Tour Information

4 nights & 5 days Driver Guide Tour (Cappadocia to Ephesus)

This tour is including the most popular destinations of Turkey located on Central and Western Anatolia. The tours starts with Cappadocia on central Anatolia and you will drive on the rest part of the tour towards West by visiting Konya, Pamukkale, Aphrodisias and Ephesus on your route. 


Day 1: Flight Cappadocia & First Day in Cappadocia: You will be picked up from your hotel at 04:30 to be transferred to Ataturk Airport to take 06:35 flight to Kayseri. Upon your arrival at around 07:20, you will meet with your guide and start driving for Cappadocia. You will have breakfast first, then visit Devrent Imagination Valley and walk through this lunar landscape. Next, visit Zelve Open Air Museum, where you will witness houses carved into the rocks, a Seljukian mosque as well as traces of most, if not all, ancient civilizations, Pasabagi (the world-famous Fairy Chimneys), the village of Avanos, where you will witness a Pottery-making demonstration using ancient Hittite techniques, lunch in a local restaurant, Uchisar Rock-Castle, (the highest point in the region, Esentepe (a panoramic view of Goreme valley) and Goreme Open Air Museum (Rock-cut churches, frescoes, monastery). After the tour, your guide will drop you off at around hotel at around 17:00. Accommodation in Cappadocia. (breakfast on the way and lunch on the tour)

 

Day 2: Second Day in Cappadocia & Drive to Konya: You will depart from your hotel at around 08:30, and drive to Kaymakli Underground City (largest underground city in the region, used as a shelter for great lengths of time during invasions), Narli Gol (Volcanic Crater lake), Ihlara Valley (Enjoy a pleasant and easy 4km hike through this sheer-sided, lush canyon with a beautiful stream running all the way through). After the lunch, you will drive along the ancient Silk Road towards Konya, stopping for a visit to the huge Seljukian Sultan Han Caravanserai. Then you will continue driving and your guide will drop you off at your hotel in Konya. Accommodation in Konya. (breakfast at hotel, lunch on the tour)

 

Day 3: Konya Tour & Drive to Pamukkale: You will visit the Tomb of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi in the Museum of Mevlana, an important place of pilgrimage for Muslims. Then, you will visit the Ottoman-era Sultan Selim mosque and you will drive to Alaeddin Hill (a prehistoric tumulus) to visit the 1000-year-old Alaaddin Mosque. In its courtyard are the tombs of many of the Seljuk Turkish sultans. Walking down the north side of the Alaaddin Hill we pass the remains of the Seljukian Sultans' palace, then cross the street for a view of the elaborate portal of the Ince Minareli Madrasah, theological college. After lunch, you will drive to Pamukkale to with a stop by Egirdir Lake, which takes around 7 hours' drive. Accommodation in Pamukkale. (breakfast & dinner at hotel, lunch on the tour)

 

Day 4: Aphrodisias & Pamukkale Tour: After breakfast, you will visit the travertines of Pamukkale and hot spring water sources at site. The ancient city of Hierapolis located by the travertines has the biggest Necropolis with 1200 gravestones in Anatolia. Red Water (Kirmizi Su) is another highlight of the site where you will stop by to take pictures. The tour will continue with a drive to Aphrodisias. It was the famous sculpture school and center of ancient Asia Minor. Aphrodisias Museum keeps some of the best examples of Greek and Roman sculpture works. After your visits, you will drive to Kusadasi, where you will stay overnight. Accommodation in Kusadasi. (breakfast at hotel, lunch on the tour)

 

Day 5: Ephesus Tour: You will depart from your hotel at around 09:00, and drive to Ephesus, which is known to be the Commercial, the Religious and the Social Center of Antiquity, and one of the Highlights of any Visit in Turkey. Next visit is to St. John Castle where there is remains of a Christian Basilica and overlooking the Ephesus city. After lunch, you will drive to Temple of Artemis (Diana), the site of one of the seven wonders of the ancient world; House of Virgin Mary, probably where She spent recent years of Her life; Isa Bey Mosque, this impressive mosque from XIV. Century A.D. is unlike any other you will see in this country. After the tour, you will drive to Izmir Airport to take 19:30 flight to Istanbul. Upon your arrival, you will be greeted by one of our colleagues and transferred to your hotel. Accommodation in Istanbul. End of services. (breakfast at hotel, lunch on the tour)

 

Further or prior arrangements can be made upon request in Istanbul and in other parts of Turkey.

 

The tour cost is 2450EUR per person 


Including Services

- 1 night's BB accommodation in double room at MDC Hotel in Cappadocia (www.mdchotel.com)

- 1 night's BB accommodation in double room at Hich Hotel in Konya (www.hichhotel.com)

- 1 night's BB accommodation in double room at Richmond Thermal Hotel in Pamukkale (http://bit.ly/1zyNNkY)

- 1 night's BB accommodation in double room at Ilayda Avantgarde Hotel in Kusadasi (www.ilaydaavantgarde.com)

- 1 night's BB accommodation in double room at Dosso Dossi Old City in Istanbul (www.dossodossioldcity.com)

- 5 full-day driver/guidance service in English w/ professional licensed guide

- Transportation w/ Ford Focus or similar type A/C vehicle

- Entrance fees to the sites visited

- Lunch during the tours (except drinks)

- Breakfast at hotels (or on the way where not possible)

- 2 airport transfers in Istanbul

- Istanbul-Kayseri, Izmir-Istanbul flight tickets

- Fuel, highway tolls, parking fees

 

Excluding Services

- Dinner

- Personal expenses

- Tips (optional)

 

Extra Offer

Standard Hot-air Balloon Ride: 270 Eur per person extra