Itinerary
- Day 1
Arrival in Istanbul
You'll land in Istanbul and head to your hotel to get settled. This is mostly a travel day, so you'll have time to rest up and get oriented before the real exploring begins tomorrow.
- Start point
- Türkiye (Istanbul)
- Day 2
Istanbul
Your private English-speaking guide will show you around Istanbul starting with a cruise along the Bosphorus Strait where you'll see historic mansions, mosques, and palaces from the water. After that, you'll check out Rumeli Fortress and then head through the Spice Bazaar to walk around and take in the sights and smells.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Bosphorus Strait cruise
- Rumeli Fortress visit
- Spice Bazaar exploration
Landmarks Rumeli Fortress Spice Bazaar Bosphorus Strait - Day 3
Istanbul
This day focuses on Istanbul's religious and imperial history. Your guide takes you to Topkapi Palace first, then you'll move through Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. Later you'll go underground into the Basilica Cistern before finishing at the Hippodrome of Constantinople where you can see the ancient chariot racing track.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Topkapi Palace visit
- Hagia Sophia visit
- Blue Mosque visit
- Basilica Cistern visit
- Serpent Column and Obelisk viewing at Hippodrome of Constantinople
Landmarks Topkapi Palace Hagia Sophia Blue Mosque Basilica Cistern Hippodrome of Constantinople - Day 4
Istanbul to Kusadasi via Ephesus
You fly to Izmir and head straight to Ephesus to explore one of Turkey's most important ancient sites. You'll walk the Arcadian Way, see the Theater and Roman Baths, visit the Celsus Library, and check out the Shrine of the Virgin Mary and Basilica of St. John. By evening you'll be in Kusadasi.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Flight to Izmir
- Ephesus city exploration
- Arcadian Way visit
- Theater visit
- Roman Baths visit
- Celsus Library visit
- Shrine of the Virgin Mary visit
- Basilica of St. John visit
Landmarks Celsus Library Theater of Ephesus Basilica of St. John Shrine of the Virgin Mary - Day 5
Kusadasi to Pamukkale
The drive to Pamukkale takes you to those famous white limestone terraces that look like cotton piled on the hillside. You'll explore the terraces themselves and then walk through the ancient city of Hierapolis to see what else the area has to offer historically.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Pamukkale terraces visit
- Hierapolis exploration
Landmarks Pamukkale Hierapolis - Day 6
Pamukkale to Cappadocia
After traveling to Cappadocia, you'll check into your cave hotel. These rooms are carved right into the rock, and you'll have incredible views of the region's unique landscape from your room. Spend your evening taking in the surroundings or resting up for tomorrow.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Day 7
Cappadocia
You'll start in Devrent Valley looking at the camel-shaped rocks and fairy chimneys, then head to Pasabagi Valley to see more formations. After that, you spend time in Avanos village, then move on to Goreme Open Air Museum where you'll see rock-cut churches with ancient frescoes. You'll climb Uchisar Castle for views across the landscape and finish the day at Pigeon Valley.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Devrent Valley visit
- Pasabagi Valley visit
- Avanos village exploration
- Goreme Open Air Museum visit
- Uchisar Castle visit
- Pigeon Valley visit
Landmarks Devrent Valley Pasabagi Valley Avanos Goreme Open Air Museum Uchisar Castle Pigeon Valley - Day 8
Cappadocia
Early on you'll descend into the underground city of Kaymakli to see how people lived beneath the surface. From there you go to Ortahisar Castle, and then the afternoon is spent in Red Valley and at a Wine House where you can explore the vineyards in the region.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Kaymakli underground city visit
- Ortahisar Castle visit
- Red Valley exploration
- Wine House visit
Landmarks Kaymakli Underground City Ortahisar Castle Red Valley - Day 9
Departure from Cappadocia
You'll have breakfast at your cave hotel and then head out to depart Cappadocia, wrapping up your tour through Turkey.
- End point
- Türkiye (Cappadocia)
- Meals
- Breakfast
