4-Day Pamukkale, Ephesus and Cappadocia Tour from Istanbul by Plane

Your day starts early, with pickup from your Istanbul hotel at around 4:00 AM. You'll be driven to the airport for your domestic flight to Denizli, departing sometime between 6:00 and 8:00 AM. Pickup is offered from hotels on the European side of Istanbul only. At Denizli Airport a driver meets you for the transfer to Pamukkale, where your English-speaking guide is waiting.

At around 10:30 AM you'll stop first at Karahayit Red Springs, where iron-rich thermal water stains the rock a rusty red. By about 11:30 AM you'll be walking the ancient city of Hierapolis with your guide. You'll see the Necropolis, the Roman Baths, Domitian Gate, the Latrina, Frontinus Street, the Agora, Byzantium Gate, the Triton Fountain, the Cathedral, the Temple of Apollo, the Plutonium and the theater.

Lunch is included at a local restaurant at 12:30 PM. Afterward, from about 1:30 PM, you get roughly 60 minutes of free time on the white terraces. You can also swim in the Pamukkale Antique Pools at your own expense; bring your own swimsuit and towel.

At 2:30 PM you'll regroup with your guide to walk barefoot down the Pamukkale Travertines. The limestone is slick and warm underfoot, so go slowly. Around 4:00 PM you'll set off for Kuşadası, arriving at your hotel about 7:30 PM for check-in. The evening is yours; dinner isn't included, so you're free to pick a local restaurant at your own expense.

• Overnight in Kusadasi.
• Included Meal(s): Lunch

After breakfast, you'll check out of your hotel before 8:30 AM. Your guide meets you at pickup for a full day at Ephesus, the Greek and later Roman city that grew into a major trading and cultural center on this coast.

Walking the marble streets, you'll see the Temple of Hadrian, the Great Theater and the Trajan Fountain. The site is open and stony with very little shade, so wear closed shoes, a hat and sunscreen. Lunch is included.

In the afternoon you'll visit the House of the Virgin Mary, a quiet chapel in the hills above Ephesus. You'll then pass the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, where only a single column and scattered stones remain. The last stop is the Isa Bey Mosque, a good example of Seljuk-era design. Dress modestly for the mosque and bring a scarf if you cover your head.

The tour wraps up around 4:00 PM, and you'll be transferred to Izmir Airport for your late evening flight to Kayseri or Nevsehir via Istanbul. On arrival, a representative holding a sign with your name meets you and drives you to your cave hotel in Cappadocia. It's a long travel day, so keep a snack and water in your carry-on.

• Overnight in Cappadocia.
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch

If you'd like to fly over the valleys at sunrise, a hot air balloon ride can be booked as a paid optional extra. Balloon flights depend entirely on weather, and the local authority makes the call at the last minute for safety.

After breakfast, you'll be picked up from your hotel at around 9:30 AM for the full-day North Cappadocia tour. You'll start at Devrent Valley, where the eroded rock takes shapes people love to name. Next comes Pasabag Valley (Monks Valley) and its mushroom-capped pinnacles.

You'll then drive to Avanos, the pottery town on the Kizilirmak River, where lunch is included. Afterward you'll visit the Zelve Open Air Museum, a cave village of carved dwellings and old churches. The paths here are uneven and dusty, so comfortable shoes matter.

Before heading back, you'll have about 15 minutes for photos of Uchisar Castle from the outside; going inside isn't permitted on this tour. The day ends around 4:00 PM with a transfer to your hotel. Your evening is free. Optional paid add-ons include a 2-hour ATV tour, a 2-hour horseback ride through the valleys, a 1-hour Whirling Dervish ceremony, or a Turkish Night show with dinner. Note that the regular group tour includes shopping stops.

• Overnight in Cappadocia.
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch

After breakfast at the hotel, you'll check out and be picked up at around 9:30 AM for the South Cappadocia tour. The first stop is Red Valley and its rock-cut churches, followed by a 5 km hike through Rose Valley (Gulludere Vadisi), named for its pink-toned rock. This is the most demanding walk of the tour, so wear proper shoes and carry water.

Next you'll visit Cavusin Village, with cave houses and churches cut into the cliff face. Around noon there's a break for lunch at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon the route continues to Pigeon Valley (Guvercinlik Vadisi), where farmers carved pigeon houses into the rock to collect droppings for fertilizer. You'll then go underground at either Kaymakli Underground City or Ozkonak Underground City, both refuges used by early Christian communities. The tunnels are low and narrow in places, which can feel tight if you're claustrophobic.

Around 4:00 PM you'll be transferred to Kayseri or Nevşehir Airport for your evening flight back to Istanbul. Departures depend on flight availability, usually between 7:00 PM and 10:00 PM, with about 1.5 hours in the air. Our services end on arrival in Istanbul; the transfer from Istanbul Airport or Sabiha Gökçen to your hotel isn't included.

• Included Meal(s): Breakfast