Turkey Private Tour 21 Days: Istanbul, Cappadocia, Nemrut and Kars
Overview
Turkey Private Tour 21 Days: Istanbul, Cappadocia, Nemrut and Kars
Over 21 days this private tour crosses Turkey, the meeting point of Europe and Asia, where many centuries of history are still visible. You start with the Ottoman past of Istanbul, then soak in the hot springs of Pamukkale, walk through the ruins of Ephesus and explore the strange rock landscapes of Cappadocia.
Mount Nemrut, Gobeklitepe and the East
From there the trip heads far beyond the usual circuit. You see the sun come up from Mount Nemrut, learn what is known about Gobeklitepe and travel the old Silk Road to Van, Kars and Erzurum, three cities with remarkable historic sites.
A private vehicle and local specialists keep each stage comfortable, and the scenery changes constantly along the road.
Private Guides and Every Transfer Included
The package suits travellers looking for an authentic trip. Attentive service, every transfer and private guided tours are part of it from start to finish. The highlights range from the rooms of Topkapi Palace and a hot air balloon ride over Cappadocia to the crowded bazaars of Sanliurfa and Diyarbakir.
You have nothing left to organise. We handle the details, and you get to enjoy Turkey.
Tour Info
Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrival in Istanbul
When you land at Istanbul Airport, our representative is waiting with a sign showing your name. A private van then takes you to your hotel.
Once you have checked in, you are free to explore Istanbul independently for what is left of the day. Overnight in Istanbul.
*On this first day, someone from our office team comes to see you, goes over the details of your tour and gives you your documents. You can pay the remaining balance to them as well.
Day 2 – Istanbul Old City: Topkapi, Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque
The Old City tour starts when your guide collects you from your hotel lobby or the cruise port. The stops are:
- Topkapi Palace Museum (the highlights)
- Hippodrome / Sultanahmet Square
- Hagia Sophia
- Blue Mosque
- Grand Bazaar
When the tour ends, your guide returns with you to your hotel.
*Should one of the mosques be closed to visitors, you see the Basilica Cistern in its place.
Day 3 – Spice Market, Bosphorus Cruise and Dolmabahce Palace
Your guide collects you from your hotel lobby or the cruise port for a day around the Bosphorus. The tour covers:
- Spice Market
- Bosphorus Cruise: a public ferry takes you from the European shore to the Asian one and back. Along the way you pass Galata Tower, Dolmabahce Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace, Rumeli Fortress, the Bosphorus Bridge, historic Ottoman mansions and mosques at the water's edge.
- Dolmabahce Palace
- Taksim Square
- Cicek Passage
- Istiklal Street
*If you would rather do the Bosphorus cruise on a private yacht, just tell us.
When the tour ends, your guide returns with you to your hotel.
Day 4 – Golden Horn Tour and Flight to Denizli
Today your guide collects you from your hotel lobby or the cruise port for a tour of the Golden Horn. The visits are:
- Suleymaniye Mosque
- Fener
- Balat
- St. Stephen Church
- Pierre Loti Hill and its cable car, with time for a Turkish coffee or tea overlooking the Golden Horn
- Chora Church (Kariye Mosque)
Once the tour is over, you are taken to Istanbul Airport to fly to Denizli. On arrival our representative greets you holding a name sign and drives you in a private van to your Denizli hotel. Overnight in Denizli.
Day 5 – Pamukkale Travertines and Hierapolis
At 9:00 am your private driver and guide pick you up for the Pamukkale tour. Over time thermal waters have formed natural calcium pools here, and your local guide explains every site you pass.
On the visit you see:
- the calcium pools
- the Necropolis
- the Roman Baths
- the Domitian Gate
- the Latrina
- Frontinus Street
- the Agora
- the Byzantium Gate
- the Triton Fountain
- the Cathedral
- the Temple of Apollo
- the Plutonium (explained from outside, since excavation work continues)
- the Theater
- Hierapolis
(Optional, at extra cost) If time allows, you may swim in the Cleopatra Pool.
Your driver and guide drop you at your Kusadasi hotel at the end of the day. Night in Kusadasi.
Day 6 – Pergamon and the Asclepion
At 9:00 am the private guide and driver pick you up for a day spent at the Asclepion and Pergamon. You visit:
- The ancient city of Pergamon
- Altar of Zeus
- The Acropolis
- The Asclepion healing centre
When the visits are over, the driver brings you back to the hotel in Kusadasi, where you stay the night.
Day 7 – Ephesus Tour and Flight to Kayseri
Your guide meets you at your Kusadasi hotel and tells you the history of Ephesus, then takes you on foot through the ancient city. On the guided visit you see:
- The Great Theater
- The Library of Celsus
- The Temple of Hadrian
- Harbor Street
- The Terrace Houses
- The House of the Virgin Mary
- The Isa Bey Mosque
Afterwards a transfer takes you to Izmir Airport for your flight to Kayseri. On landing, our representative is there with a sign showing your name and drives you in a private van to your Cappadocia hotel. You spend the night in Cappadocia.
Day 8 – Balloon Flight and North Cappadocia
The day starts early with a pick-up for a hot air balloon flight of one hour above the Cappadocia valleys. Once you land, a small celebration and a ceremony with flight certificates take place in the valley, after which a transfer returns you to the hotel in time for breakfast.
Your private guide and driver come for you at 10:00 am to start the North Cappadocia tour. It covers:
- Uchisar Castle
- Goreme Open Air Museum
- Avanos
- Valley of Monks (Pasabag)
- Devrent Valley
Once the tour is over, you are dropped back at your hotel. Overnight in Cappadocia.
Day 9 – Kaymakli Underground City and South Cappadocia
Your private guide and driver are waiting at the hotel at 10:00 am to begin the South Cappadocia tour. Your guide explains each of these stops:
- Kaymakli Underground City
- Rose Valley
- Love Valley
- Pigeon Valley
- Ortahisar Castle
- Mustafapasa (Sinasos)
When the day is done, the guide and driver return you to your hotel. Overnight in Cappadocia.
Day 10 – Kayseri, Karatay Caravanserai and Adiyaman
Your private guide and driver collect you at 9:00 am. Today you cross the heartland of Turkey by road via Kayseri, following the route of the ancient Silk Road.
A stop at the Karatay Caravanserai breaks up the journey, and you reach Adiyaman later in the day. Overnight in Adiyaman.
Day 11 – Mount Nemrut Sunrise, Ataturk Dam and Sanliurfa
An early start: your private guide and driver collect you to go up Mount Nemrut and see the sun rise over Mesopotamia.
The day's stops are:
- Mount Nemrut, which bears witness to the desire of its ancient kings to live on after death
- The Ataturk Dam on the great Euphrates River
- Sanliurfa, the ancient city tied to Abraham and other prophets, with its well-known sacred pool
At the end of the day you are dropped at your hotel. Overnight in Sanliurfa.
Day 12 – Gobeklitepe and Diyarbakir
Pick-up is at 9:00 am, and then your private guide and driver drive you to Gobeklitepe, where excavations are still under way.
Today's program covers:
- Gobeklitepe
- Diyarbakir
- The old city walls of Diyarbakir, which are said to be the world's longest unbroken defensive walls after the Great Wall of China
Overnight in Diyarbakir.
Day 13 – Mardin, Hasankeyf and Tatvan
Your private guide and driver collect you at 9:00 am to travel from Diyarbakir to Mardin, a city on a high hill overlooking the plains of southeastern Anatolia.
Stops on the day:
- Deyrulzafaran (the Saffron Monastery), the former seat of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate
- Hasankeyf, beside the Tigris River
- Tatvan town
Overnight in Tatvan.
Day 14 – Akdamar Island and Van
At 9:00 am your private guide and driver pick you up. The route to Van goes by way of Akdamar Island, with these visits:
- Surp Khach, the Holy Cross Church of the Armenians
- The city of Van
You stay overnight in Van.
Day 15 – Hosap Castle, Citadel of Van and Lake Van
At 9:00 am your private guide and driver pick you up and drive south. Stops on the way:
- the Silk Road, called Ipek Yolu in Turkish
- Hosap Castle
- the 3,000-year-old Citadel of Van
- Lake Van
You spend the night in Van.
Day 16 – Dogubayazit, Ishak Pasha Palace and Mount Ararat
At 9:00 am your private guide and driver pick you up and you set off towards Dogubayazit. Stops on the way:
- The city of Agri
- Bendimahi Falls at Muradiye
- Ishak Pasha Palace
- Mount Ararat, with your guide's explanation
You spend the night in Kars.
Day 17 – Ani Ruins
At 9:00 am your private guide and driver pick you up. You spend the morning at Ani, which was the capital of the great medieval Armenian kingdom.
Main sights:
- Ani's citadel
- The mosque, plus the long defensive walls, which are still well preserved
Night in Kars.
Day 18 – Sarikamis, Aras River and Erzurum
Your private guide and driver collect you at 9:00 am. You travel west along the Aras River, crossing Sarikamis, a battlefield of the First World War.
Today's stops:
- The Sarikamis area
- The Aras River
- Cobandede Bridge
- Erzurum city
Overnight in Erzurum.
Day 19 – Drive to Trabzon and Sumela Monastery
At 9:00 am your private guide and driver pick you up for the drive from Erzurum to Trabzon.
On the way you see:
- The Pontic Alps
- Karasu River
- The town of Askale
- Kop Pass
- The valley of the Coruh
- Sumela Monastery, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, where monks have lived since the 4th century AD
- The Altindere Valley National Park
You spend the night in Trabzon.
Day 20 – Flight from Trabzon to Istanbul
A transfer takes you from your hotel to Trabzon Airport, where you board your flight to Istanbul. At Istanbul Airport our representative is waiting with a name sign and brings you to your hotel in a private van. Overnight in Istanbul.
Day 21 – Free Time and Departure from Istanbul
Spend the day exploring Istanbul as you like. At the right time you are taken to Istanbul Airport for your international flight.
*Prefer not to spend the final day in Istanbul? Your flights can be planned so that, on landing, you go straight on to your international departure. Tell us, and we will fit the programme around your flight times.
Our service ends here. Thank you for choosing to travel with us, and we hope to see you again.
Inclusions & Exclusions
- ✓Tours run privately
- ✓Guides from the local area
- ✓Flights within Turkey (economy)
- ✓Private van for all transport
- ✓Transfers to and from the airport (as listed)
- ✓Hot air balloon flight of 1 hour (optional)
- ✓Entry fees for museums and attractions
- ✓Fuel and road tolls
- ✓Taxes charged locally
- ✕Optional Activities & Tours
- ✕International Flights
- ✕Hotel Bookings (Available Upon Request)
- ✕Meals & Drinks
- ✕Gratuity (Suggested)
- ✕Travel Insurance
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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21-day private tour of Turkey's highlights: the key facts
Over three weeks this private trip covers the whole of Turkey: Istanbul and the Aegean, then Cappadocia, Mount Nemrut and Gobeklitepe, then the far east around Van, Dogubayazit and Kars, and finally the Black Sea. Among the highlights are Ephesus, Pergamon with its Asclepion, Pamukkale, Cappadocia, the huge statues on Nemrut, Gobeklitepe and the Ishak Pasha Palace. The price covers domestic flights in economy class, airport transfers, a private van, local guides, museum tickets, tolls, fuel and local taxes, and you can add a hot air balloon ride. Because the cost varies with your dates and group size, we quote it on request.
| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Length | 21 days |
| Price | On request, quoted for your group and dates |
| Format | Completely private, with local guides |
| Route | Istanbul, Aegean, Pamukkale, Cappadocia, Mount Nemrut, Gobeklitepe, Van, Dogubayazit, Kars, Black Sea |
| What is included | Transfers, domestic flights, local guides, private van, tolls and fuel, museum tickets, local taxes |
| Optional | Cappadocia hot air balloon ride |
Who should take a 21-day Turkey tour?
It suits travellers who want to see all of the country rather than only the classic west. Once the well-known sights of Istanbul, Ephesus and Cappadocia are done, the route heads into areas that few visitors see: the Commagene statues on Nemrut, prehistoric Gobeklitepe, the shores of Lake Van, the Ishak Pasha Palace close to Mount Ararat, the city of Kars and the green Black Sea mountains.
Which places stand out?
| Region | Highlights |
|---|---|
| Istanbul and the Aegean | Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, Ephesus, House of the Virgin Mary, Pergamon, the Asclepion |
| Pamukkale and Cappadocia | Hierapolis, travertines, Kaymakli Underground City, Goreme Open Air Museum |
| Southeast | Gobeklitepe, Mount Nemrut |
| Far east | Kars, Van, Dogubayazit and the Ishak Pasha Palace |
| Black Sea | Coastal towns, tea gardens and mountains |
What is the Ishak Pasha Palace?
Located near Dogubayazit, the Ishak Pasha Palace is a palace complex from the 18th century built on a hillside below the mountains near Mount Ararat, mixing Seljuk, Ottoman and Persian styles of architecture. Few places in Turkey have such a striking setting.
How does this tour compare with our other long trips?
| Turkey tour | Length | Focus | Price from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private best of Turkey tour | 14 days | Western and central Turkey | On request |
| Private tour of western Turkey | 20 days | The west, with a Blue Cruise | On request |
| This tour | 21 days | The whole country, east as far as Kars | On request |
| Southeastern Turkey's ancient civilisations | 9 days | Southeast only | On request |
What does the Cappadocia balloon cost?
The balloon is optional; prices for the standard flight at sunrise begin at $199 per person.
When should you do a full tour of Turkey?
The ideal months are late May to June and September: the eastern highlands and the summit of Nemrut can be reached, and the west is not too hot yet. In winter the east and Kars get very cold and some mountain roads are closed.
What should you pack?
Clothes for very different weather, from hot days on the Aegean to cold mornings on Nemrut and the eastern plateau, comfortable shoes for walking, a rain jacket for the Black Sea, modest clothes for religious sites, and your passport for the domestic flights.
How does booking work?
Use the form on this page or WhatsApp to send your preferred dates and how many people are travelling. The price, hotels and complete itinerary are confirmed in writing, and payment comes only after confirmation. For more options, browse our Eastern Turkey tours, Gobeklitepe tours and Turkey tour packages.
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