Istanbul Trip Overview
This tour is customize privately for you but you will join group tours or transfer in each places.
This tour is prepared for you to visit the best places in 8 days and nights and covers İstanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus and Pamukkale.
You don’t need to find friends to travel together because you will join tours with others in each place you visit. You will travel on your own between the cities, but wherever you go, we will take you to tours with other travellers, providing you a chance to meet new people from all around the world.
Additional Info
Duration: 8 days
Starts: Istanbul, Turkey
Trip Category: Air, Helicopter & Balloon Tours >> Air Tours
Explore Istanbul Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Istanbul, Turkey, Turkey
This tour is customize privately for you but you will join group tours or transfer in each places.
This tour is prepared for you to visit the best places in 8 days and nights and covers İstanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus and Pamukkale.
You don’t need to find friends to travel together because you will join tours with others in each place you visit. You will travel on your own between the cities, but wherever you go, we will take you to tours with other travellers, providing you a chance to meet new people from all around the world.
Itinerary
Day 1: Flight to Cappadocia: This tour is customize privately for you but you will join group tours or transfer in each places.
Stop At: Cappadocia, Cappadocia
This tour is customize privately for you but you will join group tours or transfer in each places.
According the your international flight, we will arrange another flight ticket to Cappadocia (1 hour flight distance)
Pick up from Cappadocia airport than transfer to the Cappadocia cave hotel for 2 night
Duration: 1 hour
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: We will provide 2 night cave hotel, 4 stars or smilar quality
Day 2: Sunrise Balloon Flight and Day tour in Cappadocia
Stop At: Cappadocia, Cappadocia
05.00-08.00 Sunrise Balloon Ride – 1-hour flight with sunrise.
This is the best way to start a day in Cappadocia.
Our luxury minivans will pick you up from your hotel and bring you to our office for light breakfast and registration.
During this time, our pilots will check the weather conditions for the right take-off point. We will take you there by our minivans and you will watch the preparation of your balloon.
The flight will last for 1 hour and we will try to show you as many places as possible. Also, if the weather permits, you will get to watch the sunrise.
We will have a traditional champagne celebration at the end of the flight and you will receive the attendant certificate to remind you this adventure in the future. Afterwards, you will be taken to your hotel.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Goreme Panorama, Uchisar Yolu uzeri 1.km, Goreme 50180 Turkey
The first destination will be Göreme Panarama where you can have one of the best views of the region. Here you will be informed by our guides about the region and the unique landscape.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Derinkuyu Yeralti Sehri, Derinkuyu Turkey
Afterward you will visit Derinkuyu Underground City which is the biggest and deepest underground settlement so far. It has 8 levels and is connected with narrow tunnels. You will visit stalls, storages, the church, vinery, kitchen and other sections which are open for visitors. During the visit our guides will provide information about their usage.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Stop At: Selime Monastery, Guzelyurt Turkey
Then you will visit Selime Cathedral, which is the biggest rock-cut monastery of the region. The landscape of the town where the Cathedral is located will remind you of the setting of the Star Wars movies.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: Ihlara Valley, Guzelyurt 68500 Turkey
Next you will have lunch in a local restaurant where you will try some local foods. After lunch you will hike along the Melendiz River in Ihlara Canyon. The overall area of the canyon is 14 km, but you will see the best part of it, which is around 4 km and takes almost 1 hour to hike along. Ihlara Canyon contains more than 100 churches and approximately 10.000 caves which are carved by early christian monks.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Stop At: Pigeon Valley, Uchisar KasabasI Nevşehir Kapadokya, Goreme 50240 Turkey
Then you will visit Pigeon Valley, located in Uçhisar, to have one of the best panoramic views of the region. That site also covers lots of pigeon houses which are built by the ancient inhabitants of the region.
We will go back to the hotel at around 18.00.
Duration: 30 minutes
Meals included:
• Breakfast: Breakfast is at the hotel
• Lunch: Lunch is included in the day tour
Accommodation included: Overnight in same hotel
Day 3: Another Cappadocia day tour and Flight to İzmir
Stop At: Uchisar Castle, Uchisar Turkey
The first stop is Uchisar Castle which is the highest rock formation of the region. In the first destination you will be informed about unique formations of Cappadocia by your tour guide. Afterwards, you will have free time to explore the place by yourself.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Goreme Open-Air Museum, Merkez, Muze Cd., Goreme 50180 Turkey
The next destination is Goreme Open-Air Museum where you can see Rock-Cut Churches which are carved by early Christian monks. And the churches of Cappadocia are also unique because of the technique that Cristians used to paint the walls. They are known as frescoes which are mostly from 10th and 11th century. Our guides will give you information about Christianity and monastic life of Cappadocia.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Stop At: Cavusin, Cavusin, Cappadocia
After visiting the Open-Air Museum, the next stop will be Çavuşin which is an Old Greek Village where you can see old houses abandoned after the Population Exchange in 1924.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Avanos Oren Yeri, Kapadokya Cd., Avanos 50500 Turkey
Lunch in Avanos town. Avanos is located on the banks of the Red River (Kızılırmak), which is the longest river in Turkey. It is famous for pottery works which started around 2nd millenium BC by Hitites. You will have a tour in the town and then you will visit a pottery workshop to learn about red clay work and ceramics. One of the masters will demonstrate how they are making the pots with the ancient technique by free-hand.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Pasabag, Urgup Turkey
Then you will visit Paşabağı where spectacular mushroom-shaped rock formations can be seen. Paşabağı is also called Monks Valley because of the Chapel of Saint Simeon, which is located in the valley.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: Devrent Valley, Devrent Mevkii No:1 Urgup Yolu, 50500 Turkey
The next stop is Devrent Valley, which is also known as İmagination Valley. Valley contains many animal-shaped rocks, which are mostly in red. Some of the most frequent shapes are a camel, a lizard, an owl, a snake, a chicken, a hand, and a penguin, but they can change thanks to your own imagination.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Izmir, Izmir, Izmir Province, Turkish Aegean Coast
The tour will end at around 16.00 and then we will take you to te airport to catch a flight back to Izmir.
When you arrive to the İzmir airport, we will take you to your hotel in Kuşadası for 2 nights.
Duration: 5 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast: In the hotel
• Lunch: Included in the day tour
Accommodation included: We will provide 4 stars or smilar quality hotel
Day 4: Ephesus Day Tour
Stop At: Temple of Hadrian, Curetes St., Selcuk Turkey
Ephesus is located 3 km southwest of the present-day Selçuk town of İzmir province in Turkey. The City was built by Attic and Ionian Greek colonists in the 10th century BC. It prospered after it was placed under the rule of the Roman Republic in 129 BC. The city was famed for the Temple of Artemis (completed around 550 BC).
During 2 to 3 hours of your visit, you will see the Temple of Hadrian. It is one of the best preserved and most picturesque structures on the Curetes Street. The temple was built before 138 AD by P. Quintilius and was dedicated to the Emperor Hadrian, who visited the city in 128 AD.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: The Odeion, Efes Selcuk Merkez, Selcuk, Selcuk Turkey
Odeon was constructed in the 2nd century AD by the order of Publis Vedius Antonius and his wife Flavia Paina who were two wealthy citizens of Ephesus. The building seems like a small theatre with seating places, the stage and the orchestra. Odeon was used for different purposes.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: Trajan Fountain, Efes Selcuk Merkez, Selcuk, Izmir Turkey
It was built in around 104 AD and it is one of the finest monuments in Ephesus. The fountain constructed in honor of Emperor Trajan and the statue of him stood in the central niche on the facade overlooking the pool.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: Celsus Ceramic, Ataturk Mah, C. Topei Cad no.21B, Selcuk 35920 Turkey
The Library of Celcus built in honour of the Roman Senator Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus by his son, Gaius Julius Aquila in 110 AD. The library was built to store 12.000 scrolls and to serve as a mausoleum for Celsus. It was the third biggest library in ancient times after the Alexandria and Pergamon. After being destroyed by an earthquake in different centuries, the facade was re-erected by archaeologists in 1970’s.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Ephesus Museum, Selcuk Turkey
The Great Theathre was firstly constructed in the 3rd century BC during the reign of Lysimachos, but It was widened and formed its current style that is seen today in the Roman Period. The theatre is the most magnificent structure in Ephesus and is the largest one in Anatolia, as it has the capacity of 25.000 seats.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Stop At: Meryemana (The Virgin Mary’s House), Sultaniye Mahallesi, Selcuk 35100 Turkey
Next will be Temple of Artemis which is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Duration: 30 minutes
Meals included:
• Breakfast: in the hotel
• Lunch: Included in the day tour
Accommodation included: Overnight in same hotel
Day 5: Driving to Pamukkale and Pamukkale Tour
Stop At: Pamukkale, Pamukkale
08.30 – pickup for the Pamukkale tour.
Travertines of Pamukkale: the rocks are the result of a chemical reaction from occurring. There are 17 hot water points with the temperature between 35-100 degrees. These resources have been used since ancient times. In the formation of whiteness, weather and heat loss effectively spread. İt’s possible to swim in Kleopatra Swimming Pool.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Hierapolis & Pamukkale, Pamukkale 20280 Turkey
It is an ancient city located near the Pamukkale. Hierapolis is an ancient city of Phrygia. It is a region that experienced frequent earthquakes, after which the city lost the Hellenistic nature. It is in Unesco world heritage list.
Necropolis is the oldest and biggest ancient cemetery of the region. Meaning of the word is ‘dead city’. Necropolis is far from the ancient city and is different than normal grave fields, which didn’t have residue on the ground
Agora: the meaning of the word is ‘’meeting point’’. This is an open-air place where all the political, religious, commercial activities were done. Agora was located on or near the middle of the city and surrounded by trees and shops.
Theatre: the oldest and largest theatre of the region. The theatre’s capacity is 9500 people. The design of the theatre was made for holding gladiator fights.
Duration: 2 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast: in the hotel
• Lunch: Included in the day tour
Accommodation included: 1 night accomadation in pamukkale, 4 stars or smilar quality
Day 6: Flight to İstanbul
Stop At: Istanbul, Istanbul
Transfer to the Pamukkale airport in the morning to catch a flight to İstanbul.
When you arrive to the Istanbul airport, we will take you to your hotel for 3 nights.
Duration: 5 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast: In the hotel before leaving Pamukkale
Accommodation included: 3 night accomadation in İstanbul, 4 stars or smilar quality
Day 7: İstanbul city tour by walking
Stop At: Hagia Sophia Mosque, Sultan Ahmet, Ayasofya MeydanI No:1, Istanbul 34122 Turkey
Hagia Sofia, the masterpieces of world architecture, represents 15 centuries of art and history. It has been a symbol of Byzantine architecture with a large dome. This cathedral was used as a mosque during Ottomans and now serves as a museum. That is also the oldest cathedral in the world.
Byzantine Hippodrome was first used in the Roman Empire and then the Byzantine Empire until the 10th century as a sports center, hippodrome meeting, entertainment and excitement.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Blue Mosque, Sultanahmet Mah At Meydani Cad No 7, Istanbul 34122 Turkey
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque, the architectural and artistic aspect is very different and important. Artwork has been used in more than 20,000 Iznik tiles. The tiles of traditional floral motifs in shades of yellow and blue decorations, the structure has moved beyond being just a place of worship. The worship of the mosque is 64 x 72 meters in size. The diameter of the central dome is 23.5 meters and 43 meters in height. The interior of the mosque is illuminated with more than 200 pieces of colored glass.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Grand Bazaar, Grand Bazaar, Istanbul
This is the biggest and oldest bazaar in the world and includes 66 streets, 24 entrance doors, 5 mosques and more than 4000 shops with rich collections of handmade carpets, jewellery, leather and souvenirs.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Topkapi Palace, Cankurtaran Mahallesi Gulhane Park, Near Sultanahmet Square, Istanbul 34122 Turkey
Out of 600 years of the Ottoman rule, the palace was used as the administrative center of government for 400 years. It is the palace where the Ottoman sultans lived at the same time.
Duration: 1 hour
Meals included:
• Breakfast: in the hotel
• Lunch: Included in the day tour
Accommodation included: Overnight in same hotel
Day 8: Half Day Bosphorus Tour (Last Day / Last Tour)
Stop At: Walls of Constantinople (Istanbul City Walls), Istanbul Turkey
08.00-13.00 – half-day Bosphorus tour, pickup from your hotel at 08.00.
The City Walls were made during the Eastern Empire times. The length of the walls is 22 km.
Stop At: Golden Horn, Turkey
It divides the European and Asian continents. Total length is 8 km. This port has played a major role in the development of Istanbul because it’s natural and very safe. Also, colonization began here in the Byzantine period.
Stop At: Misir Carsisi (Spice Market), Rustem Pasa Mahallesi, Erzak Ambari Sok. No:92 Eminonu – Fatih, Istanbul 34116 Turkey
Spice Bazaar: Another name is Egyptian bazaar. İt’s the biggest spice bazaar of the world. The air is all smells with mainly cinnamon, cumin, saffron, mint, thyme.
Also during the trip you will see the Dolmabahçe and Beylerbeyi Palaces, wooden villas and Rumeli Fortress from the cruise.
The rest of the day will be free.
Next day, we will drive you to the airport or any other preferred drop-off location in İstanbul.
Meals included:
• Breakfast: in the hotel
Accommodation included: Overnight in same hotel
