Home / Europe, Turkey Tours / Culture & Historical
19 day(s)
Private
1-40 people
easy
Embark
on a 19-day Turkey journey that takes you from the vibrant streets of Istanbul
to the surreal valleys of Cappadocia, from the turquoise coast of Antalya
to the ancient marble cities of Ephesus, Aphrodisias, and Pamukkale.
Explore UNESCO World Heritage sites including Göreme Open Air Museum,
Hattusa, Safranbolu, and Hierapolis, while experiencing local culture
through boat rides, village stays, and authentic markets.
This tour is
a perfect blend of history, culture, archaeology, and natural wonders —
designed for travelers seeking to see all of Turkey’s highlights in one
unforgettable journey.
Duration
19 day(s)
Max Group Size
1-40 people
Tour Code
19DGTDT
Departure Type
scheduled
Tour Category
Culture & Historical
Guiding Method
Fully guided
Operated In
Age Requirement
11 - 99

Istanbul
Istanbul
Meet
at the airport. Transfer to the hotel.
Time permitting, after the check-in, we will take an orientation walk in
the city. Grand Bazaar is certainly a great option do on your own. Overnight at
hotel in Istanbul
(Breakfast
Included)
After
we have our breakfast, we will visit Topkapi Palace, is administrative palace
of the Ottoman Dynasty that rule on three continents for centuries. Amazes of
the buildings are at the centre of the Ottoman Empire between the 15th and 19th
centuries. In these opulent surroundings, the sultans and their court lived and
governed. Continue with Sultanahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque) is more familiarly
known as Blue Mosque because its interior gleams with a magnificent paneling of
blue. It has 6 minarets and very nice cupolas. It was built by architect Mehmet
between 1609 and 1616. After visiting we stroll around Ancient Hippodrome the
scene of chariot races and the centre of Byzantine civil life, stood in the
open space in front of the Blue Mosque. We will see tree charming monuments. .
We continue to visit the great Hagia Sophia, crowning glory of Byzantium, now
called Ayasofya museum. It is really on of the finest buildings of all time.
Built by Constantine the Great and reconstructed by Justinian in 6th century. Its
immense dome rises 55 meters above the ground and its diameter spans 31 meters.
We will absorb the building’s majestic serenity and admire the fine Byzantine
mosaics. Later we will visit the Cistern Basilica.
Overnight
at hotel in Istanbul
(Breakfast
& Dinner Included)
This
morning we are heading onto the airport to fly over to Izmir. After our
transfer to Selcuk town, we will get to stroll around the Artemis Temple, one
of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Time permitting, we will have free
time in the rather pleasant laid back town center as well as paying a visit to
a nearby traditional village carpet atelier to learn about the organic dying
and weaving techniques of Turkish carpets. Overnight at hotel in Kusadasi.
(Breakfast & Dinner Included)
We will have a full day exploration of the Ephesus region. In the morning, the
world’s most famous and best preserved ancient sights Ephesus will be our first
visit. After lunch at a local restaurant and having a look at the well set-up
Ephesus Museum, we will explore the ruins of Saint John’s Basilica as well as
the medieval Selcuk Castle offering 360 degree views around the town. Overnight
at hotel in Kusadasi.
(Breakfast
& Dinner Included)
Today
we are getting to see a magnificent UNESCO site Aphrodisias, a complete marble
city of the ancient times. It was also an important statuary center which
produced countless marble busts and ornaments once decorated the settlement all
around. The site also owns its museum putting the marble master pieces of the
Aphrodisias’ artisans on display. In the afternoon, we will continue our drive
to Pamukkale, the land of the travertines. Overnight at hotel in Pamukkale
(Breakfast
& Dinner Included)
The
pearl white travertines of Pamukkale are a true wonder of nature. This
incredible must visit destination also boasts a well preserved ancient sight:
Hierapolis. You can relax in the ancient spa pool swimming above ancient column
capitals, paddle your feet in the travertines and visit the scenic Hellenistic
Theater to admire the aerial views. In afternoon we will move on to our next
target: the small fisherman town of Dalyan. Upon reaching our hotel, our guests
can take a walk along the promenade decorated with the lit-up monuments of
Dalyan rock tombs in the background. Overnight at hotel in Dalyan
(Breakfast
Lunch & Dinner Included)
Dalyan
meaning fish trap is such a nice little town situated upon a little creek named
after it. Thanks to its history and nature, Dalyan has a lot offer to its
visitors. In order to take it all in, we will go on a pleasant river boat trip.
Our first stop is Caunos ancient sight. Then, we will continue onto the massive
wildlife delta by Iztuzu beach where Dalyan creek runs into the Mediterranean.
The 3 km strip of the sandy Iztuzu beach is an important breeding ground for
famous Caretta Caretta (loggerhead) sea turtles. Dalyan is still a fisherman
town, where many locals catch gray mullet, sea bass and blue crab for a living.
Overnight at hotel in Dalyan
(Breakfast
& Dinner Included)
Reaching
Fethiye, the crown of the Turquoise coast, we take a stop at the Fethiye view
point to admire scenery of Fethiye Bay as well as the Lycian Rock Tombs of
Amintas and the old ancient theatre. We will then have a short drive to the
ghost town Kayakoy. After having lunch at a local restaurant with tasty local
dishes, we will continue to the famous Lycian Way view point to admire the true
wonder of the nature, Oludeniz Lagoon.We will have an opportunity to put our
feet in the cool waters of the Mediterranean sea to relax. For our overnight we
drive Pinara Village for our home-stay accomodation. We learn locals culture,
enjoy the local dinner and expeirnce village life . Overnight at homestay
village house . Overnight at hotel in Fethiye
(Breakfast
& Dinner Included)
A
scenic mountain route will bring us to our eventual destination today, Antalya
the Turkish Riviera. Before we get to our hotel, we will have a number of photo
stops including the lengthy Konyaalti beach stretching onto the stunning Bey
Daglari Mountains in the background making up for dramatic scenery. We will
then stroll around for sightseeing in the old town also called “Kaleici” among
the locals. It is surrounded with solid medieval city walls and travertine
bluffs. The old town was established as a colony of Pergamum Kingdom in the 2nd
century B.C. Overnight at hotel in Antalya
(Breakfast
& Dinner Included)
This
morning we are going to a fantastic museum. Antalya Archaeological Museum is
definitely a must visit in Turkey. In the afternoon, we will take a transfer
along the winding turquoise coast. Our destination is called the Olympos beach
and Chimera, the flaming rock which is a rather peculiar feauture in this part
of the world. Although it takes a hike to reach there, the rocky slabs dotted
with self-igniting flames are so interesting that they are certainly worth
seeing. We will be able to swim on the Olympos beach as well. Overnight at
hotel in Antalya
(Breakfast
& Dinner Included)
Having
discovered the coastal Turkey in it entirety, it is now time to go inland.
Aspendos theatre, en-route to Konya is a magnificent ancient theatre that once
seated up to 20.000 spectators.
Next,
we will continue onto Konya and visit the lodge of Whirling Dervishes, the
eternal rest place of Rumi, his family and his avid followers. We will also
take the opportunity to explain the doctrines of his philosophy. Konya stands
out with thin crispy pizza like snacks that are served with various toppings in
butter. Okra soup is also a must to try as well as tandoor lamb. Overnight at
hotel in Konya
(Breakfast
& Dinner Included)
When
we head to Cappadocia, we will stop at Catalhoyuk. Discovered in 1954 by the
British Archeologist James Mellaart, Catalhoyuk turned out to be one of the
first villages founded in the world which was established in the New Stone Age
(circa 7000 BC). Then we will be stop at a Seljukid heritage called Sultanhani,
a caravanserai built circa 1200. A network of these masonry inns was
constructed at certain intervals during the Anatolian Seljukid period in order
to facilitate the silk route trading. Before we call it a day, we will visit a
cultural center in Cappadocia to watch the Whirling Dervishes Ceremony which
will complete picture for Rumi’s order and its significance. Overnight at hotel
in Cappadocia
(Breakfast
& Dinner Included)
The
surreal landscape of Cappadocia, created by successive volcanic eruptions and
continuous erosion is a huge national park. Its incredible formations and
rock-cut churches from the early Christianity are being enlisted as a UNESCO
world heritage site! People are still living caves within the region and each
town has a somewhat troglodyte character! There are more than 100 underground
cities adding an unbeatable feature to the area.
Our
in depth tour will start with a visit to the world famous UNESCO World Heritage
site Kaymakli Underground City. The natural rock formation of Uchisar town
called Uchisar Citadel offers the best views of the whole region below your
feet. The UNESCO Goreme Open Air Museum contains some of the best frescoes in
the world representing the early Christian art and existence in Cappadocia
region. Pasabag fairy chimneys are a must due to the fact that they are
colossal and each spearing into the sky by their tall and pointy shapes.
Cavusin village is where once Christians and Turks settled together. There,
once inhabited homes reflect the beauty of the Cappadocian civil architecture.
Devrent imagination valley is, as the name implies, going to invoke your senses
where thousands of big and small mother nature carved figures scatter across
the landscape. Overnight at hotel Cappadocia
(Breakfast
& Dinner Included)
This
morning while we have the best light, we will go for a hike around Red and Rose
valleys. The views will be absolutely spectacular out there. Moreover, the
surreal formations are partially carved-out and decorated with frescoes by the
Byzantine Christian monks will be among the things to see during our walk. This
afternoon, we are going to Avanos for lunch and to see the longest river of
Turkey, Kizilirmak (eg. red river). For thousands of years, Cappadocian people
used the red clay obtained from the old banks of the river and shaped it on the
kick-wheels. It is still an important income for the region. We will get to see
one of the pottery ateliers to learn more about the still used ancient
techniques of shaping, outlining, glazing and painting. We will deliberately
finish our last day early to give you some time on own. Overnight at hotel
Cappadacia
(Breakfast
& Dinner Included)
After two hours drive, We visit the World Famous UNESCO Sites Hattusa,
Alacahoyuk and Yazilikaya and we start our visit with ceremonial site -
Yazilkaya (Rock Inscriptions - in Turkish). This open-air natural shrine, with
wonderful reliefs of the gods and goddesses cut into the rock walls, was home
to fresh water springs and is thought to have been a place of worship. After,
we continue to the spectacular city of Hattusa
this sprawling city set on the acropolis now all in ruins was the
capital of the Hittite empire. As we make our way around and through the
grounds we will see excellent carvings and pillars adorning the entrances
including the magnificent Lion's Gate as well as Sphinx-like carvings. We will
also see a great example piece of engineering the pottern tunnel by the royal
city walls. After our adventure in the open-air, we will have lunch at a local
restaurant featuring traditional meals. In the afternoon we will visit the
local archeology museum of Bogazkoy bearing exaqmples of artifacts from the
anatolian civilazations in a chronological order, with an emphasize on the
Hitite an Hattusa remains,such as written tablets stamps, bronze tools etc. The
glorious ancient peoples, Hittites founded the first kingdom of Anatolia around
1800 BC. For hundreds of years, they had been the rivals of Egyptians as the
two major powers of the world. The seat of their long-lived kingdom was Hattusa
where archaeologists found thousands of red-clay cuneiform tablets with an
enormous variety of topics inscribed on them including the first written treaty
and the first written correspondence between the two empresses in the world.
The ever glorious Hittite capital covers a massive area of 250 acres.
Yazilikaya (Turkish: inscribed rock) was a holy sanctuary for the Hittites. It
has two chambers bearing the incredible inscriptions of the Hittite deities.
Alacahoyuk (Turkish red tumulus) was a settlement dating back to the Copper Age
(5500 BC) where Hittites also settled. The royal tombs (circa 2350 bc) are one
of the most sees of the region. Overnight in Ankara
(Breakfast
Included)
Ankara,
the dynamic capital of Turkey is not only a very modern city but also renowned
for its rich ancient history. Today we will visit the notable sights and
landmarks of the city. The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations is an incredible
museum that offers so many interesting artifacts from the ancient past of
Anatolia. Walking up to the ancient Ankara Castle is a great way to enjoy the
views of the whole city under our feet. Roman Bath and Augustus Temple are two
fine examples of the Roman past in Ankara. Hamamonu district offers some of the
best preserved historical civil mansions. The colossal Mausoleum of Ataturk,
founder of modern Turkey is a great representation of the modern Republic of
Turkey before we finish our pleasant day. Whhat we are going to do today is
Visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, Walk up to the Ankara Castle,
Lunch, Visit Roman Bath and Augustus Temple, Walk in Hamamonu old town, Visit
the Mausoleum of Ataturk and its museum. Overnight in Ankara
(Breakfast
Included)
We
drive to old town of Safranbolu and start sightseeing tour which takes about
one hour and a half. We will drive through the narrow streets and stop at some
important places (old wooden houses, bazaars, hamams, squares, mosque, etc) to
take photos and get some information about them. We will see Cinci Turkish
bath, Clock Tower, Arasta Bazaar, Bakizadeler Mansion, Topcu Bridge, Cinci
Hodja House, the old government building, blacksmiths bazaar during the
tour.Later we drive Amasra visit Roman castle, city walls, wood carving
bazaar,and port.Then we return Safranbolu. Hotel in Safranbolu
Today
we drive back to Istanbul and check in to hotel for our last night in Turkey
.Overnight at hotel Istanbul
Tour
ends. Transfer to the airport and fly home.
3 nights hotel in
Istanbul- Central Palace Hotel Taksim
2 nights hotel in
Kusadasi - Odelia Resort Hotel
1
night hotel in Pamukkale - Palm Thermal Hotel
2 nights hotel in Dalyan - Club Alla Turca
1 nights hotel in
Fethiye - Blue Ocean Hotel
2 nights hotel in Antalya - Best Western Khan Hotel
1 nights hotel in Konya - Novotel Hotel Konya
3 nights hotel Cappadocia - Elpuente Cave Hotel
2 nights hotel Ankara - Ankara Hitit Hotel
1 nights hotel Safranbolu - Süleyman Bey Konağı
PS: If This hotel list not available at the time of your booking then we will arrange smilar other hotel for your group. If you prefer a Different category hotel, there might be an additional cos
Professional
English - speaking tour guides
18
open buffet breakfasts
7 local dinners at the
hotels
Comfortable
new a.c. vehicle with driver for entire tour
Transportation
in a fully air - conditioned, non - smoking coach
Guided Sultan Ahmet Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Hippodrome, Hagia Sophia, Cistern Basilica Tour
Guided Visit Ephesus, Ephesus Museum Tour
Guided Pamukkale via Aphrodisias Tour
Guided Boat Trip in Dalyan
Guided Antalya Old Town Tour
Guided Antalya Olympos Tour
Guided Aspendos Theatre Tour
Guided Catalhoyuk Tour
Guided Red Cappadocia Tour
Guided Green Cappadocia Tour
Guided Hattusa visit Capital of Hittities, Bogazkoy
Guided Ankara Tour
Guided Sarfanbolu and Amasra Tour
Private tour guide for entire tour
All entrance fees mentioned in the itinerary
Hotel room taxes
City Tax
Domestic or International Tickets (Istanbul to Izmir )
Travel Insurance
Personal expenses
Lunch, Dinners, Drinks
Tipping