7-Day Turkey Tour Package: Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus & Pamukkale

We pick you up at Istanbul Airport and bring you to your hotel. There is nothing scheduled today; you meet your guide the next day at 09:30 AM.

This morning you check out of the hotel, see the main sights of Istanbul and then fly to Cappadocia.

At 09:30 AM your guide starts a full-day tour through the centre of Ottoman and Byzantine history, which ends with a cruise on the Bosphorus.

• Topkapi Palace (optional): the palace where the Ottoman sultans lived, with rich decoration, fine objects and views over the Istanbul skyline.
• Blue Mosque: step inside to see its famous blue tiles and feel the calm of this architectural landmark.
• Hippodrome: once the heart of Byzantine entertainment and chariot racing, with ancient obelisks and monuments that recall the city's past.
• Hagia Sophia (optional): a UNESCO World Heritage Site with huge domes, fine mosaics and a mix of Byzantine and Islamic influences.
• Grand Bazaar: one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world, a maze of lanes and colourful stalls full of Turkish goods.

Late in the day you board the Bosphorus Cruise and watch the skyline of Istanbul on both the European and the Asian shore.

After the cruise, a transfer takes you to Istanbul Airport for the flight to Cappadocia. On arrival, we bring you to your cave hotel, with breakfast included.

Optional early start: if you are up before dawn, you can join a hot air balloon flight over Cappadocia at sunrise (extra cost).

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.

Today you check out of the hotel, see more of Cappadocia and then fly to Izmir.

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

The 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 the tour, we take you to the airport for the flight to Izmir. On arrival you are transferred to Kusadasi for the night, with breakfast included.

After breakfast, we collect you from your hotel at 10:00 AM. The drive to the Magnesia Gate of Ephesus Ancient City takes about 20 minutes.

Inside the ancient city, a full tour takes in these sites:

• Library of Celsus: the striking facade of the ancient library, one of the best-known buildings in Ephesus.
• Temple of Hadrian: a grand temple built for the Roman emperor Hadrian, with well-kept columns and detailed reliefs.
• Terrace Houses (optional): the luxurious homes where the wealthy families of Ephesus once lived.
• Hercules Gate: a monumental gateway carved with scenes of the legendary hero.
• Grand Theatre: a vast theatre that once seated up to 25,000 people and is still used for performances today.
• The Snake Cult of Asklepios: learn about the ancient cult of Asklepios, god of healing, and see what is left of his temple.
• Herm (Marker) of Hermes: ancient marker stones that guided people and set boundaries in the city.
• Artemission: the site of the Temple of Artemis, which was counted among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
• Stone-carving of the goddess Nike: a finely carved relief of Nike, the winged goddess of victory.
• Fountain of Trajan: the well-preserved remains of a monumental fountain built in honour of Emperor Trajan.
• House of Virgin Mary (optional): the tour can end at the house that tradition holds to be the last resting place of the Virgin Mary.

16:00 PM: the tour ends and you are driven back to your hotel in Kusadasi for the night, with breakfast included.

Today you check out of the hotel, visit Pamukkale and then fly back to Istanbul.

07:30 – Hotel pick-up: meet your guide and set off.

• Hierapolis: see the Necropolis, the Theatre and the Cleopatra Pool (there is an admission charge to swim in the pool).
• Pamukkale: the main event is the famous travertines, white terraces of mineral-rich pools. Walk across their cotton-like surface and take in the view.
• Pamukkale Naturel Lake: there is also time for Pamukkale Naturel Lake and Park.

After the tour, a transfer takes you to Denizli Airport for the flight back to Istanbul.

Your departure airport transfer brings our services to a close.

If you want to stay longer, extra nights in Istanbul can be added.

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: $350