Istanbul & Turkey: 10-Day Tour with Cappadocia & Ephesus by Plane

Ten Days Across Four Regions: Istanbul, Ephesus, Pamukkale & Cappadocia

You spend ten days moving between Istanbul, Ephesus, Pamukkale, Antalya, and Cappadocia by domestic plane, staying in three- and two-night blocks at each region. Your guide handles the route, timing, and skip-the-line access to major sites. You pay entry fees in cash on the day. The itinerary covers four of Turkey's most significant historical and natural landmarks without requiring you to arrange flights, hotels, or transportation logistics yourself.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrival to Istanbul

• Arrive at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
• Meet and drive to hotel

Day 2: Treasures of Istanbul

• Visit Hagia Sophia
• Explore Basilica Cistern
• See Blue Mosque
• Walk around Hippodrome
• Shop at Grand Bazaar
• Tour Topkapi Palace

Day 3: Bosphorus Cruise and Flight to Izmir

• Breakfast and hotel check-out
• Visit Spice Bazaar
• Take Bosphorus Cruise
• Drive to airport
• Fly to Izmir
• Meet driver and transfer to hotel

Day 4: Ancient Ephesus Tour

• Visit House of Virgin Mary
• Explore Ancient Ephesus
• See Temple of Artemis

Day 5: Pamukkale Tour and Travel to Antalya

• Visit Pamukkale Thermal Pools
• Tour ancient city of Hierapolis
• Drive to Antalya and check-in

Day 6: Antalya City Tour

• Enjoy boat tour instead of cable car
• Visit Duden Waterfalls
• Lunch with panoramic view
• Explore Antalya Old Town (Kaleici)

Day 7: Flight to Cappadocia

• Drive to Antalya Airport
• Fly to Kayseri
• Meet driver and transfer to hotel

Day 8: Underground Cities of Cappadocia

• Visit Rose Valley
• Explore Red Valley and rock churches
• Walk in Pigeon Valley
• Tour Kaymakli Underground City
• Visit Uchisar town

Day 9: Fairy Chimneys and Flight to Istanbul

• Check out and visit Goreme Open-Air Museum
• Explore Devrent Valley
• Visit Monks Valley (Pasabagi)
• Lunch and pottery in Avanos
• See Goreme Panorama
• Visit Uchisar Castle
• Drive to Kayseri Airport
• Fly to Istanbul
• Meet driver and transfer to hotel

Day 10: Departure Day

• Breakfast and hotel check-out
• Drive to Istanbul Airport
• End of service

The experience

There's something about standing in a place where three empires once ruled that makes you want to slow down and actually look. Istanbul does that to you on day two, when you move through Hagia Sophia: a building so massive it held the title of largest on earth for centuries, second only to the Egyptian Pyramids and the Great Wall of China. You'll walk the Basilica Cistern next, descend into cool underground chambers, then surface at the Blue Mosque with its six minarets rising against the sky. The Spice Bazaar hits differently when you're there in person: cinnamon, caraway, saffron, mint filling the air so thick you can taste it. A half-day Bosphorus cruise follows, and you'll see the waterway that splits Europe from Asia lined with marble palaces, wooden villas, and fortresses. Then you fly to Izmir the same afternoon.

Ephesus is the kind of place that rewires how you think about "old." Walking the ancient streets (past the third-largest library of the ancient world, past the largest Roman theatre on the Asian continent) you're moving through a city that once held 250,000 people in the first century AD. It's the best-preserved classical city in the Eastern Mediterranean, which means the stones still tell their story. You'll visit the House of the Virgin Mary, built on foundations from the first century, and the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. After Ephesus, you drive to Pamukkale, where thermal pools cascade down white limestone terraces at 35 degrees Celsius. The water contains calcium bicarbonate. It's been considered healing since ancient times, making this the earliest spa on earth. UNESCO declared it a world heritage site. You'll swim in the Sacred Pool, where Roman ruins sit beneath shallow thermal water.

Antalya gives you a different rhythm. The cable car up Tunektepe (closed for maintenance, so you'll take a one-hour boat tour instead) shows you the coastline, mountains, and turquoise Mediterranean from 1,365 meters. Duden waterfalls are the most visited in the region. You walk through the park and listen to the water. Lunch comes at a local restaurant with panoramic views, then you have an hour or so to wander the old town, Kaleici, with its narrow stone streets, Hadrian's Gate, the Clock Tower, and the Truncated Minaret. It's the kind of place where you find souvenirs you actually want.

Cappadocia is where the landscape stops making sense in the best way. You'll see the Rose Valley and Red Valley, where pink-tinted sandstone glows at sunset. Pigeon Valley earned its name from thousands of dovecotes carved into soft volcanic rock. Kaymakli Underground City once sheltered 15,000 Christians across eight stories connected by 30 kilometers of corridors. You'll walk through ancient bedrooms, churches, meeting halls, and food storage rooms. The Göreme Open-Air Museum holds rock-cut churches from the ninth century with colorful frescoes still visible on the walls. Devrent Valley looks like a sculpture zoo made by nature, with animal-shaped rocks everywhere. In Avanos, you'll have a traditional Turkish lunch and try pottery-making with local experts. Uchisar Castle, the natural highest rock formation, offers one of the best panoramic views of the fairy chimneys before you fly back to Istanbul for your final night.

The tour runs ten days total, with three nights in Istanbul, two in Kusadasi (near Ephesus), two in Antalya, and two in Cappadocia. Domestic flights are included if you choose that option at booking: otherwise you arrange your own. All transfers from airports, meals as listed in the itinerary, and an air-conditioned vehicle with a local guide are included. Entry tickets to historical sites are paid separately in cash (Lira, USD, or Euro) to your guide, who carries pre-paid skip-the-line passes to keep you out of long queues. Children eight and under get free entry to most sites. Note that Topkapi Palace closes Tuesdays (the Turkish Islamic Art Museum is visited instead) and the Grand Bazaar closes Sundays.

What’s included

• Your ten-day tour includes accommodation for nine nights across four cities (three nights in Istanbul, two in Kusadasi, two in Antalya, two in Cappadocia), domestic flight tickets if you select the included option, all airport and hotel transfers, land transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle, meals as outlined in the itinerary (including a traditional Turkish lunch and pottery-making in Avanos), and a local expert guide throughout.
• Entry tickets to historical sites are paid separately in cash to your guide, who provides pre-paid skip-the-line passes.
• Children eight and under receive free entry to most sites.

Options for this experience

2 options

Excluded Flight TicketsGuide in English · No fixed timeThis option excludes domestic flight tickets, which guests must arrange themselves; we will tell them which flights to purchase. Airport transfers: all transfers mentioned in the itinerary are included and provided by us. Fully guided group tour: groups of up to 25 people with an English-speaking tour guide. Duration: 10 days. Breakfast x 9, lunches x 7. High model bus. Pickup is included.

Included Flight TicketsGuide in English · No fixed timeThis option includes domestic flight tickets, which we arrange for you. Airport transfers: all transfers mentioned in the itinerary are included and provided by us. Fully guided group tour: groups of up to 25 people with an English-speaking tour guide. Duration: 10 days. Breakfast x 9, lunches x 7. Pickup is included.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Information

Lasts 10d, runs every day with no fixed time, from US$ 1,250 per person, with a live guide in English, in groups of up to 15 and with free cancellation up to 6 days before.

Days and timesEvery day

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglishOther languages ›

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 3 pickup points.

AgesAdult (8 and older) · Child (under 8)

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 6 days before the start.Between 2 and 6 days before the start, 50% refund.After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Tour Altinkum Travel

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to see Turkey's four major regions (Istanbul, Ephesus, Pamukkale, and Cappadocia) in one trip without arranging flights, hotels, or transport yourself. The fixed itinerary and included guide handle the logistics, which is what makes a ten-day journey across multiple regions possible without the planning burden.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 8).

Are domestic flights included in the price?

Flights are included if you select the "INCLUDED FLIGHT TICKETS" option at booking. You can also choose "EXCLUDED FLIGHT TICKETS" and arrange your own. The tour operator will tell you which flights to book.

What is the baggage allowance on domestic flights?

15 kg checked luggage plus 8 kg hand luggage (applies only if you select the included flights option).

Do entry fees to historical sites come with the tour?

No. Entry tickets are paid separately to your guide in cash (Lira, USD, or Euro). Your guide carries pre-paid skip-the-line passes to avoid long queues.

Is the Tünektepe Cable Car in Antalya included?

The cable car is closed for renovation. Instead, a one-hour boat tour is offered as an alternative.

How many nights do I spend in each city?

Three nights in Istanbul, two in Kusadasi, two in Antalya, and two in Cappadocia.

What happens if a historical site is closed on my travel dates?

Some sites close during religious or national holidays. Contact the tour operator before booking to confirm whether any sites will be closed for your dates.

Are meals included?

Meals are included as listed in the itinerary. Lunch in Avanos includes a traditional Turkish meal and pottery-making with local experts.

Can I upgrade from land transport to a flight between Antalya and Cappadocia?

Yes, for an additional 150 USD per person. If you choose this upgrade, you will not visit Konya, and lunch and airport transfers will be provided by the tour operator.

Is there a guide with the group?

Yes, a local expert guide leads the tour. There is no assistant service at airports for domestic flights.

What is the physical fitness requirement?

Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness to walk through ancient sites and navigate terrain like Cappadocia's valleys.