Istanbul to Cappadocia & Ephesus: 7-Day Turkey Tour

Four Turkish regions in seven days: Istanbul's bazaars, Cappadocia's underground cities, Ephesus's ancient temples, Pamukkale's thermal pools

You arrive in Istanbul and skip the airport scramble. A guide meets you and walks you through the week. Over seven days you visit Hagia Sophia and the Grand Bazaar, fly to Cappadocia to explore underground cities and fairy-chimney valleys, tour Ephesus's ancient temples and the House of the Virgin Mary, and soak in Pamukkale's thermal pools. All flights, hotels, meals, entrance fees and ground transport are included, so you move through four regions without arranging any of it yourself.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrive and relax in Istanbul

• Arrive in Istanbul
• Meet representative and transfer to hotel
• Check in and relax
• Meet travel consultant for tour briefing

Day 2: Istanbul Old City walking tour

• Breakfast at hotel
• Pick up from hotel by guide
• Visit Hagia Sophia
• Visit Blue Mosque
• Visit Hippodrome and monuments
• Visit Grand Bazaar
• Visit Topkapi Palace
• Transfer to airport
• Fly to Cappadocia
• Overnight in Cappadocia

Day 3: North Cappadocia sightseeing tour

• Pick up from hotel
• Visit Goreme Panorama
• Visit Uchisar Castle
• Visit Pasabag Valley
• Visit Dervent Valley
• Visit Goreme Open Air Museum
• Visit Kizilirmak River
• Visit Urgup and Avanos pottery towns
• Return to hotel
• Free time in Cappadocia

Day 4: South Cappadocia tour and balloon ride

• Optional hot air balloon ride
• Breakfast and hotel check-out
• Visit Ortahisar Castle
• Visit Love Valley
• Hike in Red Valley
• Visit Cavusin Village
• Visit Kaymakli Underground City
• Return to hotel

Day 5: Ephesus ancient city tour

• Breakfast at hotel
• Pick up by tour guide
• Visit Temple of Artemis
• Visit Ephesus Ancient City
• Visit Hadrian Temple and Celsus Library
• Visit Theater and Hamams
• Lunch at local restaurant
• Visit House of Virgin Mary
• Transfer to hotel in Kusadasi

Day 6: Pamukkale and Hierapolis tour

• Breakfast at hotel
• Pick up from hotel
• Visit Hierapolis Ancient City
• Visit Cleopatra’s Antique Pool
• Visit White Travertine Terraces
• Optional bath in hot springs
• Return to hotel in Kusadasi

Day 7: Departure from Istanbul

• Breakfast at hotel
• Transfer to Istanbul airport
• Self check-in for flight
• End of service

The experience

You land in Istanbul and a representative meets you at the airport. No taxi negotiation, no hotel search. You're transferred straight to your boutique hotel, checked in, and by evening your travel consultant walks you through the week ahead. Day two starts early: a full walking tour of the Old City takes you through Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cistern (built in 532 to store water for the Byzantine palace), and the Grand Bazaar with its nearly 4,000 shops. By afternoon you're at the airport again, heading to Cappadocia on the first of three domestic flights included in the package.

Cappadocia hits differently when you arrive. The landscape is volcanic rock carved into fairy chimneys and valleys: Devrent Valley looks like someone sculpted it, Monks Valley (Pasabag) has formations that seem to defy geology. Your guide takes you through Göreme's open-air museum and the underground city of Kaymakli, which spreads across several floors and once sheltered people fleeing catastrophe. You walk through Cavusin Village, where cave houses built between the 3rd and 13th centuries still line the hillside. There's time to try pottery in Avanos if you want, or simply stand in the landscape and let it register. The hotel is a cave hotel, not a gimmick, just the way things are built here.

Ephesus comes next, a full day walking the ruins where the Temple of Artemis once stood (one of the seven wonders of the ancient world). You see the Celsus Library, the theater, the old harbor. Lunch is in a local restaurant, then you visit the House of the Virgin Mary, where she spent her final years and which the Vatican recognizes as a pilgrimage site. The drive to Pamukkale takes time but the road is good and the landscape keeps changing. Pamukkale itself is the white travertine terraces cascading down the mountainside. You can walk them, swim in Cleopatra's Antique Pool (fed by hot springs), or just photograph the geometry of it.

The last morning you're transferred back to Istanbul airport according to your flight time. Six nights in boutique hotels, breakfast every day, five lunches, all entrance fees, all three flights, and a licensed guide throughout. It's the kind of itinerary where you don't spend mental energy on logistics. The 7-day Turkey tour moves you through four regions without backtracking, and the fixed schedule is what makes that possible in a week.

What’s included

• Your package includes six nights in boutique hotels (Zeynep Sultan, Black Tulip, Olimpiyat, Golden Horn Sirkeci in Istanbul.
• Garden Inn, Milagre Cave, Holiday Cave, or Ascension in Cappadocia.
• Istankoy or Ilayda in Kusadasi), all breakfasts, five lunches, one dinner and a meet-and-greet reception, three domestic flights (Istanbul–Cappadocia, Cappadocia–Ephesus, Pamukkale–Istanbul), all entrance fees to Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cistern, the Grand Bazaar, Cappadocia's open-air museums and underground cities, Ephesus's ancient temples and library, and Pamukkale's travertine terraces, a professional licensed tour guide for all walking tours and site visits, all transfers from the airport on arrival and departure, and all domestic taxes. Vegetarian meals are available upon request.

Information

Lasts 7d, runs every day, 32 start times, from US$ 1,713 per person, with a live guide in English and Spanish and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery day32 departure times: 08:00, 08:30, 09:00, 09:30, 10:00, 10:30, 11:00, 11:30, 12:00, 13:00, 13:30, 14:00, 14:30, 15:00, 15:30, 16:00, 16:30, 17:00, 17:30, 18:00, 18:30, 19:00, 19:30, 20:00, 20:30, 21:00, 21:30, 22:00, 22:30, 23:00, 23:30 and 00:30Another time? ›

GroupUp to 201 private ›

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (4 and older) · Infant (under 4): free

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 8 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Tours Turkey

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see Turkey's four main regions in one week without arranging flights, hotels, meals or entry tickets yourself: the fixed itinerary and included transport are what make four destinations fit into seven days.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Infant (under 4): free.

How many nights is the tour?

Six nights in boutique hotels: one in Istanbul, two in Cappadocia, two in Kusadasi (for Ephesus), and one back in Istanbul before departure.

Are flights between cities included?

Yes. Three domestic flights are included: Istanbul to Cappadocia, Cappadocia to Ephesus, and Pamukkale back to Istanbul.

What meals are included?

All breakfasts, five lunches, one dinner, and a meet-and-greet reception. Vegetarian meals are available.

Do I need to arrange my own transport between sites?

No. All transfers mentioned in the itinerary are included, plus airport pickup and drop-off on arrival and departure days.

Is a guide provided?

Yes, a professional guide licensed by Turkey's Ministry of Tourism leads all tours throughout the week.

What is the physical fitness requirement?

A moderate level of fitness is recommended. The tour includes walking tours, climbing 120 steps to Uchisar Castle, and hiking in Red Valley.

Are entrance fees to attractions included?

Yes, all entrance fees to sights visited during the tours are included in the package price.

Can I bring a stroller or car seat for an infant?

Yes, infants can travel in a pram or stroller, and specialized infant seats are available.