Istanbul & Cappadocia Tour Package: 5 Days, Private

When you arrive, we drive you to your hotel. Nothing is planned for today, so the time is yours. If you would like tips on restaurants or ideas for the afternoon, just ask your agent.

At 09:30 am our guide starts a full-day tour with you through the heart of Ottoman and Byzantine history. The day ends with a Bosphorus Cruise.

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.

Late in the day you board the Bosphorus Cruise. From the deck you see the Istanbul skyline on both the European and the Asian side.

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

If you wish, you can start the day early with an optional hot air balloon flight over Cappadocia's rock landscape.

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.

At around 09:00 AM you check out of your hotel and set off to see more of Cappadocia's lesser-known corners.

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.

At the end of the tour you say goodbye to Cappadocia and are driven to the airport for the 19:20 flight (if it is full, the 21:00 flight; *the flight may be replaced). In Istanbul a transfer takes you back to your hotel.

***Flight times can change with availability, but we always book flights that fit the programme. Istanbul has two airports, and we cannot guarantee which one your Cappadocia flights will use. If you want to fly into a particular airport, please say so on the booking form.

Want more time in Cappadocia? Use the booking form to add extra days to your package.

At the time you request, we drive you to the airport, and our services end here.

Want more time in Istanbul? Use the booking form to add extra days to your package.

Optional extras

• Cappadocia hot air balloon (GOREME): $310
• One extra night at an Istanbul hotel, before or after the tour: $65
• Upgrade to a private tour: $250