12 Days Turkey Tour

As you arrive in Istanbul, our driver will be waiting at the exit with a sign showing your name and will take you to your hotel. Take your time to check in and rest after the flight. At a convenient hour, your travel consultant will meet you at the hotel to welcome you and give a brief overview of your tour.

After breakfast, your guide will meet you in the lobby for a walking tour of the old city. The day takes in the great highlights of historic Istanbul: the soaring dome of Hagia Sophia, the elegant Blue Mosque, and the ancient Hippodrome with its Obelisk of Theodosius brought from Egypt and the Serpentine Column from the Temple of Delphi. You will pause at the German Fountain, explore the grand courtyards of Topkapi Palace — once home to the Ottoman sultans — and finish among the maze of stalls in the Grand Bazaar. The whole route is walkable, and afterwards you will be driven back to your hotel.

After breakfast, the day is yours to enjoy Istanbul as you wish. A half-day Bosphorus cruise is a wonderful way to see the city from the water, or you could arrange a trip to the nearby islands for a swim or a bike ride. In the evening, a Bosphorus dinner cruise is a lovely addition to your twelve-day tour, with the lights of the European and Asian shores gliding past. Overnight in Istanbul.

After an early check-out, your driver will take you from the hotel to the airport for the one-hour flight to Izmir; once there, head to your airline's departure gate. On arrival in Izmir, our representative will meet you and bring you to our Ephesus office ahead of a full day at the ancient site. You will visit the Temple of Artemis — one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World — the 25,000-seat amphitheatre, the famous Library of Celsus, the Temple of Hadrian and the harbour street of the ancient city, ending at the House of the Virgin Mary, her final home. Afterwards you will be transferred to your hotel.

After breakfast and check-out, your guide will collect you at the set time for a full day at Pamukkale and Hierapolis — about two and a half hours' drive through lovely scenery, with a lunch break on arrival. You will visit the gates of ancient Hierapolis, its necropolis and beautiful ancient theatre, and the famous travertines, whose icy-mountain panorama is one of the trip's most striking sights; there is the chance to swim among the ruins in Cleopatra's pool or visit the Hierapolis Archaeology Museum. At the end of the tour you will be transferred to Fethiye (about three hours' drive) for an overnight stay.

After breakfast at the hotel, we will pick you up around 10:00 am and take you to the boat at Fethiye Marina, the starting point for a full-day cruise around the Twelve Islands. As you sail, there will be plenty of time to swim in the clear waters of the Mediterranean, stop at pretty beaches and discover secluded coves and uninhabited islands along the way. Spend the day swimming, snorkelling and soaking up the scenery. In the late afternoon we will cruise back to Fethiye Marina and transfer you to your hotel.

After breakfast and check-out, you will have time to explore the lovely coves and beaches of Fethiye. At the end of the day you will be transferred to the bus station for the local coach to Antalya (about three hours), with beautiful scenery along the way. On arrival in Antalya, you will be met at the bus station and taken to your hotel.

After breakfast, your guide will collect you for a day out around Antalya. You will begin at the ancient city of Perge, with the ruins of its Roman and Hellenistic gates and the agora — Saint Paul preached here on his first missionary journey. Next is Aspendos, home to one of the best-preserved Roman theatres in Anatolia. You will then visit one of the region's finest waterfalls and see the Temple of Apollo at Side, before being transferred to your hotel. Overnight in Antalya.

After breakfast and check-out, your driver will take you from the hotel to the airport for the one-hour flight to Cappadocia; once there, head to your airline's departure gate. On arrival in Cappadocia, our representative will meet you and take you to your hotel. Overnight in Goreme.

For an unforgettable start, you might add an optional sunrise balloon flight over Cappadocia. After breakfast, be ready in the lobby for your tour of northern Cappadocia. You will begin at the Esentepe rock panorama, see the Byzantine-era Uchisar Castle from outside, and explore Pasabag, Devrent and the Three Beauties valleys. The day continues in the old towns of Urgup and Avanos, the latter famous for red-clay pottery, where you can try the wheel. At the end of the day you will be transferred to your hotel for an overnight stay in Goreme.

After breakfast and check-out, your guide will collect you from the hotel for a tour of southern Cappadocia. You will explore Meskendir and Rose Valley, famous for their red-tinged rock formations, with time to walk among the scenery. The route takes in Cavusin village and its distinctive cave houses, the aptly named Pigeon Valley, and the sweeping outlook over Love Valley. A real highlight is the Kaymakli Underground City, descending level after level past rooms, wineries, tombs and stables carved out centuries ago. Afterwards you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Istanbul, where our representative will meet you at the exit and take you to your hotel.

After breakfast, check out of the hotel between 12:00 and 1:00 pm. Depending on your international flight time, your driver will be waiting in the lobby to take you to the airport, where you will leave with fond memories of your twelve days in Turkey.