Highlights of Turkey: 8-Day Private Tour
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OVERVIEW
A Journey Through Istanbul, Cappadocia & Ephesus
Highlights of Turkey is an 8-day, 7-night private guided tour from Istanbul and back, covering Istanbul, Cappadocia and Ephesus, with the internal flights included. You travel with your own guide and driver for the whole trip, not as part of a shared group, and pricing starts from 1,590 USD per person for parties of 10 or more.
8 Days / 7 Nights
Duration
Istanbul
Departure
Istanbul
Return
Private, guided
Style
✓ 100% private tour, no joining a group
✓ Licensed local guides
✓ Flexible dates & group sizes
✓ Free, no-obligation quote
FROM
$1,590 per person
For groups of 10 or more. See the full price table below.
Tailored to your dates and group size
WHAT’S INCLUDED
What the Price Covers
Here is what the price includes, and what it does not.
What's Included
7 nights of accommodation at selected hotels (see Where You’ll Stay)
Daily breakfast and a few dinners
All admission fees, including entry to the Terrace Houses at Ephesus
Licensed English-speaking guide
Private air-conditioned van for local transport
The internal flights Istanbul to Kayseri, Kayseri to Izmir and Izmir to Istanbul, with the guide’s flights
All transfers from arrival to departure
What's Not Included
International airfare and related taxes
Customary end-of-tour gratuities to the guide and drivers
Bottled beverages and alcohol
Travel insurance, visas, laundry and personal items
Final pricing depends on season, group size and hotel category.
DAY BY DAY
Eight days and seven nights from Istanbul and back, across Istanbul, Cappadocia and the Aegean coast.
Day 1: Arrival in Istanbul
Arrival Day
Welcome to Istanbul. After clearing customs and immigration, your guide meets you at the airport and helps you transfer to your hotel. After check-in, you can rest in your room or take a walk around the hotel.
Day 2: Istanbul Old City Tour
Guided Day
In the morning your private guide meets you in the hotel lobby and you drive to the old city to visit Topkapı Palace, with its fabulous jewelry collection, Council Hall, kitchens and outstanding pavilions overlooking the Golden Horn. Next you visit Hagia Sophia, the largest church of its era, built under the Roman Emperor Justinian. After lunch you visit the Blue Mosque, adorned with blue tiles and six minarets. A five-minute walk away, the Hippodrome recalls the chariot races and gladiator fights of the Roman era, with the Egyptian Obelisk, the Serpentine Column and the Constantine Column. Then you visit the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art to see Ottoman art pieces.
Day 3: Bosphorus Cruise and the Asian Side
Guided Day
This morning you visit the Spice Market and the Rüstem Pasha Mosque, known for its famous İznik tiles. The Bosphorus cruise is one of the highlights of the city. You sail on a local boat past the wooden houses called “yalı” along the Bosphorus. After the cruise you have lunch at the fish restaurants of Sarıyer, near the Black Sea. There you join your driver and cross to the Asian side to climb Çamlıca Hill, the highest point, and visit Beylerbeyi Palace on the shore of the Bosphorus. You then cross the Bosphorus Bridge back to your hotel.
Day 4: Istanbul to Cappadocia
Travel + Guided Day
After breakfast you check out and transfer to Istanbul Airport for your flight to Kayseri. On arrival you start to discover the wonders of Cappadocia. You visit Uçhisar, the highest point of the region, with views over the valleys, rock dwellings, vineyards and pigeon houses, then walk through the village with its volcanic houses. After lunch you visit the Göreme Open Air Museum, with frescoes dating from the 4th to the 13th centuries, and then Pigeon Valley for its views. Later you may visit local villages and craftspeople, possibly including a traditional rug workshop.
Day 5: Underground City, Ihlara Valley and Avanos
Guided Day
Today you first visit the underground city of Kaymaklı or Derinkuyu in the south of the region. After a one-hour drive you reach Ihlara Valley, with its flowers, birds, a branch of the longest river in Turkey and frescoed churches. On request you can hike about two hours in the valley and visit some of the frescoed churches. Lunch is by the Melendiz River in the middle of the valley. After lunch you drive to Avanos, a pottery village, to visit a workshop and see local crafts made by Turkish masters. On the way back to the hotel you explore the volcanic tufa formations of Devrent Valley, carved into churches, a refectory and dwellings in the Christian era, and walk through the vineyards.
Day 6: Cappadocia to Kuşadası and Ephesus
Travel + Guided Day
After breakfast you check out and transfer to Kayseri Airport for your flight to Izmir, then continue to Kuşadası. You visit the ancient city of Ephesus and learn about its monuments, including the Library of Celsus, the Agora, the Trojan Fountain, Hadrian’s Gate, the Temple of Domitian and the Theater. With your private guide you also see the Roman mosaics and the best examples of Roman architecture in the Terrace Houses of Ephesus. Next is the House of the Virgin Mary, where she spent her last years. After lunch you take a short walk in the village of Şirince, with its wooden houses and green countryside, and taste local wine. Finally you see the Church of St. John, whose burial chamber lies on a hill overlooking the Artemis temple, the Isa Bey Mosque and the Aegean Sea.
Day 7: Return to Istanbul
Travel + Guided Day
After breakfast you check out and transfer to Izmir Airport for your flight to Istanbul. On arrival you drive to the Golden Horn, passing the ancient city walls on the way. You visit the Chora Church (Saint Saviour in Chora), covered in golden mosaics inspired by the Bible and the life of the Virgin Mary and Jesus. Next is the Eyüp Mosque, where you can see the religious life and ritual visits to the tomb of a beloved companion of the Prophet Muhammad. You then climb the hill for a view over the Golden Horn from the Pierre Loti Café. After lunch you visit the Grand Bazaar, where more than 3,000 shops sell jewelry, leather and spices, and then see the everyday life of Istanbul’s citizens in Taksim.
Day 8: Departure from Istanbul
Departure Day
This morning your guide meets you at the hotel and transfers you to Istanbul International Airport. End of our services.
TOUR MAP
Where This Tour Takes You
The route of the Highlights of Turkey on the map.
HIGHLIGHTS
Popular Attractions on This Route
The stops guests remember most from this itinerary, each visited with your private guide on the day shown.
Topkapı Palace, Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque
UNESCO Site · Day 2
The palace jewelry collection and pavilions, the largest church of its era, the İznik-tiled Blue Mosque and the Hippodrome, all in the Historic Peninsula.
Bosphorus Cruise and the Asian Side
Istanbul · Day 3
A sail past the wooden “yalı” houses of the Bosphorus, lunch in Sarıyer, then Çamlıca Hill and Beylerbeyi Palace.
Cappadocia’s Valleys and Göreme
UNESCO Site · Day 4
Uçhisar, Pigeon Valley and the Göreme Open Air Museum, with frescoes dating from the 4th to the 13th centuries.
Ephesus and the Terrace Houses
Aegean Coast · Day 6
The Library of Celsus, Hadrian’s Gate and the Theater, plus the Roman mosaics of the Terrace Houses.
PHOTO GALLERY
Moments From the Route
Istanbul, Cappadocia’s balloons and Ephesus, the places this tour passes through.
ACCOMMODATION
Where You’ll Stay
The hotels named for this route. The hotel for the final night in Istanbul is confirmed with your quote, and your exact rooms depend on your dates and availability.
Sultanhan Boutique Hotel
Istanbul · Nights 1 to 3
A museum hotel in Istanbul’s Historic Peninsula, built to preserve its historical architecture and texture.
Argos Cave Boutique Hotel
Cappadocia · Nights 4 and 5
A boutique hotel in Cappadocia, set in the region’s landscape of volcanic tuff shaped by wind, snow and rain.
Hotel Charisma
Kuşadası · Night 6
A five-star hotel in Kuşadası, the base for your visit to Ephesus.
PRICING
Prices
2 Participants
$2,960
4 Participants
$2,090
6 Participants
$1,790
8 Participants
$1,650
10+ Participants · Best Value
$1,590
Prices change with the season and the month of travel. Please ask for the real price valid for the time you are planning to travel.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Quick answers about what is included, how the days run and how to adjust this trip to you.
What is included in the Highlights of Turkey tour?
The package covers seven nights in selected hotels, daily breakfast with a few dinners, all admission fees, and a licensed English-speaking guide. Local transport runs by private A/C van, and the internal flights are included, along with entry to the Terrace Houses at Ephesus.
Does the tour include domestic flights?
Yes, the internal flights from Istanbul to Kayseri, Kayseri to Izmir, and Izmir to Istanbul are covered. Your guide travels on the same flights at no extra cost to you.
Are hotels included in the package?
Yes, seven nights are included at hotels like the Sultanhan Boutique Hotel in Istanbul, the Argos Cave Boutique Hotel in Cappadocia, and the five-star Hotel Charisma in Kuşadası.
Can the itinerary be customized?
Yes, the set route covers Istanbul, Cappadocia, and Ephesus, and it can be adjusted around what you most want to see. The whole trip runs privately for your group.
Is airport transfer included?
Yes, your guide meets you at the airport when you land and transfers you to your hotel, with a transfer back for departure. Every transfer across the itinerary is included.
Ready to See the Highlights of Turkey Your Way?
A private guide and driver, your own pace for all 8 days. Tell us your dates and group size and we’ll send a tailored quote.