12-Day Private Turkey Tour: Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus & Pamukkale
This private 12-day, 11-night tour starts in Istanbul and ends at Denizli airport near Pamukkale. You get three nights in Istanbul, four in a Cappadocia cave hotel, three on the Aegean coast and one in Pamukkale, with Priene, Miletus, Didyma and Aphrodisias added to the classic route. It includes 4-star hotels, three domestic flights, entrance fees, daily breakfast and lunch, a private guide and vehicle, and all transfers.
5.0 on Tripadvisor · 145 reviews of our private tours
Your route
Tap a stop or open a day in the itinerary to see where you are.
- Private vehicle
- Domestic flight
- 1Overnight stop
- Day visit
Why travelers choose this itinerary
Most Turkey tours rush through Cappadocia in a day or two. This one gives it four nights and three full touring days, enough to cover the famous northern valleys, the underground cities and Ihlara Valley, and the quiet villages and rock churches of the south that few visitors reach.
On the Aegean, you go beyond Ephesus to Priene, Miletus and the Temple of Apollo at Didyma, then end at Aphrodisias and Pamukkale. Istanbul gets two full touring days and a Bosphorus cruise. Because the tour is private, your guide and vehicle are yours for the whole trip, and every day runs at your pace.
Highlights
- Topkapı Palace, Hagia Sophia, the Basilica Cistern and the Süleymaniye Mosque
- The Byzantine mosaics of Chora
- A Bosphorus cruise before your flight to Cappadocia
- Four nights in a Cappadocia cave hotel
- Kaymaklı Underground City, Ihlara Valley and Selime Monastery
- Soğanlı Valley, Keşlik Monastery and the Greek village of Mustafapaşa (Sinasos)
- Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary and the Basilica of St. John
- Priene, Miletus and the Temple of Apollo at Didyma
- Aphrodisias and the white terraces of Pamukkale
Day-by-day itinerary
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Day 1Arrive in Istanbul
Your driver meets you at the airport and takes you to your hotel in the historic center. Depending on your arrival time, you have lunch and a first look at the old city with your guide, or simply rest after the flight. Most of the landmarks you will visit over the next two days are within walking distance. Send us your flight details when you book so the pickup matches your arrival.
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Day 2Topkapı Palace, the Bazaars and Süleymaniye
A full walking day with your guide. Start at the Blue Mosque, then visit the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts, home to one of the world's finest carpet collections. Spend the late morning in Topkapı Palace, where the Ottoman sultans lived and ruled. After lunch, walk through the Grand Bazaar to the Süleymaniye Mosque, the masterpiece of the architect Sinan, and finish at the Spice Bazaar near the Golden Horn.
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Day 3Hagia Sophia, the Basilica Cistern and Chora
Begin at the Hippodrome, the old chariot track of Constantinople, then go underground into the Basilica Cistern, a forest of marble columns built to store the city's water. Step inside Hagia Sophia, whose dome has stood for nearly 1,500 years. In the afternoon, travel by public transport to Chora, a small Byzantine church covered in some of the finest mosaics and frescoes of its age. Bring a scarf for the mosque visits.
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Day 4Bosphorus Cruise, Fly to Cappadocia
Spend the morning on a cruise along the Bosphorus, the strait between Europe and Asia, past wooden waterside mansions, Ottoman palaces and fortresses. Your guide points out how each shore has changed over the centuries. After lunch, transfer to the airport for the short flight to Cappadocia. Your driver meets you on arrival and takes you to your cave hotel, your home for the next four nights.
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Day 5North Cappadocia: Göreme and the Fairy Chimneys
If you booked the optional balloon flight, you rise before dawn to float over the valleys. After breakfast, take in the view from Göreme Panorama, then visit the Göreme Open Air Museum and its frescoed rock churches. Walk among the fairy chimneys, look for animal shapes in Devrent Valley, and see a cave village from the inside. Stop at Avanos on the Kızılırmak River, then end with Pigeon Valley and the views from Uçhisar Castle.
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Day 6Kaymaklı, Ihlara Valley and Selime
Descend into Kaymaklı Underground City, several floors of tunnels, stables and storerooms once used to shelter whole communities; some passages are low and narrow. Then drive to Ihlara Valley, a green canyon with rock-cut churches along a river, and walk part of the trail. Finish at Selime Monastery, a vast complex carved into a cliff, with a church, kitchen and halls cut into the rock.
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Day 7South Cappadocia: Soğanlı and Mustafapaşa
Head south to Soğanlı Valley, a quiet side of Cappadocia where rock churches and dovecotes line two valleys and few tour buses go. Visit the excavated Roman town of Sobesos and Keşlik Monastery, whose chapels still hold Byzantine paintings. In Mustafapaşa, once the Greek village of Sinasos, admire the carved stone mansions and the Church of St. Constantine and Helena. End at Red Valley as the late light turns the rock deep pink.
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Day 8Fly to İzmir, Kuşadası
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to İzmir on the Aegean coast. Your driver meets you and takes you south to Kuşadası, a harbor town that will be your base for three nights. In the afternoon, walk out to the small island fortress on Pigeon Island, connected to the shore by a causeway, and enjoy the evening by the sea.
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Day 9Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary
A full day with your guide in and around Ephesus. Walk the marble streets of one of the largest cities of the Roman world, past the Great Theater and the facade of the Library of Celsus. Visit the House of the Virgin Mary on its wooded hill, the remains of the Basilica of St. John in Selçuk and the site of the Temple of Artemis. End at the Ephesus Museum, where many of the city's finest statues are kept.
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Day 10Priene, Miletus and Didyma
Three great Ionian sites in one day. Priene sits on a terraced hillside with a small theater and the columns of the Temple of Athena. Miletus, birthplace of the first Greek philosophers, has one of the best-preserved theaters on the coast. At Didyma, stand among the enormous columns of the Temple of Apollo, once home to an oracle second only to Delphi. Return to Kuşadası in the evening.
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Day 11Aphrodisias and Pamukkale
Drive inland to Aphrodisias, a city of sculptors dedicated to the goddess Aphrodite, with a stadium that seated thousands and a museum full of fine marble work. Continue to Pamukkale, where warm mineral springs have built white travertine terraces down a hillside. Walk barefoot through the shallow pools and explore Hierapolis above them, with its theater and vast necropolis. Bring sunglasses; the white rock reflects strong light.
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Day 12Departure from Denizli
After breakfast, your driver takes you to Denizli Çardak Airport, about an hour from Pamukkale, for your included flight to Istanbul, where you connect to your flight home. If you would rather end the trip in Istanbul with an extra night, let us know when you book and we will arrange it. Plan your international flight with a comfortable connection time.
What's included
- 11 nights in 4-star hotels, including 4 nights in a Cappadocia cave hotel
- 11 breakfasts and 11 lunches
- Professional private guide on all touring days
- Private air-conditioned minivan with driver
- All private airport and hotel transfers
- Bosphorus cruise
- Domestic flights: Istanbul to Cappadocia, Cappadocia to İzmir and Denizli to Istanbul
- Entrance fees to all sites in the itinerary
- All taxes
Not included
- International flights
- Dinners
- Alcoholic drinks
- Tips for the guide and driver
- Personal expenses
Optional extras
- Upgrade to 5-star hotels for every night of the tour
- Hot air balloon flight in Cappadocia
- Extra nights in Istanbul before or after the tour
- Turkish bath in Istanbul
Hotels (or similar)
- Istanbul: 4-star hotel in the historic center
- Cappadocia: 4-star cave hotel
- Kuşadası: 4-star hotel
- Pamukkale: 4-star hotel
Price per person (USD)
The price depends on how many people travel together, because your guide and vehicle are private. Children 0 to 1 travel free; children 2 to 6 pay the child price and count toward group size.
| Travelers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult | $9,350 | $5,615 | $5,010 | $4,630 | $4,245 | $3,915 |
| Child 2–6 | – | $2,770 | $2,770 | $2,770 | $2,770 | $2,770 |
Prices valid as of October 15, 2026. Bookings close 10 days before the start date: book today and the earliest start date is October 25, 2026.
| Travelers | Adult | Child 2–6 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $9,350 | – |
| 2 | $5,615 | $2,770 |
| 3 | $5,010 | $2,770 |
| 4 | $4,630 | $2,770 |
| 5 | $4,245 | $2,770 |
| 6+ | $3,915 | $2,770 |
- Upgrade to 5-star hotels: +$620 per adult for the whole tour.
- Guide in English is included. Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian, Chinese or Japanese: +$675 for the whole group, shared between the travelers (Chinese and Japanese on request).
Good to know
- Topkapı Palace closes on Tuesdays and the Grand Bazaar on Sundays; your guide adjusts the order of visits.
- Mosques, including Chora, require modest dress: shoulders and knees covered, and a headscarf for women.
- Domestic flights have a lower checked-bag allowance than international tickets, so pack a lighter bag.
- The tour ends with an included flight from Denizli to Istanbul. Book your international flight home with a comfortable connection time.
- Bookings close 10 days before the start date. Reserve with a 30% deposit; cancellation is free up to 30 days before travel.
Your guide
Your guide will be one of our licensed team: classmates from Adnan Menderes University with 14 to 15 years of guiding each, plus trusted licensed colleagues in every region.
KübraEnglish, Spanish
Selçuk YılmazEnglish
Can AteşEnglish, French
Bahar ÖzdemirEnglish, Spanish, Arabic
Ege ErtaşEnglish
Osman DemirEnglish
From past trips on this route
Guests on this route
Photos our guests shared after their private tours.
What travelers say
Rated 5.0 on Tripadvisor from 145 reviews of our private tours. Excerpts quoted as written.
“Our minivan was very comfortable, the drivers were punctual and very helpful”
ElenaDit · August 2026 · Tripadvisor
“He was always on the phone when we have question.”
탁동 홍 · September 2026 · Tripadvisor
FAQ
Is this tour private?
Yes. Only your party travels, with a private guide and an air-conditioned minivan reserved for you. You choose your start date and the pace of each day. Prices are per person and decrease as your party grows, and children 0 to 1 travel free.
Why spend four nights in Cappadocia?
Most tours cover only the northern valleys. Four nights give you three full days: Göreme and the fairy chimneys, the underground city and Ihlara Valley, and the quiet south around Soğanlı. You also get three sunrises to try for a balloon flight if the weather cancels one.
Which meals are included?
Breakfast at your hotel every morning and lunch on each of the first 11 days, usually at local restaurants along the route. Dinners are not included, so you are free to explore the restaurant scene in Istanbul, Cappadocia and Kuşadası. Your guide is happy to recommend places.
Where does the tour end?
At Istanbul airport on Day 12. After breakfast in Pamukkale, you fly from Denizli to Istanbul on an included domestic flight and connect to your international flight home. If you prefer to finish in Istanbul with a final night there, we can add it.
Is this tour suitable for seniors?
Yes, for travelers comfortable with a few hours of walking a day. The private format lets you rest whenever you need, and steep or narrow sections, such as the underground city or Selime Monastery, can be shortened or skipped. The tour is not suitable for wheelchair users.
How much does this tour cost per person?
For two travelers the price is $5,615 per person in US dollars. It falls to $3,915 per person for a party of six or more, and a solo traveler pays $9,350 because the guide and vehicle are reserved for one party. These are 2026 prices and cover everything listed under What's included.
What do children pay, and can we upgrade to 5-star hotels?
Children up to 1 year old travel free. Children aged 2 to 6 pay $2,770 and count toward the group size. Upgrading every night of the tour to 5-star hotels costs $620 per adult.
How do payment and cancellation work?
You reserve with a 30% deposit by card in US dollars, processed securely by Stripe; for two travelers on this tour that is about $3,370. The balance is charged automatically 30 days before travel. Cancel up to 30 days before your start date and you get a full refund, including the deposit.