6 Days Gallipoli, Troy, Ephesus, Pamukkale and Cappadocia Tour

Day 1: Gallipoli Peninsula Tour – Stay overnight in Canakkale

You will be picked up from your hotel in the city center on the European side of Istanbul around 6:30 AM for your departure to Eceabat. The drive will take approximately 5 hours. Upon arrival, you’ll enjoy lunch before beginning your tour.

At around 13:00, your fully guided Gallipoli Tour begins, visiting key sites that played significant roles during the Gallipoli campaign. These include Brighton Beach, Beach Cemetery, ANZAC Cove, Ariburnu Cemetery, the ANZAC Commemorative Site, and the Respect to Mehmetcik Statue. You will also visit the Lone Pine Australian Memorial, Johnston’s Jolly, where you can explore Turkish and Allied trenches and tunnels, the Turkish 57th Infantry Regiment Cemetery, The Nek, and the Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial.

After the tour ends around 4:30 pm, you will be transferred to your hotel in Çanakkale for check-in and overnight.

• Overnight in Canakkale
• Included Meal(s): Lunch
• Accommodation: Grand Anzac Hotel OR Helen Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 2: Troy Tour – Bus to Kusadasi

After breakfast, check out of your hotel in Canakkale. Around 8:30 AM, you will be picked up from your hotel to begin the morning tour of Troy, the legendary ancient city famous for the Trojan Horse and the epic stories of Beautiful Helen, Queen of Sparta, and Paris, the Trojan Prince. You will also explore other significant parts of the ancient city, including Troy I through Troy IX, Houses of Troy I, and the Sacrificial Altars of Troy.

After your morning tour of Troy, you will return to Canakkale and board a public bus to Selcuk/Kusadasi at approximately 12:30 PM. The bus ride takes about 6.5 hours, with two breaks along the way for personal needs. You will arrive in Kusadasi around 7:00 PM, where you’ll be picked up from the bus station and transferred to your hotel for check-in.

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

Day 3: Ephesus Tour

After breakfast at your hotel, you will be picked up around 8:30 AM and meet your tour guide to begin a full-day tour of Ephesus, one of the most significant ancient cities of the Greek and Roman periods. As you explore the ruins, you’ll visit key landmarks such as the Temple of Hadrian, the grand Great Theater, and the impressive Trajan Fountain, dedicated to Emperor Trajan.

After a delightful lunch, you will head to the House of the Virgin Mary, a sacred site believed to be where Mary spent her final years. Next, you will pass by the remains of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, where only remnants of its former grandeur can be seen today.

The tour continues with a visit to the stunning Isa Bey Mosque, a beautiful example of Seljuk architecture.

After the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel in Kusadasi around 4:30 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 4: Pamukkale and Hieropolis Tour – Overnight Bus to Cappadocia

After breakfast at around 7:30 AM, you will be picked up from your hotel in Kusadasi and transferred to the meeting point in Selçuk, where the full group will gather. From there, the journey to Pamukkale will begin at approximately 8:30 AM, with a drive of about 3 hours. A brief 10-minute stop for a restroom break will be made halfway through the trip.

Upon arrival in Pamukkale around 11:45 AM, the group will first enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, around 1:00 PM, your guided tour will begin with a professional licensed guide. You will explore the stunning Cotton Cliffs, a natural wonder formed by deposits of calcareous salts, and the ancient ruins of the City of Hierapolis. Key highlights include the theatre and the Roman Baths.

At the end of the guided tour, you will have 1 hour of free time to explore the area at your own pace. If you wish, you can opt to swim in the famous Pamukkale Antique Pools (optional and at your own expense). Your guide will provide the details of the exact meeting point and time.

Today’s tour will end around 4:00 PM, after which you will be transferred to the bus station for your overnight bus to Cappadocia. The bus departs at 9:00 PM, giving you free time before departure to relax and have dinner near the bus station. The bus ride to Cappadocia takes approximately 10 hours, with three stops for personal needs along the way.

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

Day 5: 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.

The tour will end around 4:00 PM, after which you will be dropped off at 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 Zula Cave Housel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 6: South Cappadocia Tour – Fly 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 your hotel in Istanbul and transfer to Istanbul Airport (for hotels on the European side of Istanbul only).
• Domestic flight and bus tickets as per the itinerary.
• 1 night in Canakkale at a 3-star hotel, including breakfast.
• 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 mentioned in the 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.
• 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:

• 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.
• 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
• 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.
• Optional – DAY 4: You can fly from Izmir to Cappadocia for an extra USD 175 per person including airport transfer, flight ticket, and one extra night’s hotel stay in Cappadocia.
• 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.