Best Multi-Day Trips

Trips here range in length between two days and a month. They split into two types that look alike but are priced in very different ways. One type is the fixed-programme package, where flights, hotel and group tours come in a single price. The other is the private itinerary, with a guide and van of your own in every region; hotels are frequently left out of the price, so that you choose the standard yourself. Read what each tour page says is included before comparing prices, and much of the confusion goes away.

Packages with hotel and flights included

Comparing these is simplest, because the price per person already covers domestic flights, at least one hotel night, guided tours including lunch, and transfers. The two-day Cappadocia package with flights and hotel starts from $450 a person. Our two-day Ephesus and Pamukkale flying trip is $675 a person and covers lunches, entrance fees and a night in Pamukkale. To see three regions in one trip, the five-day tour of Cappadocia, Ephesus and Pamukkale costs $1,280 a person with four nights in hotels, plus four breakfasts and four lunches.

What is not included matters just as much. On every one of them, dinners, drinks and the Cappadocia balloon flight cost extra, and you join other travellers on the daily tours; they are not private.

Private itineraries

In every region the private trips provide a local guide plus a private van, with domestic flights linking the regions, but hotel bookings are usually marked "available upon request". This works well for travellers who have hotel points to use, a cave hotel they love or a tight budget. The seven-day private Turkey tour visits Pamukkale, Ephesus, Cappadocia and Istanbul. Our two-day private Gallipoli and Troy trip, from $235 a person, is the shortest private trip from Istanbul with a night away, travelling by road. At the other extreme, the 21-day private highlights tour reaches Kars, Van, Mount Nemrut and the Black Sea. Longer private routes are priced on enquiry, because the cost depends on hotels, group size and travel dates.

Choosing a trip length

• 2 days: a single region, such as Cappadocia, Ephesus plus Pamukkale, or Gallipoli plus Troy.
• 4 to 6 days: two regions or three, and at least one early-morning flight. The four-day Ephesus-Pamukkale-Cappadocia route covers all three fastest.
• 7 to 10 days: Istanbul plus the classic triangle, slowly enough to keep your evenings free.
• 12 days or longer: the coast, the southeast, Konya or Hattusa join the route. These suit mostly second-time visitors.

Squeezing all four (Istanbul, Pamukkale, Ephesus and Cappadocia) into five days is a common mistake. It is possible, but much of the time goes on airports. With only five days, leave one region out.

Seasons, flights and combinations

From spring to autumn the Cappadocia balloons go up on most mornings, but windy days cancel them. A stay of two nights gives you a second try; with just one night you get only one. July and August are hot at Ephesus and Pamukkale, both outdoor sites with not much shade, so ask for the early slot. The airlines set domestic flight times, so on a flying trip the opening and closing days usually include little sightseeing.

Many guests spend two or three days first in Istanbul, taking a tour from our city tours list, and then head off on one of these trips. If you prefer the coast to ruins, a week on a gulet from our blue cruise tours can take the place of the Aegean section. For more detail on the most popular region, read our guide to Cappadocia tours from Istanbul, one to three days, and the Goreme Open-Air Museum guide explains what you will see there.