Cultural Triangle of Turkey
Take in the main highlights of Turkey on this eight-day tour of the Cultural Triangle. Discover the highlights of Istanbul, from Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque to the bustling Grand Bazaar. Marvel at the incredible Roman ruins of Ephesus, take a dip in the thermal pools of Pamukkale, and visit the Roman spa town of Hierapolis. Explore the warren of subterranean cave cities at Cappadocia and opt for a hot air balloon ride over the landscape.
For a detailed itinerary and information about visas, money, weather and more download our Trip Notes
Tour overview
Itinerary
Day 1 Welcome to Istanbul!
Day 1 Welcome to Istanbul!
Arrive in Istanbul and transfer from the airport to the hotel. The rest of today is free for you to relax in the hotel or head out and explore the only city in the world to straddle two continents!
Day 2 Istanbul sightseeing
Day 2 Istanbul sightseeing
Enjoy a full-day guided sightseeing tour of the cosmopolitan city of Istanbul, formerly known as Constantinople. You will see highlights of the city including the iconic exterior of Hagia Sophia, which was built by Emperor Justinian in the year 537 AD and was the largest church in Christendom for a thousand years!
Take in the Hippodrome, Topkapi Palace, and the beautiful Blue Mosque before venturing into the labyrinthine Grand Bazaar, which is a delightful assault on the senses. The evening is at leisure, or you could opt for a dinner cruise on the Bosphorus Strait, which divides Europe and Asia (book and pay locally).
Day 3 Cave cities of Cappadocia
Day 3 Cave cities of Cappadocia
Istanbul - Kayseri - Cappadocia. Leaving Istanbul, you will be transported to the airport for your included flight to Kayseri in Central Turkey. Upon arrival transfer to Cappadocia, one of Turkey's most popular destinations. See the unique fairy chimneys of the Devrent Valley and the mushroom-shaped pinnacles of Pasabagi (Monks Valley).
Later, head to Goreme, which is a beautiful open air museum, home to incredible rock-cut cave churches and settlements that date back centuries. The stunning landscapes of Cappadocia are sure to take your breath away. Touring today also includes a visit to a carpet manufacturing house.
Day 4 Cappadocia
Day 4 Cappadocia
This morning there is an optional hot air balloon flight over Cappadocia (book and pay locally). Leaving the hotel mid-morning, enjoy a hike through the Rose Valley to see more of the incredible rock-cut churches the area is famed for. Visit the old Christian village of Cavusin, the beautiful Pigeon Valley, and the Kaymakli Underground City. This incredible settlement is connected with more than 100 tunnels between houses, stables, churches, and more. The final stop of the day is at the natural rock castle of Ortahisar, which towers over the surrounding landscape.
Day 5 Fly to Kusadasi
Day 5 Fly to Kusadasi
Cappadocia - Kayseri - Izmir - Kusadasi. Say goodbye to Cappadocia as you are transferred to the airport for your included flight west to Izmir. From here you will be transported to the popular beach resort town of Kusadasi. The evening is at leisure.
Day 6 Ancient Ephesus
Day 6 Ancient Ephesus
Today there is a full-day tour of the legendary ancient city of Ephesus. The city dates back centuries and there are relics from the ancient Greek and Roman empires. One of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World was once found here, the Temple of Artemis. Sadly it has been completely destroyed apart from a single column which you will see. The main highlights of Ephesus are the striking colonnaded Library of Celsus and the amphitheatre. This had a capacity of 25,000, which made it the largest amphitheatre in the ancient world.
There's also a visit to the House of Mother Mary, where the Virgin Mary is alleged to have spent her final years. After the tour, you will return to Kusadasi stopping at a leather manufacturing factory en route.
Day 7 'Cotton Castles' of Pamukkale
Day 7 'Cotton Castles' of Pamukkale
Kusadasi - Pamukkale. Leave Kusadasi and travel to Pamukkale, a jaw-dropping region where white calcium formations have built up over thousands of years due to the chemical properties of water in the area. The results are the 'cotton castles' and thermal pools of Pamukkale. Take a walk along the white water terraces known as travertines and enjoy a dip in the man-made pools at the bottom.
There is also a visit to the Roman spa town of Hierapolis, which was built by this historic civilization to make the most of the travertines. Explore the ruins and opt for a swim in Cleopatra's Pool. It was reportedly a gift to the Egyptian pharaoh from Marc Anthony and is the only place in the world where you can swim amongst real Roman columns; an earthquake hit the site in the 7th century which caused a nearby Temple of Apollo to collapse into the pool.
Day 8 Return to Istanbul
Day 8 Return to Istanbul
Pamukkale - Istanbul. Transfer to Denizli Airport today for your included flight back to Istanbul, where your tour comes to an end.
Alternatively, if you would like to extend your stay in Istanbul then we would be happy to arrange this for you. You can also opt to exclude the flight back to Istanbul if you wish.
Tour Highlights
Included
Not Included
Prices & Dates
Hotels
The charming Kent Hotel is a great example of contemporary design and a friendly atmosphere. Guest rooms are superbly equipped with modern facilities including Wi-Fi connectivity, state of the art technology and bright marbled bathrooms. Enjoying a delicious Turkish meal at the in house Calcedoine Restaurant after a hard days sightseeing is highly recommended. The hotel is also fantastically located within a 10-minute walk of the Grand Bazaar and Old Town in the Bayazit area in the European side of Istanbul.
Set in a restored old house, the Dilek Kaya offers comfortable accommodation in a beautiful setting. Rooms are spacious with original stone walls and en suite facilities. The hotel also sports an outdoor pool and complimentary Wi-Fi for all guests to enjoy. There is also an impressive Spa and Health Club onsite which includes Turkidh Bath, Sauna, Steam Room and Fitness Room.
Marina hotel is a modern hotel with a sea view and balcony from nearly every spacious room. It has recently been renovated and features an indoor and outdoor pool and you may also use the facilities and beach of 5-Star Pine Bay.
Set in landscaped gardens, the Colossae Thermal Spa Hotel has an envious location in Pamukkale. Guest rooms are spacious and tastefully decorated and offer a wonderful level of comfort, ensuring a good night's sleep. The on site thermal spa offers guests the chance to relax, revitalise and enjoy what this region is most famous for. Breakfast can be eaten outside on the terrace while dinner is often taken by the shimmering water of the pool.
Tour Reviews
Cultural Triangle of Turkey - 8 daysTake in the main highlights of Turkey on this eight-day tour of the Cultural Triangle. Discover the highlights of Istanbul, from Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque to the bustling Grand Bazaar. Marvel at the incredible Roman ruins of Ephesus, take a dip in the thermal pools of Pamukkale, and visit the Roman spa town of Hierapolis. Explore the warren of subterranean cave cities at Cappadocia and opt for a hot air balloon ride over the landscape.Private85590The food , generally in the hotels was poor to terrible. Hot food was always cold. The mass feeding restaurants when on a full day tour were ABYSMAL!!!! HORRID! Dinner at the hotel the last night was awful! Our guide the last 2 days was Mert. The first day he was good, the second day at Hieropolis, we got a brief overview, then left on our own for 3 hours, while he did whatever …. The stops at a leather factory, Turkish delight store onyx factory, etc., were NOT appreciated and a total waste of time, as we’d rather been sightseeing. Tourists are over these traps! The tour always ran on time, and we appreciated that. Our guide in Cappadocia, Ibrahim, was excellent! Guide in Istanbul very good too, but cannot recall his name. Flights ran on time. Impressed with Turkish Airlines .
Cultural Triangle of Turkey - 8 daysTake in the main highlights of Turkey on this eight-day tour of the Cultural Triangle. Discover the highlights of Istanbul, from Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque to the bustling Grand Bazaar. Marvel at the incredible Roman ruins of Ephesus, take a dip in the thermal pools of Pamukkale, and visit the Roman spa town of Hierapolis. Explore the warren of subterranean cave cities at Cappadocia and opt for a hot air balloon ride over the landscape.Private85590We didn't really have a guide and were on our own to figure a lot of the details out. Communication was sparse so we didn't know what dinner arrangements were at two locations, we didn't bring towels that were needed at another spot (even when we asked for someone to give us a run down of what was needed for that day-no one communicated with us). We didn't know cash only was accepted for the Istanbul boat ride and the Cappadocia balloon ride and the guide wasn't sure we could even get on a balloon ride without much earlier reservations. I told your office when booking months ago the balloon tour and boat were priorities and was told we had to wait until there and talk with the coordinator in Turkey. We were in the back of a van handing over hundreds of dollars in cash which totally tapped us and caused us to need additional money and more ATM fees. Drivers were all there on time and got us where we needed to be-that was the most positive aspect of the trip. Hotel in Cappadocia was in no way a 4-star place and no one spoke English so we had to use Google Translate to talk with them. Hotels in Kusadasi and Pamukkle were excellent. We needed more details on what to bring, how to pay, direct connection with the airlines (not a paper receipt), meals (esp. dinners), and earlier reservations for the boat and air balloon tours.
Extras and add-ons
Tour Upgrades
Find alternative tours below with Upgrades to this tour