5-Day Turkey tour from Izmir: Ephesus, Pamukkale and Cappadocia

This tour starts in either Izmir or Kusadasi, and it ends upon your arrival at the Istanbul airport.

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Day 1: Arrive and Overnight in Kusadasi

You will begin your tour with a transfer from the Izmir airport or the Kusadasi port to your hotel in Kusadasi. Rest of the day will be free. You can explore on your own.

• Overnight in Kusadasi
• Included Meal(s): No meals are included on this day
• Accommodation: Efe Boutique Hotel OR Neopol Hotel Deluxe OR Derici Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 2: Ephesus Tour

After breakfast at the hotel around 8:30 am, you will be picked up and met by your tour guide to begin your full-day tour of Ephesus. You will visit the ruins of Ephesus, the ancient Greek city that became an important centre of this time. Visit the Temple of Hadrian, Great Theater, and Trajan Fountain. After lunch, let’s visit the House of the Virgin Mary, where it is believed she spent her last years. We will pass by the Temple of Artemis; there is little to see of this that was one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. Afterwards, you will visit the Isa Bey Mosque. Next, you will be taken to the Sirince Village; which is an old Greek village and is well-known for its quaint beauty and wine tasting and production. Here you will have one hour free to explore on your own without a guide the different foods and wines of the area and visit various small traditional village shops. After the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel around 4:00 pm.

• Overnight in Kusadasi
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: Efe Boutique Hotel OR Neopol Hotel Deluxe OR Derici Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 3: Pamukkale and Hierapolis Tour – Overnight Bus from Pamukkale to Cappadocia (650.5 km)

After breakfast around 7:30 am, you will be picked up from your Kusadasi hotel and taken to the meeting point in Selcuk where the full group will first meet. You will then begin the Pamukkale tour with a drive from Selcuk starting at 8:30 am to Pamukkale which will be around 3 hours. En route to Pamukkale after 1.5 hours, there will be a 10-minute stop for a restroom break. Upon arrival around 11:45 am, the group will be first taken to have lunch and after lunch, at around 1:00 pm you will begin your guided tour of the Pamukkale and Hierapolis area with a professional licensed tour guide. In Pamukkale, you will see the Cotton Cliffs, one of the natural wonders of the world formed by deposits of calcareous salts. Also, you will visit the ancient ruins of the City of Hierapolis with its basilica, theatre, and Roman Baths. At the end of the guided tour, you will have some free time to explore the area on your own. As an option, you may choose to swim in the Pamukkale antique pools (at your own expense) during this free time. The tour guide will inform you about the exact meeting point and time.

At the end of the tour around approximately 4:00 pm, you will be transferred to the bus station for your overnight bus to Cappadocia. The overnight bus departs from Pamukkale to Cappadocia around 9:00 pm. You will have free time at the bus station from the time you are dropped off at the bus station till the time the bus is ready to depart. You can have your dinner around the bus station if you like at this time. You will travel overnight to Cappadocia in a non-smoking, fully air-conditioned local bus. The total duration of travel will be 10 hours. There will be three breaks on the way to Cappadocia for your personal needs.

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

Day 4: North Cappadocia Tour

Upon your arrival at the Goreme bus station in Cappadocia, you will be met at the bus station and transferred to your Cappadocia hotel. At the hotel, you can have your breakfast and be ready to meet your tour guide around 9:30 am. Your tour will start with a visit to the Devrent Valley to see the unique fairy chimneys. Next, you will visit the Pasabag Valley (Monks Valley) to see the mushroom-shaped pinnacles. After this visit, you will drive to the city of Avanos. After lunch, you will visit the Zelve Open Air Museum in Cappadocia. The museum features a series of carved caves and ancient churches, providing a glimpse into the region’s monastic history. Finally towards the end of the day tour before returning to your hotel, you will be able to visit the natural castles of Uchisar. At the end of the tour, you will be dropped back at your hotel around 4:00 pm.

• 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 5: South Cappadocia Tour – Fly back to Istanbul

For an optional extra, book an early morning hot air balloon ride and experience breathtaking aerial views of the valleys. Please note that this activity comes at an additional cost.

After breakfast at the hotel around 9:30 am you will be picked up and met by your tour guide to begin your full-day tour of South Cappadocia. Your tour guide will brief you on the day’s activities. Your tour will begin with a visit to the Red Valley where you will be able to explore the famous rock-cut churches and hike approximately 5 km through the Rose Valley (Gulludere Vadisi). Next, you will visit Cavusin Village which is famous for its houses and churches of Christian Clergymen. We will take a break for lunch around noon. After lunch, you will drive to the Pigeon Valley (Guvercinlik Vadisi). In the afternoon you will visit the Kaymakli Underground City or Ozkonak Underground City where early Christians lived. This will be the end of your full-day tour. At the end of the tour around approximately 4:00 pm, you will be transferred to Kayseri or Nevsehir airport for your late evening return flight between 7:00 – 10:00 pm (flight duration is approximately 1 hour 30 minutes) to Istanbul. END OF OUR SERVICE and TOURS.

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

Important notes:

• Please note that your flight from Kayseri / Nevsehir to Istanbul will arrive at either the New Airport in Istanbul or at the Sabiha Gökçen Airport depending on the availability of flights on the ticket purchase date.
• If you have a preference to return to a specific airport in Istanbul i.e. Sabiha Gokcen or Istanbul New Airport, you must request your choice of the airport in Istanbul by email prior to your tour booking. Any changes requested once your booking is confirmed will incur an additional cost.
• Upon arrival at Istanbul airport, you will have to arrange your own pick-up service from Istanbul airport to your hotel in Istanbul. This transfer is not included as part of your package tour services with us. Our service ends upon your flight arrival at Istanbul Airport.

INCLUDED in the Tour Price:

• All transfers mentioned in the itinerary
• One-way flight from Kayseri or Nevsehir to Istanbul airport
• Overnight intercity coach tickets (Pamukkale to Cappadocia)
• 2 nights in Kusadasi at a 4-star hotel including breakfast
• 1 night in Cappadocia at a cave hotel including breakfast
• English-speaking guide during the tours
• Meals as per itinerary (B=breakfast, L=lunch)
• Entrance fees mentioned by the itinerary
• 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
• Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Ride.
• Optional tours mentioned in the program, they will be provided at an additional cost.
• Services not mentioned in the program.
• Drinks with meals.
• Travel insurance (recommended).

IMPORTANT INFO:

• The order of the itinerary is indicative and subject to change, but all visits described will take place.
• 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.
• You can swim in the Antique pool in Pamukkale. However, please note that there is an extra charge that you will have to pay directly at your own expense before entry to the pools. This entrance fee to the pools is not covered as part of your tour. Please note that you must bring your own towel, swimsuit, etc. if you need to use the pools.
• The normal arrival time in Istanbul is between 7:00 – 10:00 pm. If you are planning on reserving your plane back home that same day, we recommend you book a plane ticket from 1:30 am onwards, to avoid missing your flight.