Ultimate Turkey - Istanbul to Cappadocia

Our nationwide shared chauffeur service collects you from home for your flight to Istanbul. Upon arrival, meet your local tour manager at the welcome desk inside the airport, and transfer to your hotel.

Meals: Dinner

A full-day city tour introduces the sights and sounds of Istanbul. Travel back thousands of years as we visit Sultanahmet Meydanı, once the sporting and social heart of Constantinople and admire the vast Blue Mosque.

Next is the Sunken Cistern, an atmospheric underground reservoir built in the 6th century and held up by more than 300 columns. Finish the day in the colourful Grand Bazaar. With almost 4,000 shops hawking antiques, carpets, jewellery and more, it’s the biggest souk and the oldest covered market in the world.

Meals: Breakfast

This morning, visit Misir Carsisi, the Egyptian Spice Bazaar, where spices, herbs and all sorts of dried teas have been sold since the 17th century, and where many locals still shop today. There's time to wander through the warren of stalls, perhaps picking up some fragrant cardamom or saffron to take home.

Later, tour the UNESCO-listed Topkapı Palace Museum. Once home to Ottoman sultans, it’s now filled with treasures including fine art, jewel-encrusted swords, Chinese porcelain, scrolls of delicate calligraphy, and the exquisite Spoonmaker's Diamond. The complex is as much an attraction as the exhibits though, with peaceful gardens, opulent décor and tales of courtiers and concubines.

The afternoon is free for you to explore Istanbul at your own pace. If you like, join our relaxing optional Bosphorus cruise.

Meals: Breakfast

A five-hour drive alongside the Sea of Marmara leads to the Gallipoli Peninsula. This area is steeped in history, and your guide will explain the importance of the Dardanelles Strait and the role it played during the First World War. On arrival, tour the battlefields – the scene of the aborted Allied invasion of 1915 – visiting Cape Helles, Suvla Bay and Anzac Cove. Afterwards, cross the strait to Çanakkale.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

A long but rewarding drive of around six hours leads to the World Heritage Site of Troy, where 4,000 years of history unfold while exploring this remarkable archaeological site, immortalised in The Iliad.

Continue to the nearby village of Bergama for lunch. In smaller groups, visit local houses, chat with hosts, and enjoy a home-cooked meal. The journey then continues to the Greco-Roman city of Pergamon, where the acropolis, temples and 10,000-seat theatre showcase its grandeur. Travel south to Kusadasi, where the following day is free to relax after a full day of exploring.

Meals: 2 Breakfasts, Lunch and 2 Dinners

The highlight today is Ephesus. The remarkably well-preserved remains of this ancient city, protected by UNESCO, reveal its former grandeur. Admire the famous façade of the Library of Celsus, stroll along mosaicked walkways, and see roads marked by the ruts of chariot wheels. Continue to the House of the Virgin Mary, where Mary is believed to have spent her final years.

Enjoy a picnic lunch in the gardens of a cooperative in Selcuk. Take the opportunity to join in with the cooking or simply relax and enjoy the surroundings. While here, see how traditional carpets are hand-woven. After lunch, continue to Pamukkale, known for its striking white terraces filled with mineral-rich water.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After a short stop in Pamukkale to view the travertine terraces, travel approximately six hours to Konya, one of the oldest urban centres in the world. Stop en route to learn about the celebrated 13th-century poet and mystic Celaleddin Rumi at the Mevlana Museum.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Travel east across the plains and steppes of Central Anatolia, following ancient routes once used by early traders. Stop at a traditional Turkish caravanserai – vast stone hostels built around arcaded courtyards, dating back to the 13th century, where travellers once rested with their animals and cargo. Visit the impressive Sultan Han Caravanserai, built in 1229 and one of the largest along the historic Silk Road. Continue to Cappadocia and end the day at Pasabag Valley, where the region’s iconic fairy chimneys create a striking first impression of this unique landscape.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Experience the cliffs, colours, and fairy chimneys of Cappadocia from the basket of a hot air balloon on this optional morning excursion. Depart before sunrise to soar above the extraordinary landscape and watch the sun slowly rise. Brightly coloured balloons drift silently over the rippling, whimsical terrain below. After about an hour in the air, land in time for pre-breakfast champagne, cakes, and a personalised flight certificate – a memorable way to mark the experience.

Return to the hotel for a full breakfast before exploring Cappadocia on the ground. Göreme Valley contains the highest concentration of rock-cut chapels and monasteries in the region, many UNESCO-listed and preserved in the Göreme Open Air Museum.

Continue to Kaymakli Underground City, a labyrinth of homes, churches, storage rooms, and stables carved by early Christians between the 6th and 9th centuries to hide from invaders. Walking through its cool chambers and winding tunnels offers a fascinating glimpse into ancient engineering.

End the day with a pottery demonstration and hands-on workshop in a local artist’s cave studio.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK. Upon arrival, your vehicle will be waiting for the journey home.

Meals: Breakfast