5-Day Turkey tour from Izmir: Ephesus, Pamukkale and Cappadocia

Day 1: Arrival transfer to Kusadasi

A driver will be waiting when you land at Izmir Airport or dock at Kusadasi Port, ready to take you to your hotel in Kusadasi. Nothing further is scheduled, so the remainder of the day belongs to you: settle in and explore at whatever pace suits you.

• Overnight in Kusadasi
• Included Meal(s): None

Day 2: Full day in Ephesus and Sirince Village

Your guide joins you after breakfast for a full day at Ephesus, one of the great cities of the ancient Greek and Roman world. Its streets have survived in remarkable condition, and walking them brings you to the Temple of Hadrian, the Great Theatre and the Trajan Fountain.

Lunch is followed by the House of the Virgin Mary, the place tradition holds that Mary spent her final years. The route then passes the remains of the Temple of Artemis, once one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, before the next stop at the Isa Bey Mosque. Rounding off the day is Sirince Village, a former Greek village known for its traditional shops, local produce and wine production, where free time lets you wander on your own before the drive back to Kusadasi.

• Overnight in Kusadasi
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast, Lunch

Day 3: Pamukkale and Hierapolis, overnight bus to Cappadocia

Breakfast finished, you leave Kusadasi and meet the group in Selcuk for the run to Pamukkale. Lunch comes first, and afterwards you explore the white mineral terraces known as the Cotton Cliffs, shaped over centuries by calcium-rich thermal waters.

The guided visit takes in the ancient city of Hierapolis too, with its basilica, theatre and Roman Baths. Free time follows for exploring the site by yourself, and a swim in the Pamukkale Antique Pools is available as an option at your own expense. A transfer to the bus station then puts you on the air-conditioned overnight coach to Cappadocia, which pauses along the way for personal needs.

• Overnight in Cappadocia
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast, Lunch

Day 4: North Cappadocia tour

The coach sets you down at Goreme bus station, from where you transfer to your Cappadocia hotel for breakfast and meet your guide. First come the curious rock formations of Devrent Valley, then Pasabag Valley, or Monks Valley, where the distinctive mushroom-shaped fairy chimneys stand among the valley floor.

Avanos follows, and then lunch. The afternoon is given to the cave dwellings and churches of the Zelve Open Air Museum, once an important monastic settlement, and finally to Uchisar, where natural rock castles rise above the surrounding landscape, before you return to your hotel.

• Overnight in Cappadocia
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast, Lunch

Day 5: South Cappadocia tour and flight to Istanbul

Ballooning is an option rather than an inclusion: an early-morning hot air balloon ride can be arranged at additional cost. The South Cappadocia tour itself begins after breakfast at Red Valley, and continues with a walk of approximately 5 km through Rose Valley, also called Gulludere Vadisi, where the region’s rock-cut churches appear along the path.

Next is Cavusin Village, known for its old houses and its churches linked to early Christian clergy, and then lunch. The afternoon covers Pigeon Valley along with either Kaymakli Underground City or Ozkonak Underground City, where early Christian communities once lived below ground. The tour closes with a transfer to Kayseri or Nevsehir Airport for your flight to Istanbul.

• Included Meal(s): Breakfast, Lunch

Inclusions

• Airport, port and tour transfers
• Professional licensed English-speaking guide
• Entrance fees on the programme
• Two nights’ Kusadasi hotel accommodation with breakfast
• One night’s Cappadocia cave hotel accommodation with breakfast
• Pamukkale to Cappadocia overnight coach ticket
• Kayseri or Nevsehir to Istanbul flight

Exclusions

• Hot air balloon ride
• Optional activities
• Drinks with meals
• Meals not specified in the itinerary
• Istanbul airport to hotel transfer
• Travel insurance
• Personal expenses