Turkey 10-Day Tour Package: Istanbul, Cappadocia, Antalya, Pamukkale

At Istanbul airport a driver welcomes you and brings you to the hotel. The day has no further plans. Your guide joins you at 09:30 AM the next morning.

Your guide collects you at 09:30 AM for a full day on foot through the Byzantine and Ottoman centre of Istanbul.

• 09:30 AM – Hotel pick-up: The guide meets you at your hotel and the walking tour begins.
• 10:00 AM – Topkapi Palace (optional): See the palace where the Ottoman sultans once lived, known for its history and fine architecture.
• 11:30 AM – Blue Mosque: Visit the famous mosque, admired for its delicate blue tiles and its grand form.
• 12:30 PM – Lunch break (not included): Stop for lunch at a local restaurant.
• 1:30 PM – Hippodrome: Walk the old chariot-racing ground and see the Egyptian Obelisk, the Serpent Column and the German Fountain.
• 2:30 PM – Hagia Sophia (optional): Step inside this UNESCO World Heritage Site to see its Byzantine architecture and vast interior.
• 3:30 PM – Grand Bazaar: Browse the busy lanes of the world's oldest covered market for souvenirs, spices and textiles.
• 5:00 PM – Hotel drop-off: You are driven back to your Istanbul hotel for the night, with breakfast included.

• 08:30 AM – Breakfast: Begin the day with breakfast at your hotel.
• 09:30 AM – Egyptian Spice Bazaar: Wander among stalls piled with spices, Turkish delight and local products, and take in the scents and buzz of the market.
• 11:00 AM – Bosphorus Cruise: Board a boat and sail the strait between Europe and Asia, with Istanbul's mix of building styles on both shores.
• 12:30 PM – Lunch break (not included): Stop for lunch at a local restaurant.
• 2:00 PM – Bosphorus Cruise continues: Back on the water, you pass Ottoman palaces such as Dolmabahce Palace and Beylerbeyi Palace and enjoy wide views of the city.
• 4:00 PM – Hotel transfer: After the cruise you are taken back to your hotel for the night, with breakfast included.

An early start today: you are collected from your hotel at 04:00 AM and driven to the airport for the 06:55 AM flight to Cappadocia.

Our guide welcomes you on arrival and takes you to Goreme, where the day's touring begins.

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

Highlights of the day

• Goreme Esentepe panoramic viewpoint: The first stop is Esentepe, a lookout point between Uçhisar and Göreme. From here the fairy chimneys, the wider Cappadocian scenery and the little town of Esentepe spread out below you.
• Zelve Open-Air Museum: Zelve was once a place of monastic life and Christian learning. Its monasteries, churches and chapels still hold well-kept frescoes that show how the valley looked in earlier centuries.
• Pasabag (Monks Valley): Paşabağ, also known as Monks Valley or "Pasha's Vineyard", is famous for fairy chimneys that split into three heads. Some of the most striking rock shapes in Cappadocia stand here.
• Devrent Valley: A short drive brings you to Devrent, where small, pointed fairy chimneys give the ground a moon-like look. Many of the rocks seem to take the form of animals or 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. In a traditional workshop you can watch them at the wheel.
• Love Valley: The last stop is Love Valley. Millions of years of erosion have carved cones, pinnacles and fairy chimneys here, some as tall as 40 meters, and few corners of Cappadocia are as unusual or as good for photos.

The tour finishes at around 16:00, and you are dropped off at your hotel in Cappadocia for the night.

• 05:00 AM – Hot air balloon ride (optional): If you choose, start the day drifting over Cappadocia's fairy chimneys and rock formations as the sun comes up.
• 07:00 AM – Champagne toast and hotel return: Raise a glass of champagne after landing, then head back to your hotel.
• 09:00 AM – Tour pick-up: Set off with your guide to see more of Cappadocia's lesser-known corners.

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

Highlights of the day

• Meskendir Valley (4.4 km trek): The day opens with a 4.4 km walk through Meskendir Valley near Ortahisar. On the way you can go inside Meskendir Church, painted with bold red geometric patterns and with a large cross carved into the chapel ceiling, and enjoy the scenery around it.
• Rose Valley: Behind Ürgüp lies this quiet valley of unusual rock shapes and churches cut into the stone. Footpaths run through vineyards and gardens between small villages, and locals sometimes hand walkers fresh grapes, apples or apricots.
• Red Valley: Red Valley has the same mix of striking rocks and old cave churches. Its paths cross one another like a spider's web, joining remote villages and farmland, and give a real feel for the region's nature and past.
• Cavusin Valley: Çavuşin Village is one of the oldest settlements in Cappadocia, a maze of homes carved into the rock. It is also where you find the Church of John the Baptist, the biggest cave church in the region, dating from the 5th century.
• Underground City: Early Christians dug 36 underground cities in Cappadocia to hide from persecution. You visit the largest and best known of them, which goes down eight levels; open sections include old wineries, kitchens and living rooms.
• Pigeon Valley: On the edge of Göreme, this valley is named after the pigeon houses cut into its cliffs over the centuries. Farmers once used the droppings to fertilise their fields. Today it offers wide views and good photo spots.
• Uchisar Castle Panorama: The final stop is Uçhisar, the highest point in Cappadocia. Its tall 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 full day out, you are driven back to your hotel to rest.

• 05:30 AM – Hotel pick-up: You are collected from your hotel for an early direct flight to Antalya.
• 08:00 AM – Arrival in Antalya: Your guide meets you and the tour of Antalya's ancient sites and natural scenery begins.
• 09:00 AM – Perge: Walk through the ancient city of Perge, with its large theatre, its road lined with columns and its many ruins.
• 11:00 AM – Aspendos Theater: See one of the best-preserved ancient theatres in Turkey, famous for its design and its acoustics.
• 12:30 PM – Lunch break (not included): Have lunch at a local restaurant and try some regional dishes.
• 2:00 PM – Side: Explore ancient Side, including its amphitheater and the well-known Temple of Apollo, and walk its old streets.
• 4:00 PM – Manavgat Waterfall: Relax by the falls and enjoy the green surroundings.
• 6:00 PM – Hotel transfer: You are taken to your hotel in central Antalya to unwind after the day.

Overnight: Antalya, resting up for the days ahead.

Today you can see Antalya's Mediterranean coast from the water on our optional boat trip, with lunch on board.

• 09:00 AM – Hotel pick-up: You are driven from your hotel to the boat dock.
• 09:30 AM – Departure: Sail along the coast on a comfortable boat, passing cliffs, coves and golden beaches.
• 10:30 AM – Swimming and snorkelling stop: Cool off in the clear water or snorkel to see the sea life.
• 12:00 PM – Lunch on board (included): Skilled chefs serve a meal of local dishes while you relax on the wide deck.
• 1:30 PM – Free time on deck: Sunbathe, unwind and take photos of the coastline.
• 3:30 PM – Return to the dock and hotel transfer: The boat heads back to the dock, and you are driven to your hotel.

This day is yours to spend in Antalya as you wish. You might walk the lanes of Kaleiçi (Old Town), looking at Ottoman-era houses, quiet courtyards and ancient ruins, or shop for souvenirs in local stores.

Stop for a Turkish coffee in a small café or try local food at a restaurant by the sea. Beach lovers can spend the day on the golden sand at Konyaaltı or Lara Beach, looking out over the turquoise Mediterranean. For something quieter, stay by your hotel's pool or spa, book a traditional Turkish hammam, or simply take in the coast at your own pace.

• 05:00 AM – Hotel pick-up: An early start as you leave your hotel for Pamukkale and the ancient city of Hierapolis.
• 09:00 AM – Hierapolis: Visit the Necropolis, the Theatre and the well-known Cleopatra Pool (there is an admission charge to swim in the pool).
• 11:30 AM – Pamukkale Travertines: Walk barefoot on the white, cotton-like terraces with their pools of mineral-rich water, and enjoy the views over the valley.
• 01:00 PM – Lunch (not included): Have lunch at a local restaurant.
• 02:30 PM – Pamukkale Naturel Lake and Park: Spend some time by the lake and in the park around it.
• 04:30 PM – Transfer to Denizli Airport: After the tour you are driven to Denizli Airport for your flight to Istanbul.
• Evening – Arrival in Istanbul and hotel transfer: On landing you are taken to your hotel for the last night of the trip, with breakfast included.

Enjoy breakfast, then check out of the hotel. Our representative will see you to your airport transfer for your departure flight, and this is where our services end.

Would you like more time in Istanbul? Extra nights can be added to your stay.

Optional extras

• Cappadocia hot air balloon (Goreme): $310
• One extra hotel night in Istanbul, before or after the tour: $65
• Upgrade to a private tour: $500