Package 10N/11 Days: Cappadocia, Pamukkale, Ephesus, İstanbul

Day 1

According to your international flight arrival time, we will arrange a domestic flight ticket to Cappadocia (1-hour flight distance).

Pick-up from Cappadocia airport then transfer to the Cappadocia cave hotel for 3 nights (Caverna Hotel Premium Caves or Elegance Cave Suite).

Day 2
05:00–08:00 balloon tour (We will try on the first morning because balloons do not fly every morning because of weather conditions, so in case of any cancellations, you will have another chance to try the next day).

Sunrise Balloon Ride – 1-hour flight at sunrise
This is the best way to start a day in Cappadocia.

The adventure starts about 1.5 hours before sunrise at your hotel. Our luxury minivans will pick you up from your hotel and then bring you to our office for a light breakfast and registration.

During this time, our pilots will check the weather conditions to choose the right take-off point. Instead of taking off every morning from the same point, we will take off according to the wind direction and wind speed to ensure the best flight. After the take-off point has been determined, our minivans will drive you there, and you will be able to watch the preparation of your hot air balloon.

The flight will be for 1 hour.

We will try to show you as many of the best places as possible, depending on weather conditions. It is usually possible to watch the sunrise from the balloon.

We will end our flight in a different location than the departure point. At the landing point, the balloon trailer and minivans will be there.

We will hold a traditional champagne celebration at the end of the flight and give you an attendance certificate to remember this adventure for the rest of your life. Then, our luxury minivans will take you back to your hotel.

09:30 pick-up from your hotel for the Cappadocia Green Tour:

• Göreme Panorama – one of the best views of the region. Our guides will inform you about the area and its unique landscape.
• Derinkuyu Underground City – the largest and deepest underground settlement discovered so far. It has 8 levels connected by narrow tunnels. You will visit stalls, storages, church, winery, kitchen, and other sections open to visitors. Our guides will provide explanations about each section.
• Selime Cathedral – the biggest rock-cut monastery in the region. The landscape surrounding the cathedral resembles scenes from Star Wars.
• Lunch at a local restaurant featuring regional cuisine.
• Ihlara Canyon – a 4 km hike beside the Melendiz River (total canyon length is 14 km). The canyon houses more than 100 churches and approximately 10,000 caves carved by early Christian monks.
• Pigeon Valley in Uçhisar – offers panoramic views and features many pigeon houses built by ancient inhabitants.

Return to the hotel around 18:00.

Day 3
09:30 pick-up from your hotel for another Cappadocia tour – the Red Tour:

You will visit:

• Uçhisar Castle – the highest rock formation in the region. You’ll be informed about the unique rock formations and have free time to explore.
• Göreme Open-Air Museum – features rock-cut churches painted by early Christian monks. Known for frescoes from the 10th and 11th centuries. Our guides will share information about Christianity and monastic life in Cappadocia.
• Çavuşin – an old Greek village with houses abandoned after the population exchange in 1924.
• Lunch in Avanos, located on the banks of the Red River (Kızılırmak), the longest river in Turkey. Famous for pottery, which began around the 2nd millennium B.C. You’ll visit a pottery workshop, and a master will demonstrate free-hand pottery techniques.
• Paşabağı (Monks Valley) – known for spectacular mushroom-shaped rock formations and the Chapel of Saint Simeon.
• Devrent Valley (Imagination Valley) – filled with red-colored, animal-shaped rocks like camels, owls, snakes, and more.

Tour ends around 16:00.

Day 4

Transfer to the airport then catch a flight to Izmir.

Upon arrival at Izmir airport, we will take you to your hotel in Kuşadası for 2 nights (Efe Boutique Hotel).

Day 5

08:30 pick-up for the Ephesus Day Tour:

Ephesus is located 3 km southwest of present-day Selçuk in İzmir province. It was built by Attic and Ionian Greek colonists in the 10th century BC and prospered under Roman rule from 129 BC. The city was famed for the Temple of Artemis (completed around 550 BC).

During 2–3 hours of your visit, you will see:

• Temple of Hadrian
• Odeion
• Fountain of Trajan
• Celsus Library
• Theatre of Ephesus
• Arkadian Street

After Ephesus, you will have lunch (included), followed by visits to:

• Temple of Artemis – one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
• House of the Virgin Mary.

Tour ends around 16:30.

Day 6
08:30 pick-up for Pamukkale Tour, staying 1 night in Pamukkale (You can choose Venus Suite Hotel or Hiera Park Hotel).

You will visit:

• Travertines of Pamukkale – formed by hot springs (35–100°C), used since ancient times. You can swim in Cleopatra’s Pool.
• Hierapolis – an ancient city of Phrygia, affected by frequent earthquakes. It’s on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
• Necropolis – the oldest and largest ancient cemetery in the region. Meaning “dead city”.
• Agora – meaning “meeting point,” it was the center of political, religious, and commercial activities.
• Theatre – with a capacity of 9,500 people, used for gladiator fights.

Day 7

Free day, then transfer to Pamukkale Airport in the evening and catch a flight to Istanbul.

Upon arrival in Istanbul, transfer to your hotel for 4 nights (You can choose Nena Hotel or Rast Hotel).

Free time to explore on your own.

Day 8
08:00–16:00 – Istanbul Old City Tour (pick-up at 08:00)

You will visit:

• Hagia Sophia
• Byzantine Hippodrome
• Blue Mosque
• Grand Bazaar
• Topkapi Palace

Day 9
08:00–16:00 – Full-day Bosphorus Tour (pick-up at 08:00)

You will visit:

• City Walls
• Golden Horn
• Spice Bazaar

From the cruise, you’ll see Dolmabahçe and Beylerbeyi Palaces, wooden villas, and Rumeli Fortress.

After lunch:

• Beylerbeyi Palace
• Bosphorus Bridge – cross between two continents.
• Çamlıca Hill – highest panoramic point in Istanbul with a view of the Bosphorus.

Day 10

Free day. In the evening, optional Bosphorus Night Dinner Cruise.

Day 11

Depending on your international flight time, free time, then transfer to the airport.

• Domestic flight tickets
• Hotel reservations with breakfast
• All airport transfer
• All day tours with lunch, entrance tickets and professional  English tour guide
• Balloon tour in Cappadocia

Excluding;

• Dinner
• Special shopping

• Cancellations made more than 48 hours from your scheduled arrival time will not be charged.
• Cancellations made between 24-48 hours from your scheduled arrival time will be charged 50% of the amount due.
• No shows, and cancellations made within 24 hours of your scheduled arrive time will be charged 100% of the amount due.