Itinerary
Day 1: Wine Tasting After Arriving at the Country's Second Most Popular Destination
Stop At: Goreme, Goreme, Cappadocia
Our tour starts in Goreme, best reached via the airport in Kayseri or Nevşehir. This village is used as a base from which to explore Cappadocia’s cave dwellings. In the evening, we are taken to a wine house. There we do wine tasting for about 45 minutes.
Note that you are most likely to go through Istanbul before reaching Goreme.
Duration: 1 hour
Pass By: Goreme, Goreme, Cappadocia
Although about half of the activities on this multi-day tour are shared with other travelers, we can make the trip almost completely private, per your request. Typically, the hot-air balloon ride, the day trips from Goreme exploring the surreal nature of Cappadocia, the visit to the House of Virgin Mary, the ruins at a site called Ephesus, the Temple of Artemis, the ancient Greek city of Hierapolis and the hot springs and travertine limestone at a site called Pamukkale, swimming at the Cleopatra Pools, and the boat tour around Oludeniz Lagoon are shared with other tourists. The rest of the tour is exclusive to you and whomever else you may book on behalf of.
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Hotel Room Bookings & Upgrades Offered After Tour Has Been Purchased
Day 2: Hot-Air Balloon Ride, Cave Dwellings & Experiencing a Turkish Bath
Stop At: Kaymakli Underground City, Derinkuyu Turkiye
We go on an excursion today. The day starts with an early-morning, hot-air balloon ride over the cave dwellings of Cappadocia. The tour takes about an hour. Following this is a tour of the area: the surreal-looking rock formations of Pasabagi (a.k.a. Monks’ Valley), Devrent (a.k.a. Camel Rock), a pottery workshop in the small town of Avanos, the Goreme Open Air Museum, Love Valley and Uchisar Castle. Lunch is included on today’s tour. The day ends with a traditional Turkish bathhouse (a.k.a. hammam). There we are bathed and massaged and sip on tea.
Note that children under 7 years old are not allowed onto the hot air balloon.
Duration: 8 hours
Meals included:
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No accommodation included on this day.
Day 3: A Folkloric Night Show, a Rock-Cut Monastery & an Underground City
Stop At: Goreme, Goreme, Cappadocia
We go on another excursion today. The destinations for today are a viewpoint called Esentepe, the underground city of Derinkuyu, Selime Monastery, a viewpoint overlooking Ihlara Valley, a hike inside Ihlara Valley, Pigeon Valley and a gemstone (a.k.a. onyx) workshop. Lunch is included on today’s tour. In the evening, we go to a night show. There we listen to traditional music while watching locals wearing folkloric attire do a great deal of choreography.
Duration: 8 hours
Meals included:
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No accommodation included on this day.
Day 4: Having a Traditional Dinner Inside a Native’s Home & the Castle & Beaches of Kusadası
Stop At: Kusadasi, Kusadasi, Turkish Aegean Coast
We relocate from Goreme to Kuşadası via a flight through Izmir. We are provided with a guided tour in Kuşadası, covering sites like the city walls and castle. We also have time to go swimming. In the evening, we are taken to a native Turk’s home. There we watch how traditional food is prepared as well as have dinner. The combination of tasty cuisine, rich culture and good company creates an unforgettable experience.
Duration: 4 hours
Meals included:
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No accommodation included on this day.
Day 5: An Ancient City, Bathing in Hot Springs & Travertine Limestone
Stop At: Ephesus Museum, Selcuk Turkiye
Still based in Kusadası, it’s almost time to visit the world-renowned archaeological site that is Ephesus. First, however, we head to a Catholic shrine named the House of Virgin Mary. It is believed that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was taken to this stone house by Saint John and lived there for the remainder of her earthly life. Moving onto Ephesus, it is one of the largest Roman archaeological sites in the eastern Mediterranean. The visible ruins still give some idea of the city’s original splendor and the names associated with the ruins are evocative of its former life. Following our tour there is lunch, which is included on today's tour.
Duration: 3 hours
Stop At: The Temple of Artemis, Ataturk, Park Ici Yolu No:12, Selcuk Turkiye
Next is a Greek temple dedicated to an ancient and local form of the goddess Artemis. This temple was completely rebuilt twice, once after a devastating flood and three hundred years later after an act of arson. In Artemis Temple’s final form, it was considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Next is a visit to the ruined Basilica of Saint John. It stands over the believed burial site of John the Apostle. Lastly is Isa Bey Mosque. It is one of the oldest and most impressive works of architectural art in the region.
Duration: 1 hour
Meals included:
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No accommodation included on this day.
Day 6: Bathing in Natural Pools & the Travertine Limestone Formations of Pamukkale
Stop At: Pamukkale, 20190 Pamukkale/Denizli, Türkiye
We make another daytrip today. We are taken to the village of Pamukkale. There we first have a guided tour of the ancient Greek city of Hierapolis. Next is lunch, which is included on today’s tour. Next is a visit to nearby Pamukkale, a natural site which shares the same name as the village. Pamukkale consists of hot springs and travertine limestone. It is one of the country’s most photographed locations. Lastly is swimming in nearby natural pools called Cleopatra Pools. People have bathed in these pools for thousands of years.
Duration: 4 hours
Meals included:
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No accommodation included on this day.
Day 7: The Maze-Like Streets of Turkey's Best Known Beach Town
Stop At: Bodrum City, Bodrum City, Bodrum District, Mugla Province, Turkish Aegean Coast
After relocating from Kusadasi to Bodrum, we have a guided tour around the harbor and through the maze-like streets. The traditional houses are characterized by their prismatic shapes, simplistic designs and locally sourced building materials like stone, wood, clay and cane. The highlights for today are the castle and going swimming.
Note that November through March, Bodrum and the south of Turkey are replaced with privately guided tours in Istanbul. Bodrum and Fethiye are seasonal destinations.
Duration: 3 hours
No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.
Day 8: Postcard-Perfect Oludeniz Lagoon, a River Cruise, a Therapeutic Mud Bath & Tombs Carved into the Mountainside
Stop At: Oludeniz, Oludeniz, Mugla Province, Turkish Aegean Coast
Although we are relocating from Bodrum to the resort town of Fethiye, an important stop is made en route, specifically to the village of Dalyan. There we take a river cruise, passing by the mountain-carved Lycian tombs and heading to a therapeutic mud pool. After bathing in the mud clay, we visit the Tomb of Amyntas, near Fethiye. Like the Lycian tombs in Dalyan, Amyntas is carved into the mountainside. After checking it out, we are taken to a viewpoint overlooking the postcard-perfect Oludeniz Lagoon. We are then taken to the lagoon itself. Oludeniz has a sandy bay, on a blue lagoon. The seawater is famous for its shades of turquoise and aquamarine. We go swimming and then head back to Fethiye, where we are based for the remainder of our tour in Turkey.
Duration: 2 hours
No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.
Day 9: An All-Day Boat Cruise Around the Turkish Riviera
Stop At: Turkish Mediterranean Coast, Turkish Mediterranean Coast
We go on a daytrip today. We are taken back to Oludeniz Lagoon. There we take an all-day boat tour. The destinations are the Blue Cave, a butterfly valley, Saint Nicholas Island, a cold-water spring, Camel Beach (home to a rock which resembles a camel) and an aquarium. Lunch is included on today’s tour, around 1:00pm.
Not included in the tour but highly popular nonetheless is paragliding over Oludeniz Lagoon. It is done from Mount Babadag, which is a 1-hour drive away from the lagoon. If you are interested in paragliding, please let us know. It would be done in the morning before taking the boat tour. You would be picked up from your hotel a bit earlier today, at 8:00am instead.
Duration: 7 hours
Meals included:
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No accommodation included on this day.
Day 10: Our Tour Ends This Morning
Stop At: Dalaman, Dalaman, Mugla Province, Turkish Aegean Coast
Transportation will be arranged for you to reach the airport in Dalaman. From there, you fly through Istanbul to reach home.
If you are not famililar with Istanbul, then we strongly recommend you spend some time there after completing our 10-day tour. Istanbul is arguably one of the world's greatest cities. If you are interested in a guided tour, please ask us for details.
Duration: 10 minutes
No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.