Turkey Highlights Tour Package on a Budget: 10 Days with Flights

We meet you at Istanbul airport and drive you to your hotel. No activities are planned for today. Your guide will meet you the following morning at 09:30 AM.

Your guide picks you up at the hotel at 09:30 AM for a full-day walking tour of Istanbul's historic centre, where Byzantine and Ottoman history come together.

• Topkapi Palace: See the palace where the Ottoman sultans once lived and hear about its history and architecture.
• Blue Mosque: Visit this well-known city landmark, admired for its blue tiles and its size.
• Hippodrome: Stroll across the former chariot-racing arena past the Egyptian Obelisk, the Serpent Column and the German Fountain.
• Hagia Sophia: Go inside this UNESCO World Heritage Site and take in its Byzantine architecture and huge interior.
• Grand Bazaar: Shop for spices, textiles and souvenirs in the oldest covered market in the world.

After the tour you return to your hotel, where you stay the night; breakfast is included.

Have breakfast at the hotel before the day begins.

• Egyptian Spice Bazaar: Start in this busy market, full of spices, Turkish delight and other local products, and take in the scents as you walk the stalls.
• Bosphorus Cruise: Next, sit back on a relaxing cruise between Europe and Asia, with Istanbul's varied architecture on both shores. Along the way you pass grand Ottoman palaces, including Dolmabahce and Beylerbeyi.

After the cruise you are driven back to your hotel for the night.

We pick you up from your hotel for an early direct flight to Antalya, where your guide is waiting to show you the area.

• Perge: Walk among the large ruins of this ancient city, including its theatre, its road lined with columns and other historic buildings.
• Aspendos Theater: See one of the best-preserved ancient theatres in Turkey, admired for the quality of its architecture.
• Side: Stroll the old streets of Side and visit its amphitheatre and the Temple of Apollo.
• Manavgat Waterfall: Relax by the falls and enjoy the scenery.

After a full day out, you check in to your hotel in central Antalya for a quiet night and a good rest before the next day.

Today you can join an optional boat trip along Antalya's Mediterranean coast, with lunch on board.

A comfortable boat takes you past cliffs, coves and golden beaches. You can swim in the clear water or go snorkelling to see the sea life. Skilled cooks prepare a lunch of local dishes, and there is plenty of time to relax in the sun on the wide deck and take photos.

It is an easy day that combines coastal scenery, good food and rest.

Early morning: We pick you up from your hotel at 04:00 AM and take you to the airport for the 06:55 AM flight to Cappadocia.

Morning: Your guide meets you on arrival and drives you to Goreme. At approximately 09:00 AM the tour begins, focusing on the fairy chimneys and rock churches that give Cappadocia its character.

• Göreme Esentepe viewpoint: The first stop is a lookout between Uçhisar and Göreme. Fairy chimneys spread out below you, along with the small town of Esentepe.
• Zelve Open-Air Museum: Monks and Christian scholars once lived and studied here. Their monasteries, churches and chapels still hold well-kept frescoes that show how the valley looked in the past.
• Paşabağ (Monks Valley): Also called Pasha's Vineyard, this valley is known for fairy chimneys with three heads, among the most striking rock shapes in all of Cappadocia.
• Devrent Valley: After a short drive you reach a moon-like valley of small, pointed chimneys. Many of the rocks look like animals or mythical creatures.
• Avanos pottery workshop: Potters in Avanos have shaped clay from the Red River since 3000 BC. In a traditional workshop you watch local craftsmen make their ceramics by hand.
• Love Valley: Millions of years of erosion have left cones, pinnacles and fairy chimneys here, some as tall as 40 metres. It is one of the most photogenic and unusual corners of the region.

Afternoon: The tour ends at around 16:00 and you are dropped at your hotel in Cappadocia.

Begin the day, if you like, with an optional hot air balloon flight at sunrise. As the sky changes colour, you drift above the rock formations and fairy chimneys. After landing there is a champagne toast, and then you are driven back to your hotel.

The guided tour sets off at around 09:00 and finishes by 16:00 at the latest.

• Meskendir Valley (4.4 km trek): The day opens with a 4.4 km walk through this 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.
• Rose Valley: Tucked away behind Ürgüp, this quiet valley is full of unusual rock shapes and churches cut into the stone. Its footpaths link small villages through vineyards and gardens, and local people sometimes offer walkers fresh grapes, apples or apricots.
• Red Valley: Much like its neighbour, Red Valley has striking rock formations and old cave churches. Its winding paths spread like a spider's web, joining remote villages and farmland, and show both the nature and the history of Cappadocia.
• Çavuşin Village: One of the region's oldest settlements, Çavuşin is a maze of cave houses cut into the rock. It also holds the 5th-century Church of John the Baptist, 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, which goes down eight levels, and walk through old wineries, kitchens and living rooms.
• Pigeon Valley: On the edge of Göreme, the cliffs are dotted with pigeon houses carved over many centuries. Farmers once collected the droppings to fertilise their fields. Today the valley is a favourite place for wide views and photos.
• Uçhisar Castle panorama: The final stop is Uçhisar, the highest spot in Cappadocia. Its rock castle once served as a fortress, and from the top you can see the whole region as far as Erciyes Mountain.

After a full day of walking and sightseeing, you are back at your hotel at around 16:00 for the night.

We collect you from your hotel at 05:00 AM for the 08:00 AM flight to Izmir, which takes about one hour. From the airport we drive straight to Ephesus and arrive at the Magnesia Gate of the ancient city at around 10:30 AM.

Main stops on the tour:

• Library of Celsus: Admire its bold facade and fine architectural detail.
• Temple of Hadrian: See the well-kept remains of a temple honouring the Roman emperor Hadrian.
• Hercules Gate: Walk through this monumental entrance, decorated with reliefs and sculptures.
• Grand Theatre: Stand inside a huge theatre that once seated thousands of spectators.
• The Snake Cult of Asklepios: Hear about the old snake cult linked to healing and see the ruins of the Asklepion, an ancient medical centre.
• Herm (Marker) of Hermes: A stone marker devoted to Hermes, the Greek god of travellers and boundaries.
• Relief of the goddess Nike: A carefully carved image of Nike, symbol of victory and triumph.
• Fountain of Trajan: An ancient fountain built for Emperor Trajan and decorated with ornate sculptures.
• Ruins of Artemis Temple: What remains of the famous Temple of Artemis, one of the ancient world's Seven Wonders.
• St. Mary's House: If you wish, visit the holy site believed to be the Virgin Mary's home in her last years.

After the tour you are driven to your hotel in Kusadasi for the night.

An early pick-up from your hotel takes you to Pamukkale and the ancient city of Hierapolis, known for its well-kept ruins and long history.

• Hierapolis: See the Necropolis, the Theatre and the famous Cleopatra Pool. A swim in the pool costs an extra admission fee.
• Pamukkale: The main event is the travertines, a natural wonder of bright white terraces filled with mineral-rich water. Walk on the soft, cotton-like surface and enjoy the views.
• Pamukkale Naturel Lake: There is also time at Pamukkale Naturel Lake and Park, another pretty corner of the area.

After the tour you are taken to Denizli Airport for your flight to Istanbul. On arrival we drive you to your Istanbul hotel for the final night, with breakfast included.

After breakfast, check out of your hotel. Our representative takes you to the airport for your departure, and this is where our services end.

Want more time in Istanbul? You can add extra nights to the end of your trip.

Optional extras

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