Golden Triangle of Turkey Private Tour: 8 Days with Flights

When you land at Istanbul Airport or S.Gokcen Airport, our representative is waiting to help you with the transfer to your hotel.

After check-in, the rest of the day is free. Rest after your journey or take a first look at the neighbourhood at your own pace.

Your guide picks you up from the hotel at 09:30 AM for a full-day walking tour through the core of Ottoman and Byzantine Istanbul. Today's highlights:

• Topkapi Palace (optional): Tour the former home of the Ottoman sultans and learn about its long history and fine architecture.
• Blue Mosque: See one of Istanbul's best-known landmarks, famous for its blue tiles and grand scale.
• Hippodrome: Walk the old chariot-racing ground and see the Egyptian Obelisk, the Serpent Column and the German Fountain.
• Hagia Sophia (optional): Go inside Hagia Sophia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to admire its Byzantine design and immense interior.
• Grand Bazaar: Wander the lively lanes of the Grand Bazaar, the oldest covered market in the world, and shop for souvenirs, spices and textiles.

At the end of the tour you return to your Istanbul hotel for the night, with breakfast included.

Today you check out of your hotel, see more of Istanbul and then fly to Cappadocia.

After breakfast, the first stop is the Egyptian Spice Bazaar. Follow the scents through the crowded market and browse its exotic spices, Turkish delight and other local products.

Next comes a relaxing Bosphorus Cruise between Europe and Asia. From the deck you see the city's mix of architecture and sail past grand Ottoman palaces, including Dolmabahce and Beylerbeyi.

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

If you wish, you can start the day with an optional early-morning hot air balloon flight over the Cappadocian landscape.

The guided tour usually starts at about 09:00 and ends by 16:00 at the latest. Today's highlights:

• Goreme Esentepe – Panoramic View: The day opens at the Esentepe lookout between Uçhisar and Göreme, with a wide view over the Cappadocian valleys, the fairy chimneys and the small town of Esentepe.
• Zelve Open-Air Museum: Zelve was once a centre of monastic life and Christian learning. Its old monasteries, churches and chapels still hold well-kept frescoes that tell the story of the region's past.
• Pasabag (Monks Valley): Paşabağ, the Monks Valley, is known for its three-headed fairy chimneys. Also called “Pasha's Vineyard”, it has some of the most dramatic rock pillars in Cappadocia.
• Devrent Valley: A short drive away, Devrent Valley looks almost like the surface of the moon. Its small, pointed chimneys invite you to spot shapes of animals and mythical creatures in the rock.
• Avanos Pottery Workshop: Avanos has been a pottery town since 3000 BC, and local craftsmen still work with clay from the Red River. At a traditional workshop you watch them shape their ceramics by hand.
• Love Valley: The last stop is Love Valley, where millions of years of erosion have carved cones, pinnacles and fairy chimneys, some as tall as 40 meters. It is one of the strangest and most photogenic places in Cappadocia.

You then return to your cave hotel for the night. Breakfast is included.

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

Please note: on some days there is no direct flight between Cappadocia and Izmir. On those days the flight connects with one stopover.

The guided tour usually starts at about 09:00 and ends by 16:00 at the latest. Today's highlights:

• 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 step inside Meskendir Church, decorated with bold red geometric patterns and a large cross carved into the chapel ceiling, and enjoy the valley scenery around it.
• Rose Valley: Behind Ürgüp lies Rose Valley, one of the finest spots in Cappadocia, with unusual rock shapes and churches cut into the stone out of sight. Paths run through vineyards and gardens between small villages and towns, and locals sometimes offer walkers fresh grapes, apples or apricots.
• Red Valley: Red Valley shares the dramatic rock forms and old cave churches of its neighbour. Its trails branch out like a spider's web, tying together remote villages and fields, so you see the region's landscape and history side by side.
• Cavusin Valley: Çavuşin is one of the oldest villages in Cappadocia, its cave homes cut into the cliff in a maze of old dwellings. The village's Church of John the Baptist, dating from the 5th century, is the biggest cave church in the region.
• Underground City: Early Christians dug 36 underground cities in 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 rooms.
• Pigeon Valley: On the edge of Göreme, Pigeon Valley takes its name from the dovecotes cut into its cliffs over many centuries. Farmers once collected the droppings to fertilise their fields. Today the valley is a wide viewpoint and a favourite photo stop.
• Uchisar Castle Panorama: The final stop is Uçhisar, the highest point in Cappadocia. Its landmark is Uçhisar Castle, a tall rock outcrop once used as a fortress. From the top you can see across the whole region to Erciyes Mountain on the horizon.

When the tour ends, you transfer to the airport for the flight to Izmir. From Izmir you are driven to Kusadasi for the night, with breakfast included.

After breakfast you are picked up at your hotel at 10:00 AM. A drive of about 20 minutes brings you to the Magnesia Gate of Ephesus Ancient City.

From there a full guided walk takes in the main sites:

• Library of Celsus: Stand before the richly carved facade of the library, one of the best-known buildings in Ephesus.
• Temple of Hadrian: See the temple built for Emperor Hadrian, with its well-kept columns and finely worked reliefs.
• Terrace Houses (optional): Go inside the hillside homes where the wealthy families of Ephesus once lived.
• Hercules Gate: Walk through the great gateway decorated with carvings of the mythical hero.
• Grand Theatre: Take in the vast theatre that held as many as 25,000 people and is still used for performances today.
• Herm (Marker) of Hermes: Find the old stone markers that once guided travellers and marked boundaries in the city.
• Artemission: Visit the spot where the Temple of Artemis, one of the ancient world's Seven Wonders, used to stand.
• Stone-carving of the goddess Nike: Look closely at the relief of Nike, the winged goddess of victory.
• Fountain of Trajan: View the remains of the large fountain raised in honour of Emperor Trajan.
• House of Virgin Mary (optional): End with a visit to the House of the Virgin Mary, believed to be where she spent her last days.

Afterwards you return to your hotel in Kusadasi for the night, with breakfast included.

Today you check out of your hotel, visit Pamukkale and then fly back to Istanbul. Today's highlights:

• Hierapolis: See the Necropolis, the Theatre and the Cleopatra Pool. (There is an admission charge to swim in the Cleopatra Pool.)
• Pamukkale: The main event is Pamukkale's travertines, a natural wonder of bright white terraces filled with mineral-rich pools. Walk on the soft, cotton-like surface and enjoy the views.
• Pamukkale Naturel Lake: There is also time to visit Pamukkale Naturel Lake and Park, which add to the beauty of the area.

After the tour you transfer to Denizli Airport for your flight back to Istanbul.

After breakfast you check out, and our representative helps you with your transfer to the airport. This is where our services end.

To stay longer in Istanbul, simply add extra days to your package in the booking form.

Optional extras

• Cappadocia hot air balloon (Goreme): $310
• One extra night in an Istanbul hotel, before or after the tour: $65