14-Day Turkey Tour Package: Cappadocia, Coast, Gobeklitepe & Nemrut

When you arrive at Istanbul airport a driver is waiting and brings you directly to the hotel. Nothing more is scheduled today; your guide will see you at 09:30 AM the following morning.

At 09:30 AM your guide collects you from the hotel for a full day on foot through the historic core of Istanbul, where the Byzantine and Ottoman empires left their finest monuments.

Stops on the walk:

• Topkapi Palace (optional): the palace where the Ottoman sultans lived and ruled, full of history and fine architecture.
• Blue Mosque: one of the best-known sights in Istanbul, admired for its scale and its blue tiles.
• Hippodrome: the old chariot-racing ground of the city, still marked by the Egyptian Obelisk, the Serpent Column and the German Fountain.
• Hagia Sophia (optional): step inside this UNESCO World Heritage Site and take in its vast Byzantine interior.
• Grand Bazaar: the oldest covered market on earth, a lively maze where you can shop for souvenirs, spices and textiles.

Once the walk is over, you are taken back to your hotel in Istanbul for the night, with breakfast included.

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and transfer to the airport for your flight to Cappadocia.

Highlights of the day:

• Goreme Esentepe – Panoramic View: the day opens at the Esentepe lookout between Uçhisar and Göreme, with wide views over the fairy chimneys and the town of Esentepe.
• Zelve Open-Air Museum: a former monastic settlement and centre of Christian learning, where monasteries, churches and chapels still hold well-preserved frescoes from the region's past.
• Pasabag (Monks Valley): known for its three-headed fairy chimneys and also called “Pasha's Vineyard”, this valley has some of the most striking rock shapes in Cappadocia.
• Devrent Valley: a short drive away, its small pointed chimneys look like a moonscape, and many visitors spot animals and mythical creatures in the rock.
• Avanos Pottery Workshop: Avanos has made pottery since 3000 BC using clay from the Red River, and a visit to a traditional workshop lets you watch the potters at work.
• Love Valley: the last stop, where millions of years of erosion have left cone-shaped pillars, pinnacles and fairy chimneys up to 40 meters tall, one of the most photogenic corners of Cappadocia.

You then return to your cave hotel for the night, with breakfast included.

Optional evening: a Turkish Night Show with traditional music and dance.

The day can begin before dawn with an optional hot air balloon flight. You drift over the fairy chimneys and rock formations as the sky changes colour at sunrise, and after landing there is a glass of champagne before the transfer back to your hotel.

The tour usually starts at around 09:00 and finishes by 16:00 at the latest.

Highlights of the day:

• Meskendir Valley (4.4 km Trek): the day begins on foot 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: a quiet valley behind Ürgüp, full of unusual rock shapes and churches cut into the stone. Its paths run through vineyards and gardens between small villages, and local people sometimes offer walkers fresh grapes, apples or apricots.
• Red Valley: close in character to Rose Valley, with striking formations and old cave churches. Its trails twist like a spider's web, tying together remote villages and farmland.
• Cavusin Valley: Çavuşin is among the oldest settlements in Cappadocia, a warren of cave houses cut into the rock. It also has the region's biggest cave church, the Church of John the Baptist, which dates 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 descends eight levels, and walk through parts of it to see old wineries, kitchens and living rooms.
• Pigeon Valley: on the edge of Göreme, named after the dovecotes carved into its cliffs over the centuries. Farmers once collected the pigeon droppings to fertilise their fields. Today it is a fine place for panoramic photos.
• Uchisar Castle Panorama: the final stop is Uçhisar, the highest point in Cappadocia. Its castle is a tall rock outcrop that once served as a fortress, and from the top the view takes in the whole region, with Erciyes Mountain on the horizon.

After the tour you board the bus to Konya, a journey of about 4 hours, and spend the night there.

Check out of your hotel after breakfast.

Highlights of the day:

• Mevlana Museum: the tomb of the mystic poet Rumi, and the place to learn about the Whirling Dervishes.
• Karatay Medrese: a Seljuk-era school famous for its detailed tilework and its place in history.
• Alaeddin Hill: walk up to the top for a panoramic view over the city.

Then drive to Antalya (about 3 hours) for the night.

Today is given to the highlights of the Antalya region.

• Perge Ancient City: walk among the ruins of this Roman city.
• Aspendos Theatre: one of the best-preserved Roman theatres anywhere in the world.
• Kursunlu Waterfall: a peaceful natural spot where you can relax for a while.
• Kaleici (Old Town): stroll the cobbled lanes, lined with Ottoman houses and lively shops.
• Hadrian's Gate: a well-preserved Roman gate that once formed the entrance to the old city.

Overnight in Antalya.

After breakfast you drive to Fethiye, about 2.5 hours from Antalya.

Highlights of the day:

• Fethiye Museum: ancient artefacts and the story of the region.
• Oludeniz: a blue lagoon and beach that many people count among the most beautiful in Turkey.
• Kayakoy: a ghost town left empty in the 1920s, where you can walk among the stone houses and hear its history.

After the tour you check in to your hotel and have the evening free.

Overnight in Fethiye.

After breakfast you leave Fethiye for the drive to Bodrum, which usually takes around 3 hours.

Highlights of the day:

• Bodrum Castle: a medieval castle with wonderful views over the harbour.
• Mausoleum of Halicarnassus: the ruins of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
• Bodrum Marina: unwind at the busy marina, with time for shopping or a coffee at a waterfront cafe.

After the tour you are taken to your hotel in Bodrum for the evening.

Overnight in Bodrum.

Check out of your hotel and set off for Pamukkale.

• Travertines of Pamukkale: walk across the white terraces and enjoy the thermal pools.
• Hierapolis Ancient City: explore what remains of this ancient Roman spa city.

Then continue to Kusadasi and check in to your hotel for the night.

Check out of your hotel and head for Ephesus.

Highlights of the day:

• Library of Celsus: the most famous building in Ephesus, known for its grand facade.
• Temple of Hadrian: built for the Roman emperor Hadrian, with columns and detailed reliefs that have survived remarkably well.
• Terrace Houses (optional): a complex of luxurious homes where the wealthiest families of Ephesus lived.
• Hercules Gate: a monumental entrance decorated with carvings of the legendary hero.
• Grand Theatre: it once held as many as 25,000 people and is still used for performances today.
• The Snake Cult of Asklepios: hear about the ancient followers of Asklepios, god of healing, and see what is left of the temple built in his honour.
• Herm (Marker) of Hermes: old stone markers that pointed the way and marked boundaries in the city.
• Artemission: the site of the Temple of Artemis, counted among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
• Stone-carving of the goddess Nike: a finely worked relief of Nike, the winged goddess of victory.
• Fountain of Trajan: the remains of a large fountain dedicated to Emperor Trajan.
• House of Virgin Mary (optional): the visit ends at the house believed by many to be the Virgin Mary's final resting place.

After the tour you transfer to Izmir Airport for your flight to Sanliurfa, where you spend the night.

• 10:00 AM – Leave Sanliurfa: a private transfer takes you to Göbekli Tepe, often called the zero point of history (about 30 minutes).
• 10:30 AM – Göbekli Tepe: explore the archaeological site thought to be the oldest known temple complex in the world, and look closely at stone carvings more than 12,000 years old.
• 12:00 PM – On to Harran: leave Göbekli Tepe for Harran, known for its beehive-shaped mudbrick houses and long history.
• 12:45 PM – Harran: walk around the historic village, see its old buildings and the famous mudbrick houses, and learn why Harran mattered in the ancient world.
• 15:00 – Sanliurfa Bazaar: after the drive back to Sanliurfa (about 1 hour from Harran), browse the busy markets of a city known for its history and local flavours.

Overnight in Sanliurfa.

• 09:00 AM – Departure: after breakfast, set off by private vehicle or guided transfer for the Nemrut Mountain region, about 3 hours from Sanliurfa. A breakfast stop on the way is optional.
• 12:00 PM – Kahramanmaraş (optional): pause in Kahramanmaraş for a short rest and a taste of the city's famous ice cream.
• 02:30 PM – Adıyaman: arrive in the Adıyaman area, the gateway to Mount Nemrut, for lunch at a local restaurant and a chance to freshen up before the mountain.
• 04:00 PM – Nemrut National Park: the road climbs through scenic country and past historical sites towards the mountain.
• 05:30 PM – The ascent: from the base of Mount Nemrut you head for the summit, on foot or by shuttle if one is running.
• 06:30 PM – The summit: time to look closely at the ancient statues and hear the story of the Commagene Kingdom at this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• 07:00 PM – Sunset: watch the golden evening light fall across the statues and the wide landscape below.
• 08:30 PM – Descent: come down the mountain and drive to the centre of Adıyaman.
• 09:30 PM – Hotel: check in at your hotel in Adıyaman and rest after a long day.

Following breakfast you are driven to the airport and fly back to Istanbul. You can spend the remaining hours resting or doing some final shopping.

You stay overnight in Istanbul.

Check out after breakfast. Our representative looks after your transfer to the airport for your departure flight, which brings our services to an end.

Extra nights in Istanbul can be added if you would like to stay longer.

Optional add-ons

• Cappadocia hot air balloon flight (Göreme): $310
• One extra hotel night in Istanbul, before or after the tour: $65
• Upgrade to a private tour: $700