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Private 8-Day Istanbul, Cappadocia & Ephesus Tour

Istanbul (3 nights) ✈ Cappadocia (2 nights) ✈ Izmir → kusadasi (2 nights) → Izmir ✈ Istanbul · flights included

From €1,639 pp

€3,278 for 2 travellers

Flights, hotels & guided days included

Reserve with a 40% deposit by card: €1,311.20 for 2

Cancellation charges from 25% · Free date change up to 21 days before · Full schedule

  • 8 days · 7 nights

  • 3 flights includedIstanbul → Cappadocia → Izmir → Istanbul

  • Hotels & breakfast7 nights · istanbul & cappadocia & kusadasi

  • Private tripOnly your party

Next available: Wed 4 Nov · WhatsApp reply in ~1 h

Overview

Explore Istanbul, Cappadocia and Ephesus over 8 days with private guides and vehicles, domestic flights and seven hotel nights. Start at Istanbul Airport and visit the Old City, Cappadocia and Ephesus.

Highlights

  • Walk through the Hippodrome and see the Blue Mosque
  • Visit Paşabağ, Zelve and Devrent Valley
  • Walk Ihlara Valley and explore Kaymaklı
  • See Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary
  • Visit carpet, onyx and leather workshops; no obligation to buy

Itinerary

8 days · Istanbul (3 nights) ✈ Cappadocia (2 nights) ✈ Izmir → kusadasi (2 nights) → Izmir ✈ Istanbul

  1. Day 1Welcome to Istanbul: Airport Pickup, Free EveningSultanahmet after dark
    The first of eight days is an easy one. You arrive at Istanbul Airport (IST) on your own international flight, and your private driver meets you in arrivals for the transfer to the hotel, your Istanbul base for two nights now and one more at the end of the trip. Once you have checked in, the rest of the day is free. Some travelers simply rest; others head out to see the domes of Sultanahmet lit up after dark. Your private guide collects you tomorrow morning.

    1. Private driver at the arrivals exit

      With your luggage collected, walk out into the IST arrivals hall, where your driver is holding a TurkeyVia sign.

    2. Transfer to the historic peninsula

      Time here: about 1 hour

      The motorway journey into the city depends heavily on traffic; allow extra time on weekday evenings.

      Tip: Landing at Sabiha Gökçen instead? A private transfer from there can be booked on our airport transfers page.

    3. Central 3★ hotel in Istanbul

      Double room with breakfast for your first two nights in Istanbul.

    4. Sultanahmet after dark

      If you feel like going out, the square between the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia makes a gentle introduction to tomorrow's full day there.

    Private air-conditioned vehicle with driver

    Overnight: Istanbul — central 3★ hotel

  2. Day 2Istanbul Old City at Your Own Pace, Privately GuidedHippodrome (Sultanahmet Square) · Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque) · Hagia Sophia, upper gallery
    Having your own guide matters most in the old city, where crowds, prayer times and ticket lines shape the day. Your guide plans the order around opening hours, reaching the Hippodrome, the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia ahead of the busiest hours where possible, and adjusting if prayers close a mosque to visitors. Lunch is included, and you can say when you would like to stop. The afternoon belongs to Topkapı Palace and the Grand Bazaar. Hagia Sophia's upper gallery and Topkapı Palace with its Harem need tickets that are not included.

    1. Hippodrome (Sultanahmet Square)

      Time here: about 20 min

      A short stop among the obelisks and the Serpent Column, the easiest place for your guide to sketch the city's Roman and Byzantine layout.

    2. Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque)

      Time here: about 30 min

      Visitors use a separate entrance, and the mosque closes to them around each of the five daily prayers, for longer on Fridays around midday.

      Tip: Carry a scarf and wear long trousers or a long skirt.

    3. Hagia Sophia, upper gallery

      Time here: about 1 hour

      Since 2024 foreign visitors follow a separate ticketed route to the upper gallery, while the ground floor is kept for worship. From above you see the Deësis mosaic and the dome at close range. Ticket not included.

    4. Lunch at a time that suits you

      A restaurant lunch in the old city is part of the day, while drinks are extra.

    5. Topkapı Palace with the Harem

      Time here: about 2 hours

      Allow time for the Harem and for the Treasury, whose collection includes the Spoonmaker's Diamond and the Topkapı Dagger. Ticket not included.

      Tip: Closed on Tuesdays.

    6. Grand Bazaar

      Time here: about 1 hour

      Your guide can point you to the lanes for particular crafts, such as ceramics, lamps or textiles, and leave you free to browse.

      Tip: Closed on Sundays; bargaining is normal in most shops.

    Private vehicle to and from your hotel; the old city on foot

    Meals: Breakfast, lunchOvernight: Istanbul — central 3★ hotel

  3. Day 3Fly to Cappadocia for a private Red TourDevrent Valley · Paşabağ (Monks Valley) · Avanos pottery workshop
    Your private driver takes you from your Istanbul hotel to the airport early for the morning flight east. Your guide meets you in Kayseri or Nevşehir for the private Red Tour; Göreme Open-Air Museum is not part of the route. Along the way you visit Devrent Valley, Paşabağ and Zelve, stop at an Avanos pottery workshop and have lunch in the town, and see a carpet workshop. It is a full day with plenty of walking on uneven ground, so your guide helps you balance time between the sites. You check in at your cave hotel afterwards.

    1. Istanbul to Cappadocia flight

      Your private driver takes you to the airport for an economy flight to Kayseri or Nevşehir.

    2. Devrent Valley

      Time here: about 20 min

      A short stop among rocks weathered into animal shapes.

    3. Paşabağ (Monks Valley)

      Time here: about 40 min

      Capped chimneys with hermit cells and the chapel of St Simeon.

    4. Avanos pottery workshop

      Time here: 30–45 min

      Pottery thrown on a kick wheel from river clay. No obligation to buy.

    5. Lunch in Avanos

      Buffet meal in town before the afternoon sites; drinks are not included.

    6. Zelve Open-Air Museum

      Time here: about 1 hr

      Cave homes, chapels and a rock mosque across three valleys, walked at your own pace.

    7. Carpet Weaving Education Center (about 30–45 min)

      Tea and a demonstration of hand-knotting and natural dyes. No obligation to buy.

    8. Check-in at your cave hotel

      Private drop-off for the first of two nights in Cappadocia.

    Domestic flight, then your own guide and vehicle

    Meals: Breakfast, lunchOvernight: Cappadocia — Celestial Cave Hotel or similar

  4. Day 4A day for the Ihlara Valley and Selime MonasteryGöreme panorama at Esentepe · Kaymaklı Underground City · Ihlara Valley
    After breakfast your guide picks you up between 09:30 and 10:20 for the Green Tour, about 9 hours with roughly 2¾ hours of driving across the Nevşehir and Aksaray countryside. Yesterday was painted churches; today is the hidden side of Cappadocia. Kaymaklı Underground City, the long green cleft of the Ihlara Valley and the monastery halls of Selime are the main sites, with lunch at Belisırma. On a private tour you decide how far to walk and when to stop for tea. Onyx and leather workshops are part of the day before you return to your hotel.

    1. Göreme panorama at Esentepe

      Time here: about 15 min

      First viewpoint of the day.

    2. Kaymaklı Underground City

      Time here: about 45 min

      Four floors of a refuge dug into volcanic tuff, with stables, a chapel and stone doors.

      Tip: Passages are low and narrow.

    3. Ihlara Valley

      Time here: about 2 hr

      A canyon walk of about 3.5–4 km by the Melendiz stream, with frescoed churches in the cliffs.

    4. Lunch in Belisırma

      Riverside restaurant; drinks extra.

    5. Selime Monastery

      Time here: about 45 min

      Cathedral-scale church and monastic rooms carved into the rock at Selime; no extra fee.

    6. Onyx workshop (about 30–45 min)

      See onyx shaped into decorative pieces. No obligation to buy.

    7. Leather workshop (about 30–45 min)

      Leather clothing presentation. No obligation to buy.

    8. Return to your hotel

      Second night in Cappadocia.

    Private guide and air-conditioned vehicle for the day

    Meals: Breakfast, lunchOvernight: Cappadocia — Celestial Cave Hotel or similar

  5. Day 5Cappadocia to Kuşadası by Air, Free AfternoonAfternoon at leisure in Kuşadası
    Today you swap the volcanic valleys of Cappadocia for the Aegean coast. A private transfer brings you from your hotel to Kayseri or Nevşehir airport for the domestic flight to İzmir, where your driver waits at arrivals. The transfer south to Kuşadası takes roughly 70 minutes, and after check-in the afternoon is free. You have two nights here, so there is no rush: tomorrow is your Ephesus day. Lunch and dinner today are on your own.

    1. Private transfer to the airport

      Leave your Cappadocia hotel after breakfast.

    2. Domestic flight to İzmir (ADB)

      Fly west across Anatolia in economy class to İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport.

    3. Drive to Kuşadası

      Your private driver meets you at arrivals for the transfer to your hotel.

    4. Afternoon at leisure in Kuşadası

      Walk the seafront promenade, browse the lanes of the old quarter, Kaleiçi, or swim at Ladies Beach in summer.

    Private airport transfers and domestic flight

    Meals: BreakfastOvernight: Kuşadası — Ephesus Centrum Hotel or similar

  6. Day 6Ephesus, Mary's House and Artemis at Your Paceİsa Bey Mosque · Ephesus · House of the Virgin Mary
    Rested after a free afternoon, you set out with your private guide from your Kuşadası hotel. Start at the İsa Bey Mosque in Selçuk, then give Ephesus the time it deserves; tickets for Ephesus and the House of the Virgin Mary and lunch in Selçuk are included. The afternoon brings the House of the Virgin Mary, the Temple of Artemis, a carpet weaving center and a leather workshop. You return to your Kuşadası hotel for the second night, and tomorrow you fly back to Istanbul.

    1. İsa Bey Mosque

      Look up from the mosque to Ayasuluk Hill, where the ruins of St John's Basilica and a Byzantine fortress stand.

    2. Ephesus

      Time here: about 2.5 hours

      From the Great Theatre you can see Harbor Street running straight toward the vanished shoreline. Your guide can also point out the Gate of Mazaeus and Mithridates, built by two freed slaves beside the library.

    3. Lunch in Selçuk

      Lunch at a local restaurant.

    4. House of the Virgin Mary

      Taps below the chapel draw from a spring that many pilgrims consider blessed.

    5. Temple of Artemis

      Your guide tells the story of Herostratus, who burned the temple in 356 BC to make his name remembered.

    6. Carpet Weaving Education Center (about 30–45 min)

      Weavers at work, silk cocoons and a glass of tea. No obligation to buy.

    7. Leather workshop (about 30–45 min)

      See jackets and bags made from local leather in a showroom setting. No obligation to buy.

    8. Back to Kuşadası

      Return to your hotel on the coast.

    Private air-conditioned vehicle

    Optional activities

    • Ephesus Terrace Houses (separate ticket) · Not included

    Meals: Breakfast, lunchOvernight: Kuşadası — Ephesus Centrum Hotel or similar

  7. Day 7Kuşadası to Istanbul via İzmir AirportFree time for a last Istanbul evening
    Today you leave the Aegean coast and fly back to Istanbul for the final night. After breakfast your private driver collects you from the hotel in Kuşadası for the transfer to İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport (ADB), a drive of a little over an hour. The domestic economy flight to Istanbul is part of the package unless you have removed the flights option to use your own tickets. After landing, your private driver meets you at arrivals and takes you to your Istanbul hotel; the rest of the day is free. Lunch and dinner are not included today.

    1. Private transfer, Kuşadası to İzmir Airport

      Time here: about 1 hour 15 min

      Your driver picks you up at the hotel at a time set from your flight departure.

    2. İzmir to Istanbul flight

      Time here: about 1 hour 15 min

      Economy class, with checked baggage as per the ticket fare; the departure time depends on the flight booked for you.

    3. Private transfer to your Istanbul hotel

      Time here: about 1 hour

      Your driver waits in the arrivals hall with a TurkeyVia sign.

    4. Central 3★ hotel in Istanbul

      Your third and last Istanbul night, in a double room with breakfast.

    5. Free time for a last Istanbul evening

      Ideas: the Spice Bazaar in Eminönü, a walk across the Galata Bridge to Karaköy, or a public ferry to Kadıköy on the Asian shore at sunset.

    Private vehicle to İzmir Airport; domestic flight; private Istanbul airport transfer

    Meals: BreakfastOvernight: Istanbul — central 3★ hotel

  8. Day 8Last Morning in Istanbul and Airport TransferTime at leisure
    Your eight-day private tour ends today with breakfast at the hotel and a private transfer to Istanbul Airport. If your international flight leaves in the afternoon or evening, the morning is yours: a final look at the domes of Sultanahmet, a visit to somewhere you missed, or a slow Turkish coffee. Your driver collects you from the lobby at a time planned around your flight. If you would like to continue traveling in Turkey, ask us about adding another tour.

    1. Hotel breakfast

      Included, as on every morning of the tour.

    2. Time at leisure

      If your flight time allows, consider the Basilica Cistern or the Süleymaniye Mosque, neither of which is on the Old City tour.

    3. Private transfer to Istanbul Airport

      Time here: about 1 hour

      Door-to-terminal transfer in a private vehicle.

      Tip: Reach the airport about three hours before an international flight.

    Private vehicle with driver

    Meals: Breakfast

Download the day-by-day PDF

Flights and hotel

Flights

  • Istanbul → Cappadocia · day 3
  • Cappadocia → Izmir · day 5
  • Izmir → Istanbul · day 7

Economy class, checked bag as per the ticket fare. Have your own flights? Remove them when you book — the price updates.

Hotel

  • 3 nights in Istanbul: central 3★ hotel, double room with breakfast
  • 2 nights in Cappadocia: Celestial Cave Hotel or similar, double room with breakfast
  • 2 nights in Kusadasi: Ephesus Centrum Hotel or similar, double room with breakfast

Pickup and route

Pickup
Istanbul Airport pickup included. Your private driver will meet you at arrivals.
Route of Private 8-Day Istanbul, Cappadocia & Ephesus Tour1Istanbul Old City2Cappadocia3Ihlara Valley4Ephesus
Route map is schematic — exact pickup and meeting points are in your confirmation.

What's included

Included

  • Private licensed English-speaking guide
  • Private sightseeing transport, all Istanbul airport–hotel transfers (including the domestic flight days), return Cappadocia airport–hotel transfers, and return İzmir Airport–Kuşadası transfers
  • Entrance tickets: Paşabağ and Zelve (one ticket), Ihlara Valley and Selime, Kaymaklı Underground City, Ephesus, House of the Virgin Mary
  • Lunch on day 2 in Istanbul, days 3 and 4 in Cappadocia and day 6 in Selçuk
  • 3 nights in Istanbul: central 3★ hotel, double room with breakfast
  • 2 nights 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 3 (economy class; checked bag as per the ticket fare)
  • Flight Cappadocia → Izmir on day 5 (economy class; checked bag as per the ticket fare)
  • Flight Izmir → Istanbul on day 7 (economy class; checked bag as per the ticket fare)

Not included

  • Tips (optional)
  • Personal purchases
  • Drinks with meals
  • Dinner
  • Lunch on days 1, 5, 7 and 8
  • Entrance tickets: Hagia Sophia (upper gallery), Topkapı Palace incl. Harem

Optional extras

  • Hotel nights (7 nights)
  • Domestic flights

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.

Where you'll stay

Cappadocia

Celestial Cave hotel or similar

Before you go

  • 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.

Payment and cancellation

Today
€1,311.20 deposit by card (3-D Secure), for 2 travellers.
On arrival
€1,802.90 in cash, in euros, with the 5% cash saving on the total already taken off.
  • 91 days or more: The 25% administrative fee is charged. 61–90 days: 55% of the total is charged (30% + the 25% administrative fee). 31–60 days: 65% of the total is charged (40% + the 25% administrative fee). 16–30 days: 95% of the total is charged (70% + the 25% administrative fee). 15 days or less or no-show: 100% of the total is charged. Charges are percentages of the total booking value and include the 25% administrative fee retained on every cancellation; non-refundable flight, hotel or entrance tickets already bought are added, up to 100% of the total. Your deposit is applied to the charge: if the charge is higher than your deposit, you pay us the difference; anything we hold above the charge is refunded within 14 days.
  • If a hotel in your package is booked on a non-refundable rate, we tell you before you pay and that night's cost is retained on cancellation.
  • Request cancellation in writing, by email or WhatsApp; the cancellation date is the day we receive your message. Refunds go back the way you paid, within 14 days: card payments to the same card. Shore excursions are paid on the day, so nothing is collected in advance.
  • If unavoidable extraordinary circumstances at the destination make the trip impossible, you receive a full refund, less any mandatory taxes and genuinely non-refundable third-party payments, itemised for you.
  • Date changes are free when requested at least 72 hours before a day tour, 24 hours before a shore excursion, or 21 days before a package or a day trip by plane, subject to availability. For these, a date change 14–20 days before departure costs €50 per booking; under 14 days it depends on availability, and any airline or hotel change fees are charged at cost. Name changes (passing your booking to someone else at least 7 days before departure) are free except for any airline name-change fee, charged at cost.
  • If TurkeyVia cancels, including because the minimum group size is not met, you can choose a full refund or an alternative.

If we can’t book your flights or hotel for your dates, that counts as our cancellation: a full refund to your card within 14 days, or another date if you prefer.

Full cancellation policy

Your contract is with İlke Seyahat Turizm Ticaret Gıda Orman Ürünleri Gemi Acenteliği İthalat İhracat Sanayi Limited Şirketi, Turgut Ozal Bulvari 67/1, Kusadasi, Aydin 09400, Turkey — the company behind TurkeyVia. Terms

Frequently asked questions

How does the Istanbul Airport pickup work on the 8-day private tour?

After passport control and baggage claim, your private driver meets you in the arrivals hall at Istanbul Airport (IST) and drives you to the hotel. Send us your flight number when booking. A private airport transfer from Sabiha Gökçen, or at other times, can be arranged separately via /airport-transfers.

What if our 8-day tour's Istanbul day falls on a Tuesday or a Sunday?

Topkapı Palace is closed on Tuesdays and the Grand Bazaar on Sundays, and mosques close to visitors during prayers, for longer around Friday midday. The Old City day is planned with these closures in mind, and your guide sets the order of visits to match opening hours.

Can I book the 8-day tour if I already have domestic flight tickets?

Yes. Remove the domestic flights option at booking and we meet you at the airport or hotel on each flight day, with the meeting time confirmed with your booking. Choose flights that fit the plan, for example an early arrival in Cappadocia on day 3.

How far will we walk on the 8-day private itinerary?

The Istanbul day is mostly on foot over cobbles and slopes. The Red Tour covers about 2.5 km on uneven ground, the Ihlara Valley walk about 3.5–4 km, and Ephesus is a long walk on worn marble. Kaymaklı has low, narrow tunnels and does not suit guests with claustrophobia.

Which meals are covered on the 8-day private tour?

Breakfast is included every morning at the hotels, and lunch on days 2, 3, 4 and 6. Dinners and drinks are not included. If you are vegetarian or have allergies or other dietary needs, let us know when booking.

Are there workshop visits on the 8-day private tour?

Yes. Day 3 includes an Avanos pottery workshop and a carpet workshop, day 4 onyx and leather workshops, and day 6 carpet and leather workshops near Ephesus. Each takes about 30–45 minutes, with no obligation to buy; your guide may shorten a stop when the day runs tight.

  • Your guided days are run by our own local team
  • On WhatsApp within about 1 hour, 09:00–18:00 Turkey time
  • Download the day-by-day PDF
  • Sold by İlke Seyahat Turizm Ticaret Gıda Orman Ürünleri Gemi Acenteliği İthalat İhracat Sanayi Limited Şirketi

Next available: Wed 4 Nov · WhatsApp reply in ~1 h

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