.
• Arrival in Izmir: a transfer takes you on to Kusadasi.
• Hotel check-in in Kusadasi: spend the night here, with breakfast included.

After checking out of the hotel, you visit Pamukkale and then head on to Fethiye.

Today the tour usually starts around 07:30.

Highlights of the tour include:

• Hierapolis: see the Necropolis, the Theatre and the Cleopatra Pool (there is an admission charge if you want to swim in the pool).
• Pamukkale: the main event is the famous travertines, terraces of bright white pools rich in minerals. Enjoy the views and walk on the soft, cotton-like rock.
• Pamukkale Naturel Lake: there is also time to visit the lake and park, which add to the beauty of the area.

Please be at Fethiye Harbor by 10:00 AM.

Once you have checked in, you board the gulet for a short briefing. The boat leaves Fethiye Harbor and first stops at Butterfly Valley, where there is time to swim, have lunch and, if you like, hike to the waterfall. More than 136 species of butterflies and moths live in the valley, though they are harder to see on hot days.

Optional activity – paragliding over the Blue Lagoon: the next stop is Oludeniz (Blue Lagoon), one of the most photographed beaches in the world, where you can choose to go paragliding. You take off from Babadag Mountain at 2000 meters and glide over the lagoon with wide views below. Booking in advance is recommended for special rates; if you decide during the cruise, just tell the captain.

In the evening the gulet anchors at St. Nicholas Island. Walk up among the ancient ruins and watch the sun go down from the top. (L, D)

Start the morning with a swim in the clear water of Aquarium Bay near Kalkan, then have breakfast on board.

The gulet then sails to Kas, a small fishing village with lively cafes, beer gardens and interesting shops. It is a good place to wander, browse handmade jewelry and see a well-preserved ancient theater.

Optional activity – diving: Kas is one of the best diving spots in southern Turkey. Beginners and certified divers alike can explore caves and wrecks under the water. Book ahead for discounted rates.

Tonight the boat anchors in a quiet bay between Kas and Kekova. (B, L, D)

After breakfast, sail to the Sunken City, an ancient Lycian town that went under the sea after an earthquake in the second century. The gulet moves slowly over the ruins of this protected World Heritage site. Swimming, diving and snorkeling are not allowed here.

Next, the boat anchors near Kekova so you can visit Simena Castle; the walk to the top gives lovely views over the bay.

In the afternoon the gulet reaches Demre Harbor, where the cruise ends. You are picked up and taken to the airport for your flight back to Istanbul.

Optional extras

• Hot air balloon flight in Cappadocia (Göreme): $310
• One extra night at an Istanbul hotel, before or after the tour: $65
• Private tour upgrade: $350