This 8-day guided tour visits Istanbul (3 nights), Cappadocia (2 nights), Pamukkale (1 night) and Kusadasi (1 night). Prices start from $1,680 USD per person, based on two travelers sharing. Operated by One Nation Travel, a TÜRSAB-licensed (No. A-6073) local tour operator founded in Istanbul in 2008.
Overview
Rumi’s mausoleum breaks the drive on the 8-Day Turkey Tour, 8 days and 7 nights across Istanbul, Cappadocia, Konya, Pamukkale and Ephesus. You fly Istanbul to Cappadocia and Izmir to Istanbul, with road travel through Konya to Pamukkale and Kusadasi. In Cappadocia you stay in a cave hotel.
Guided days cover Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Devrent Valley and an underground city in Cappadocia, the Mevlana Museum in Konya, Hierapolis at Pamukkale and the Library of Celsus at Ephesus.
One Nation Travel, a licensed local tour operator in Istanbul since 2008, TÜRSAB A-6073, coordinates the trip for you. International flights are not included and are not offered as a paid add-on. You must arrange and purchase these flights independently. Hot air ballooning in Cappadocia and Turkish baths are optional and not included, with balloon flights subject to weather and aviation authority approval. The pace suits active travelers, with a Day 3 pickup around 4:00 AM, a 5 km Rose Valley hike and one long driving day.
Trip Highlights
- Tour Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia with a guide
- Wander the covered lanes of Istanbul's Grand Bazaar
- Marvel at the Three Sisters Fairy Chimneys near Urgup
- Descend into a carved Cappadocia underground city
- Step into the frescoed churches of Göreme Open-Air Museum
- Spend two nights in an atmospheric cave hotel
- Visit the Mevlana Museum and mausoleum of Rumi in Konya
- Walk the white travertine terraces of Pamukkale
- Soak in thermal pools beside ancient Hierapolis
- Trace marble streets to the Library of Celsus at Ephesus
Route: Istanbul (3 nights) → Cappadocia (2 nights) → Pamukkale (1 night) → Kusadasi (1 night) → Istanbul · Day trips: Ephesus
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Welcome to Turkey. On arrival at Istanbul Airport (IST) or Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW), our representative will be waiting for you in the arrivals area, holding a sign with your name. After a warm greeting, you’ll be taken by private transfer to your hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is free for you to relax and recover from your flight at your own pace.
Overnight in Istanbul.
Accommodation in the Hotels Below (or Similar, Depending on Availability at the Time of Booking):
In Istanbul: Antea Hotel Oldcity, Muyan Suites, or Deluxe Golden Horn Hotel.
The quoted price for this tour includes accommodations in the hotels mentioned above or similar quality hotels.
If you prefer a higher quality hotel, we offer two options:
- Option 1: We can upgrade your hotel at an additional cost, which will be added to the total price of the standard package tour.
- Option 2: You may request to arrange your own accommodation. We will prepare a revised written quote; each non-hotel service remains included only if it is expressly listed in the revised confirmation, and availability or price may change.
Please let us know your preferred option when making the tour request so we can adjust the price accordingly. If no change in hotels is needed and you wish to proceed with the hotels included in our package tour at the quoted price, you may book the tour directly online.
After breakfast, your guide meets you at the hotel around 9:00 AM to begin a full day exploring Istanbul, the only city in the world spread across two continents. Known across the centuries as Byzantium, Constantinople, and Istanbul, it served as the capital of both the Byzantine and Ottoman empires.
The first stop is the Byzantine Hippodrome, once the setting for chariot races and Byzantine riots. From there you continue to Topkapi Palace, built between 1460 and 1478 by Sultan Mehmed II, where you tour the residence and the weapons section.
A short walk leads to Hagia Sophia, raised in 532 AD under Emperor Justinian I. Around midday, you pause for lunch at a local restaurant before continuing to the Blue Mosque Istanbul, famous for its blue Iznik tiles. The day ends at the Grand Bazaar Istanbul, opened in 1461, with over 1,200 shops, before returning to the hotel.
Overnight in Istanbul.
Accommodation in the Hotels Below (or Similar, Depending on Availability at the Time of Booking):
In Istanbul: Antea Hotel Oldcity, Muyan Suites, or Deluxe Golden Horn Hotel.
The quoted price for this tour includes accommodations in the hotels mentioned above or similar quality hotels.
If you prefer a higher quality hotel, we offer two options:
- Option 1: We can upgrade your hotel at an additional cost, which will be added to the total price of the standard package tour.
- Option 2: You may request to arrange your own accommodation. We will prepare a revised written quote; each non-hotel service remains included only if it is expressly listed in the revised confirmation, and availability or price may change.
Please let us know your preferred option when making the tour request so we can adjust the price accordingly. If no change in hotels is needed and you wish to proceed with the hotels included in our package tour at the quoted price, you may book the tour directly online.
You will be picked up from your hotel around 4:00 AM and transferred to the airport for your flight to Kayseri or Nevşehir, departing between 6:00 – 7:30 AM. Upon arrival, our representative will meet you and transfer you to Cappadocia, where you’ll meet your guide for a full-day North Cappadocia Tour.
Your first stop is Devrent Valley, known for its fairy chimneys and animal-shaped rock formations. Continue to Pasabag Monks Valley, home to some of the region’s most striking mushroom-shaped pinnacles, then visit the pottery town of Avanos along the banks of the Red River.
A lunch break at a local restaurant is provided during the tour. Afterwards, explore the Zelve Open Air Museum, with its cave dwellings, churches, and monasteries carved into soft volcanic rock. Stop at Uchisar Castle for panoramic photographs; while entry is not permitted, the surrounding area offers spectacular views.
After the tour, transfer to your hotel for check-in. The rest of the evening is free to relax at your leisure. Overnight in Cappadocia.
Accommodation in the Hotels Below (or Similar, Depending on Availability at the Time of Booking):
In Cappadocia: Heaven Cave House, Dedeli Konak Cave Hotel, or Zula Cave House.
The quoted price for this tour includes accommodations in the hotels mentioned above or similar quality hotels.
If you prefer a higher quality hotel, we offer two options:
- Option 1: We can upgrade your hotel at an additional cost, which will be added to the total price of the standard package tour.
- Option 2: You may request to arrange your own accommodation. We will prepare a revised written quote; each non-hotel service remains included only if it is expressly listed in the revised confirmation, and availability or price may change.
Please let us know your preferred option when making the tour request so we can adjust the price accordingly. If no change in hotels is needed and you wish to proceed with the hotels included in our package tour at the quoted price, you may book the tour directly online.
After breakfast, at approximately 9:30 AM, your guide will pick you up to begin a full day exploring South Cappadocia. Following a short briefing on the day’s plan, you’ll head to the Red Valley, where rock-cut churches are tucked into the warm-toned cliffs. From here, set off on a scenic 5 km hike through the Rose Valley (Gulludere Vadisi), with sweeping views over the layered rock formations.
Next, visit Cavusin Village, known for its old stone houses and churches once inhabited by Christian clergymen. Around noon, you pause for lunch at a local restaurant.
In the afternoon, continue to Pigeon Valley (Guvercinlik Vadisi), named for the dovecotes carved into its soft cliffs and known for its sweeping landscapes. The tour then descends underground at either the Kaymakli Underground City or Ozkonak Underground City, where early Christians once sought shelter through a network of tunnels and chambers.
Around 4:00 PM, you’ll be transferred back to your hotel in Cappadocia. The rest of the day is free to relax or explore the area at your own pace. Overnight in Cappadocia.
Accommodation in the Hotels Below (or Similar, Depending on Availability at the Time of Booking):
In Cappadocia: Heaven Cave House, Dedeli Konak Cave Hotel, or Zula Cave House.
The quoted price for this tour includes accommodations in the hotels mentioned above or similar quality hotels.
If you prefer a higher quality hotel, we offer two options:
- Option 1: We can upgrade your hotel at an additional cost, which will be added to the total price of the standard package tour.
- Option 2: You may request to arrange your own accommodation. We will prepare a revised written quote; each non-hotel service remains included only if it is expressly listed in the revised confirmation, and availability or price may change.
Please let us know your preferred option when making the tour request so we can adjust the price accordingly. If no change in hotels is needed and you wish to proceed with the hotels included in our package tour at the quoted price, you may book the tour directly online.
After breakfast, check out from your cave hotel and depart from Cappadocia by private vehicle, traveling toward Pamukkale via Konya. The scenic drive crosses the central Anatolian plains, with comfortable rest stops along the way.
On arrival in Konya, your English-speaking guide will meet you for a 2-hour tour, including a visit to the Mevlana Museum, the mausoleum of Mevlana Rumi, the renowned mystic and founder of the Mevlevi order of whirling dervishes. Please note that lunch is not included during the Konya tour.
After the Konya tour, your private driver will continue the journey to Pamukkale. Upon arrival, check in to your thermal hotel. The rest of the evening is at leisure, and you may relax in the hotel’s thermal pools until 10:30 PM.
Dinner and overnight in Pamukkale.
Accommodation in the Hotels Below (or Similar, Depending on Availability at the Time of Booking):
In Pamukkale: Pam Thermal Hotel, Adempira Thermal & Spa Hotel, Colossae Thermal Hotel, or Tripolis Hotel.
The quoted price for this tour includes accommodations in the hotels mentioned above or similar quality hotels.
If you prefer a higher quality hotel, we offer two options:
- Option 1: We can upgrade your hotel at an additional cost, which will be added to the total price of the standard package tour.
- Option 2: You may request to arrange your own accommodation. We will prepare a revised written quote; each non-hotel service remains included only if it is expressly listed in the revised confirmation, and availability or price may change.
Please let us know your preferred option when making the tour request so we can adjust the price accordingly. If no change in hotels is needed and you wish to proceed with the hotels included in our package tour at the quoted price, you may book the tour directly online.
After breakfast, check out from your hotel and set off toward the white travertine terraces of Pamukkale. These mineral-rich pools, formed over thousands of years by warm calcium-laden springs, cascade down the hillside in shades of brilliant white.
Your guide will lead you through the ancient city of Hierapolis, the Greco-Roman spa town built above the terraces. Walk among the ruins to see the impressive Hierapolis Roman Theatre and the remains of the Temple of Apollo, then take time to stroll along the calcite ledges of the travertines themselves.
Around midday, after the tour concludes, board the coach for the roughly three-hour drive west to the coastal town of Kusadasi. A lunch break is provided during the day. Settle in and enjoy the changing scenery as the route nears the Aegean.
Upon arrival, check in to your hotel around 7:30 PM. Overnight in Kusadasi.
Accommodation in the Hotels Below (or Similar, Depending on Availability at the Time of Booking):
In Kusadasi: Efe Boutique Hotel, Derici Hotel, Neopol Hotel Deluxe, or Marina Hotel.
The quoted price for this tour includes accommodations in the hotels mentioned above or similar quality hotels.
If you prefer a higher quality hotel, we offer two options:
- Option 1: We can upgrade your hotel at an additional cost, which will be added to the total price of the standard package tour.
- Option 2: You may request to arrange your own accommodation. We will prepare a revised written quote; each non-hotel service remains included only if it is expressly listed in the revised confirmation, and availability or price may change.
Please let us know your preferred option when making the tour request so we can adjust the price accordingly. If no change in hotels is needed and you wish to proceed with the hotels included in our package tour at the quoted price, you may book the tour directly online.
After breakfast, drive about 25 minutes to the Ephesus region. Your guide begins at the Temple of Artemis, once one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. From here, continue into the Ephesus Ancient City, walking marble streets lined with the State Agora, the Odeon, the Memmius Monument, Curetes Street, the Trajan Fountain, the Baths of Scholastica, the Temple of Hadrian, and the Library of Celsus. The Great Theatre of Ephesus, expanded by the Romans to hold 24,000 spectators, is among the most striking buildings here.
A lunch break at a local restaurant is provided during the tour. Afterwards, visit the House of the Virgin Mary on the slopes of Aladag Mountain, a recognized place of pilgrimage. The tour then drives to Izmir Airport for your flight back to Istanbul. On arrival, our representative meets you and transfers you to your hotel.
Overnight in Istanbul.
Accommodation in the Hotels Below (or Similar, Depending on Availability at the Time of Booking):
In Istanbul: Antea Hotel Oldcity, Muyan Suites, or Deluxe Golden Horn Hotel.
The quoted price for this tour includes accommodations in the hotels mentioned above or similar quality hotels.
If you prefer a higher quality hotel, we offer two options:
- Option 1: We can upgrade your hotel at an additional cost, which will be added to the total price of the standard package tour.
- Option 2: You may request to arrange your own accommodation. We will prepare a revised written quote; each non-hotel service remains included only if it is expressly listed in the revised confirmation, and availability or price may change.
Please let us know your preferred option when making the tour request so we can adjust the price accordingly. If no change in hotels is needed and you wish to proceed with the hotels included in our package tour at the quoted price, you may book the tour directly online.
After breakfast, enjoy some free time until hotel check-out (before 12:00 noon). According to your flight schedule, you will be transferred to Istanbul International Airport. We wish you a pleasant journey home and thank you for choosing One Nation Travel.
Included & Excluded
Inclusions:
- 7 nights hotel accommodation including cave hotel in Cappadocia and thermal hotel in Pamukkale
- Daily breakfast at the hotel and lunch during all full-day guided tours (except the Konya tour)
- 1 dinner (in Pamukkale)
- Arrival airport meet & greet, and arrival and departure airport transfers
- Domestic flights: Istanbul to Cappadocia (Kayseri/Nevşehir), and Izmir to Istanbul
- Professional English-speaking guide during the scheduled sightseeing tours
- All entrance fees as per itinerary
- Air-conditioned tour bus for all transfers and sightseeing
- Guided tours of Istanbul, Cappadocia, Konya, Pamukkale & Ephesus
- Local taxes and service charges
Exclusions:
- International flights
- Turkey e-Visa fee
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses and souvenirs
- Drinks during meals (except water)
- Optional activities (hot air balloon, Turkish bath)
- Headphones/audio guide for Hagia Sophia interior visit
- Gratuities for guide and driver
- Anything not mentioned in inclusions
Important Notes
With your inquiry, please send your travel dates, number of travelers, preferred room setup, hotel class preference, and whether your dates are flexible by a day or two.
Before domestic flight tickets can be issued, we need each traveler’s full name exactly as printed in the passport, date of birth, passport number, and nationality. The name on the ticket is checked against the passport at the gate.
For pickup arrangements, send your hotel name and address, or your arrival flight number and landing time.
Tour Notes
- 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.
- Vegetarian lunch option available upon request.
- Mosques and the Hagia Sophia are closed to visitors during prayer times, especially Friday prayers (approximately 12:00-14:00). Your guide will plan the Istanbul tour route accordingly.
- A modest dress code is required at religious sites such as mosques, the Hagia Sophia, and the Mevlana Museum in Konya: women should cover their head, shoulders, and knees. Scarves are usually available at the entrances.
- This tour involves significant walking on uneven terrain, cobblestones, and slopes at Ephesus, Pamukkale, Hierapolis, Göreme, and Cappadocia's underground cities. Comfortable, sturdy walking shoes are essential and a reasonable level of fitness is recommended.
- At Pamukkale's travertine terraces, shoes must be removed to protect the calcite surface, so you will walk barefoot on warm, sometimes slippery mineral pools. Bring a small towel and consider quick-dry clothing.
- The Cappadocia to Pamukkale drive on Day 5 (via Konya) is a long journey across the central Anatolian plains, with comfortable rest stops along the way. Keep water and snacks on hand and dress in layers for changing temperatures.
- Room assignments are based on twin/double sharing. Triple rooms may be limited at the cave and thermal hotels, and single travelers are subject to a single supplement.
- The Turkish Lira is the local currency, though many shops and pottery or carpet workshops accept major cards. Carry some cash for tips, small purchases, and optional activities, as ATMs may be limited at rural sites.
- Turkey uses Type C and F electrical outlets (European standard, 220V). Travelers from the US/UK should bring a suitable plug adapter.
Room Allocation
- 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.
Flights & Transfers
- On flights luggage allowance is 15 kg per person for checked in luggage. For carry-on, you can take up to 8 kg per person. One carry-on is allowed per person.
- Hot air balloon flights in Cappadocia are not included in this tour but can be arranged as an optional extra. Flights are weather-dependent and subject to aviation authority approval, so we recommend booking your earliest available morning (Day 3 or 4) to allow a backup option if canceled.
- Day 3 begins with an early hotel pickup for your domestic flight to Cappadocia. Please be ready in the hotel lobby at the scheduled pickup time.
FAQs
General
This tour includes 7 nights of carefully selected accommodation, including two nights in an atmospheric cave hotel in Cappadocia and a thermal hotel in Pamukkale, where you can enjoy the natural mineral waters. All hotels are comfortable, well located, and include daily breakfast, with one dinner included in Pamukkale.
Overall Trip Rating:
-
Verified Purchase
By Siti H.(Ipoh, Malaysia)June 30, 2026 Nice hotels in Istanbul and CappadociaI was a bit worried the 8-day tour might feel too packed, but it worked out fine for us as a couple. Turkey has so many places to cover, and the transfers were smooth enough even on the longer days. We stayed at Ante Hotel in Istanbul and Dedeli Konak in Cappadocia, both were clean and comfortable. I loved the local food along the way, and the guide gave nice restaurant suggestions without pushing anything. Pamukkale and Ephesus were long days, but we ended tired and happy.Date of Experience: June 21, 2026
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Featured Hotels
Hotel options associated with this itinerary; the selected tour page and written confirmation control the included hotel and category.
View Featured Hotels (14)- Option 1: We can upgrade your hotel for an additional cost, which is added to the total price of the standard package tour.
- Option 2: You may request to arrange your own accommodation. We will prepare a revised written quote; each non-hotel service remains included only if expressly listed in the revised confirmation, and availability or price may change.
Hotels are subject to availability; alternatives of an equal standard may be provided.
