9-Day Turkey Tour: Istanbul, Cappadocia & West Turkey

Arrival in Istanbul - Airport Welcome and Leisure Time

Welcome to Istanbul. Upon arrival at Istanbul Airport or Sabiha Gökçen Airport, our representative will meet you at the international arrivals exit with clear identification and assist you with your group transfer to the hotel. After the drive into the city, complete check-in formalities, settle into your room, and take some time to rest after your journey. The remainder of the day is free, giving you the flexibility to explore at your own pace depending on your arrival time. You may choose to walk through the streets around Sultanahmet, enjoy a relaxed Turkish meal nearby, or simply unwind at the hotel before the guided touring begins the next morning. If you arrive earlier in the day, your tour documents and pick-up details for the following day will be confirmed by the local team. An optional evening dinner cruise on the Bosphorus may be available at an additional cost, subject to timing and availability. Overnight in Istanbul.

Istanbul Byzantine and Ottoman Relics Tour

After breakfast, around 8:30 AM, meet your guide and join fellow travelers for a full-day exploration of Istanbul’s historic peninsula. Begin at the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, one of the city’s most important landmarks, known for its vast dome and layered Byzantine and Ottoman heritage. Continue to the Blue Mosque, admired for its six minarets and elegant Iznik tiles. Your guide will then lead the group through the Byzantine Hippodrome, where you will see the ancient columns and monuments that once marked the heart of public life in Constantinople. Around 12:30 PM, enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before visiting the Topkapi Palace Museum, former residence of Ottoman sultans and home to impressive courtyards, collections, and imperial treasures. In the late afternoon, explore the Grand Bazaar, where thousands of shops sell carpets, ceramics, jewelry, and textiles. Return to your hotel around 5:00 PM, with the evening free. Overnight in Istanbul.

Bosphorus Cruise and Flight to Cappadocia

After breakfast, around 8:30 AM, join the group for a half-day Bosphorus program. Begin with a visit to the Spice Bazaar, where stalls are filled with Turkish delight, dried fruits, teas, and aromatic spices. Continue to the pier for a relaxing Bosphorus Cruise, sailing between the European and Asian shores of Istanbul. Along the way, enjoy views of waterfront mansions, historic fortifications, the Dolmabahce Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace, and the Bosphorus Bridge. The cruise ends around 12:15 PM, and you will return to the hotel to collect your luggage. In the afternoon, transfer to the domestic airport for your flight to Kayseri or Nevşehir, usually taking about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Upon arrival, our local representative will meet the group and transfer you to Cappadocia, approximately 1 hour away. After check-in at your cave-style hotel, the evening is free to relax or enjoy dinner locally. Overnight in Cappadocia.

North Cappadocia Tour - Valleys, Pottery and Zelve

An optional early morning hot air balloon ride may be arranged at an additional cost, subject to weather and aviation approval. 

After breakfast, around 9:30 AM, your guide will lead the group through North Cappadocia’s most distinctive landscapes. Start at Devrent Valley, famous for rock formations that resemble animals and figures. Continue to Pasabag Valley, also known as Monks Valley, where mushroom-shaped fairy chimneys rise from the volcanic terrain. Around midday, drive to Avanos, a town known for pottery traditions linked to the red clay of the Kızılırmak River, and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, visit the Zelve Open Air Museum, an abandoned rock-cut settlement with cave dwellings, chapels, and community spaces. Before returning to the hotel, stop near Uchisar Castle for panoramic photos from the outside. The tour ends around 4:00 PM, leaving free time for optional ATV, horseback riding, or a cultural evening show. Overnight in Cappadocia.

South Cappadocia Tour and Evening Flight to Izmir

After breakfast and check-out, around 9:30 AM, begin your South Cappadocia tour with the group. Visit Red Valley and Rose Valley, where walking paths pass through colorful volcanic formations and rock-cut chapels. Continue to Çavuşin Village, known for its old cave houses and early Christian churches. After lunch at a local restaurant, stop at Pigeon Valley for photographs of dovecotes carved into the cliffs. In the afternoon, explore Kaymakli Underground City or Ozkonak Underground City, where tunnels, storage rooms, and ventilation shafts reveal how communities once sheltered below ground. Around 3:30 PM, transfer to Kayseri or Nevşehir Airport for your evening flight to Izmir, usually via Istanbul. On arrival, meet the local representative and continue to your hotel in Kusadasi for check-in, with a late evening arrival expected. Overnight in Kusadasi.

Pamukkale and Hierapolis Full-Day Tour

After breakfast, around 7:30 AM, depart from your hotel in Kusadasi and travel with the group toward Pamukkale, a drive of approximately 3 hours with a short comfort stop on the way. Arrive around 11:45 AM and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before beginning the guided visit at approximately 1:00 PM. Explore the bright white terraces of the Pamukkale Travertines, formed by mineral-rich thermal waters flowing down the hillside. Your guide will then lead you through Hierapolis-Pamukkale, an ancient spa city with well-preserved remains from the Roman and Byzantine periods. Key stops may include the Hierapolis Theatre, the Roman Baths of Hierapolis, and sections of the ancient streets. You will also have about 1 hour of free time to walk across designated terrace areas or swim in the Pamukkale Antique Pools at your own expense. Depart around 4:00 PM and return to Kusadasi by approximately 7:30 PM. Overnight in Kusadasi.

Ephesus Tour – Evening Bus to Canakkale (Approx. 443 km)

After breakfast at the hotel, check out and join fellow travelers for your full-day guided group tour of Ephesus. You will be picked up around 8:30 AM, and your guide will lead the group through one of the best-preserved ancient cities of the classical world. Highlights include the Temple of Hadrian, Great Theatre, Trajan Fountain, Curetes Street, and the impressive Library of Celsus.

After lunch at a local restaurant, continue to the House of the Virgin Mary, believed to be her final residence. You will also visit the remains of the Temple of Artemis, once counted among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, before concluding with the Isa Bey Mosque, a fine example of Seljuk architecture. At the end of the tour, transfer to Kusadasi and continue to the bus station for your intercity bus to Canakkale, departing around 6:30 PM. The journey takes approximately 6 hours, with short breaks along the way. Upon arrival in Canakkale, you will be met at the bus station and transferred to your hotel. Overnight in Canakkale.

Troy and Gallipoli Battlefields - Return to Istanbul

After breakfast and check-out, around 8:30 AM, depart for the legendary site of Troy. Your guide will lead the group through the ruins, explaining the different settlement layers from Troy I to Troy IX. See the replica Trojan Horse, the Sacrificial Altars of Troy, sections of ancient city walls, and the Houses of Troy I. Around 11:30 AM, continue to Eceabat and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before beginning the Gallipoli battlefield tour. In the afternoon, visit Brighton Beach, Beach Cemetery, Anzac Cove, the Lone Pine Australian Memorial, Johnston’s Jolly, The Nek, the Chunuk Bair New Zealand Memorial, and the 57th Regiment Turkish Memorial. Depart for Istanbul around 6:00 PM, arriving at your hotel close to 11:00 PM. Overnight in Istanbul.

Departure from Istanbul - Airport Transfer

After breakfast at the hotel, check out by 11:00 AM unless a late check-out has been arranged in advance. Depending on your international flight time, you may have a short period at leisure for packing, a final coffee, or last-minute shopping near the hotel. At the confirmed pick-up time, our representative will meet you in the lobby and assist with your transfer to Istanbul Airport or Sabiha Gökçen Airport. Please allow sufficient travel time, as Istanbul traffic can vary considerably throughout the day, especially during morning and evening rush hours. For international flights, we recommend arriving at the airport at least 3 hours before departure. Your guide and local operations team will confirm the transfer details one day prior, and hotel staff can assist with luggage until your vehicle arrives. This concludes your 9-day Turkey guided group journey through Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale, Ephesus, Pergamon, Troy, and Gallipoli. End of tour services.