Itinerary
Day 1 – Istanbul to Ephesus
You will be picked up in your Istanbul hotel lobby at approximately 04:15 by our driver who will transfer you to the airport for your 07:00 flight to Izmir. You will arrive at Izmir airport at approximately 8.05am, where you will be met by our driver who will be holding your name on a board. You will then be transferred to Selcuk, to meet the rest of your group for your Ephesus tour. If you love history and appreciate having a sense of what life was like 2000 years ago, you will be in heaven today. Other sites you will visit today include the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and Virgin Mary’s House which is believed to be the place that she was brought by John, and the place where she spent her last days. After the tour, you will be dropped at your hotel.
Overnight Kusadasi – Karaaslan Inn Hotel or similar
(L)
Options: Pamukkale has some of the world’s best conditions for paragliding, giving you a chance to paraglide over the magnificent travertines and the ruins of Hierapolis. Please let us know if you would like to enjoy some paragliding in Pamukkale after your tour tomorrow afternoon.
Day 2 – Kusadasi – Pamukkale
Pick up from your hotel in Kusadasi at approximately 8am for your Pamukkale tour. We will drive around 3 hours through countryside, stopping for a break halfway. On arrival in Pamukkale, we will have lunch, then commence our tour of Pamukkale’s travertines and the ancient Roman spa town of Hierapolis. A highlight of the tour will be seeing Hierapolis’ magnificent theatre. The tour will include some free time at the Cleopatra Antique Pool where the water is a pleasant 36 degrees Celsius and filled with invigorating minerals. Here, you have the chance to swim over Roman columns which believed to have fallen into the water during an earthquake. Please note that entrance to the swimming pool is an additional 200TL per person, payable at the site.
Your guide will give you free time to paddle in some of the pools as you wander down the hill to Pamukkale’s natural park and lake. Or, you can choose to stay a little longer on the travertines, and make your own way to our office in time for your transfer to Denizli bus station this evening. Night bus to Cappadocia.
Overnight – bus (B, L)
Day 3 – Cappadocia
You will be met on arrival in Cappadocia and taken to meet your tour group. Your Cappadocia tour starts at 9.30am and will include Devrent Valley, Zelve Open Air Museum, Monk Valley, Goreme Open Air Museum, Pigeon Valley and Uchisar Castle. At the end of your tour of this area’s magical landscape you will be dropped back at your hotel.
Overnight Cappadocia – Dedeli Konak Hotel or similar
(L)
Options: An early morning sunrise hot air balloon flight can be arranged – please note that hot air balloon flights change regularly – please ask us for a quote for your flight!
Day 4 – Cappadocia to Istanbul
Pick up from your hotel after breakfast (approximately 09:30). Our first stop of the day will be Esentepe, a popular spot for enjoying a panoramic view of Göreme and its fairy chimneys and unique rock formations. We will then drive to Derinkuyu Underground City, one of the deepest of Cappadocia’s many underground cities, and built by early Christians fleeing from persecution. Including rooms such as stables, cellars, chapels and wineries, you’ll be impressed as you wander through this underground city. We then drive to Ihlara Valley where we will hike a section of the valley, checking out the tiny churches cut into the rocks, along the way. We will then have some chill time and lunch at Belisirma Village. We will also visit Selime Monastery, the biggest rock-cut cathedral in Cappadocia. After the tour, you will be transferred to the Kayseri airport for your 19:30 flight back to Istanbul. Your flight will land at approximately 21:10. On arrival in Istanbul, your driver will be waiting to transfer you back to your hotel in Istanbul. Services end on arrival back at your Istanbul hotel.
(B, L)
