4 Days Pamukkale and Cappadocia Tour from Istanbul by Plane & Bus

Day 1: Fly to Denizli from Istanbul

You will be picked up from your hotel in Istanbul for a late afternoon or evening flight (depending on availability) to Denizli. Upon arrival at Denizli Airport, you will be met by a representative and transferred to your hotel in Pamukkale. After checking in, the rest of the day is yours to relax or explore at your leisure.

• Overnight in Pamukkale
• Included Meal(s): No meals are included on this day
• Accommodation: Adempira Thermal & Spa Hotel OR Colossae Thermal Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 2: Pamukkale and Hierapolis Tour – Overnight Bus to Cappadocia (649.8 km)

After breakfast, check out from your hotel in Pamukkale. At around 10:30 am, you will be picked up from your hotel to begin the full-day tour of Pamukkale and Hierapolis.

Today’s tour will start around 10:30 am with the first stop at Karahayit, where you can see the famous Red Spring Waters, known for their unique thermal properties. Afterward, the tour will proceed to Pamukkale, where you’ll explore the ancient city of Hierapolis. Key sites you’ll visit include the Necropolis, Roman Baths, Domitian Gate, Agora, Triton Fountain, Plutonium, and the Theater.

Following this, you will enjoy a lunch break at a local restaurant. After lunch, you will have 1 hour of free time to explore the natural wonders of Pamukkale. During this time, you may also choose to swim in the Cleopatra Antique Pools (optional, at your own expense).

Later, you will meet back with the guide and the group at the designated meeting point to take a walk along the famous Cotton Cliffs (travertines).

At the end of the tour, around 4:00 PM, you will be transferred to the bus station for your overnight journey to Cappadocia. The bus departs from Pamukkale at approximately 9:00 PM, giving you free time at the station before departure. During this time, you can enjoy dinner at one of the nearby restaurants. The overnight journey to Cappadocia will take approximately 10 hours on a non-smoking, fully air-conditioned local bus. There will be three scheduled stops along the way for breaks and personal needs.

• Overnight Bus to Cappadocia
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: No accommodation is included on this day

Day 3: Full Day North Cappadocia Tour

Upon arriving at the Goreme bus station in the morning, you will be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel in Cappadocia. After enjoying breakfast, you can relax in the hotel lobby until your pick-up at 9:30 am. At that time, you will begin your North Cappadocia tour, where you’ll meet your guide and start exploring the region.

The tour will start with a visit to the Devrent Valley, famous for its unique fairy chimneys shaped like animals. Next, you’ll explore Pasabag Valley (Monks Valley), known for its impressive mushroom-shaped rock formations.

After this, the tour continues to Avanos, a charming town renowned for its ancient pottery traditions. Following lunch in Avanos, you will visit the Zelve Open Air Museum, an extraordinary collection of carved caves and ancient churches, which gives a glimpse into the region’s early monastic life.

Towards the end of the day, you will stop for about 15 minutes to take panoramic photos of the stunning Uchisar Castle. While the interior of the castle is not open for visitors, the exterior provides breathtaking views over Cappadocia’s surreal landscape.

After the tour ends around 4:00 pm, you will be transferred to your hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is free for you to relax or explore the area at your leisure.

For extra activities, you can choose one from the following options: a traditional Turkish Night show with dinner, a 2-hour ATV tour, a 2-hour horseback riding tour through the valleys, or attend a 1-hour Whirling Dervish show. Please note that all activities are available at an additional cost, and you can join only one due to time constraints.

• Overnight in Cappadocia
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: Heaven Cave House OR Dedeli Konak Cave Hotel OR Holiday Cave Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 4: Full Day South Cappadocia Tour – Fly back to Istanbul

For an additional option, you can book an early morning hot air balloon ride to enjoy breathtaking aerial views of the valleys. Please note that this activity comes at an extra cost.

After breakfast at the hotel, you will check out and be picked up around 9:30 am to begin your full-day tour of South Cappadocia. Your first stop will be the breathtaking Red Valley, where you’ll explore the famous rock-cut churches and hike 5 km through the serene Rose Valley (Gulludere Vadisi), renowned for its stunning pink-hued rock formations.

Next, you’ll visit Cavusin Village, known for its ancient cave houses and churches once inhabited by Christian clergymen. Around noon, you’ll take a break for lunch at a local restaurant, savoring authentic Turkish flavors.

After lunch, the tour will continue to Pigeon Valley (Guvercinlik Vadisi), where you’ll witness the valley’s iconic pigeon houses carved into the cliffs. In the afternoon, you’ll explore either the Kaymakli Underground City or Ozkonak Underground City, both remarkable underground cities where early Christians took refuge.

At the end of the tour, around 3:30 pm, you will be transferred to Kayseri or Nevsehir Airport for your evening flight back to Istanbul. Departure times are subject to flight availability, typically between 7:00 pm and 10:00 pm, with the flight lasting approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. END OF OUR SERVICE and TOURS.

Please note that transportation from Istanbul Airport (IST) or Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW) to your hotel in Istanbul is not included in the tour price.

• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: No accommodation is included on this day

INCLUDED in the Tour Price:

• Pick up from Istanbul hotel and transfer to Istanbul Airport (on the European side of Istanbul only).
• Round-trip domestic flights as per the itinerary.
• Overnight intercity coach ticket (Pamukkale to Cappadocia).
• 1-night hotel accommodation in a 4-star Hotel in Pamukkale.
• 1-night hotel accommodation in a Cave Hotel in Cappadocia.
• Professional licensed English-speaking guide during the tours.
• Meals as per itinerary (B=breakfast, L=lunch).
• Entrance fees to the sites mentioned in the program.
• Local taxes and service charges.

NOT INCLUDED:

• Drop off transportation service from Istanbul New Airport OR Sabiha Gökçen Airport to Istanbul Hotel upon returning to Istanbul
• The order of the itinerary is indicative and subject to change, but all visits described will take place.
• Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Ride.
• Services not mentioned in the program.
• Optional tours mentioned in the program, they will be provided at an additional cost.
• Drinks with meals
• Travel Insurance

WHAT TO BRING:

• Hiking shoes
• Camera
• Swimwear & towel

IMPORTANT INFO:

• This is a regular group tour, but if requested at cost can be provided as a private tour.
• The regular group tour has shopping stops included in the tour.
• The order of the itinerary is indicative and subject to change, but all visits described will take place.
• Overnight buses do not have restroom facilities on board.
• Vegetarian lunch option available upon request.
• For 1 traveler: 1 Single Room Accommodation
• For 2 travelers: 1 Double/Twin Room Accommodation
• For 3 travelers: 1 Triple Room Accommodation
• For 4 travelers: 2 Double/Twin Rooms Accommodation
• For 5 travelers: 1 Double/Twin Room and 1 Triple Room Accommodation
• The normal arrival time in Istanbul is between 8:00 – 10:00 pm. If you are planning on reserving your plane back home that same day, we recommend you book a plane ticket from 12:30 am onwards, to avoid missing your flight.

WHEN TO BOOK?

• Book as soon as possible to guarantee availability, especially during public holidays and festivities
• You can book up to 2 days before (Istanbul local time) if there are still places available. If less than 2 days before the start of your requested tour date, please contact us by email or phone as it would be a last-minute booking that will need to be checked for availability before your tour reservation is confirmed.