6 Days Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale and Ephesus Tour with Flights

Day 1: Arrival in Istanbul

On arrival at Istanbul Airport (IST) or Sabiha Gökcen Airport (SAW), meet our team at the exit of the airport’s international line, where they will hold a sign bearing your name. You will then be transferred to your hotel. The afternoon is yours to spend at leisure, or you may choose to join the Night Cruise on the Bosphorus with Dinner & Show.

• Overnight in Istanbul
• Included Meal(s): No meals are included on this day
• Accommodation: Muyan Suites OR Antea Hotel OR Ayasultan Hotel OR Deluxe Golden Horn Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 2: Istanbul Byzantine and Ottoman Relics

After breakfast at approximately 8:30 am, leave your hotel for a full-day tour of Istanbul’s Byzantine and Ottoman sites. The route includes Hagia Sophia Museum, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Grand Bazaar, and Topkapi Palace. Lunch is served at a local restaurant. After the tour, transfer to Istanbul Airport for your flight to Kayseri or Nevsehir. On arrival at Kayseri or Nevsehir airport, a representative holding a sign with your name will meet you and transfer you to your hotel.

• Overnight in Cappadocia
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: Heaven Cave House OR Dedeli Konak Cave Hotel OR Holiday Cave Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 3: Cappadocia Tour

You may also book an early morning hot air balloon ride for aerial views of the valleys. This activity is available at an extra cost.

After breakfast around 9:30 am, depart from your hotel for a full-day tour of Cappadocia.

On the tour you will be able to visit as below:

Devrent Valley: On the northern slopes of Aktepe, this site lies 1km from Pasabaglari (Monks’ Valley) and 5 km from Avanos. Its ruins extend across three valleys, where pointed fairy chimneys stand on large stems.

Avanos: A centre for terra cotta art since 3000 BC, Avanos offers the opportunity to visit a traditional pottery workshop, possibly set deep into the hillsides. Clay from the Red River, which passes through the town, supports both the land and the local economy. Stop for lunch at a traditional Turkish restaurant before continuing the tour.

Goreme Open Air Museum: Goreme was an important Christian centre in the early Middle Ages and a bishopric administered by Mokissos near Aksaray during the 11th and 13th centuries. Although many monasteries, churches and chapels stand nearby, few inscriptions carry dates, so these religious buildings are largely dated through their iconography and architectural features.

Uchisar: This troglodyte town stands in the middle of Cappadocia and takes its name from the enormous rock at its centre, once used as a castle. The rock forms the area’s highest peak and looks across Cappadocia and Erciyes (Argeus) Mountain.

Kaymakli: Kaymakli underground city is one of the largest and deepest of the 40 others in Cappadocia. It has eight floors, although not all are open to the public.

Following the tour, transfer to Kayseri or Nevsehir airport for your flight to Izmir through Istanbul. At Izmir airport, a representative holding a sign with your name will meet you and transfer you to your hotel.

• Overnight in Kusadasi
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: Efe Boutique Hotel OR Neopol Hotel Deluxe OR Derici Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 4: Pamukkale and Hierapolis Tour

After breakfast around 7:30 am, you will be picked up from your Kusadasi hotel and taken to the meeting point in Selcuk, where the full group will first meet. From Selcuk, the drive to Pamukkale starts at 8:30 am and takes around 3 hours, with a 10-minute restroom stop after 1.5 hours. Upon arrival around 11:45, the group will have lunch before the guided tour of Pamukkale and Hierapolis begins after lunch, at around 13:00 with a professional licensed tour guide. In Pamukkale, see the Cotton Cliffs, one of the natural wonders of the world formed by deposits of calcareous salts, then visit the ancient ruins of the City of Hierapolis, including its basilica, theatre and Roman Baths. At the end of the guided tour, you will have free time to explore independently. During this time, you may choose to swim in the Pamukkale antique pools (at your own expense). The tour guide will inform you of the exact meeting point and time. At the end of the tour around approximately 4:00 pm, you will be transferred to your hotel at around 7:00 pm.

• Overnight in Kusadasi
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: Efe Boutique Hotel OR Neopol Hotel Deluxe OR Derici Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 5: Ephesus Tour

After breakfast at the hotel around 08:30, you will be picked up and met by your tour guide to begin your full-day tour of Ephesus. Your tour guide will brief you on the day’s activities. You will first visit the Temple of Artemis which was once one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient world. Next you will visit the world-famous ancient Greco-Roman City of Ephesus, the most well-preserved example in the world. After visiting this impressive site, you will have a break for lunch. After lunch, you will visit the House of the Virgin Mary, where it is believed she spent her last days. This is a holy place for both Christians and Muslims. Afterwards you will visit the Isabey Mosque. At the end of the tour, you will be transferred to Izmir airport for your late evening return flight to Istanbul. Upon arrival, you will be picked up from the airport and transferred to your hotel.

• Overnight in Istanbul
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: Muyan Suites OR Antea Hotel OR Ayasultan Hotel OR Deluxe Golden Horn Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 6: Departure from Istanbul

After breakfast, you will check out from your hotel in Istanbul (hotel check-out is before 12:00 noon). You will then transfer to Istanbul International Airport in line with your flight details, marking the end of the tour and its services.

• Included Meal(s): Breakfast

INCLUDED in the Tour Price:

• Pick up and drop-off between airport & hotel
• Domestic flight tickets as per the itinerary
• 2 nights in Istanbul at Special Class or Boutique Hotels including breakfast
• 1 night in Cappadocia at a cave hotel including breakfast
• 2 nights in Kusadasi at a 4-star hotel including breakfast
• English-speaking guide during the tours
• Meals as per itinerary (B=breakfast, L=lunch)
• Entrance fees mentioned by the itinerary
• Local taxes and service charges

NOT INCLUDED:

• International airfare & airport taxes
• Visa to enter Turkey
• Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Ride
• Optional tours mentioned in the program, they will be provided at an additional cost.
• Services not mentioned in the program.
• Drinks with meals.
• Travel insurance (recommended).

IMPORTANT INFO:

• The order of the itinerary is indicative and subject to change, but all visits described will take place.
• This is a regular group tour, but if requested at cost can be provided as a private tour.
• The regular group tour has shopping stops included in the tour.
• Please advise your arrival details at time of booking.
• Please note that the Blue Mosque is not open for visitation on Fridays as it is closed for religious prayer services. You will only be able to visit the outside of the Blue Mosque area on tours operated on Fridays. No visitation will be allowed inside the Blue Mosque for tourists on Fridays.
• Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesday, it will be replaced with the Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnici).
• Grand Bazaar is closed on Sunday.
• During religious holidays, the spice market and Grand Bazaar are closed.
• On flights luggage allowance is 15 kg per person for checked in luggage. For carry-on, you can take up to 8 kg per person. One carry-on is allowed per person.