# 4-Day Cappadocia, Ephesus & Pamukkale Group Tour — from Istanbul by Plane
Canonical: https://turkeyvia.com/tours/cappadocia-ephesus-pamukkale-4-day-tour-from-istanbul-by-plane
Updated: 2026-10-25

## Key facts
- Price: From €909 per person (based on 2 travellers)
- Tour type: Shared group tour
- Duration: 4 Days
- Included: Flights, hotels & guided days included.
- Pickup / meeting point: Istanbul hotel pickup included. Your driver will meet you at the lobby at 05:00 AM.
- Payment: Reserve online with a 40% deposit by card (at least the cost of the flights), the balance in cash on arrival.
- Cancellation: Cancellation charges from 25% · see the schedule

## Overview
This 4-day group tour from Istanbul by plane visits Cappadocia, Ephesus and Pamukkale. Explore the Red and Green routes, Ephesus and Hierapolis; domestic flights, three hotel nights, guides and lunches are included. Day 1 is the Red Tour, day 2 the Green Tour and evening flight to İzmir, day 3 Ephesus, and day 4 Pamukkale before the flight back to Istanbul. The itinerary includes pottery and carpet workshops, onyx and leather stops, and another carpet centre near Ephesus, each about 30–45 minutes with no obligation to buy. Ihlara Valley involves about 3.5–4 km of walking; the Pamukkale terraces are barefoot.

## Highlights
- Visit Devrent, Paşabağ, Avanos and Zelve
- Walk Ihlara Valley and explore Kaymaklı
- See Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary
- Explore Hierapolis and Pamukkale terraces
- Fly from Istanbul through Cappadocia and İzmir

## Itinerary
### Istanbul to Cappadocia: Red Tour on arrival

The four-day circuit starts at 05:00 in your Istanbul hotel lobby with a transfer to the airport. Once you land in Kayseri or Nevşehir, the shared Red Tour picks up the morning flight passengers and goes directly to the valleys around Avanos. Fairy chimneys at Devrent and Paşabağ, a potter at his wheel, a buffet lunch and the three-valley cave village of Zelve fill the day, along with a carpet workshop. About 8 hours of touring and 2.5 km of walking. Your cave hotel is the last stop. Stops: Devrent Valley, Paşabağ (Monks Valley), Avanos pottery workshop, Carpet Weaving Education Center (about 30–45 min), Zelve Open-Air Museum.

### Green Tour of Ihlara, then a flight to İzmir

Breakfast and check-out come first; the shared Green Tour collects you between 09:30 and 10:20. This is the most varied Cappadocia day: an underground city, a canyon walk, a village lunch and a cliff monastery, about 9 hours in total including roughly 2¾ hours in the vehicle. Kaymaklı comes before the walk in the Ihlara Valley, lunch is at Belisırma and Selime Monastery closes the sightseeing, followed by onyx and leather workshops. Then you head to the airport for the evening flight to İzmir and a transfer to Kuşadası, your base for the next two nights. Stops: Esentepe viewpoint, Kaymaklı Underground City, Ihlara Valley, Selime Monastery, Onyx workshop (about 30–45 min), Leather workshop (about 30–45 min).

### Ephesus Group Day from Kuşadası

Having flown in from Cappadocia last night, you have a full day in the Ephesus area without an airport at the end of it. The shared group picks you up at your Kuşadası hotel, and a licensed guide leads you through Ephesus, with entrance tickets for Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary included. Lunch is in Selçuk, followed by a carpet weaving center, the House of the Virgin Mary and the Temple of Artemis. You return to your hotel in Kuşadası for a second night; tomorrow is Pamukkale. Stops: Ephesus, Carpet Weaving Education Center (about 30–45 min), House of the Virgin Mary, Temple of Artemis.

### Pamukkale and Hierapolis, Evening Flight to Istanbul

The last day takes you inland from Kuşadası to the white terraces of Pamukkale, so pack up and check out after breakfast. The shared group covers about 190 km, roughly three hours with a break, before your guide introduces Hierapolis, a spa city of the Roman province of Asia. You spend the middle of the day between the ancient streets and the travertines, with lunch in Pamukkale. Late in the day a transfer drops you at Denizli Çardak Airport for the flight back to Istanbul, where a driver meets you for the ride to your hotel. Stops: Frontinus Street and the Domitian Gate, Hierapolis theatre, Pamukkale travertines, barefoot.

## Included
- Licensed English-speaking guide
- Air-conditioned sightseeing transport, return Istanbul airport–hotel transfers, return Cappadocia airport–hotel transfers, İzmir Airport-to-Kuşadası transfer, and Pamukkale-to-Denizli Airport transfer
- Entrance tickets: Paşabağ and Zelve (one ticket), Ihlara Valley and Selime, Kaymaklı Underground City, Ephesus, House of the Virgin Mary, Hierapolis and Pamukkale
- Lunch on days 1 and 2 in Cappadocia, day 3 in Selçuk and day 4 in Pamukkale
- 1 night in Cappadocia: Celestial Cave Hotel or similar, double room with breakfast
- 2 nights in Kusadasi: Ephesus Centrum Hotel or similar, double room with breakfast
- Flight Istanbul → Cappadocia on day 1 (economy class; checked bag as per the ticket fare)
- Flight Cappadocia → Izmir on day 2 (economy class; checked bag as per the ticket fare)
- Flight Denizli → Istanbul on day 4 (economy class; checked bag as per the ticket fare)

## Not included
- Tips (optional)
- Personal purchases
- Drinks with meals
- Dinner
- Cleopatra’s Pool admission

## Good to know
- Workshop stops: a carpet weaving centre, a leather workshop, an onyx workshop and a pottery workshop. Part of the programme, no obligation to buy.
- Domestic flights are economy class. Your baggage allowance follows the ticket fare, and we confirm it with your tickets.
- Travel with the passport you booked with: airlines check the name on the ticket against it.
- Wear comfortable walking shoes: the valleys and rock-cut sites have uneven ground and steps, and the underground city has low, narrow passages.
- Bring a hat and sunscreen in summer and a warm layer in spring, autumn and winter: mornings in Cappadocia are cool, and the underground city stays cool all year.
- Vegetarian, vegan or other dietary needs at lunch: tell us when you book and we let the restaurant know.
- Mobility needs or travelling with small children? Tell us before you book, and we tell you honestly which parts of the day suit you.
- We send your final programme, hotel names and pickup times before departure, and you can reach us on WhatsApp during the trip.

## FAQ
### How does day 1 of the 4-Day Turkey Highlights group tour work?

A driver picks you up from your Istanbul hotel at 05:00 for the early flight to Cappadocia. After landing you are taken to join the shared Red Tour the same morning; group services are timed for arrivals around 08:00.

### Can I join the 4-day highlights tour if I book my own flights?

Yes. Remove the flights option; we meet you at the Cappadocia airport on day 1 and at İzmir airport on the evening of day 2. Day 4 ends at Denizli Çardak Airport, so choose a flight after about 21:30. Extra rides are available at /airport-transfers.

### Which workshop stops are included over the four days?

Day 1 has an Avanos pottery demonstration and a carpet workshop, day 2 onyx and leather workshops, day 3 a carpet workshop near Ephesus. Each lasts about 30–45 minutes and there is no obligation to buy.

### Is the Green Tour day suitable if I dislike tight spaces?

Kaymaklı Underground City has low, narrow tunnels, so it is not ideal for claustrophobic guests. The same day includes a walk of about 3.5–4 km through Ihlara Valley on mostly easy ground.

### What happens with my luggage when we change cities on this tour?

You check out on day 2 in Cappadocia and on day 4 in Kuşadası, and your bags travel with you to the next airport or hotel. The flight tickets include a checked bag as per the fare.

### Do I need special shoes for the Pamukkale terraces on day 4?

Wear comfortable shoes for Hierapolis, but you take them off at the travertines: footwear is not allowed on the terraces. A plastic bag for your shoes makes the barefoot walk easier.

## Book
Book on the tour page: https://turkeyvia.com/tours/cappadocia-ephesus-pamukkale-4-day-tour-from-istanbul-by-plane. Questions: WhatsApp +90 507 357 58 94