8 Days Turkey Tour

Your eight-day journey through Turkey begins as you arrive in Istanbul. Our driver will be waiting at the exit with a sign showing your name, ready to take you to your hotel. Check in at your leisure and rest after the flight. At a convenient time, your travel consultant will meet you at the hotel to welcome you and outline the days ahead.

Following breakfast, your guide collects you from the lobby for a day on foot through old Istanbul. You will visit Hagia Sophia, the magnificent Blue Mosque and the Hippodrome, where the Egyptian Obelisk of Theodosius and the Serpentine Column from Delphi still stand. The walk continues past the German Fountain to Topkapi Palace, the lavish residence of the Ottoman court, before ending at the colourful Grand Bazaar. Everything is within walking distance, and you will be transferred back to your hotel at the end of the day.

Early this morning your driver will collect you from the hotel for the transfer to the airport and your one-hour flight to Cappadocia. On arrival, our representative will meet you at the exit and take you to our office, where you can leave your luggage before setting off on a guided tour of northern Cappadocia. You will take in the sweeping panorama from Esentepe, see the Byzantine-era Uchisar Castle from below, and explore Pasabag, Devrent and the Three Beauties valleys — among the most striking landscapes in the region. The day continues in the old towns of Urgup and Avanos, the latter famous for its red-clay pottery, where you are welcome to try your hand at the wheel. Afterwards you will be transferred to your hotel.

An optional sunrise balloon flight over Cappadocia is the most magical way to start the day. After breakfast and check-out, your guide will collect you for a tour of southern Cappadocia: Meskendir and Rose Valley with their red rock and walking, the cave houses of Cavusin and the aptly named Pigeon Valley. Take in the view from Love Valley before exploring the Kaymakli Underground City and its many levels of rooms, wineries, tombs and stables. At the end of the tour you will be taken to Goreme's bus terminal with free time for dinner before your overnight coach — a ten-hour journey to Pamukkale, the only long bus trip of your tour.

Arriving in Pamukkale early in the morning, you will be met by our representative and taken to your hotel, with a few hours to relax before the day's tour. After breakfast, you will set off on a full day at Pamukkale and Hierapolis, visiting the gates, necropolis and theatre of Hierapolis and the famous travertines, with the chance to swim among the ancient ruins. At the end of the tour you will be transferred to the lovely resort town of Kusadasi (about two and a half hours' drive) and check into your hotel.

After breakfast and check-out, your guide will collect you for a tour of Ephesus. 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 the airport for the one-hour flight to Istanbul, where our representative will meet you and take you to your hotel.

After breakfast, the day is yours to discover Istanbul at your own pace. You might take a half-day Bosphorus cruise — always a highlight of any visit — or arrange a trip to the nearby islands for a swim or a bike ride. In the evening, a Bosphorus dinner cruise is a lovely way to round off the day, with the lights of the European and Asian shores gliding past — a memorable addition to your eight-day tour.

After breakfast and check-out, your driver will collect you in line with your international flight time and take you to the airport, sending you home with a wealth of fresh memories from your eight days in Turkey.