9 Days Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus & Pamukkale Tour

Welcome to Turkey! Upon your arrival at Istanbul Airport, our transferman will welcome you and take you to your hotel. After you check-in to your hotel and rest a little bit, our guide will meet you in the lobby and give you an orientation about Istanbul and our nine-day tour.

• Overnight in Istanbul

• Blue Mosque

We will visit the Blue Mosque, which was built in 1616 by the Ottoman Sultan Ahmet I.

• Topkapi Palace

We will continue our tour by visiting the great Ottoman Palace, Topkapi where Sultans lived for five centuries.

• Lunch at a local restaurant

• Grand Bazaar

Finally, we will stop at the Grand Bazaar, one of the oldest shopping malls in the world, which dates back to the 16th century.

• Spice Market

We will complete our adventures of the first and busiest day of the program by walking downhill from the Suleymaniye Mosque to the Spice Market where you can find delicious spices and Turkish delight.

We will return to the hotel

• Overnight in Istanbul

Estimated Time: 6 to 8 hours.
(This time range can be changed depending on crowd of the area and timing of the departure)

• Hippodrome

We will checkout from our hotel prior to the start of the tour. Our first stop will be great Roman Hippodrome, which dates back to 2nd century A.D. In the Hippodrome, you can see the Obelisk of the Tuthmosis the third, German Fountain, Serpent Column and the Obelisk of Constantine

• Hagia Sophia

We will visit Hagia Sophia, the great church built in 537 by Justinianus.

• Underground Cistern (Basillica Cistern)

We will stop and see the Basilica Cistern, which was built at the same time as Hagia Sofia.

• Lunch at a local restaurant

• Bosphorus Cruise

We will then take a Bosphorus Cruise (approximately two hours). During this trip, you will be able to see some historical scenes of Istanbul such as the palaces, summer mansions, houses from the Ottoman Empire, and more.

• Transfer to Airport

Depending on your departure, we will transfer you to the airport via Istanbul.

• Overnight in Cappadocia

Estimated Time: 6 to 8 hours.
(This time range is subject to change, depending on crowds and timing of the departure)

• Devrent Valley (Imagination Valley)

Day 4 will begin with an exploration of Cappadocia with Devrent Valley (also known as Imagination Valley), where we will see the different types of Fairy Chimney formations, which formed almost 30 million years ago.

• Pasabag (Monks Valley)

We will then stop in Pasabag, where we will see the most interesting fairy chimneys, resembling those seen in the Hobbit and Smurfs.

• Pottery Workshop

This trip offers the opportunity to stop by a local pottery shop, where details are shared of how people survived and created beautiful art dating back to the Hittite period.

• Lunch at a local restaurant

• Goreme Open Air Museum

The stop at Goreme Open Air Museum allows you to discover some of the best cave churches of the 530 in Cappadocia.

• Uchisar Castle Region

We will stop at Uchisar Castle and Pigeon Valley, two of the best spots for photography and photo opportunities in the world.

• Pigeon Valley

Pause for a photo break at Pigeon Valley.

We will return to our hotel.

• Overnight in Cappadocia

Estimated Time: 6 to 8 hours.
(This time range is subject to change, depending on crowds and timing of the departure)

• Kaymakli Underground City

First thing in the morning we check-out from our hotel and drive to Kaymakli Underground City to see how Christians protect and defended themselves from the persecutions and invasions for centuries.

• Mustafapasa (Sinassos)

We are going to drive to Sinassos where we will see an Old Greek Village, which was re-inhabited after 1927.

• Lunch at a local restaurant

• Soganli Valley

We will share the opportunity to explore and see some churches in this mostly abandoned brilliant village.

• Transfer to Kayseri Airport

Later, we will drive one hour to Kayseri Airport and fly to İzmir.

After the landing we have one and a half hour of driving to our hotel for to relax and get ready for the next day.

• Overnight in Selcuk or Kusadasi

Estimated Time: 6 to 8 hours.
(This time range is subject to change, depending on crowds and timing of the departure)

• Ephesus

Day 6 will begin with a tour of Ephesus, where we can stroll and get lost inside the beautiful ancient site.

• Lunch at a local restaurant.

• Temple of Artemis

After lunch, we will drive to the Temple of Artemis, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

• St. John’s Basilica

Later, we will visit the Basilica of St. John, which was donated by Justinianus, who financed Hagia Sophia in Constantinople.

• Virgin Marys’ House

• Selcuk Ephesus Museum

We will visit the Selcuk Ephesus Museum and see some of the amazing artifacts from Ephesus.

We will return to our hotel.

• Overnight in Selcuk or Kusadasi

Estimated Time: 6 to 8 hours.
(This time range is subject to change, depending on crowds and timing of the departure)

• Priene

We will begin our tour with a 1 to 2 hour drive to Priene, an Ionian City that was first established in the 7th century B.C. as a port city on the sea, which was silted by the Meander River.

• Miletus

After, we will drive to Miletus. This city is known for some of the great philosophers of ancient times, including Thales, Anaximenes, and Hekaistos.

• Lunch at a local restaurant.

• Didyma

Our last stop of the day will be Didyma, the Temple of Apollon where most prophecies were given. The biggest oracle was serving at the Apollon Temple. Depending on schedule, lunch may be after the visit.

At the end of the tour, we will return to our hotel.

• Overnight in Selcuk or Kusadasi

Estimated Time: 6 to 8 hours.
(This time range is subject to change, depending on crowds and timing of the departure)

• Aphrodisias

We will drive approximately two hours to Aphrodisias, which is one of the most well-preserved ancient sites in Turkey. Earliest settlement in Aphrodisias dates back to 5000 B.C. However, the city that we are going to see is from 2nd century B.C.

• Lunch at a local restaurant.

• Hierapolis (Pamukkale / Cotton Castle)

Later, we will drive to one of the greatest healing centers in the world, Hierapolis. Hierapolis can be named as “Woodstock ‘69” of the ancient world. Since it was one of the healing regions of the time, people often carried their tombs with them to die. That’s why the name Necropolis (cemetery) of Hierapolis is so common in Anatolia. During this trip, guests also can see the travertine, Cotton Castle, formed by calcium.

We will return to our hotel and prepare for the next morning.

• Overnight in Pamukkale

Estimated Time: 6 to 8 hours.
(This time range is subject to change, depending on crowds and timing of the departure)

If you plan to depart, we will transfer you to the airport.