Turkey & Greece Private Tour 9 Days: Istanbul, Cappadocia, Athens
Overview
Turkey & Greece Private Tour 9 Days: Istanbul, Cappadocia, Athens
This private, guided 9-day trip combines the highlights of Turkey and Greece. You visit Istanbul, Cappadocia, Athens and Santorini, and the flights between each destination are included.
In Istanbul you see famous landmarks such as the Blue Mosque and can shop for traditional Turkish souvenirs in the Grand Bazaar. A flight then takes you to Cappadocia, whose landscapes of volcanic rock formations are unlike anywhere else.
In Greece the program includes the ancient city of Delphi with its well-preserved ruins and the Temple of Apollo. The journey ends on Santorini, one of the most picturesque Greek islands, giving you a broad view of the cultures and history of both countries.
Private local guides, all transfers, VIP entrance fees to museums and attractions, and 5-star or boutique hotels with breakfast are included. Lunch, dinner, the hot air balloon tour, personal expenses and optional extra activities are not.
Tour Info
Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrival in Istanbul
We meet you at Istanbul Airport and drive you to your hotel. No activities are planned for today.
Day 2 – Istanbul Classical Old City
This morning a half-day tour introduces Istanbul's most emblematic sights and monuments. Your guide picks you up from the hotel for a full-day walking tour through the heart of Ottoman and Byzantine history.
- Blue Mosque: One of Istanbul's best-known landmarks, famous for its blue tiles and grand scale.
- Hippodrome: The old chariot-racing ground, where the Egyptian Obelisk, the Serpent Column and the German Fountain still stand.
- Hagia Sophia (optional): Step inside this UNESCO World Heritage Site and see its Byzantine architecture and vast interior.
Afterwards you are taken back to your Istanbul hotel for the night, with breakfast included.
Day 3 – Flight to Cappadocia and Göreme Tour
Early morning: You are collected from your Istanbul hotel at 04:00 AM and taken to the airport for the 06:55 AM flight to Cappadocia.
Morning: Our guide meets you on arrival and drives you to Goreme, where the tour begins.
Around 09:00 AM: Your first day of sightseeing focuses on the Fairy Chimneys and Rock Churches that give Cappadocia its character. The tour usually starts around 09:00 and finishes by 16:00 at the latest.
- Goreme Esentepe panorama: The day opens at the Esentepe viewpoint between Uçhisar and Göreme, where the fairy chimneys and the town of Esentepe spread out below you.
- Zelve Open-Air Museum: This former monastic settlement was once a centre of Christian learning. Its monasteries, churches and chapels still hold well-preserved frescoes from the region's past.
- Pasabag (Monks Valley): Paşabağ, also called “Pasha's Vineyard”, is known for its three-headed fairy chimneys, some of the most striking rock shapes in Cappadocia.
- Devrent Valley: A short drive away, Devrent looks almost like the surface of the moon. Its small, pointed chimneys invite you to spot animals and mythical creatures in the rock.
- Avanos pottery workshop: Avanos has made pottery since 3000 BC, using clay from the Red River. At a traditional workshop you watch local artisans shape their ceramics by hand.
- Love Valley: The final stop is Love Valley, where millions of years of erosion have carved cone-shaped pillars, pinnacles and fairy chimneys, some up to 40 meters tall. It is one of the strangest and most photogenic places in the region.
You return to your Cave Hotel for the night, with breakfast included.
Day 4 – Cappadocia Land Tour and Valley Hike
If you wish, begin with an optional hot air balloon flight at sunrise. You drift over the fairy chimneys and rock formations as the sky changes colour, then toast the landing with champagne before the transfer back to your hotel.
The tour usually starts around 09:00 and finishes by 16:00 at the latest.
- Meskendir Valley (4.4 km trek): The day starts with a 4.4 km walk through Meskendir Valley near Ortahisar. You can go inside Meskendir Church to see its bold red geometric decoration and the large cross carved into the chapel ceiling.
- Rose Valley: Behind Ürgüp, this quiet valley is known for its rock shapes and tucked-away rock-cut churches. Footpaths run through vineyards and gardens between small villages, and locals sometimes offer walkers fresh grapes, apples or apricots.
- Red Valley: Rose Valley's neighbour has similar rock formations and old cave churches. Its trails criss-cross like a spider's web, linking remote villages and farmland.
- Cavusin Valley: Çavuşin is one of the oldest settlements in Cappadocia, a maze of cave houses cut into the rock. It is also home to the 5th-century Church of John the Baptist, the largest cave church in Cappadocia.
- Underground City: Early Christians built 36 underground cities in Cappadocia to escape persecution. You visit the largest and best known of them. It has eight levels, and you can explore parts of it, including old wineries, kitchens and living quarters.
- 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 as fertiliser for their fields. Today it is a fine spot for wide views and photos.
- Uchisar Castle panorama: The tour ends in Uçhisar, the highest point in Cappadocia. Its rock castle once served as a fortress, and from the top you look across the whole region to Erciyes Mountain on the horizon.
After a day of walking and sightseeing you are back at your hotel around 16:00 for the night.
Day 5 – Flight to Athens, Greece
You transfer to Kayseri airport and fly to Istanbul, where you change to your connecting flight to Athens*.
At Athens Airport we meet you and take you to your hotel. No activities are planned for today.
* Flight details: TK 2017 from ASR at 13:25, arriving IST at 14:55; then TK 1845 from IST at 18:50, arriving ATH at 20:15.
Day 6 – Guided Tour of Athens and the Acropolis
A licensed English-speaking Tour Guide stays with you all day and explains the history and background of each site.
After breakfast, at the time agreed with you, a panoramic drive takes you through the Neoclassical centre of Athens. 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 other notable monuments and sites.
Next you climb to the “sacred rock”, the Acropolis, one of the most remarkable ancient sites anywhere, and visit the Acropolis Museum.
When the visit ends, you can return to your hotel or set off on your own through the pretty streets of Plaka. Overnight in Athens.
Day 7 – Ferry from Athens to Santorini
Early in the morning our vehicle takes you to the port of Piraeus, where you board the ferry to Santorini, an island that has inspired visitors for centuries.
As the ferry approaches, the town of Fira comes into view, its white houses hanging over the cliff edge above the volcano.
One of our representatives meets you at the port, drives you to your hotel and shares a first-hand introduction to the island and its character.
The rest of the day is free. Wander the scenic alleys by day, and at night join the island's lively party scene if you like.
Overnight in Santorini.
Day 8 – Free Day in Santorini
Today is yours to explore the island at your own pace. Santorini is often linked with the legend of the lost continent of Atlantis.
The island owes its name to the Venetian Giacomo Barozzi, who named it after a chapel dedicated to Saint Eirini. His descendants held it until 1576, when it became part of the Duchy of Naxos, and so it remained until the Turkish conquest by Piyale Pasha.
Overnight in Santorini.
Day 9 – Departure Transfer
At the agreed time you transfer to Santorini airport and board your flight to Athens. The timing is arranged so that you reach the airport in line with your international flight.
Important Notes
Optional extras
- Hot air balloon flight in Cappadocia (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
Inclusions & Exclusions
- ✓All flights in the program
- ✓Private Local Guides
- ✓Accommodations in a 5-star or boutique hotel with breakfast
- ✓All Transfers
- ✓VIP Entrance Fees to museums and attractions
- ✕Lunch, dinner
- ✕Hot Air Balloon Tour
- ✕Personal Expenses
- ✕Optional additional tours or activities
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Private Turkey and Greece tour in 9 days: the key facts
This is the private version of our 9-day, two-country combo. In 9 days and 8 nights you spend two nights each in Istanbul, Cappadocia, Athens and Santorini. All flights are included, and the Santorini leg is a ferry from Piraeus. The difference from the group version is who travels with you. You have private local guides and your own transfers, rather than a shared group. Hotels are listed as 5-star or boutique, and entrance fees to museums and sites are listed as VIP entry.
It suits couples, families and small groups who want the Cappadocia and Santorini pairing at their own pace, with a guide who works only for them. The price is from $3,730 per person.
| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Length | 9 days / 8 nights |
| Route | Istanbul – Cappadocia – Athens – Santorini – Athens |
| Style | Private tour |
| Start / end | Istanbul Airport pickup on Day 1 / Santorini to Athens flight, timed for your international departure, on Day 9 |
| Included | All flights in the programme, private local guides, 5-star or boutique hotels with breakfast, all transfers, VIP entrance fees to museums and attractions |
| Extra | Lunch, dinner, balloon ($310), personal expenses, optional tours, extra Istanbul nights ($65 for one, $125 for two) |
What does "private" mean on this tour?
The page lists private local guides and all transfers, so in Istanbul, Cappadocia and Athens the guide and vehicle are for your party only. In practice that lets you set the pace at each site and take breaks when you want, though the page does not promise any particular flexibility. On Day 6 the page says the Athens tour starts "at the time agreed with you", with a licensed English-speaking guide all day. On Santorini a representative meets you at the port, and the rest is free time. Our private tour guide cost guide explains how private guiding is usually priced.
How early is the Cappadocia flight?
Very early. The page says you are collected from your Istanbul hotel at 04:00 on Day 3 for a 06:55 flight to Cappadocia. Your guide meets you on arrival and the Göreme tour starts at about 09:00. Because the tour is private, ask whether a later flight is possible for your date. It would shorten the first Cappadocia day, so weigh the trade-off. On Day 5 the page lists TK 2017 from Kayseri at 13:25 to Istanbul, then TK 1845 at 18:50 to Athens, landing at 20:15. Confirm all times in your written plan.
Is Istanbul a half day or a full day?
The page says both, so get it confirmed in writing. Day 2 opens with "a half-day tour" and in the next sentence calls it "a full-day walking tour". The stops listed are the Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome and Hagia Sophia, marked optional. Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar are not on the list, though the overview mentions the Grand Bazaar. With a private guide you can ask to plan the day around what you most want to see. For more time in the city, see our Istanbul private tour guide page.
Is Delphi included?
Check this too. The overview says the programme includes "the ancient city of Delphi with its well-preserved ruins and the Temple of Apollo". The day plan has no Delphi visit: Day 6 is Athens and the Acropolis, Day 7 the ferry, Day 8 free on Santorini. Ask whether Delphi can be added as a private day trip and what it would cost.
Which entrance fees are covered?
The inclusions list "VIP entrance fees to museums and attractions". Yet Hagia Sophia on Day 2 is marked optional, and the page does not say whether that entry is part of the VIP tickets. In Cappadocia the day plan includes Zelve, the underground city and other sites. In Athens it includes the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum. Ask us for a written list of every ticket in the price. The balloon is not one of them.
Is the balloon included, and can we try twice?
No. The balloon is excluded and costs $310 per person. The page places it at sunrise on Day 4, before the valley tour, with a champagne toast after landing. Because your Day 5 flight leaves Kayseri at 13:25, ask whether the Day 5 dawn can be used if Day 4 is called off. Balloon flights depend on the weather. Our balloon price guide compares the options.
Which hotels do we get?
The page promises a "5-star or boutique hotel with breakfast". It does not name the hotels, and in Cappadocia the day plan calls it a cave hotel. Ask for the hotel names and room types in all four places for your dates before you pay. Our where to stay in Cappadocia guide compares the main villages. Lunches and dinners are not included anywhere on the trip.
Can we extend the trip?
Extra Istanbul nights are listed at $65 for one or $125 for two, "before or after the tour". The tour ends in Athens, so a night after it would need a separate flight back to Istanbul. Ask how that would work, or add the nights at the start. For a lower price with the same four places, compare the group Turkey and Greece combo in 9 days from $3,165. Other routes are on our Istanbul and Greece packages page, and higher-end trips are under luxury tours.
How do I book this private 9-day tour?
Choose your date and number of guests in the booking form on this page and send it, or message us on WhatsApp. Tell us about any changes you want, such as a later flight or a Delphi day. We send you the full plan in writing, with hotel names, flight and ferry times, the ticket list and the length of the Istanbul day. You pay only after you have read and confirmed it. The tour is run by Get Turkey Tours, TÜRSAB licence A-15751.
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