Express Turkey Tour with Gulet Cruise: Istanbul, Cappadocia & Fethiye
Overview
Express Turkey Tour with Gulet Cruise: Istanbul, Cappadocia & Fethiye
This 8-day package moves quickly through some of Turkey’s best-known places. In Istanbul, historic landmarks and busy bazaars show you the depth of the country’s culture. A flight then takes you to Cappadocia and its strange rock formations.
Next is Pamukkale, known for its white travertine terraces and ancient thermal pools. The trip ends at sea with a 3-day gulet cruise from Fethiye, with turquoise water, quiet bays and a beautiful coastline.
Guided tours, accommodation with breakfast, transfers in an air-conditioned vehicle, domestic flights and admission fees on the itinerary are part of the package. Lunches, dinners and optional extra activities are not included.
Tour Info
Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrival in Istanbul & Airport Transfer
When you arrive at Istanbul Airport, a driver is waiting to bring you to the hotel. The day has no fixed plans, and you meet your guide the next morning at 09:30 AM.
Day 2 – Istanbul Highlights, Bosphorus Cruise & Flight to Cappadocia
Today you check out of the hotel, tour the highlights of Istanbul and then fly to Cappadocia.
- 09:30 AM – Hotel pick-up: meet your guide and set off into Istanbul’s Ottoman and Byzantine past.
- 10:00 AM – Topkapi Palace (optional): the former home of the Ottoman sultans, full of fine architecture and historic objects. This visit depends on the schedule and entrance tickets.
- 11:30 AM – Blue Mosque: go inside to see its calm interior and famous blue tiles.
- 12:00 PM – Hippodrome: walk across the old arena of Byzantine chariot races, with its historic monuments and obelisks.
- 1:00 PM – Lunch break (optional): time to eat at a local restaurant (cost not included).
- 2:00 PM – Hagia Sophia (optional): a building where Byzantine and Islamic art and architecture meet. This visit depends on the schedule and ticket availability.
- 3:30 PM – Grand Bazaar: lose yourself in its busy lanes and shop for Turkish goods and souvenirs.
- 5:00 PM – Bosphorus Cruise: finish the day on the water, with views of both the European and the Asian shore.
- 6:30 PM – Transfer to Istanbul Airport: after the cruise you are driven to the airport for your flight to Cappadocia.
On arrival in Cappadocia you are taken to your cave hotel for the night. Breakfast is included.
Day 3 – Cappadocia Tour & Flight to Izmir
Today you check out of the hotel and see more of Cappadocia before your flight to Izmir.
Note: on some days there is no direct flight between Cappadocia and Izmir, so a stopover may be needed.
Early in the morning, those who wish can take an optional hot air balloon flight over the unusual landscapes of Cappadocia.
The tour usually begins around 09:00 and is over by 16:00 at the latest.
Highlights of the day:
- Goreme Esentepe – Panoramic View: the day opens at the Esentepe viewpoint between Uçhisar and Göreme, with wide views over the fairy chimneys and the town of Esentepe.
- Zelve Open-Air Museum: once a centre of monastic life and Christian learning, Zelve is full of old monasteries, churches and chapels whose frescoes have survived in good condition.
- Pasabag (Monks Valley): Paşabağ is known for its three-headed fairy chimneys. Locals also call it "Pasha’s Vineyard", and its rock shapes are among the most striking in Cappadocia.
- Devrent Valley: a short drive away, this valley looks almost like the surface of the moon. Its small, pointed fairy chimneys take on the shapes of animals and mythical creatures.
- Avanos Pottery Workshop: Avanos has been a pottery town since 3000 BC, and its craftsmen still shape clay taken from the Red River. You stop at a traditional workshop to watch them at work.
- Love Valley: the last stop. Millions of years of erosion have carved cone-shaped pillars, pinnacles and fairy chimneys here, some of them up to 40 meters tall, which makes it one of the most unusual and photogenic corners of Cappadocia.
- Airport transfer: after the tour you are taken to the airport for your flight to Izmir.
- Arrival in Izmir: you are then driven to Kusadasi for the night, with breakfast included.
Day 4 – Pamukkale Travertines, then Fethiye
Today you check out of the hotel, visit Pamukkale and then continue to Fethiye.
The tour usually starts around 07:30.
Highlights of the tour include:
- Hierapolis: the Necropolis, the Theatre and the Cleopatra Pool (there is an admission charge if you want to swim in it).
- Pamukkale: the main event of the day, the famous travertines with their white terraces of mineral-rich pools. You can walk across the soft, cotton-like surface and take in the views.
- Pamukkale Naturel Lake: there is also time for Pamukkale Naturel Lake and Park, which round off the visit.
Day 5 – Gulet Cruise: Fethiye to St. Nicholas Island
Please be at Fethiye Harbor by 10:00 AM.
Once you have checked in, you board the gulet and get a short orientation. The boat then leaves Fethiye Harbor for its first stop, Butterfly Valley. There is time for a swim, lunch and an optional walk up to the waterfall. More than 136 species of moths and butterflies live in the valley, though they are harder to see on hot days.
Optional activity – paragliding over the Blue Lagoon: next comes Oludeniz (Blue Lagoon), one of the most photographed beaches in the world. Guests who want to can go paragliding, taking off from Babadag Mountain at 2000 meters and gliding down over the lagoon. Booking ahead is recommended to get special rates. If you decide during the cruise, just tell the captain.
In the evening the gulet anchors at St. Nicholas Island. Walk up through the ancient ruins and watch the sun go down from the top. (L, D)
Day 6 – Gulet Cruise: St. Nicholas Island to Kas
The morning starts with a swim in the clear water of Aquarium Bay near Kalkan, followed by breakfast on board.
The gulet then sails on to Kas, a small fishing village full of lively cafes, beer gardens and independent shops. It is a good place to browse for handmade jewellery, and it also has a well-preserved ancient theater.
Optional activity – diving: Kas is one of the top diving spots in southern Turkey. Beginners and certified divers alike can explore caves and wrecks below the surface. Book ahead for discounted rates.
You spend the night in a quiet bay between Kas and Kekova. (B, L, D)
Day 7 – Sunken City, Simena Castle & Flight to Istanbul
After breakfast the gulet heads for the Sunken City, a Lycian town that slipped under the sea after an earthquake in the second century. The boat moves slowly along the ruins of this protected World Heritage site so you can see them from the deck. Swimming, diving and snorkeling are not allowed here.
The next anchorage is near Kekova, where you go ashore for Simena Castle. A short climb to the top rewards you with lovely views across the bay.
In the afternoon the gulet reaches Demre Harbor and the cruise ends. You are picked up and driven to the airport for your flight back to Istanbul.
Day 8 – Departure Transfer & Farewell
Today you are transferred to the airport for your departure, and this is where our services end.
Extra nights in Istanbul can be added if you would like to stay longer.
Important Notes
Optional extras
- Cappadocia hot air balloon flight (GOREME): $310
- One extra hotel night in Istanbul, before or after the tour: $65
- Upgrade to a private tour: $400
Inclusions & Exclusions
- ✓Accommodations with breakfast
- ✓Professional guide
- ✓Transfers
- ✓Air-conditioned vehicle
- ✓Domestic Flight Fares in the itinerary
- ✓Admission Fees in the itinerary
- ✓With Gulet: 3 Days 2 Nights
- ✕Lunch, Dinner
- ✕Optional additional tours or activities
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Express Turkey tour with gulet cruise: the key facts
This is an 8-day, 7-night group tour that starts and ends at Istanbul Airport. After an arrival night in Istanbul, you see the old city and the Bosphorus, fly to Cappadocia for one night, fly on to Izmir, visit Pamukkale on the way to Fethiye, and spend three days and two nights on a gulet along the coast to Demre. You then fly back to Istanbul for a final night, and Day 8 is your departure transfer.
The extra day at the end is what sets it apart from our 7-day version: you do not have to arrange your own last night or airport transfer after the cruise. It suits first-time visitors who want both a city and a sea part and like having the logistics taken care of from start to finish. The price is from $3,005 per person.
| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Length | 8 days / 7 nights |
| Route | Istanbul - Cappadocia - Izmir / Kusadasi - Pamukkale - Fethiye - gulet to Kas and Kekova - Demre - Istanbul |
| Style | Group tour (private upgrade available for $400) |
| Start / end | Istanbul Airport arrival on Day 1 / Istanbul Airport departure transfer on Day 8 |
| Included | Hotels with breakfast, professional guide, transfers, air-conditioned vehicle, domestic flights, admission fees in the itinerary, gulet 3 days / 2 nights |
| Extra | Lunch and dinner, hot air balloon ($310), optional tours and activities |
How is this different from the 7-day gulet tour?
The sightseeing from Day 2 to Day 7 follows the same line as our 7-Day Turkey Tour with Gulet Cruise: one Istanbul day, one Cappadocia day, Pamukkale, then the boat. The difference is Day 8. Here the flight from Demre lands you back in Istanbul with a hotel night and a transfer to the airport the next day, so you can book your international flight home from Istanbul without worrying about the time the boat arrives. The Istanbul timings on Day 2 are also a little later, with the Bosphorus cruise at 17:00 and the airport transfer at 18:30.
Does the tour include a guided visit to Ephesus?
No. You sleep in Kusadasi on Night 3, which is close to Ephesus, but the next morning the tour leaves for Pamukkale around 07:30. If you want to see the ancient city, ask us to add a night and a guided day in Kusadasi, or choose a route with an Ephesus day, such as the Private Cappadocia, Ephesus and Pamukkale tour with gulet. Our Ephesus and Kusadasi guide covers what there is to see.
How do the domestic flights work?
All three domestic flights are in the price: Istanbul to Cappadocia on the evening of Day 2, Cappadocia to Izmir on Day 3, and the Demre area to Istanbul on Day 7. On some days there is no direct flight to Izmir, so there may be one stop. The allowance is one 15 kg checked bag and one 8 kg cabin bag, with extra weight at $2 per kg. Transfers between airports, hotels and the harbour are included.
Is the balloon flight in Cappadocia included?
No. The balloon is an optional extra at $310, offered at dawn on Day 3, the only morning you are in Cappadocia. Flights depend on daily permission from Turkey's civil aviation authority, and wind often grounds all balloons, so book it knowing there is no backup morning on this tour. If you would rather have a second chance, ask to add a Cappadocia night. You can compare balloon types on our Cappadocia tours page and in our balloon price guide.
What is the gulet cruise like?
You report to Fethiye Harbour by 10:00 on Day 5. The first stop is Butterfly Valley for a swim and lunch, with an optional walk to the waterfall, and the boat anchors at St. Nicholas Island in the evening. On Day 6 you swim at Aquarium Bay near Kalkan, have free time in Kas, and spend the night in a bay between Kas and Kekova. Day 7 passes over the Sunken City, where swimming and snorkelling are not allowed, with a stop at Simena Castle before Demre. The page lists some meals on board but also excludes lunch and dinner, so ask us to confirm the boat meals in writing. More on the coast is on our Fethiye guide.
When is the best time to go?
This route depends on the boat, so it fits the gulet season, which on this coast runs from late spring to October. June and September are usually warm enough to swim without the heaviest crowds and heat of midsummer. Early and late in the season, evenings on deck are cooler, so pack a light jacket. If you are travelling outside these months, talk to us about replacing the cruise. See best time to visit Turkey.
What should we wear on this trip?
For the Blue Mosque on Day 2, cover shoulders and knees, and women also cover their hair; shoes come off at the door. Mosques close to visitors during prayer times, so the guide plans around them. At the Pamukkale travertines you walk barefoot, so bring shoes that slip on and off easily. On the gulet you will want swimwear, a hat and sun cream.
Can we add nights or go private?
Yes. You can add an extra Istanbul hotel night before or after the tour for $65, and upgrade the whole tour to private for $400. Extra nights in Cappadocia or Kusadasi, or a different order, depend on flight times and the boat's departure day, so tell us before you book. If you want more time in the city, our Istanbul guide shows what you could add.
How do we book this tour?
Use the booking form on this page to choose a date and the number of guests (1 to 12), or write to us on WhatsApp at +90 545 307 67 88. We check the flights and boat dates, confirm hotels and meals, and send you the full plan in writing before any payment. Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay and American Express are accepted. Get Turkey Tours is a TÜRSAB-licensed agency (A-15751).
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