Itinerary
- Day 1
Istanbul to Cappadocia
Your hotel pickup happens around 3:45-4:00 am, so pack light and get some rest the night before. The flight to Cappadocia leaves between 6:00-7:30 am, and once you land, your guide meets you to start exploring North Cappadocia. You'll walk through Devrent Valley to see the fairy chimneys, then head to Love Valley where the rock formations look like mushrooms. The town of Avanos gives you a feel for local life, and then you'll check out Goreme open-air museum with all the rock-cut churches carved right into the stone. Before wrapping up, there's Uchisar's natural castles to see. Lunch comes partway through the day, and you'll be back at your hotel to settle in by evening.
- Meals
- Lunch
Included Activities
- Visit Devrent Valley to see fairy chimneys
- Visit Love Valley to see mushroom-shaped pinnacles
- Drive to Avanos city
- Visit Goreme open-air museum with rock-cut churches and Christian settlements
- Visit natural castles of Uchisar
Landmarks/POIs Devrent Valley Love Valley Avanos Goreme Open-Air Museum Uchisar Castle - Day 2
Cappadocia to Pamukkale (Overnight Bus)
Breakfast at 9:30 am gets the day started, then you head into South Cappadocia with your guide. Red Valley has rock-cut churches built into the cliffs, and after that comes the roughly 5 km hike through Güllüdere Valley, which locals call Rose Valley because of the rock colors. Çavusin village shows you traditional stone houses and more churches. Lunch hits around noon to refuel. The afternoon brings Pigeon Valley and a trip down into an underground city like Ozkonak or Kaymakli, which is pretty surreal to walk through. Around 8:15 pm you'll board an overnight bus heading to Pamukkale. The journey takes about 10 hours with three stops along the way, so settle in and try to get some sleep.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Visit Red Valley and explore rock-cut churches
- Hike approximately 5 km through Güllüdere (Rose) Valley
- Visit Çavusin village with historic houses and churches of Christian Clergymen
- Visit Pigeon Valley
- Visit Ozkonak or Kaymakli underground city
Optional Activities
- Hot Air Balloon Ride over Cappadocia at extra cost of €200.00 with early morning pickup around 4:00-5:00 am for approximately 60 minutes
Landmarks/POIs Red Valley Güllüdere Valley (Rose Valley) Çavusin Village Pigeon Valley Ozkonak Underground City Kaymakli Underground City - Day 3
Pamukkale to Kusadasi
The bus arrives at Pamukkale/Denizli station between 5:30-6:00 am. You'll transfer to your hotel for a chance to shower and rest before the next activity. At 9:30 am there's a pickup, and the guided tour starts at 10:00 am. You'll see Karahayit's Red Spring Waters first, then move to Hierapolis where the ancient ruins include a necropolis, Roman baths, temples, and a theater. Around 12:30 pm you get about an hour of free time to wander Pamukkale and see the white terraces on your own. At 1:30 pm you walk barefoot through the travertines, which feels strange but worth it. Lunch follows at 2:30 pm. There's a brief stop at an onyx factory before the roughly 3-hour drive to Kusadasi for your hotel check-in.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch at local restaurant)
Included Activities
- Visit Karahayit to see Red Spring Waters
- Guided tour of Hierapolis ancient city including Necropolis, Roman Baths, Domitian Gate, Latrina, Oil Factory, Frontinious Street, Agora, Byzantium Gate, Triton Fountain, Cathedral, Apollon Temple, Plutonium, Theater, and Antique Pool
- Free time to explore natural beauties of Pamukkale
- Walk through Pamukkale travertines (Cotton Castle) without shoes and socks
- Visit Onyx Factory
Optional Activities
- Swim in Pamukkale Antique Pools at own expense during free time around 12:30
Landmarks/POIs Karahayit Red Spring Waters Hierapolis Pamukkale Pamukkale Antique Pools - Day 4
Kusadasi to Ephesus to Istanbul
After breakfast at 8:30 am, your guide meets you for a full day in Ephesus. The Temple of Artemis is first on the list, one of the Seven Wonders from ancient times. Then comes the main event, the ancient city of Ephesus itself, with its well-preserved Greek and Roman ruins spread across the hillside. Lunch gives you a break partway through. After eating, you'll visit the House of Virgin Mary, a religious site significant to both Christians and Muslims, followed by the Isabey Mosque. Around 4:00 pm you head to Izmir airport for your evening return flight, which departs between 7:00-9:45 pm and gets into Istanbul about 1 hour 15 minutes later. Your hotel transfer happens after you land.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Visit Temple of Artemis
- Visit ancient Greco-Roman City of Ephesus
- Visit House of Virgin Mary
- Visit Isabey Mosque
Landmarks/POIs Temple of Artemis Ephesus House of Virgin Mary Isabey Mosque
