Turkey & Greece Tour Package: 13 Days, Istanbul to Santorini

When you land in Istanbul, a private transfer assistant is waiting at the airport to take you to your hotel. They help you check in, give you a short introduction to the city and answer any questions you have.

The rest of the day is free. You can rest, join a night cruise with dinner and a show, or treat yourself to a session at the Hamam Cimberlitas. Your guide will meet you tomorrow at 09:30 am.

You are taken to Istanbul airport for your flight to Kayseri. From the air you can see how varied Turkey's scenery is, from rolling hills to green valleys.

The guided tour usually begins at about 09:00 and wraps up no later than 16:00.

What you will see

Goreme Esentepe panoramic viewpoint: The day opens at Esentepe, a lookout between Uçhisar and Göreme. Below you spreads the Cappadocian landscape, with its fairy chimneys and the small town of Esentepe.

Zelve Open-Air Museum: Zelve was once a monastic community and a centre of Christian learning. Its monasteries, churches and chapels still hold well-preserved frescoes that show the region's long past.

Pasabag (Monks Valley): Paşabağ, also called "Pasha's Vineyard", is best known for its three-headed fairy chimneys, some of the most striking rock shapes anywhere in Cappadocia.

Devrent Valley: A short drive away, Devrent looks almost like the surface of the moon. Its small, pointed fairy chimneys invite you to spot shapes, and some really do 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 craftsmen at work and see how their ceramics are made.

Love Valley: The last stop is a valley shaped by millions of years of erosion. Cone-shaped pillars, pinnacles and fairy chimneys rise as high as 40 meters, which makes it one of the most unusual and photogenic corners of Cappadocia.

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

After checking out of the hotel, you spend the day on more of Cappadocia's highlights 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 on the way.

The guided tour usually begins at about 09:00 and wraps up no later than 16:00.

What you will see

Meskendir Valley (4.4 km trek): The day starts on foot with a 4.4 km walk through Meskendir Valley near Ortahisar. On the way you reach Meskendir Church, decorated with bold red geometric patterns and a large cross carved into the chapel ceiling. You can step inside and enjoy the valley around it.

Rose Valley: Tucked behind Ürgüp, this quiet valley is known for its unusual rock shapes and churches cut into the stone. Paths run through vineyards and gardens, linking small villages and towns, and local people sometimes offer fresh grapes, apples or apricots to walkers.

Red Valley: Like its neighbour, Red Valley has dramatic rock formations and old cave churches. Its winding trails spread out like a spider's web, connecting remote villages and farmland, and show both the nature and the history of Cappadocia.

Cavusin Valley: Çavuşin is one of the oldest settlements in Cappadocia. Its cave houses, cut straight into the rock, form a maze of old homes. The village also has the Church of John the Baptist, a 5th-century church and the largest cave church in the region.

Underground City: Early Christians dug 36 underground cities across Cappadocia to hide from persecution. You visit the largest and best known of them. It goes down eight levels, and you walk through parts of it to see old wineries, kitchens and living areas.

Pigeon Valley: On the edge of Göreme, this valley takes its name from the pigeon houses carved into its cliffs over the centuries. Farmers once used the droppings to fertilize their fields. Today it is a fine spot for wide views and photos.

Uchisar Castle panorama: The final stop is Uçhisar, the highest point in Cappadocia. Its landmark is Uçhisar Castle, a tall rock that once served as a fortress. From the top the whole region opens up, with Erciyes Mountain on the horizon.

When the tour ends, you are driven to the airport for the flight to Izmir. On landing, a transfer takes you to Kusadasi, where you stay overnight with breakfast included.

You are collected from your hotel at 10:00 AM. About 20 minutes later you arrive at the Magnesia Gate, the entrance to the ancient city of Ephesus.

Today's highlights

• The Library of Celsus and the Grand Theater, the two most famous sights of Ephesus.
• The ruins of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
• The Terrace Houses (optional), which show how people lived day to day in ancient Ephesus.
• A Turkish lunch at a local restaurant.
• The House of the Virgin Mary (optional), a place of pilgrimage for many visitors.

When the tour is over, you are taken back to your hotel in Kusadasi.

An early morning pick-up from your hotel brings you to Pamukkale, where you join our Pamukkale tour group.

Today's highlights

Hierapolis Ruins: The first stop is Hierapolis, an ancient city with a long history. As you walk around the site, the remains of large buildings, old streets and everyday objects tell you how its people once lived.

Temple of Apollo: Among the ruins stands the Temple of Apollo, a fine example of classical building. Its architecture shows how much the temple mattered to the culture of the ancient city.

Calcium Terraces: You can walk slowly across the white calcium terraces that make Pamukkale a natural treasure. Hot springs rich in minerals created this cascade of pools over time.

After the tour, you are transferred to Denizli airport for the flight to Istanbul, where you spend the night.

At 09:30 am your guide picks you up for a full-day walking tour through the historic core of Ottoman and Byzantine Istanbul. You spend the night in Istanbul.

Today's highlights

• Topkapi Palace (optional): the lavish former home of the Ottoman sultans, with detailed architecture, fine treasures and wide views over the Istanbul skyline.
• Blue Mosque: go inside to see the famous blue tiles and feel the calm of this great building.
• Hippodrome: once the centre of Byzantine entertainment and chariot racing, where ancient obelisks and monuments still recall the city's great past.
• Hagia Sophia (optional): a UNESCO World Heritage Site with vast domes, striking mosaics and a rare mix of Byzantine and Islamic influences.
• Grand Bazaar: one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world, a maze of lanes lined with colourful stalls full of Turkish goods.

Today you fly to Athens, and we transfer you from the airport to your hotel. Your local guide will meet you tomorrow at 09:30 am.

After breakfast, at the time agreed with you, a panoramic tour of the Neoclassical centre of Athens begins.

The Athenian Neoclassical Center: You pass the Parliament, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the University, the Library and the National Academy, the Ilion Palace, the Temple of Zeus and Hadrian's Gate, the Panathenaic Stadium and many more monuments and places of interest.

Acropolis: Next you climb the "sacred rock" to the Acropolis, a site like no other, and then visit the Acropolis Museum.

Entrance to both sites is included. A licensed English-speaking tour guide stays with you and explains their history and background.

When the visit ends, you can go back to your hotel or wander on your own through the pretty streets of Plaka.

You spend the night in Athens.

In the morning your assistant arranges a private ride to the port of Piraeus.

From there a ferry carries you to the famous island of Mykonos. The crossing is a good time to sit on the sun deck and look out over the deep blue Aegean.

The name Mykonos means "heap of stones" or "rocky place" and comes from the hero Mykonos, son of King Anius of Delos. When you arrive, an English-speaking representative meets you, takes you to your hotel and shows you around the island.

The rest of the day is yours. Enjoy the relaxed pace of island life, walk the pretty lanes in daylight and, after dark, try the island's lively party scene.

You spend the night on Mykonos.

Today is free to explore Mykonos, long a meeting place of the international jet set, with lovely beaches, stylish shops and busy nightlife.

The island's food is mostly Mediterranean: vegetables, olive oil and many fish and seafood dishes, flavoured with herbs such as oregano and basil.

The historic island of Delos is only a short ferry ride away. In Greek mythology it is the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. People have lived on this small island since 3000 B.C., and in ancient times it was a major cultural centre.

After a Greek-style breakfast, our representative collects you at the agreed time in one of our private vehicles and drives you to the port.

Your next island is Santorini. As the ferry comes in, look up at Fira, the capital, where white houses sit on top of the cliffs above the volcano. The rest of the day is free to walk the narrow streets and take in the island.

An English-speaking representative meets you at the port, drives you to your hotel and gives you a short guide to what the island has to offer.

This is a free day to explore Santorini at your own pace. Many consider the island to be the lost continent of Atlantis.

Santorini got its name from the Venetian Giacomo Barozzi, because of a chapel there dedicated to Saint Eirini. His descendants stayed until 1576, when the island became part of the Duchy of Naxos, and remained so until the Turkish conquest by Piyale Pasha.

You spend the night on Santorini.

At the agreed time you are driven to Santorini airport, where you board your flight to Athens. This marks the end of our services.

Optional extras

• Cappadocia hot air balloon (GOREME): $310
• One extra night at an Istanbul hotel, before or after the tour: $65
• Two extra nights at an Istanbul hotel, before or after the tour: $125