# Private 8-Day Istanbul, Cappadocia & Ephesus Tour
Canonical: https://turkeyvia.com/tours/istanbul-cappadocia-ephesus-8-day-tour
Updated: 2026-10-25

## Key facts
- Price: From €1639 per person (based on 2 travellers)
- Tour type: Private tour (only your party, your own guide and vehicle)
- Duration: 8 Days
- Included: Flights, hotels & guided days included.
- Pickup / meeting point: Istanbul Airport pickup included. Your private driver will meet you at arrivals.
- 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
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. Day 1 is arrival in Istanbul, followed by the Old City on day 2. Day 3 is a flight to Cappadocia and the Red Tour; day 4 is the Green Tour. You fly to İzmir on day 5 for two nights in Kuşadası, and day 6 visits Ephesus. On day 7 you fly from İzmir back to Istanbul for a free evening, and day 8 is departure. Hagia Sophia’s upper gallery and Topkapı Palace with the Harem are not included. The Ihlara Valley walk is about 3.5–4 km. Workshop stops are part of the programme: day 3 pottery and carpet; day 4 onyx and leather; day 6 carpet and leather. Each visit is about 30–45 minutes, with no obligation to buy.

## 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
### Welcome to Istanbul: Airport Pickup, Free Evening

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. Stops: Sultanahmet after dark.

### Istanbul Old City at Your Own Pace, Privately Guided

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. Stops: Hippodrome (Sultanahmet Square), Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque), Hagia Sophia, upper gallery, Topkapı Palace with the Harem, Grand Bazaar.

### Fly to Cappadocia for a private Red Tour

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. Stops: Devrent Valley, Paşabağ (Monks Valley), Avanos pottery workshop, Zelve Open-Air Museum, Carpet Weaving Education Center (about 30–45 min).

### A day for the Ihlara Valley and Selime Monastery

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. Stops: Göreme panorama at Esentepe, Kaymaklı Underground City, Ihlara Valley, Selime Monastery, Onyx workshop (about 30–45 min), Leather workshop (about 30–45 min).

### Cappadocia to Kuşadası by Air, Free Afternoon

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. Stops: Afternoon at leisure in Kuşadası.

### Ephesus, Mary's House and Artemis at Your Pace

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. Stops: İsa Bey Mosque, Ephesus, House of the Virgin Mary, Temple of Artemis, Carpet Weaving Education Center (about 30–45 min), Leather workshop (about 30–45 min).

### Kuşadası to Istanbul via İzmir Airport

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. Stops: Free time for a last Istanbul evening.

### Last Morning in Istanbul and Airport Transfer

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. Stops: Time at leisure.

## 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

## 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 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.

## Book
Book on the tour page: https://turkeyvia.com/tours/istanbul-cappadocia-ephesus-8-day-tour. Questions: WhatsApp +90 507 357 58 94