8-Day Wonders of Turkey Tour: Istanbul, Pamukkale, Ephesus & Cappadocia

Upon arrival at Istanbul New Airport (IST) or Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW), our team will meet you at the exit of the international arrivals terminal, holding a sign with your name. You will then be transferred to your hotel in Istanbul for check-in.

The remainder of the day is at leisure, allowing time to relax at your hotel or explore the city at your own pace. Overnight in Istanbul.

After breakfast at your hotel, you will be picked up at around 8:30 am for a full-day tour of Istanbul’s landmark sites. Begin at Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, a former basilica and mosque that now serves as a museum, noted for its Byzantine architecture and mosaics. Continue to the Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque), known for its blue İznik tiles and six minarets, followed by the ancient Hippodrome (Sultanahmet Square), once Constantinople’s center for social, sporting, and political events.

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant in the heart of the city. In the afternoon, visit Topkapi Palace Museum, the former residence of Ottoman sultans, with its courtyards, artifact-filled rooms, and views of the Bosphorus. Your final stop is the Grand Bazaar, a covered market with more than 4,000 shops. Return transfer to your hotel at approximately 4:00 pm. The remainder of the day is at leisure. Overnight in Istanbul.

You will be picked up from your hotel in Istanbul at approximately 4:00 am and transferred to the domestic airport for your flight from Istanbul to Denizli, scheduled between 6:00 – 8:00 am. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to Pamukkale to meet your professional guide for a full-day tour.

Around 10:45 am, visit Karahayit to see the Red Spring Waters. Continue to Hierapolis at 11:30 am to explore the Necropolis, Roman Baths, Domitian Gate, Frontinus Street, and Theater.

At 12:30 pm, enjoy free time to explore Pamukkale’s natural beauty, including the Cotton Cliffs, with the option to swim in the Pamukkale Antique Pools at your own expense. At 1:30 pm, walk through the famous Pamukkale Travertines, followed by lunch at a local restaurant.

Later, around 3:30 pm, visit an Onyx Factory. At the end of the tour, around 4:00 pm, begin the approximately 3.5-hour drive to Kusadasi. Check in to your hotel in Kusadasi around 7:30 pm. Overnight in Kusadasi.

After breakfast at the hotel, at around 8:30 am, you will be picked up by your tour guide for a full-day tour of Ephesus. Your first stop is the Temple of Artemis, once one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Continue to the ancient Greco-Roman City of Ephesus, regarded as the world’s most well-preserved example. Here, you will visit notable landmarks including the Temple of Hadrian, the Library of Celsus, and the Ephesus Ancient Greek Theatre, which once accommodated thousands of spectators and offers insight into ancient Roman architecture and culture.

After exploring these sites, enjoy a lunch break. The tour then continues to the House of the Virgin Mary, a sacred place for Christians and Muslims that is believed to be where the Virgin Mary spent her final years.

Your next stop is the Isabey Mosque, an elegant example of Seljuk architecture reflecting the region’s cultural heritage.

At the end of the tour, at around 4:00 pm, you will be transferred to Izmir Airport for your late-evening flight to Kayseri or Nevsehir via Istanbul. Upon arrival, a representative holding a sign with your name will meet you and transfer you to your hotel. Overnight in Cappadocia.

An optional hot-air balloon ride takes place before sunrise. When booked separately, pickup and return transfer from your Cappadocia hotel are arranged. This flight is not part of the base tour price and is subject to availability, suitable weather, and Turkish Civil Aviation Authority approval, so it cannot be guaranteed.

After breakfast at your hotel, your guide will gather the group at approximately 9:30 AM for a full-day exploration of North Cappadocia. The first stop is Devrent Valley, where wind-sculpted rock formations resemble animals and mythical figures.

By 10:15 AM, continue to Pasabag Valley, known for its towering, mushroom-shaped fairy chimneys. Some of these formations were hollowed out and used as hermit shelters by early monks, while their distinctive multi-capped silhouettes make them among Cappadocia’s most photographed sights.

Around 11:00 AM, arrive in Avanos to visit a traditional pottery workshop. Watch artisans demonstrate techniques passed down through generations, using clay drawn from the banks of the Red River.

At approximately 12:00 PM, enjoy lunch at a local restaurant in Avanos with your fellow travelers before continuing with the afternoon’s explorations.

By 1:15 PM, join the group at a panoramic viewpoint overlooking Göreme, with views across the valley’s cave dwellings and rock-cut churches.

Around 1:45 PM, visit the Zelve Open Air Museum, an abandoned rock-cut village that once supported a thriving community. Explore ancient cave dwellings, churches with faded frescoes, and a mosque carved directly into the stone.

By 3:00 PM, make a final stop at Uchisar Castle, the tallest point in Cappadocia. Admire the towering rock fortress from the outside, with its honeycomb surface of rooms and tunnels once used as homes and defensive lookouts.

By 3:30 PM, your guide will return the group to the hotel, arriving by approximately 4:00 PM. The remainder of the evening is free to relax. Overnight in Cappadocia.

After breakfast, you will be picked up from your hotel around 9:30 am for a full-day tour of South Cappadocia. Begin with a visit to the stunning Red Valley, followed by an approximately 5 km scenic hike through Rose Valley (Güllüdere Vadisi), known for its striking rock formations and ancient rock-cut churches.

Continue to Çavuşin Village, renowned for its historic houses and churches once inhabited by Christian clergymen. After exploring the village, break for lunch around noon.

Following lunch, visit Pigeon Valley (Güvercinlik Vadisi), named for the numerous pigeon houses carved into the soft volcanic rock. In the afternoon, explore Kaymakli Underground City or Ozkonak Underground City, where early Christians once took refuge from persecution.

The tour concludes around 4:00 pm, followed by a transfer back to your hotel. Overnight in Cappadocia.

After breakfast, at around 9:30 am, you will be picked up from your hotel to join the full-day Green Tour of Cappadocia. Begin at Esentepe, where panoramic views overlook Göreme and the landscape of the Göreme Valley.

Continue to Derinkuyu Underground City, a remarkably well-preserved subterranean complex dating back to the Hittites and later used by early Christians. Its intricate layout includes stables, kitchens, living rooms, and bedrooms, offering insight into historic survival strategies.

Next, explore the Ihlara Valley on a scenic 4 km hike through the valley, where small churches from the early Christian period line the route alongside a meandering stream. After the hike, enjoy lunch in Belisirma Village by the river.

Continue to the 13th-century Selime Monastery. The final stop is Yaprakhisar, known for its panoramic views and as a filming location for the “Star Wars” movie.

After the tour, transfer to either Kayseri or Nevsehir airport, depending on the availability of return flights, for your late evening flight to Istanbul. Upon arrival, you will be greeted at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Overnight in Istanbul.

After breakfast at your hotel, an assigned driver will collect you at approximately 9:00 AM for your departure transfer from Istanbul. Travel comfortably to the airport in an air-conditioned vehicle, with the timing arranged to suit your onward flight arrangements.

This marks the conclusion of your 8-day journey through Turkey. Your transfer service ends on arrival at the airport, leaving you to continue your travels independently.