Western Turkey Private Tour Package: 20 Days with a 3-Day Blue Cruise
Overview
Western Turkey Private Tour Package: 20 Days with a 3-Day Blue Cruise
This 20-day private tour crosses western Turkey and links ancient ruins, graceful cities and a turquoise coastline in one route.
You cruise the Bosphorus in Istanbul, wander through places such as Kaunos and Sirince, and spend three days on a Blue Cruise over the clear Mediterranean. UNESCO-listed sites such as Cappadocia and Pamukkale are on the route too.
Away from the Standard Itineraries
The trip is made for travellers who want to go further than the usual circuits. Expert guides and comfortable transfers help you see Turkey as it really is: its sacred heritage, its striking scenery and its busy bazaars.
Every day has a highlight of its own, from balloon-filled skies over Cappadocia to the quiet waters of Dalyan.
Tour Info
Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrival in Istanbul
When you land at Istanbul Airport, a member of our team is waiting with a sign showing your name and drives you to your hotel in a private van.
Once you have checked in, you are free to discover Istanbul independently for the remainder of the day. Overnight in Istanbul.
Day 2 – Istanbul Old City: Topkapi, Hagia Sophia & Grand Bazaar
The day starts in your hotel lobby, where your guide collects you for a tour of the Old City. Stops on the route:
- Topkapi Palace Museum (the highlights)
- Hippodrome / Sultanahmet Square
- Hagia Sophia
- Blue Mosque
- Grand Bazaar
When the tour is over, your guide goes back with you to the hotel. Overnight in Istanbul.
Day 3 – Spice Market, Bosphorus Cruise & Istiklal Street
Your guide collects you from the hotel lobby or the cruise port for a day around the Bosphorus:
- Spice Market
- Bosphorus Cruise: a public ferry crossing between the European and Asian sides, with views of Galata Tower, Dolmabahce Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace, Rumeli Fortress, historic Ottoman mansions, the Bosphorus Bridge and the mosques along the water.
- Dolmabahce Palace
- Taksim Square
- Cicek Passage
- Istiklal Street
*If you would rather cruise the Bosphorus on a private yacht, just tell us.
Your guide then takes you back to the hotel. Overnight in Istanbul.
Day 4 – Troy & Canakkale
Your private guide and van are ready at 8:00 am for the trip to Troy and Canakkale, the place linked in legend to Helen and the Trojan Horse. Sights of the day:
- The Trojan Horse
- Troy Museum
- The altars used for sacrifices
- City walls dating back 3,700 years
- Houses from Troy I
- The Bouleuterion (Senate Building)
- The Odeon (Concert Hall)
- The ruins of each city built on the site, from Troy I through Troy IX
Once the visit is over, you are driven to your Canakkale hotel. Overnight in Canakkale.
Day 5 – Pergamon & Sirince
You are picked up from the hotel lobby by your guide. On today's program:
- the ancient city of Pergamon
- the Asclepion sanctuary
- the Zeus Altar
- the Pergamon Acropolis
- the Red Basilica
- the village of Sirince
When the day's visits are over, a car takes you to your Kusadasi hotel, where you spend the night.
Day 6 – Ephesus, House of the Virgin Mary & Isa Bey Mosque
The guide picks you up at your hotel in Kusadasi and tells you the history of Ephesus before your walk through the ruins. Each of these sites is explained along the way:
- The Great Theater
- Library of Celsus
- Hadrian's Temple
- Harbor Street
- The Terrace Houses
- The House of the Virgin Mary
- Isa Bey Mosque
Then the guide and driver drive you back to your hotel. You stay the night in Kusadasi.
Day 7 – Priene, Miletus & Didyma
Your guide is waiting at the hotel at 9:00 am. The day covers three ancient sites:
- Priene: among the best-preserved Greek cities anywhere.
- Miletus: known for its famous school of philosophy and for a theatre that survives in remarkably good condition.
- Temple of Apollo at Didyma: home of a famous oracle; a sacred road once ran from here to Miletus.
You then return to your hotel. Overnight in Kusadasi.
Day 8 – Laodicea & Aphrodisias
Today your guide picks you up from the hotel and takes you to Laodicea for the day. What you see:
- The ancient city of Laodicea
- The Temple of Zeus
- The theatre
- The Monumental Fountain
- The Caracalla Fountain
- The odeon
- The church
- Syria Avenue
- The gymnasium and the stadium
- The ancient city of Aphrodisias
Once the tour is over, we drive you to your Pamukkale hotel. Night in Pamukkale.
Day 9 – Pamukkale Travertines & Hierapolis
At 9:00 am your private guide and driver pick you up for a day in Pamukkale, famous for the natural calcium pools that thermal springs have formed.
On today's list:
- The calcium pools
- The Necropolis
- The Roman Baths
- The Domitian Gate
- The Latrina
- The Frontinus Street
- The Agora
- The Byzantium Gate
- The Triton Fountain
- The Cathedral
- The Temple of Apollo
- Plutonium (explained from the outside, since digging continues)
- The Theater
- Hierapolis
(Optional, extra cost) You may swim in the Cleopatra Pool if time allows.
At the end of the tour you continue by road to Dalyan, where you stay the night.
Day 10 – Dalyan, Kaunos & Iztuzu Beach
Your guide is waiting for you in the lobby of the hotel. The day includes:
- A boat trip along the Dalyan canals
- Kaunos, the ancient city
- The Lycian tombs cut into the rock
- Iztuzu Beach, where sea turtles live
Afterwards you are driven to your Fethiye hotel. Overnight in Fethiye.
Day 11 – Xanthos, Patara & Letoon
Your guide collects you from the hotel lobby and explains three ancient sites as you visit them:
- Xanthos Ancient City
- Patara Ancient City
- Letoon Ancient City
Afterwards you head back to the Fethiye hotel. Overnight in Fethiye.
Day 12 – Blue Cruise from Fethiye: Butterfly Valley & Oludeniz
A pickup from your hotel takes you to the start of your 3-day Blue Cruise: days for rest, for swimming in the clear Mediterranean and for wide views of the coast.
Stops today:
- Butterfly Valley
- Oludeniz (the Blue Lagoon)
For the night the gulet drops anchor at St. Nicholas Island. Overnight on board.
Day 13 – Blue Cruise: Kas & Kekova Island
Stops today:
- Kas
- Kekova Island
At night the gulet lies at anchor in a bay that sits between Kas and Kekova. Overnight on board.
Day 14 – Blue Cruise: Kekova Sunken City, Myra & Demre
The day's stops:
- The Kekova Sunken City
- Myra
- The Demre coves
The gulet spends the night anchored beneath Simena Castle. Overnight on board.
Day 15 – Antalya Old Town & Duden Waterfalls
After breakfast the gulet brings you back to Cayagzi harbour at about 10:30-11:00 am. Your driver and guide are waiting there to take you to Antalya.
Sights:
- The Old Town of Antalya
- Duden Waterfalls
After the tour you are dropped at your hotel. Overnight in Antalya.
Day 16 – Perge, Aspendos, Manavgat & Side
Your private guide and driver collect you at 10:00 am. Today's sights:
- Perge: an ancient city of Pamphylia that lay on St. Paul's route; you also see its stadium.
- Aspendos Theatre: among the most complete Roman theatres anywhere.
- Manavgat Waterfalls
- Side, with its attractive streets
The drive then brings you back to the hotel. Overnight in Antalya.
Day 17 – Antalya to Cappadocia via Konya
At 9:00 am you set off with your private guide and driver on the road trip from Antalya to Cappadocia. The route passes through Konya, the spiritual city, and you have time there to see the centre.
The drive from Antalya is a long one, and your guide explains the sites you pass on the road.
Konya visits:
- Mevlana Museum
- Karatay Madrasa
- Ince Minaret Madrasa
Lunch is in Konya, after which you drive on to Cappadocia, where you check in at your hotel. Overnight in Cappadocia.
Day 18 – North Cappadocia: Uchisar, Goreme & Pasabag
(Optional) Very early, a pickup takes you to a hot air balloon flight lasting one hour above the Cappadocia valleys. After landing, a small celebration takes place in the valley and you receive a flight certificate at a short ceremony, before a transfer back to the hotel for breakfast.
The North Cappadocia tour starts at 10:00 am, when your private guide and driver collect you. It covers:
- Uchisar Castle
- Goreme Open Air Museum
- Avanos
- Valley of Monks (Pasabag)
- Devrent Valley
Your guide and driver then bring you back to the hotel. Overnight in Cappadocia.
Day 19 – South Cappadocia & Flight to Istanbul
Your private guide and driver are at the hotel at 10:00 am to start the South Cappadocia tour. Your guide explains each stop:
- Kaymakli Underground City
- Rose Valley
- Love Valley
- Pigeon Valley
- Ortahisar Castle
- Mustafapasa (Sinasos)
Once the tour is over, you transfer to the airport and fly to Istanbul. On arrival, a member of our team holding a name sign meets you and drives you to your hotel in a private van. Overnight in Istanbul.
Day 20 – Free Time in Istanbul & Departure
Spend your last day in Istanbul as you like, exploring at your own speed. You are then transferred to Istanbul Airport in good time for your international flight.
Our service ends here. Thank you for travelling with Get Turkey Tours; we hope to see you again soon.
Inclusions & Exclusions
- ✓Private Touring Throughout
- ✓Local Guides at Each Stop
- ✓Economy-Class Domestic Flights
- ✓Private Van for All Transport
- ✓Airport Transfers (As Stated)
- ✓Entrance Fees for Museums and Attractions
- ✓Blue Cruise with Meals and Drinks
- ✓Turkish Hamam Session
- ✓Fuel and Road Toll Costs
- ✓Local Tax
- ✕Optional Tours and Activities
- ✕International Air Travel
- ✕Hot Air Balloon Flight (If You Choose It)
- ✕Hotel Reservations (We Can Book on Request)
- ✕Food and Drinks
- ✕Whirling Dervish Show (If You Choose It)
- ✕Tips (Recommended)
- ✕Personal Spending
Cancellation Policy
Cancel at no charge until 7 days before your tour and you receive a full refund. If you cancel within the final 7 days before the tour, no refund is given. All times shown are local.
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Travel guides
Private 20-day tour of western Turkey: the essentials
This private journey of twenty days across western Turkey pairs the major ancient sites with three days on the water. Starting in Istanbul, you head to Troy and Pergamon, on to Ephesus and Didyma, inland to Pamukkale and Konya, and then south to Perge and Patara. After that come three days on a Blue Cruise along the Mediterranean, past Oludeniz's Blue Lagoon and Butterfly Valley, with meals and drinks on board included. The price also covers economy-class domestic flights, airport transfers, a private van, local guides, museum tickets, a hammam experience, tolls, fuel and local taxes. It varies with your dates and group size, so we quote it on request.
| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Length | 20 days |
| Cost | Quote on request, based on your dates and group |
| Format | Completely private, with local guides |
| Itinerary | Istanbul, Troy, Pergamon, Ephesus, Didyma, Pamukkale, Konya, Perge, Patara, Blue Cruise |
| Covered | Local guides, private van, domestic flights, transfers, museum tickets, hammam, 3-day Blue Cruise with meals and drinks, tolls and fuel, local taxes |
What is a Blue Cruise?
It means spending a few days aboard a traditional wooden gulet on the Turkish coast, hopping from one bay to the next, swimming several times daily and sleeping at anchor. Here it brings three days of sea and rest into three weeks of sightseeing, with stops such as the Blue Lagoon at Oludeniz and Butterfly Valley.
What are the main highlights?
| Region | Highlights |
|---|---|
| Istanbul | A hammam, Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia |
| North Aegean | Pergamon, Troy and the Trojan Horse |
| Ionia | Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary, Didyma's Temple of Apollo |
| Interior | Pamukkale with Hierapolis, Konya with the Mevlana Museum |
| Mediterranean | Perge, Patara and the 3-day Blue Cruise |
How does it compare with other long tours of Turkey?
| Turkey tour | Duration | How it differs | Starting price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private tour of Turkey | 15 days | From the coast to Cappadocia, without a cruise | On request |
| This tour | 20 days | Western Turkey plus a Blue Cruise | On request |
| Private Turkey highlights tour | 21 days | The whole country, the east included | On request |
| Best of Turkey package | 15 days | Fixed price, with beach days in Antalya | $3,980 per person |
For more days at sea, have a look at our 7-day gulet cruise from Fethiye to Kekova.
Who should take this tour?
People with three weeks to spare who want to explore western Turkey thoroughly and without rushing, with some time on the water. It works well for couples, families and small groups who like having a private guide and vehicle the whole way.
When should you go?
May, June and September are best: warm enough for swimming and the Blue Cruise, and pleasant at the ancient sites. On land July and August are hot, but at sea they are excellent. Cruises run from late spring until autumn.
What to bring
Comfortable walking shoes, swimwear, sun protection, a soft bag for the gulet, layers for Konya, modest clothes for religious sites, and your passport for domestic flights.
How to book
Tell us your preferred dates and how many people are travelling, using the form on this page or WhatsApp. We confirm the price, hotels and the full itinerary in writing, and payment is due only after that. Looking for more? Browse our Troy tours, Fethiye tours and Turkey tour packages.
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